Dogs have an intellectual capacity similar to that of a two-year-old human child, researcher and author Stanley Coren said at a presentation to the 117th annual convention of the American Psychological Association.

“One of the most recent breakthroughs is that people began to use tests which were originally designed for young humans — for pre-linguistic or limited-linguistic humans — to see whether dogs had certain capacities,” Coren said. “And that allows you then to do a whole bunch of things, not only to determine whether a dog has a certain thinking skill but to place him in terms of where would you be in terms of human beings, as well as in terms of other animals.”

According to Coren, who has written more than a dozen books on understanding dogs, recent studies have confirmed that the animals have a higher cognitive capacity than scientists had thought. They are able to learn the meaning an average of 165 words, including hand signals; the record for most words learned tops 200. Coren said that dogs are also capable of performing basic arithmetic that involves counting up to four or five, and that they have been shown to intentionally deceive humans or other dogs.

Coren also reported on studies comparing the intelligence of different breeds of dogs. He noted that there are three different kinds of dog intelligence: instinctive intelligence, which is highly breed-dependent; adaptive intelligence, which involves problem-solving and learning from the environment; and working and obedience, which involves trainability.

According to measures of working and obedience intelligence only, the top seven “smartest” dogs are border collies, poodles, German shepherds, golden retrievers, dobermans, Shetland sheep dogs and Labrador retrievers. The hounds have the lowest degree of obedience intelligence.

“We all want insight into how our furry companions think, and we want to understand the silly, quirky and apparently irrational behaviors [that] Lassie or Rover demonstrate,” Coren said. “Their stunning flashes of brilliance and creativity are reminders that they may not be Einsteins but are sure closer to humans than we thought.”

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8 Remarkable Animals That Saved People’s Lives

by Bryan Nelson, Care2/MNN

Many people owe their lives to the tender protection and brave acts of other animals. Here’s just a small look at the stories of eight remarkable animals that have saved people’s lives.

Pig dashes into street for heart attack victim

JoAnn Altsman had a heart attack and collapsed to the ground. Lulu, her daughter’s pot-bellied pig, rushed out of the house, lying down in the street to stop traffic. The pig tried relentlessly to get help, returning to the house to check on JoAnn, only to rush back to the street desperate for help. Finally, one person stopped and followed the determined pig back to the house, where they found JoAnn in pain on the floor. She was immediately rushed to a hospital.

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Dogs Benefit from the Nutrition of Supplements

by Melanie Grimes, Natural News

Dogs can benefit from taking supplements as well as human, and many pet owners are jumping on the doggie nutrition bandwagon. Sales of pet nutritional supplements in the United States increased by seven percent in 2009, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. Sales of human nutritional products increased as well but only by six percent. A few nutrients are known to provide maximum nutrition for dogs, including Omega-3s, glucosamine, antioxidant vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10, and digestive enzymes. Pet stores now stock many of these dog supplements.

Digestive Enzymes for Dogs
Dogs who eat grass need the addition of digestive enzymes to their diet, according to the holistic vet, Dr. Jackie Obando at Mercy Vet. By adding a powered digestive enzyme to the food, the digestion improves and most grass eating is eliminated. There is nothing wrong with eating a little grass, but it can cause an upset stomach in some pets.

Omega-3 and Fish Oil for Dogs
Adding fish oil to a dog’s diet helps them deal with inflammation. For dogs that have allergic dermatitis or food allergies, fish oil is an important nutrient to add to their diet. Dogs that are prone to arthritis can also benefit from the Omega 3s. Any joint problem and even cancers are helped by the addition of fish oil. The recommended dose is 150 mg a day for dogs under 15 pounds, and twice that amount for a medium dog. A large dog can take up to 450 mg a day.

Glucosamine for Dogs..

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A handful (eight so far) have been adopted by new owners, others are being watched for medical reasons, and more will likely be taken by some local shelters.

The Cheyenne Animal Shelter is part of the Humane Society network and, thus, is not a no-kill shelter.  Of the 55 killed, most were, according to shelter employees, because they were “too wild.”  More will be euthanized if something isn’t done for them.

Can you help?

If you know anyone in the area who is looking for a good barn cat, please let them know that the shelter in Cheyenne has several that need rescuing.