Test Your Dog's IQ with Dr. Stanley Coren

Intended for use with dogs over a year old, this adroit tape demonstrates 12 exercises that can measure a dog's adaptive intelligence; that is, its overall learning and problem-solving ability. Straightforwardly demonstrated by Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of Dogs, various simple tasks reveal Lady's observational and social learning, problem solving, attention and environmental learning, short- and long-term memory, language comprehension, and learning processes. At test's end, a score reveals whether your canine is "brilliant" or "low" on the intelligence scale, but what, you might wonder, is the use of knowing this? Dr. Coren explains that knowing a dog's intelligence can help determine whether that animal will fit your lifestyle; for example, a dog that is intelligent may seek out all sorts of trouble if left alone all day. Of course, by the time a dog is a year old you've probably had him for quite a while, and are not about to give him up just because he's "too smart," so some suggestions for "dumbing down" a dog would have been welcome. Also helpful would have been more detailed instructions for performing each of the 12 exercises. Are you supposed to vocally encourage Fido to find the treat behind the cardboard screen? Is "sitting" the last step of the last exercise, or is standing in front of you enough? Despite these missteps, though, this tape will be a popular, fun, reasonably-priced addition. Recommended. Aud: P. (K. Glaser)