Chaser the Dog Shows Off Her Smarts to Neil deGrasse Tyson

Former Wofford College Professor John Pilley, owner and trainer of Chaser the Border Collie, “the world’s smartest dog,” passed away on Sunday, June 17. He was 89 years old.
Learn more about how smart dogs are by watching the full segment at: to.pbs.org/2ulI2OA
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PRODUCTION CREDITS
Digital Producer
Arlo Perez
Editorial Review
Julia Cort
© WGBH Educational Foundation 2018
MEDIA CREDITS
Music
APM

[@elliegolding3982]

Chaser passed away July 23rd. She is now with John. I bet their reunion was sweet.

[@pierregrivory5998]

Yes. I'm a border-collie's father myself, and I'm just so sad today!

[@DaveGreeneramblingcarpenter]

Sorry to hear this, lost my border collie friend over a year ago,, such amazing characters,

[@doburu4835]

I don't believe in afterlife, but I wish its real so John can have an alone time with his dog Chasers.

[@soltantio]

She must’ve died of grief, that’s pretty young for a border collie

[@mow1416]

I am sorry to learn both Chaser and Professor Pilley past away. They were both exceptional. I agree, they are together again in a much better place.

[@HeadBangerBoogie]

R.I.P. "Was I a good girl?" "You were the best"

[@Yagamiar15]

Damn man, this comment made my eyes watery

[@notsocleverlama4493]

Damn you had to bring out the ninjas cutting onions 😭

[@jonnyroxx7172]

Ok, you got me...

[@Taylor-qf8px]

Damn dude, that's making me sad. She was the best girl and he was the best owner. May they rest in peace. 😞

[@xxdemisucksxx]

God dammit I hate fucking onions

[@phelanpawly2507]

A man with infinite patience and a dog with infinite enthusiasm. An inseparable team in life and death. My only hope is when I die I’m with my dogs again. R.I.P. Dr Pilley and Chaser. 😢

[@alanhardy3374]

Hey bro

[@Weirdkauz]

I keep wondering if they’ll like each other…

[@Smorss2011]

That is the only way there is a heaven.

[@fasttrackblastback8286]

My god how I pray that I can be with all of my dogs again, together 🥰🥰

[@Person-lk1vs]

@@Weirdkauz huh

[@benb5228]

Fascinating how Chaser was able to use deductive reasoning. The psychologist and the dog were both truly geniuses in their own right.

[@Runescape.]

and some people think animals are dumb / not equal to humans. amazing.

[@josephr.gainey2079]

Chaser's person and owner (Dr. John W. Pilley) died on Sunday, June 17, 2018. In April, he had been diagnosed with leukemia. Pilley would have turned ninety on July 1, 2018. Pilley's daughter said that shortly before her father died Chaser positioned herself facing his bed looking directly at him and barked loudly at him (she isn't a barker) and kept her eyes fixed on him until after Pilley died. At the memorial service on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, I saw and spent time with Chaser. She is till very grief-stricken and misses her person greatly. Pilley was at work on a second book about Chaser and how to train your dog to be one. The family--especially Chaser--are adamant that the book will appear soon as a memorial to Dr. Pilley, Chaser, and their work together.

[@billymanziel5666]

Joseph R. Gainey thanks for posting this. Very sad

[@theory816]

keep us updated on the book!

[@calj2405]

Noooooooo!!! :'(

[@TheSnailCop]

Yes Joseph, his daughter said they're hoping to have the book out in the Spring!

[@JaseekaRawr]

;~; RIP Dr. John Pilley. Thank you for all your good work.

[@ducheswannabe]

The reason Chaser hesitated was because she was thinking "Is that Darwin? Looks more like Einstein to me..." lol And then she was like "Oh, Silly me! Einstein didn't have a beard ! That IS Darwin."

