Another animal question

[nancylebov]

Is it possible to train a cat or dog to look both ways before they cross a street? I can imagine using operant conditioning to get them to turn their head both ways, but that doesn't cover paying attention.

Comments

[lisajulie.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely sure that a dog or a cat has the right set of mental talents (I wanted to say blocks, but that isn't right) to develop a model that includes judging "this far away, moving that fast" and doing essentially calculus against the cat/dog's movements.

anniemal would almost certainly have something to say about this. She's had several very intelligent dogs and has worked with animals for years.

I'll point her in this direction and see what she has to say.

[sgsguru.livejournal.com]

Seeing- eye dogs seem to pretty well for their owners. I don't know details about how they're trained, or even how they work, however.

cats, dogs, and traffic

[anniemal.livejournal.com]

With dogs, I think the best I've done is teach them about curbs, and corners. (Whoa; heel. Let's go.) They're prone to get excited and forget everything to pursue a jogger with another dog or a piece of pizza, though. My first dog broadsided a car out of sheer ditzy excitement. He limped for awhile, but wasn't seriously hurt. We were in the middle of nowhere, but he managed it anyway.

The border collie Mary was simply very bright, very lucky, bad-tempered and intractable. Smarter than all get-out, understood everything said to her, and had no respect for anyone. She will make a fine herder. Now that I see the breed, it explains the dog who lived down the road who owned both sides of it and ~20 cows, and charged any automobile that tried to pass through her territory. A bit unnerving, 'til you're used to it. I'm a big metal cow, and not part of your herd. I just want get home. Lay off.

I'm sticking to poodles for allergy reasons, and because I don't have to seek them full-time employment to keep them from climbing the walls. I had to tape over the windows in the front door to keep Mary from staring at the reflections on the ceiling from passing cars' windshields.

So no, I don't think dogs really get the 'Look both ways.' thing. Trained guide dogs, maybe, but that's a lot of work put into them, and it's the training they're raised with, not any real innate concept of danger to themselves. It's useful for having them protect you at their own risk.

Now, cats, on the other hand, can get it. Our scraggly outdoor "doesn't believe in litterboxes" type has been there for six years, and has been seen crossing the street, and did either look both ways, or perked both ears. He avoids traffic in general, anyway. if there are cats out there guarding anything but themselves, I haven't heard.

I can ramble on with animalia, but I tried to keep on topic.

Re: cats, dogs, and traffic

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

If you want to ramble, go right ahead. If nothing else, it's interesting that cats are better at understanding traffic than dogs are, though I've heard that cats only get the idea after they've been hit (presumably not too destructively) by a car.

cats, dogs, and traffic

[anniemal.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying all cats are smarter about traffic. I think it's a tendency for cats to be warier than dogs in general. When young, or on turf they think is safe, they can let their guard down badly.

Dogs see it coming and don't realize This is Bad. Cats just sometimes don't see it coming, or they'd be out of there. (I'm wondering now how quiet electric/hybrid cars are going to change critters' odds of getting out of the way in time.)

I'm working with a small sample size, though. Personal observation of roadkill (never know when something interesting will turn up) puts dogs in a slight majority of fatalities, but I'd like to see results of a study. Maybe I should start one. Maybe one's been done. Hmm.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I would have thought that was one of the critical skills for guide dogs. It's probably not feasible for skittish or easily distracted animals. But if you're talking about one of the big, smart, cooperative-temperment breeds used for guide dogs, and you're willing to take the time used for that level of training...I'd say it's very possible.