Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words - Hardcover

Pilley, John W.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0544102576 ISBN 13: 9780544102576

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013

Synopsis

A New York Times Bestseller

The amazing story of a very smart Border collie who is redefining animal intelligence.

Chaser has a way with words. She knows over a thousand of them—more than any other animal of any species except humans. In addition to common nouns like house, ball, and tree, she has memorized the names of more than one thousand toys and can retrieve any of them on command. Based on that learning, she and her owner and trainer, retired psychologist John Pilley, have moved on to further impressive feats, demonstrating her ability to understand sentences with multiple elements of grammar and to learn new behaviors by imitation.

John’s ingenuity and tenacity as a researcher are as impressive as Chaser’s accomplishments. His groundbreaking approach has opened the door to a new understanding of animal intelligence, one that requires us to reconsider what actually goes on in a dog’s mind. Chaser’s achievements reveal her use of deductive reasoning and complex problem-solving skills to address novel challenges.

Yet astonishingly, Chaser isn’t unique. John’s training methods can be adopted by any dog lover. Through the poignant story of how he trained Chaser, raised her as a member of the Pilley family, and proved her abilities to the scientific community, he reveals the positive impact of incorporating learning into play and more effectively channeling a dog’s natural drives.

John’s work with Chaser offers a fresh perspective on what’s possible in the relationship between a dog and a human. His story points us toward a new way of relating to our canine companions that takes into account our evolving understanding of the way animals and humans learn.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Chaser is the most scientifically important dog in over a century. Her fascinating story reveals just how sophisticated a dog's mind can be. Brian Hare, coauthor of The Genius of Dogs

If a truly great book leaves one better for having read it, then Chaser is quite simply a masterpiece. Dogs and those of us who love them owe a debt of gratitude to the brilliant, courageous author and his equally heroic subject. Jennifer Arnold, author of Through a Dog's Eyes

This is an extraordinary book, full of warmth and wisdom, that has the potential to forever change the way we look at dogs. Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie About Love

After you read Chaser, you will realize that you may have underestimated the intelligence of your dog. Marvelous insights into a dog's mind. Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make us Human

Chaser and John Pilley reveal the true depth of the bond between humans and dogs. The real lesson here is how, given enough time, innovation, and love, there are no limits to what can be accomplished with one s own dog. Steve Duno, author of Last Dog on the Hill and coauthor of Leader of the Pack

Incredibly inspiring and heart-warming. Bernd Heinrich, author of Winter World, Mind of the Raven, and Life Everlasting

From the Inside Flap

The amazing story of a very smart Border collie who is redefining animal intelligence

Chaser has a way with words. She knows over a thousand of them more than any other animal of any species except humans. In addition to common nouns like house, ball, and tree, she has memorized the names of more than one thousand toys and can retrieve any of them on command. Based on that learning, she and her owner and trainer, retired psychologist John Pilley, have moved on to further impressive feats, demonstrating her ability to understand sentences with multiple elements of grammar and to learn new behaviors by imitation.

John s ingenuity and tenacity as a researcher are as impressive as Chaser s accomplishments. His groundbreaking approach has opened the door to a new understanding of animal intelligence, one that requires us to reconsider what actually goes on in a dog s mind. Chaser s achievements reveal her use of deductive reasoning and complex problem-solving skills to address novel challenges.

Yet astonishingly, Chaser isn t unique. John s training methods can be adopted by any dog lover. Through the poignant story of how he trained Chaser, raised her as a member of the Pilley family, and proved her abilities to the scientific community, he reveals the positive impact of incorporating learning into play and more effectively channeling a dog s natural drives.

John s work with Chaser offers a fresh perspective on what s possible in the relationship between a dog and a human. His story points us toward a new way of relating to our canine companions that takes into account our evolving understanding of the way animals and humans learn.

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0544102576
• ISBN 13: 9780544102576
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 260