[@john84753]

funny

[@janedmunds4218]

😆

[@manit77]

Lol

[@ThallonRose]

Brilliant 😂🙌🏽

[@shaindaman13]

To her all white dudes look alike. Cant really blame her

[@alkaholic4848]

5:07 her face and body language when she re-emerges says so much. All the previous toys that she did recognised, she trotted back round all carefree and confident. But when she came back with Darwin, she came round slowly and hesitantly with an inquisitive look on her face. It was almost as if she was trying to say "I'm not sure about this because i don't recognise it, but as it's none of the others I'm guessing you mean this one?" Even after being acknowledged, she was still looking at him and looking around the room as if to say "well i think i did well, but something's not normal, can someone explain what's going on here?"

[@medi7887]

Him just responding, “it makes me happy” melted my heart

[@mikeymike758]

Rest in Peace Chaser. July 23, 2019. Age 15. You will be missed.

[@firstnamelastname2778]

Nooooo

[@emanemanrus5835]

that was a very long life for a dog. I'm sure her life has been happy.

[@hokumpoke]

Jeff Hunter what

[@Yuki-vz1kz]

Jeff Hunter Don’t say that. I’m a Chinese but I never eat dogs. Actually I hate those people who eat dogs！！

[@jayjay86443]

@@robbyz512 Nah, I'll pass. I don't want coronavirus.

[@poshko41]

Her face after finding Darwin is priceless. It’s almost like she wasn’t completely sure she chose correctly.

[@hiimryan2388]

Basically us when we guess on a test lol

[@chucknoname8786]

Right...but u can see she clearly knows there HAS to be NO other choice as all others are NOT him....

[@vincentcabezas7147]

People don't realize how important this fact is. Doubting her own choice basically proves that she developed some sort of metacognition

[@audience2]

Neil should have told her to put Darwin in the tub sooner to more clearly confirm Chaser's selection.

[@mh605]

She was so proud of herself for getting it right that she picked up the toy out of the tub and carried it around.

[@o.h.w.6638]

Seeing Neil get so excited and get mushy with Chaser was one of the cutest and sweetest things about this ❤

[@MsGenXodus]

I am terrible with finding my way around new neighborhoods and bad with getting lost in general, but my border collie will help me find my way around a neighborhood. We visited a family out of state, and I got completely turned around. My dog refused to turn right when I "thought" that was the correct direction home. She's an older dog and got very stubborn and refused to make the right turn. She insisted we go straight, so I shrugged and followed her back to the house we were staying. Such a wonder breed! RIP John and Chaser. The value of your work will be with us for generations!

[@miketurns202]

My nephew was like “The doggie finds the toys because he can read the names.” 1. That would be amazing. 2. I think Chaser is smarter than my nephew.

[@aliciafieler4909]

Mike Turns LOL

[@WalkingTexasRanger]

@@aliciafieler4909 what if your nephew is the real genius here

[@vanja6788]

: ))

[@aliciafieler4909]

@@WalkingTexasRanger Wut

[@Nobbie248]

@@WalkingTexasRanger oh snap

[@michaelvo-chau6337]

My collie is currently making me a 7 course meal while I’m watching this

[@barrybr1]

Yeh, but is your dog using ingredients that its never seen before?

[@danielzheng5765]

Hahahaha Underrated comment

[@trevorfuson715]

Oh yeah ! My Aussie is doing my taxes...

[@douggodfrey6521]

Always wanted a Border Collie but was scared I'd get a dog smarter than me .

[@Navigator87110]

I let my border collie do my taxes and I've never been audited.

[@yomigonzalez9870]

I don't know what's more adorable, Chaser thinking about which toy could be Darwin, or Neil's excitement and reaction to her.

[@lunarbubu]

One thing is for sure: you know that dog is living an amazing life. There is not a dull moment for her and John!

[@jessicabona1939]

I love how he whispers when explaining about the new toy "Darwin". Like she might be listening to the plan.

[@jennifertrotter7591]

Yeah she probably could hear him talking lol Both of my border collies can hear my husband's car way before he pulls in the driveway, so yeah, she probably was listening.

[@gemel7801]

Maybe be she could..she's too smart to miss anything :)

[@angeloj3139]

@@jennifertrotter7591 I can actually hear and distinctly find our local milkman coming from a long distance based on his vehicle sound, and his speed patterns :D I don't know how many others do this but I can hear him coming from a long long distance even when other vehicles are there.

