World’s Smartest Dog: Chaser the Border Collie Knows 1,000 Words

Chaser, a border collie, can correctly identify more than 1,000 distinct items.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on December 23 2010

Thought your buddy Spot was pretty clever when he learned to play fetch? We’re betting he’s no match for Chaser, a border collie from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Over the last three years, Wofford College psychologists Alliston Reid and John Pilley have taught Chaser the names of hundreds of toys and asked her to fetch them by name.

In 838 separate tests, Chaser has gotten at least 18 out of 20 toys right every single time. She also understands verbs such as “nose, “get,” and “paw.” Altogether, the psychologists estimate that Chaser understands 1,022 words—more than the famous Alex the parrot, and far surpassing the second-smartest dog, Rico, who knows a mere 200 words.

Check her out in action in this video.

Filed under: Animals and Pets,

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