Age when dogs understand pointing determined

[n2doc]

By Jennifer Viegas | Fri Nov 13 2009 03:21 PM ET


When is it pointless to point for dogs? A new study has found that you can point all you like, but dogs under a certain age won't know what the heck you're doing.

The findings, accepted for publication in the journal Animal Behavior, suggest that the ability to understand pointing isn't just something we and other animals are born with, as had been previously theorized. It's a skill that seems to develop with age and experience.

For the study, Nicole Dorey and her team from the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida studied 36 puppies representing multiple breeds, such as German shepherds, collies, Dachshunds and yes, pointers.

"To determine the age at which domestic dogs first show the ability to understand human pointing cues, we tested puppies in their human caregivers' homes when the puppies were 9–24 weeks old," Dorey and her team wrote. "We found little evidence that puppies younger than 21 weeks had the ability to follow human pointing gestures."

So don't expect your pup to fully understand your pointing until your pet is 21 weeks of age and older.

more:

http://news.discovery.com/animals/age-when-dogs-understand-human-pointing-determined.html

[XemaSab]

1. My dogs are a lot older than that

and they don't get it at all. :P

[MisterP]

2. I knew it! 6 years old WAS too old not to underestand that!

they keep looking only at our hands...

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. This is too funny

Just before I read this post, I was pointing AT my dog and telling him I was watching him. I said a second time, I'm watching you. He turned his head and looked behind him. (I'm not sure what to do with that last sentence, but hopefully you get the gist) He's a 10 mo old yellow lab and sharpei mix. He needs a lot of watching.

Too funny that I read this the next minute after that.

[valerief]

4. I guess young pups are like teabaggers in that respect.

It's pointless to try and make a point with them. They just don't understand.

[d_r]

5. I had a great dane dog for years

Incredible dog, the heartbreak of giant breeds is they die too young.

Anyway, he never understood it if I pointed at something. I'd point at something and he'd come and smell my finger. Bless his heart.

[morningglory]

6. I saw a show on the tv machine that said chimps never can understand

pointing, no matter what.

[a la izquierda]

7. well, i guess my dogs just don't get it...

if i point, one of my dogs will shove his nose into my finger. The other will lick my finger. Finally, my blind dog has no clue what the hell is going on. He's as crotchety as gramps McCain.

[joshcryer]

8. What's up with all of the responses? My little shitzu knows pointing very well.

I'll tell 'em to "get a toy!" and he'll run to it, if I throw it the wrong way and he misses it (over the couch, down the hallway) and he can't find it, all I have to do is point! And this is a dog that doesn't have any training at all, won't sit, roll over, etc. (I don't like to train my dogs in that way, I prefer their personalities flourish, he does have one command which is "relax" when other animals or children come nearby, though.)

[emmadoggy]

10. Yep. We had a Sheltie.

Intelligent, sweet, beautiful dog. Boy, do I miss her. She seemed to understand pointing. Not to mention, a lot of things we said. Not only could we tell her to get a toy, but we could say to get a specific toy ("fuzzy man" or "bone" or "frisbee" etc.) and she would usually get it right. She was so smart and seemed to understand so much. Damn, now I'm sad thinking about her again.... :cry:

[montanto]

9. And you can point until hell freezes over

and your cat will still look at you like you're stupid.