[@bastadtroll8922]

I really don't get why the chinese eat dogs. They should eat cats instead.

[@yurilopes420]

@@angeloj3139 are you a dog?

[@-.._.-_...-_.._-..__..._.-.-.-]

It's very sad to hear John has passed. Thank you, NOVA, for honoring him in this way.

[@SandeepSingh-we7qb]

What happened to the dog?

[@mmameerkat]

Sandeep Singh Chaser lives with John’s relatives now

[@jes4852]

Sandeep Singh Chaser passed away 3 days ago😓

[@RichardDames]

AGREED! Yes! Thanks NOVA for making this video.

[@robgrune3284]

For right sort of owner, this breed is a fantastic companion. Thus, when the dog passes away, the loss is very great. 40 years ago, I lost my collie. To this day I still grieve.

[@dankrason5391]

I had one of those! From Mr. Bojangles "We spoke in tears of fifteen years How his dog and him They travelled about His dog up and died He up and died After twenty years he still grieves"

[@aadithyanjr1382]

I love how Chaser understands when to put the toys in the tub. One trip to the park and you can see plenty of human beings failing to accomplish something similar

[@YouzTube99]

03:35 Gotta love that Dr. Tyson _whispers_ so Chaser won't overhear his plan.

[@eliseville]

As though her hearing is just as bad as humans. lol

[@YouzTube99]

@@eliseville LOL indeed! We need to keep in mind that Tyson is merely an expert in Astrophysics, and does not have the skills/experience to understand animals. I'm reminded of Mark Twain's comment: “If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat."

[@eliseville]

@@YouzTube99 Did MT really say that? Thanks for the great quote! But didn't Tyson do a double major in astrophysics and comparative biology? Either way, the man must know his way around setting up good experiments, because this one was bug-proof (other than that silly whisper!)

[@tsovloj6510]

I had to do that growing up with our pet border collie. You laugh, but they listen. We used every offbeat synonym for "walk" we could think of. I don't know what she was picking up from language and what from nonlinguistic clues, but it was hard to get anything past her.

[@eliseville]

@@tsovloj6510 Yeah, dogs can be pretty amazing/frustrating that way. And even us weak-eared humans are famous for missing whole conversations until our name is spoken three rooms away! But I'm sure that's just the name recognition, rather than any special inflection. Once again, though. This experiment was bug-proof, since the human only knew which toys were hidden, and Chaser had to pick the one asked for without the person seeing her or the toys and then demonstrated her ability to use logic to pick the unknown toy 'Darwin' as the only possible choice for the unknown new word 'Darwin', (even though his shirt was labeled 'C' for Charles, which was not spoken and just for any potentially gullible folk, Chaser did not read!)

[@IbizanHound2]

When she brought back Darwin, first of all, I got goosebumps and second she seemed unsure even though Neil was trying to get her excited, so I was thinking "Oh my god, just give her a hug and pet her already!". So happy he did just that in the end! Rest in peace mr Pilley. What an amazing dog you brought up : )

[@OneCatShortOfCrazy]

And I loved how after that, in the very end, she picked darwin back out of the box and runs off with it as if she was exited about having learned a new one :) In my mind I imagine she went to show it to John

[@Carpythesharky]

I love Neil's happy wiggles whenever he is impressed or surprised lol.

[@goldenchild5296]

THESE 2 DESERVE A STATUE OR ATLEAST A BENCH... this is remarkable

[@JimmySchwietert]

There's a statute of Chaser in Spartanburg, SC. Beautiful monument to the best pup.

[@pralayaryan]

@@JimmySchwietert wow very well deserved. she was such a smart dog and so cute

[@UnoDoseMedia]

I agree whole heartedly.

[@superbob24]

The confused head tilt when he says Darwin.

[@davecrupel2817]

So cute 🤣

[@jimmyfortrue3741]

And she seemed to walk a little slower towards the toy pile as if contemplating the new challenge.

[@marshall3241]

Like "who dat? I got Santa here thou"

[@jordanh4362]

“I don’t know her”

[@xXSUBMEPLZZZXx]

Maybe the dog’s a creationist.

