Highest Rated Comments


FunkyPete65 karma

That 9/11 joke was fire (about the Empire State Building). Sorry people weren't pleased with the timing, but what's a comedian going to do if you can't talk about what everyone's thinking about?

FunkyPete40 karma

How was he caught? (I assume he was caught or we wouldn't know how he broke in even if it was discovered later)

FunkyPete6 karma

To be fair, they said "some" are reliable and "some" aren't. That doesn't mean 50/50. One of those two numbers might be bigger than the other.

FunkyPete6 karma

Aussies can be better in smaller areas as Border Collies

It seems like Aussies (who are bigger and more muscular and bulky than BCs) are more willing to bump livestock with their bodies and physically move them. It makes sense that the physical style works better in a small space than getting some distance and glaring.

Also, an Aussie's top speed might be similar to an BC, but the BC can do it ALL DAY and an Aussie will tire before the BC would, which also backs up your larger space comment.

FunkyPete5 karma

It's kind of hard to compare for a few reasons:

  1. There is a lot of variety in intelligence between breeds and individuals
  2. The dogs we think of as really smart are the ones that really CARE about pleasing you -- so they concentrate on what you want.
  3. This one is kind of hard to put in words -- but a 3 year old human is only a three year old for a year. They don't have any experience with the world. A 5 year old dog has been as smart as a 3 year old for 3 or 4 years. They have observed the world, made connections between things while focussing on how to please you and remembering previous situations.

The last one is really important -- I have also heard dogs are as smart as 4 year olds, but that part isn't what matters -- it's that they have the time to build up way more knowledge than a 3 or 4 year old child would be able to collect. A dog can look at the shoes you're putting on and work out if you're going to work, going for a short walk around the neighborhood, or going for a hike. Our Aussie knows from the drawers we open if we're getting out workout clothes or work clothes. Human children at 3 or 4 just aren't as focussed on you and haven't had time to accumulate that kind of knowledge about their world.