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"It sounds like the animal behaviouralists are getting smarter - dogs have been this smart all along"
STEALTHGIRL
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The latest in doggy news, now scientists are telling us our couch potatoes with legs have the ability to count. Are you surprised? For some reason, I'm not as surprised as I might have been. Perhaps that's because I've seen something similar
to a "head-count" without really processing what I was seeing.
It is no big secret that shepherds have been utilizing dogs as flock guardians and herding helpers for centuries. There are tales of dogs who will search for one missing flock member until it is found. Maybe this has been accepted for so long, that nobody thought to wonder how they knew? Until now, that is.
Using eleven mixed breed dogs, Robert Young of Brazil's Catholic University of Minas Gerais, decided to test this theory. Young showed the dogs a number of dog treats, and after a sufficient length of time had passed, he lowered a screen, and removed treats, added some, or left them the same. Each time the number of treats changed, the pile was subjected to an intense stare. When the number stayed the same, the dogs appeared unworried.
Young believes that this ability stems from their ancient ancestors, the wolves. Wolves have a very complex social structure, and with basic mathematical abilities, the Alpha wolf would know how many allies or enemies he had within his pack, something essential to holding and keeping a leadership position. This would also be an extremely handy ability when keeping track of where all your pack members and wolf cubs are.
While scientists are pleased with this discovery, some animal behaviourists remain skeptical, stating that it may be their superior sense of smell that tells dogs there is a difference.
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