[@ericrivera4136]

Meanwhile, I can't remember what I was trying to search in KZbin.

[@AshesAshes44]

I'm glad I'm not alone! It's one of my favorite things to bumble around KZbin

[@empyrean196]

Eric Rivera ikr, u get distracted by other KZbin content. Lol😂👀

[@joonasfi]

Probably funny cat videos!

[@imjennylyn1252]

Me too

[@LightYagami-wt1jw]

Me too

[@randyswain1440]

I have a 1 year old Mini Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix. Smartest, most loving and clingy boy I ever had. Aslan and I connected immediately when he came to be my boy at 6 weeks 3 days old, we are friends and best buds x 10.

[@mattfoley6082]

SO CUTE how she shakes the toy like "Let's play!".

[@cd8467]

omg 4:11 when neil shakes around saying excellent and then chaser responds by doing the same thing is so adorable!!

[@JoshuaC0rbit]

I had a border collie for 16 years. Smartest dog I've ever met. He could understand the concept of "other". Not only did he know the difference between a stick and ball and frisbee if one of the frisbees in the yard was damaged and he brought it to me I would tell him to go get the other one. And he would drop the busted Frisbee and go find the new one in the yard. He was also the kind of dog that when carrying a stick and trying to pass through a fence he would stop and look at the fence put the stick down and then grab one end of it and drag it through. I've had plenty of dogs that are clever but border Collies are the only ones I've experienced that seem legitimately intelligent. I mean hell we don't understand their language but they know ours period my dog was able to get entire sentences.

[@ripplewine6112]

We have one too. They are the only herding breeds that must make decisions while they taking care of the flock . They can sense time constraints and critical thinking when they run into a predicament .

[@TNastyD]

Same. The one we had knew who property owners were and would not enter a house or building of any type untill the owner told her it was ok somehow understanding not only needing permission, but understanding who's property it was. We lived next to a restaurant and were friends with the owners and my dad set up a block party with them so we were in and out of the building all day and she would just sit at the door. People kept telling her to come in but she just sat at the door and waited untill the actual owner was talking to my dad and he said "you know it's ok if she comes in right?" She then immediately came past the doorway. Fucking blew my mind. Like she wasnt explicitly told it was ok, she was just over hearing a conversation the owner was having, never said her name, after multiple people told her to go in, didnt untill the owner said it was ok and wasnt even talking to her. The amount of logic and just understanding of social etiquette, let alone the English language is fucking baffling.

[@bunnyben5607]

​@@TNastyD She could probably sense that the owner's smell was all over the house and connected it to the individual person. Then she knew the command "come in" for entering doorways so that when she learned it for her own house she connected it to every house and building.

[@dungeonseeker3087]

Sheparding dogs are generally the most intelligent breeds. Take a look at Australian Shepards, people have taught them to ride skateboards and surfboards, do yoga and other really crazy things. They see everything as a game and as long as the game has a reward they'll do it no questions asked.

[@Anon_E_Muss]

Many dogs have surprising intelligence. We just don't pick up on it

[@lt2143]

Rest in peace, Professor John Pilley and Chaser! First saw the program on PBS a few years ago and was in awe and enthralled by their relationship and accomplishments.

[@rossmarino2776]

Sad to read here that Chaser passed away. Such an extraordinary dog is surely in heaven. RIP Chaser.

[@theory816]

What shocks me the most aside from knowing 1000 words is how smart Chaser looks. His facial features are quite distinct.

[@marysueeasteregg]

Her. : )

[@musicguitarnewb9455]

Her eyes are so alert. Especially during the Darwin test. You can see her thinking it out.

[@leeeastwood6368]

MusicGuitarNewb, actually, during the Darwin test she is thinking, "hoomans are so dumb"!!

[@kylesalisbury4886]

This is common with border collies. I have one and you can see their whole thought process in their eyes, and you can tell when they can or can't understand you. Personally, I think they're the greatest dogs.

[@theory816]

I was referring to Chasers cover photo on her book. Her face looks extremely bright. The face matches the brain.

