Always Learning New Things
Thank you, readers of Downeast Dog News, for another year of dog loving! It’s a fun journey to be in this with you and I wish you the very best as we all continue to learn and grow from our lives with dogs.
As 2022 comes to a close and we look toward flipping the calendar to another year (and in some cases, enthusiastically flipping this one away!), let’s have some fun together by playing a canine cognition game. If you are interested in reading further about them, please visit my website, dianalogan.com. You will find this article as a blog, and you will be able to click on the sources I used.
It’s always good to be curious, ask questions, and put on our critical thinking caps, right?
Select the response that most accurately answers the question.
1. Canine Familiaris (dog) has existed as a species for how many years?
a. 500-5,000
b. 5,000-15,000
c. We are still unsure
2. What is the definition of “people food” when it pertains to feeding our dogs?
a. Anything that people eat
b. Anything that doesn’t come in a package labeled “dog food”
c. Whatever you want it to mean; there is no accepted definition
3. A wagging tail indicates (select the one answer that is most accurate):
a. A friendly dog
b. It depends on the rest of the dog’s body
c. An overly aroused dog
d. A confident dog
e. A fearful dog
4. Once you’ve trained a dog to do a behavior on cue, you don’t need to reward her for that behavior anymore
a. True
b. False
5. “Natural” as an ingredient signifies:
a. The ingredient is organic
b. Nothing; there’s no actual definition for “natural”
c. Humans can eat it, too
6. The click of a clicker (or a verbal marker):
a. Tells the dog “Bingo!” You will be paid for what you did when you heard it.
b. Cues the dog to do something
c. Indicates a reward is forthcoming
7. Dogs have the innate desire to please humans
a. True
b. False
8. Grain-free diets can cause heart issues in dogs; therefore, dogs require grain in their diet:
a. True
b. False
9. When you meet a new dog, you should allow her to come up to you rather than you moving into her space. Assuming she approaches you, what part of her body should you touch first?
a. Whatever part she presents to you to touch, if any
b. The top of her head for a nice scritch
c. Her chest
10. If a dog pulls while on leash, he's trying to be alpha.
a. True
b. False
11. A single litter of puppies may have more than one father
a. True
b. False
12. A puppy shouldn’t be allowed off your property until he’s fully vaccinated
13. The term “socialization” refers to:
a. Interacting with other dogs
b. Interacting with other people
c. Careful and positive exposures to novelty of all types
14. Kibble was first introduced to the market in what year?
a. 1850
b. 1956
c. 1920
15. A pregnant dog can pass long fearful characteristics to her puppies
a. True
b. False
Answers:
1.(c) 2.(c) 3.(b) Any of the options could be correct; 4.(b) if you want to keep the behavior strong, it will have to be rewarded frequently enough to maintain it 5.(b) 6.(a) 7.(b) Dogs do not do things just to please us; if there’s something in it for them and it pleases us in the process, it’s a win-win! 8.(b) 9.(a) 10.(b) Dogs pull because it works…and because walking on leash is a very unnatural thing for them to do. 11.(a) 12.(b) 13.(c) 14.(b) 15.(a)
Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed Pet Connection Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine. www.dianalogan.com, (207)252-9352