Thanks for posting, Enjoyed watching the video. Boy BCs are super smart.

 Quote: Mara Jessup

From the link -

 Quote:

The pair regularly tested Chaser on her vocabulary by putting random groups of 20 toys in another room and having her fetch them by name. Chaser, now 6, never got less than 18 out of 20 right, in 838 (!) separate tests over three years.

I couldn't even do that!

That is amazing, but something tells me if you gave three years of undivided attention/training to your Kip, she could do so as well! (Good to know I'm as smart as a BC...LOL!)

It is things like this that absolutely facinate me. I saw a video of this dog in action a few years ago and it was just amazing to see this dog differentiate between colors and shapes. Not only did the dog do well in accomplishing the tasks asked, think only got one wrong, but the dog was fast about picking which item she was asked to get. It is great to see how the interaction and training can really push a dog to go to another level of learning and bonding with the handler. I wonder where this dog actually stays when not working and when this extensive training actually started for this dog. It is also unbelievable as the previous record holding dog is listed as only knowing about 20% of the words chaser knows. And that bird Alex, the African Gray I think, was no sloucher himself.

I think my dogs can recognize maybe 5 different items maximum as object recognition hasn't exactly been my focus. Looks like I got my work cut out for me. To even get my dogs to learn and recognize 10% of those words is a lot of work. New years resolution here I come.

-Lamarr

 Quote: Katie Finlay

 Quote: Mara Jessup

From the link -

 Quote:

The pair regularly tested Chaser on her vocabulary by putting random groups of 20 toys in another room and having her fetch them by name. Chaser, now 6, never got less than 18 out of 20 right, in 838 (!) separate tests over three years.

I couldn't even do that!

I'd go in to the room and then forget what I went for!

I am with Barbara that the time spent is key. If that dog is like Alex the African Grey there are/were students and proffs and volunteers spending HOURS a day with the teaching. Heck, my beagle would seem smart in that atmosphere. Heck our GSD knew the family members names, room names and could take things to them or get things from them or take any one of his own toys to a person. This from a dog that was in no way trained in his 17 yrs on the earth.

What I do see is a dog that needs more than that rhetoric and to get out of the room with the constant prattle of words! All that mumbling repetition and I would lose my mind. She seems less than enthusiastic.
Now put her out with some sheep to move and I would be more impressed and she might be too.
Not that it isn't keen for humans to be able to graph animal intelligence and all....it is for the people. Let her be a dog.

yes, she looks board. For a BC outside running work seems more appropriate.