[@JoanWhackTheNPC]

Neil deGrasse Tyson losing his mind over a pup is too cute, esp that baby voice we all do. Nice to know even the world's smartest people turn to mush around good girles and boyes. Rest in peace John and Chaser. May your legacies live on, and keep you immortal in the minds of many

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

Wut? Chaser is dead too? 😢😢😢

[@monoamiga]

@@anti-ethniccleansing465 Unfortunately so.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@monoamiga Yeah I researched it shortly after I left that comment. It was so sad. 😢

[@JennRighter]

I thought the same thing. It makes him so, so likable and dare I say, even hotter.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@JennRighter Gross. Hotter?! NDT is an (estab. Iishment) (s. hiII). He’s great in this video, of course, but of course they want him to be a very likable guy for the other nonsense he pushes. P.S. You “liked“ your own comment, didn’t you? Lol. ᴬˡˡ ˢᵖᵉˡˡⁱⁿᵍ & grammar ᵉʳʳᵒʳˢ ᵃʳᵉ ⁱⁿᵗᵉⁿᵗⁱᵒⁿᵃˡ ᵗᵒ ᵃᵛᵒⁱᵈ ᵁᵗᵒᵒᵇ ᶜᵉⁿˢᵒʳˢʰⁱᵖ.

[@laraoneal7284]

Border Collies are just amazingly smart and their eye contact is astounding. They look u straight in the eye like they understand every word. High empathy & emotional intelligence like I’ve never seen ever.

[@7Earthsky]

I love how just after Neil says ''Find Darwin'', the dog tilts its head like it's thinking ''Ehh''??

[@blackout07blue]

The 2nd time and the dog had to be thinking "not this again".

[@AJZulu]

Awww hell. Here we go again

[@kurseng]

I'm a military dog trainer for over 9 years and I can say this dog is one of a kind, the way he looks at Neil as if he's reading his lips and facial expression to understand his command is something even a trained dog rarely do. Not only he's trying to listen but he's trying to communicate.

[@kinginlife1]

*she...the dogs a girl. 0:20

[@newdadz]

@@kinginlife1 and the commenter is a military*

[@japastani]

don't care

[@mammutkung]

Chaser probably the Einstein of dogs

[@jansa940]

Its the breed, for another smart dog like this one, lookup Skidboot.

[@VicDumb]

I'm just first watching this on 4/21/22. Sad I didn't know of them sooner. He passed away 4 years ago, but still makes people smile 4 years later RIP you two

[@handebarlas6248]

I'm so sorry to hear that. May he rest in peace. And collies are unbelievable smart. It is touching to see the professor working with his lovely collie. God bless them...

[@chihuahuabulldog]

So sorry to hear of Professor Pilley's passing. I saw and enjoyed this Nova program several years ago. I'm glad he helped to show people how smart dogs really are. And this is not limited to Border Collies. I had a Chihuahua that new the names of all her stuffed animals and many other words and names. I stopped listing them when the list topped 100.

[@princeedmunddukeofedinburg]

R.I.P

[@robertochapa9735]

That dog is smarter than some of my coworkers.

[@Tylorgng.]

Big Bill O'Reilly what a witty and original person you must be

[@refusoagaino6824]

She can do my taxes

[@utubepunk]

@David David Hey cultist, this wasn't Trump's first campaign for president, he doesn't write his own books, he's filed for bankruptcy multiple times, cheated on every wife & doesn't pay his workers. He's never had a dog either. This dog is better person than Trump. Trump can't buy that even if he was worth $10 billion (which he isn't).

[@ThunderPants13]

Roberto Chapa: Haha, beat me to it!

[@user-uo1qr6vn1q]

He’s also a racist bully who lies constantly and brags about sexually assaulting women and he continually disrespects our troops and the hard working men and women who have kept the country, including your ass, safe since 9-11. If you think he’s actually worth 10 billion, you need to work on your deductive reasoning skills.

[@Pachecure]

God Bless you, Professor Pilley for your warm, generous heart in teaching the smart and fantastic Chaser all these marvelous words! Well done!

