DOGS
1. I’m basically a toddler.
“The secret to understanding dog behavior is that the average dog has a mind that’s equivalent to that of a human two-to-two-and-ahalf-year-old,” Stanley Coren, PhD, a professor emeritus in the psychology department at the University of British Columbia, told Psychology Today. On average, dogs comprehend about 165 words, so they can follow a bit more than just “walk” and “treat.” They’re also most likely to learn words associated with objects or activities, as opposed to words associated with emotions, such as “Good doggy!”
2. But there are a few top dogs.
“Superdogs”—those in the top 20 percent of the intelligence spectrum—are a little closer to human three-year-olds, and they can understand more than 250 words. “Every now and then, you get a Mozart or Dickens of dogs who can understand 1,000 words,” Coren says. Psychologist John Pilley’s border collie, Chaser, showed knowledge of the names of 1,022 objects, according to a study Pilley published in Behavioural Processes in 2011. “But John worked with her four hours a day, like Mozart’s dad,” says Coren.
3. I need to get out in the world.
Young dogs that don’t meet people or other dogs tend to grow up fearful and aggressive. Before they are six months old, puppies should meet 150 people and visit 50 different places. “It doesn’t have to be Zanzibar,” Coren says. “It can be rooms that are very different, machine shops, parking lots, whatever.”
4. I’ll tell you when I’m lonely.
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Reader's Digest US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Reader's Digest US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Do You Kiss Your Dog? - Find out how gross your questionable habits really are, according to health experts
I admit it, when it comes to food, I have some eeew-inducing practices, like skimming mold off old cheddar and feeding the rest to my unsuspecting family. We're still alive, so how bad can it be? Because our gross human habits fall somewhere along the spectrum from mildly cringeworthy to full-on repulsive, I reached out to experts to find out where some common behaviors land on the gross-o-meter.
What's Ailing Our Doctors? - Today's physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too.
Today’s physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too. America's doctors are in crisis. Six in 10 physicians say they're burned out, with burnout rates for some specialties, such as primary care, reaching 70%. When polled by the American Medical Association, 40% of doctors said they were considering leaving their practices in the next two years. Another study, conducted by health-care industry publisher Elsevier, revealed concerns about mental health and burnout: 63% of med students in the United States reported that they had no intention of practicing clinical medicine after graduation and will instead work as lab researchers or academics. This is despite a predicted shortage of 124,000 physicians over the next 10 years.
Now Hear This
Losing your hearing suddenly, even if there is no pain, is always urgent
Go for the Gumbo
The soulful stew synonymous with Louisiana is delicious anywhere you eat it
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Pinned by a giant boulder, a hiker had two choices: panic or gut it out. He did both.
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honor the many men who helped her survive her childhood
MY SMART PET
These clever critters are some smart C-O-O-K-I-E-S
How Hobbies Help Us
Far from a waste of time, pastimes are good for body, brain and spirit
1+1 = MORE (or LESS)
A math whiz encourages you to play with your numbers
That Kind of Time
A dressing-room encounter made me get real about aging