Greetings from Lassie – dogs are considered unusually clever animals and studies confirm their amazing intelligence. But are the four-legged friends unusually intelligent compared to other animals? Researchers have addressed this question through the systematic evaluation of studies on the subject of animal intelligence. Her conclusion is: dogs are undoubtedly clever – but their cognitive abilities are no exception. People tend to overestimate their best friend’s mind, the researchers say.
The dog is very often the focus of cognitive research: in many tests, the four-legged friends have already shown what astounding intelligence they are capable of. For example, they can understand our language amazingly well, are able to adopt perspectives and even master counting. Research also gave the impression that dogs are something very special when it comes to intelligence. Stephen Lea from the University of Exeter and Britta Osthaus from Christ Church University in Canterbury critically questioned this assumption in a so-called meta study.
No exception geniuses
For their investigation, they evaluated over 300 studies on the intelligence of dogs and other animals such as wolves, cats, hyenas, dolphins and pigeons. These were animals that correspond to the dog in at least one aspect. Specifically, the scientists concentrated on the performance of these animals in the sensory area, spatial orientation, social intelligence or self-awareness.
The comparisons made it clear to the scientists: “Given the performance of the representatives of the other animal groups, the cognition of the dogs does not appear to be exceptional,” Osthaus sums up. As the researchers explain, their skills are objectively what you would expect from a domesticated, socially hunting predator. However, the researcher emphasizes: “Nevertheless, dog intelligence is undoubtedly unique – but only because the cognition of each species is unique,” says Osthaus.
Leaning angle
According to the researchers, their research also showed how scientific studies can lead to an overvaluation of dogs. “During our work, we got the impression that many studies had already started with the aim of proving the special intelligence of the four-legged friends,” reports Lea. As a result, some results were “overinterpreted” in favor of the dogs. “Dogs are dogs – and how we deal with them should be made dependent on their real needs and abilities,” the authors conclude.
Source: University of Exeter, technical article: Learning & Behavior, doi: 10.3758 / s13420-018-0349-7