Plan B Forum

I Met The World’s Smartest Dog

Chaser didn't just learn objects by name: she started to understand the basic structure of human language.
Popular Science |

Dan Nosowitz

* * *
Throughout the interview, Pill gave Chaser what I considered to be some pretty intricate directions. It was never "sit" or "stop," but things like "relax" or "go to the living room," which Chaser actually obeyed. These weren't to impress me; this is the way John and Sally and Pill talk to Chaser. But I wanted to see some tricks.

* * *
I hid Fuzzy under a tall piece of wooden furniture, tucked way in the corner. There was only a few inches of space underneath there; Fuzzy wasn't really in sight at all. It was too good of a hiding place. * * * After a minute or two of Chaser scouring the apartment for Fuzzy, John told me to play the hot and cold game. "Seriously? She understands 'hot' and 'cold'?" I said. "Oh, yes," said John. * * * She quickly turned back around, and within a few seconds had triumphantly located Fuzzy. She clawed him out from my unfairly difficult hiding place and looked up at me, eyes round, tail wagging, ears extended straight upward. "Good girl!" I said, before wondering how old a human child has to be before being able to accomplish that task.

* * *
Chaser would sit a couple of feet from me during the interview and very gently and precisely roll the ball at me with her nose. No games, no nonsense: here's the ball back. Throw it again, please.

Big RR wrote:
Gob--that's a shame, but the little guy doesn't look too bad--he'll likely bounce back quickly.