 |
 |
Scott I agree with your idea of companion dogs for PWP. I just hate it that I can't walk Spike. I did when I first got him in 2000, but he never caught onto lifting his leg to pee on the walk, so I gave up. Now I can't walk him at all. When I first moved here in late 2004 I tried with my walker and fell in the rain. I always preferred large dogs, but the small ones are easier to pick up after. He has a doggy door with drapes to match the living room drapes and goes in and out to the back yard as he pleases. In the laundry room he has a feeding station and plenty of water. My CG handles this but I give him treats for breakfast and dental chews. I can't stand losing a dog, and I'm afraid Spike will have to be my last one. My caregiver helps me with him - vet visits, ear medication, poop pickups, etc. Kathy loves dogs, so I am fortunate, as even a small dog is hard for me to care for. Ray Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] -------------------------------------------------- From: "Scott E Antes" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 12:13 PM To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: For Dog Lovers Only > Anyone who's lived with (good) dogs as long as we have, Ray, would never > for a second question their intelligence, would we? One reason (of many) > our late Sparky is sorely missed is the fact that he seemed to know > whenever Laureen needed help getting up out a chair. We did not teach him > this, but he would immediately run over to her chair, sit close with his > back to her, so she could grab hold of his collar and pull herself up. > Bandit (his brother and littermate) will do the same, but only when > called. Smart dogs. Strong dogs. Willy is still a puppy, so the verdict > is still out on him. He might turn out to be the brightest of them all. > Every PWP, in my opinion, would benefit from a good dog for a companion. > > (When I say, "good" dogs, I mean well-behaved dogs.) > > Note: Our dogs are large dogs, and need walking twice a day. (They'd > prefer even more.) Laureen cannot do that. I do it, and when I'm laid > up, we call one of the neighbor kids. I'm not suggesting everyone on this > list get a large dog! We just happen to like the bigger guys--for now. > I can see our canine buddies getting smaller and smaller, over time. If > our two big guys wanted to get away from me (Bandit is 80 lbs, Willy is 50 > lbs and still growing), I'd have to let them go or get dragged off and > wind up the wishing I'd let them go. Yes, I do speak from experience. > Scott > > Scott E. Antes > Northern Arizona University > Department of Anthropology > PO Box 15200 > Flagstaff, AZ 86011 > ________________________________________ > From: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network > [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of rayilynlee > [[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 8:39 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: For Dog Lovers Only > > Dogs' Intelligence On Par With Two-year-old Human, Canine Researcher Says > ScienceDaily (Aug. 10, 2009) - Although you wouldn't want one to balance > your checkbook, dogs can count. > > They can also understand more than 150 words and intentionally deceive > other > dogs and people to get treats, according to psychologist and leading > canine > researcher Stanley Coren, PhD, of the University of British Columbia. He > spoke Saturday on the topic "How Dogs Think" at the American Psychological > Association's 117th Annual Convention. > > Coren, author of more than a half-dozen popular books on dogs and dog > behavior, has reviewed numerous studies to conclude that dogs have the > ability to solve complex problems and are more like humans and other > higher > primates than previously thought. > > "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 in an interview. "Their stunning > flashes of brilliance and creativity are reminders that they may not be > Einsteins but are sure closer to humans than we thought." > > According to several behavioral measures, Coren says dogs' mental > abilities > are close to a human child age 2 to 2.5 years. > The intelligence of various types of dogs does differ and the dog's breed > determines some of these differences, Coren says. "There are three types > of > dog intelligence: instinctive (what the dog is bred to do), adaptive (how > well the dog learns from its environment to solve problems) and working > and > obedience (the equivalent of 'school learning')." > > Data from 208 dog obedience judges from the United States and Canada > showed > the differences in working and obedience intelligence of dog breeds, > according to Coren. "Border collies are number one; poodles are second, > followed by German shepherds. Fourth on the list is golden retrievers; > fifth, dobermans; sixth, Shetland sheepdogs; and finally, Labrador > retrievers," said Coren. > > As for language, the average dog can learn 165 words, including signals, > and > the "super dogs" (those in the top 20 percent of dog intelligence) can > learn > 250 words, Coren says. "The upper limit of dogs' ability to learn language > is partly based on a study of a border collie named Rico who showed > knowledge of 200 spoken words and demonstrated 'fast-track learning,' > which > scientists believed to be found only in humans and language learning > apes," > Coren said. > > Dogs can also count up to four or five, said Coren. And they have a basic > understanding of arithmetic and will notice errors in simple computations, > such as 1+1=1 or 1+1=3. > > Four studies he examined looked how dogs solve spatial problems by > modeling > human or other dogs' behavior using a barrier type problem. Through > observation, Coren said, dogs can learn the location of valued items > (treats), better routes in the environment (the fastest way to a favorite > chair), how to operate mechanisms (such as latches and simple machines) > and > the meaning of words and symbolic concepts (sometimes by simply listening > to > people speak and watching their actions). > > During play, dogs are capable of deliberately trying to deceive other dogs > and people in order to get rewards, said Coren. "And they are nearly as > successful in deceiving humans as humans are in deceiving dogs." > > Adapted from materials provided by American Psychological Association, via > EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS. > > Rayilyn Brown > Director AZNPF > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > [log in to unmask] > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkins > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn