When is this stupid study going to end?
Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and knowing that your hound is smart lovers: I am so sick of this stupid study that crops up every year about what dog is the smartest and what dog is the dumbest. The study is just plain stupid and dumb. I hate using those word and I hardly ever do, but in this case it is called for. Don’t these idiots have anything better to do? They come up with the same lame results every year. It is getting really old.
You cannot tell a basset hound lover that this breed is dumb or as the study puts it , “A dunce”! Oh, and by the way, they spelled Basset with 2 ts. Now who is the dunce?
I am so mad. This is a partial excerpt from the “study”. Give me a break…..
“Data gathered by more than 200 dog obedience judges revealed the brainiest breeds.
Border collies top the pack, followed by poodles, German shepherds and golden retrievers.
Hounds fared less well, with the bassett hound, bloodhound, Afghan hound and beagle, all joining the bulldog in the low intelligence stakes.
Professor Coren said the differences could be at least partly explained by the breeds’ histories.
He said: ‘The dogs that are the brightest in terms of school learning ability tend to be the dogs that are much more recently developed.
‘There’s a high probability that we’ve been breeding dogs so they’re more responsive to human beings and human signals.
‘It’s important to note that these breeds which don’t do so well tend to be considerably older breeds.
‘These dogs were developed when the task of a hound’ was to find something by smell or sight.’
And, in an attempt to mollify hound-owners, the added that bright dogs do not necessarily make the best pets.
While a smart dog will quickly learn what is expected, it will also be better at working out just how much it can get away with.
Describing beagles as ‘sweet and sociable’, he said: ‘We like dogs that understand us.
‘Sometimes people love the dumb blonde.”……….
End of excerpt………….
Notice how they try to mollify the hound lovers. They liken a basset to a dumb blonde? How many real bondes do you know? What they are saying is a dumb girl. They didn’t say a dumb jock.
I know, I am taking this way to seriously. But NO ONE is going to tell me that Chaps and Emma are dumb or dunces. I dare that “professor” to come to my house and see how Emma navigates her surroundings and how Chaps makes sure she is not in danger. I am just furious…. and crying.
More living with very smart hounds later….Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma
Comments(10)
OK Cat, take a deep breath and think calming serene thoughts. Think of Emma calmly going about her day, enjoying the sunshine and the breeze in the trees.
Now, as for these tests. They are mostly for the news media to have something to talk about.
I have one of those smart dog breads – a Sheltie. You can potty train in a day or 2. They learn quick and are fast. But, they could never replace a basset. They don’t sit around and out think you about anything. They don’t drool. They can’t snore worth anything. They aren’t smooshy. They never think outside the box.
These tests are never for the super intelligent, creative dogs. Only for the dogs who do what a person trains them to do. Really, now that I have had bassets, I sort of feel shortchanged sometime with the Sheltie. And the minute I can find a job, I will adopt another senior basset. I just miss the snoring by my bed at night so much!
Poppy cock! Bassets dumb?! Stubborn to be sure, but if anything, I say that makes them smarter because they aren’t big on taking orders (preferring to sit in authority and give the orders to their humans).
If you’re going to cry, then cry for the people who do these studies who have never known the love and “smooshiness” (as Mary would say) of a good hound.
Also, don’t you love how they are trying to give humans credit for “making smarter dogs” with the “newer breeds”. (are border collies all that new?).
We love you Cat and Chaps and Emma too! We are amazed everyday at Emma’s ability and brains, and at Chaps love and devotion. He would protect Emma and all of you with everything he has.
By they way, that is a beautiful picture of the Mayor and Vice-Mayor of BHT.
Thanks friends. I just could not believe how angry then sad I became while writing this post. It just got to me. My precious Chaps and Emma were sitting there looking at me and just so sweet. I always say that Emma is looking at me because she does. She sits there and looks right at me.
I just think it is such a shame to make a certain breed look dumb. It is not fair to them.
OK – deep breath……..
Cat
I’ve noticed that about Emma just from the pictures. She always is “looking” at you so intently. She sees you with her heart (and probably a bit with her nose too!). A dumb dog wouldn’t be able to do this.
Bassets dumb? Who stays home and lays on the couch all day and who goes to work? I rest my case!!! LOL
I think this study doesn’t allow for the fact that Basset’s stop, think and observe before they act. Bassets evaluate-they have to determine if its worth their while to respond. I think this shows a great deal of intelligence, and if humans acted this way and followed the Basset’s example the world would be a better place.
I bet the author of this study just has goldfish!
Absolutely, Maureen! Stubborn, heck yes, frightfully so…but stupid??! Ha! Horse hockey–if bassets had opposable thumbs, they would truly rule the world;) I have always preferred dogs (and people, for that matter) with strong wills–bassets aren’t anybody’s lackeys;) Don’t cry, Cat! Basset folk know what’s what!!
Mary, Harley, Biggs and Leo (my momma didn’t raise no ‘tupid bassets;)
I agree, the article is what’s stupid. I got Jethro as a puppy and at the time I had an 11 year old English Springer Spaniel named Jetson. Jethro loved his big brother dearly. Altho I didn’t realize it until 3 years later when I had to put Jet to sleep due to kidney failure. I took Jethro with me so that he’d realize that I left the vets office without Jet and he wouldn’t look all over the house and yard for his big brother. After he was put to sleep I had my husband, Ronald, go get his body because I decided to bury him at home. Ronald and I dug a grave about 4 feet deep and 4 feet wide and laid Jet down in the grave. Then Jethro jumped in the grave on top of his brother and started licking his face and crying! Now, do bassets have feelings? Do bassets understand what’s going on? Are bassets smart? YES! And this is just one story of dozens that I could tell about all of my precious hounds. Cat, don’t let this bother you. It’s not worth it. No one can judge whether one breed is smarter than the other. That’s discrimination! All breeds and individual dogs are different. That doesn’t mean they are stupid.
Obviously Professor Coren has never owned a bassethound!
Judi,Bucky & Lacey