How Does Your Pet's Intelligence Compare to a Baby's?

Have you ever wondered how your pet's intelligence stacks up against that of a baby? While human infants take time to master basic skills like walking and talking, animals like dogs and cats seem to have some cognitive abilities that are on par with young children. But how do these pets truly compare when it comes to intelligence?

Comparing Cats and Dogs: How Their Intelligence Measures Up to Human Babies

According to Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia, dogs have cognitive abilities similar to those of toddlers.

Using a method called "mental age," Coren found that dogs could understand around 165 words, much like a 2-and-a-half-year-old child, LiveScience reported.

Dogs can even "count" up to three, recognizing when something is missing, like when a treat is hidden in the wrong hand.

These skills show that dogs understand basic concepts like vocabulary and counting, which are similar to the abilities of young toddlers. However, it's important to remember that the intelligence of dogs can vary depending on breed, experience, and training.

Cats, on the other hand, are a bit harder to study in terms of intelligence. Unlike dogs, there aren't as many studies comparing cats' cognitive abilities to babies. However, some research has shown that cats can learn through trial and error.

They have been known to solve puzzles and remember things based on just one piece of information.

For example, cats know that an object still exists even when it's hidden, a concept known as object permanence.

Human babies usually learn this by the time they're 10 months old. Cats also display remarkable hunting skills and use their sense of smell and physical coordination, which sets them apart from human intelligence.

How Dogs and Cats Outperform Us with Their Unique Intelligence

Though these abilities are impressive, comparing the intelligence of pets with babies can be tricky. Animals like dogs and cats have evolved to solve very different problems compared to humans.

For example, dogs excel at tasks like retrieving items or following commands, and cats are experts at hunting and remembering their surroundings. These skills are essential for their survival but may not translate easily to human developmental stages.

Some animals, such as the famous border collie Chaser, have shown an extraordinary capacity for learning.

Chaser was able to learn over 1,000 words, a level of understanding that goes beyond the usual cognitive abilities of most dogs, Petfinder said.

However, not all dogs have the time and training required to reach such a level of intelligence.