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In defence of dumb dogs: Intelligence can be an overrated trait
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Your pet is probably not a genius, and that is okay.
ILLUSTRATION: PETER ARKLE/NYTIMES
Emily Anthes
NEW YORK – Earlier in 2026, I wrote about dogs with an unusual talent. Although many dogs can master basic commands, these animals had amassed enormous vocabularies, learning the names of hundreds of toys.
It was, the story noted, a rare skill in the canine kingdom. In years of searching the globe, scientists had identified very few of these “gifted word learners”.
