106 學年度學測英文 第 41 題

Is your dog an Einstein or a Charmer? For US $60, a recently-founded company called Dognition will help you learn more about your dog’s cognitive traits. It offers an online test telling you about the brain behind the bark.

Dognition’s test measures a dog’s intellect in several aspects—from empathy to memory to reasoning skills. But don’t expect it to measure your pet’s IQ. Dr. Hare, one of the venture’s co-founders, says a dog’s intelligence can’t be described with a single number. Just as humans have a wide range of intelligences, so do dogs. The question is what type your dog relies on more.

After you plunk your money down, Dognition’s website will take you through a questionnaire about your dog: For example, how excited does your dog get around other dogs, or children? Do fireworks scare your pup? Then, Dognition guides you through tests that are as fun as playing fetch or hide-and-seek. At the end, you get a report of your dog’s cognitive profile.

Your dog could fall into one of nine categories: Ace, Stargazer, Maverick, Charmer, Socialite, Protodog, Einstein, Expert, or Renaissance Dog. That can give you something to brag about on Dognition’s Facebook page. It also can shed new light on why dogs do the things they do. For example, a Charmer is a dog that trusts you so much that it would prefer to solve problems using information you give it rather than information it can get with its own eyes.

Dognition helps people understand their dogs in ways that they have never been able to do. This new understanding can enrich the relationship between dogs and their owners.