I'm also pretty sure that Baxter couldn't foresee this phrase, this action, whether two and a half years ago or pretty much ten minutes before he was actually lending his paw to science yesterday. That's just my boy, happy go lucky and always hopeful that things will work out. And they practically almost always spectacularly do.
Today, part two of baxter and duk duk's amazing feats of summer documents snippets of tiny chumley's first ever participation in a canine cognition lab study. Not a world record breaking moment for Baxter, mind you, but for reasons you'll soon find out, a treasured personal best.
11 comments:
Baxter!
I am speechless!
You are soooo smart!
Good job!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza
Not gonna miss a kibble, are you!?!?!
50 treats an hour? You are a highly compensated pup, Baxter ol' boy! Bravo!
Woofs,
Oskar
You've got a great sit/stay too Baxter! Impressive! We don't play that game.
hee - i did not miss a single one except when that lady pointed at the wrong cup! but luckily she showed me the right cup after that and then i got my treat after all. u think she did that on purpose?
hee, joey n maggie, i have to sit and stay, right? or r u tellin me i have a CHOICE? cuz THAT would be sumptin I need to know!!!
toodles - b.
Baxter, you are so very smart. Lulu would be jealous if she was smart enough to know better.
Baxter, your stay is *very* impressive -- I hope you got extra credit for being a dachshund who could sit and stay like that. I don't know very many who can do it when food is at stake!
Did Duk Duk get any treats?
She definitely pointed to the wrong cup on purpose! I have read some articles about canine cognition research where they have shown that domesticated canines will respond to pointing and other human gestures - even when they have seen contradictory information with their own eyes - because of the relationship they have with humans, while their wild counterparts will not respond to the human signals. Apes and chimpanzees similarly do not respond to the human signals, but human infants do. Baxter, you may win a Nobel prize for your contribution!
I want to try this at home now!
This work is being done not only at Duke, but at Harvard, in Hungary and at U of F (probably many other places too!):
http://www.caninecognition.com/
hee - lulu might like the study - so many many treats and the lab lady is so sweet!!
sadly they did not have treats for ducks and he had to watch the video from the other room on account of him being a duck and well, that was all i bothered to listen to cuz, well, the snacks were really flowin if ya know what i mean! a doggie's gotta take advantage of an opportunity like that!
hee - she only misdirected once. i guess maybe so she doesn't confuse me and mess up that trust, know what i mean? the last test that wasn't on video cuz mom had to participate/concentrate was when they brought out a stranger and they both took turns putting down two snacks and randomly sitting in one of two chairs. most of the time i went for the snack on my right regardless of whether there was somebody there i knew or a stranger. i am not sure if one could conclude i am a righty paw, but even when mom sort of does a similar test at home i seemed to choose snacks on the right, too. how bout that??
I just discovered this post. The music in the video was particularly fabulous! Kudos to you and your mom, Baxter!
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