Who’s Got the Brains??

Some people are mislead as far as what to expect when they get a puppy or kitten, and some people are amazed at how long they are in that stage. As humans, it is hard for us to understand how a dog at one year old (although she may be incredibly large) has not completely matured in other aspects.

Dogs and cats develop differently than human beings, and differently within breeds. As dogs and cats get older, their behavior will begin to settle down and taper off. Do you think the development of dogs and cats has to do with their intelligence? I recently read in a book that if random people were polled and asked the question “Who is smarter - cats or dogs?”, almost everyone said dogs. Why is that?

Dogs we are able to teach tricks (when was the last time you saw a cat roll over on command? or shake?), we equate that to intelligence. But there were quite a few cat owners who strongly disagree with that….they think cats are smarter because they are more cunning and fend for themselves. They work independently and do not have to rely on a “pack” for survival.
I find this subject very interesting, and I think the only answer that makes sense is that cats are intelligent in different ways than dogs are. It is also true that animals are smart in different ways than humans are. What I want to know is if any of you out there have taught your dog or cat to do something amazing, something unique that maybe no one else has done before? Please share them with me, I am interested in hearing the tricks your animals can do and also if she has any special abilities that you have not taught her ( unique things your dog or cat does on her own) A select number of comments will be posted in an upcoming blog!

Also, do not forget to post a picture of your pet dressed up in her Halloween costume! I will be posting pictures of those soon, so get them to me as quickly as you can!! Email them to: dsheffler@petstrong.com

Thanks for reading! As always, your participation in comments and discussions are encouraged and greatly appreciated!!