Dogs distinguish objects by size and texture (and not shape)

[minkee]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 095317.htm

From the onset of word learning, young children generalise names to new objects on the basis of shape, and continue to do so as adults -- a tendency known as 'shape bias'. This is crucial to language development because it enables children to assign new objects to pre-established classes -- for example, to recognise that a tennis ball and a football both belong to the category 'ball'.
The Lincoln researchers found that when dogs are introduced to new words to refer to new objects, they first generalise based on object size, then on object texture. Unlike humans, they do not appear to naturally discriminate based on shape.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0049382

[Nettle]

That's really interesting.

I'd like to have seen a child of suitable age being worked as a 'control' and I wonder how other domestic animals might have fared? Although we don't generally expect a retrieve from a horse, goat, cow or sheep, they will 'target' very obligingly if taught.

[JudyN]

One thing that struck me was that the shapes used were quite abstract, with straight sides. I'd be interested in whether they distinguished between different, simpler shapes, and shapes more readily encountered and maybe more significant to them - a circle (ball) cf a long thin rectangle (stick), say. Or a rabbit shape.

[Nettle]

Lol, Judy, I was thinking a dog would fare much better than a child on rabbit, deer, fox.....and not all that many people can tell a rabbit from a hare if they don't have an interest in animals

[minkee]

My anecdotal evidence to back you up, Nettle: 3 times and counting have little children pointed at Breeze and said "It's a rabbit!!!"

[JudyN]

My anecdotal evidence to back you up, Nettle: 3 times and counting have little children pointed at Breeze and said "It's a rabbit!!!"

Yep, and Jasper has been mistaken for a pony, and also called a camel-dog

[Nettle]

Thank you both for me being prostrate with mirth

Mine have only ever been mistaken for wolves

[bendog]

I work (volunteer) with kids.

The number of them who arrive, point at a pigeon and say "look at the duck!!!" is incredible.

We also have a thing where we show the process from wool to felt and ask the kids where they think the wool (brown sheep fleece - straight off the sheep) comes from. We often get - "the shop!", "horse", "dog" and almost every other animal you can think of except sheep! (Coz its brown and everyone knows sheep are white!)

Have a lot of hares at our place too (counted 7 in one morning the other week) and although I can see how people confuse them for rabbits it is SO obvious once you know.

[JudyN]

You know, I knew there had been an instance of one of my lads not registering the size of something, and it came to me this afternoon. Might have been better if it hadn't, but anyway...

... DS2 looked down the loo and saw the cardboard bit of a feminine hygiene device 'Ooh,' he said, 'There's a loo roll down the toilet'

[minkee]

Now this is getting completely off topic but while we're on THAT subject...

I once encountered my little brother (ten years my junior) sitting on the bottom of the stairs, putting tissues into his pants. "What are you doing, M?" "I WANT TO BE LIKE MUMMY *huge grin*"

[doggiedad]

a rabbit is a hare.

Lol, Judy, I was thinking a dog would fare much better than a child on rabbit, deer, fox.....

>>>>>>> and not all that many people can tell a rabbit from a hare<<<<<<

if they don't have an interest in animals

[doggiedad]

i think when a dog is introduced to a new word for an object it doesn't matter
what shape or size it is. the word given is the word associated with that object.
i don't a dog is reasoning a word with the size or shape. you can teach a dog "go
get your leash" but if you use a ball instead of leash he's going to get the ball when
you say "go get your leash" and later on he's not going to reason "oh, this leash is
really a ball".

[Suzette]

a rabbit is a hare.

Let's educate ourselves, shall we? . . . http://www.diffen.com/difference/Hare_vs_Rabbit

I confess, I had to look up the difference between the two. But I'm always glad to add to my knowledge on any subject. My job is working with groups of school kids on a working farm with all types of farm animals and educating them about each one. It will be fun to add this bit of information the next time (which will be tomorrow!) I have a group and we're visiting the bunny hutches.