[@CAM-fq8lv]

That professor was such an amazing person and he found his amazing dog. Any human who finds this will be happy.

[@artisonspaintingremodeling]

Chaser has a better memory than me. Animals are sentient and dogs have hearts of gold.

[@artisonspaintingremodeling]

@Glenn Beck that debatable

[@artisonspaintingremodeling]

@Glenn Beck I might mistake Seal for the singer though, or a rubber gasket seal and look for those plushies

[@artisonspaintingremodeling]

@Glenn Beck it depends on the given day:)

[@ES11777]

+1 like

[@godhandvoid9795]

I mean... not ALL animals are sentient

[@AshesAshes44]

How many border collies does it take to change a light bulb ? Just one, and he's replaced all the wiring that wasn't up to code, too. I adored our family's border collie, Lady. She made up games for herself; one was essentially 'the floor is lava.' Her most impressive trick was training one of the chickens to extend its neck when Lady approached, and allow her to carefully carry it around the yard a bit. Such a gentle little sweetheart -- I almost didn't choose her at the shelter because she was hiding in a little cubby and all I could see was two shining eyes. Not a single regret for that choice.

[@almightyshippo1197]

My little bc is always deciding that things are now part of her daily routine. We always gave the dogs a treat of the afternoon, and one day we gave them two (at different times in the afternoon and evening). For a long time after that, she decided that was the new routine and always came back later to stare at the container and ask for another one. When I first for her at 8 weeks old, I put a bell next to the back door for her to let us know when she wanted to go out. I showed her once by bumping her nose into it and telling her she was a good girl, then letting her out. She didn't need to be shown again. Then, of course, she suddenly decided that it was now also a 'summon human to the door for playtime' bell, and we never got any peace. lol Amazing dogs. ^_^

[@neilwilson5785]

Our Border Collie was hiding too, but we found her, thank heavens. With great intelligence, comes great sensitivity.

[@vikingdogmanship]

I had to share this smart dog with you if you havent already seen it😄Watch "Genius Dog Knows The Answer To Every Situation | Kritter Klub" on KZbin kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5u1oKuehKulZrs

[@redfailhawk]

For those who didn't know, there is actually a life-sized statue of Chaser in Spartanburg, SC, holding a bright blue ball. Her head and butt are shiny from all the pets she gets, and she is in a playful pose with a ball firmly in her mouth. It's such a beautiful, sweet tribute to a local celebrity. The bootprints of her owner face her, ready to accept the toy and give her praise. For anyone who would like to visit, it's in the park in Morgan Square, near the clock tower.

[@nicky3748]

Just saw this program on Tv - we had our Collie for 13 years and she had a HUGE vocabulary, she could read our bodylanguage and understood phrases and sentences - she also knew all her toy names - about 30 over the years. Her vocab was roughly more or less of a 2-3 year old - her reading your body language and exactly knowing what you plan to do was amazing. We missed her a lot - she passed away due to old age March 2023. We treated her like a child and she knew she was our 'child' - she was a rescue dog too. We got her when she was 3 months old - previous owners wanted to put her down!!

[@Atomic-Duck]

Chaser‘s got to have the most reward points at Toys R Us ever registered. That is a huge pile of Toys! R.I.P John & Chaser

[@raja_hustle4347]

John and Chaser both dead? How?

[@Warrison_]

@@raja_hustle4347 John hm heart attack chaser, old age

[@moeyjoe]

I cant even find my keys..

[@alvallac2171]

*can't

[@Robert-mu6qq]

@@alvallac2171 Don't be that guy.

[@SuperGewd]

You just gotta get Neil to tell you to find them

[@senorpigeon9564]

alvallac21 we found a grammar Nazi

[@mattthompson3714]

@@senorpigeon9564 That's no grammar Nazi... It's Chaser.

[@delmanpronto9374]

the two are now united in paradise. the bond between man and dog is truly truly special.

[@jonathanbibi799]

This is amazing! hope both of them are having a really good time up there in heaven! R.I.P. John and Chaser.

[@Willy_Milano]

That dog is cheating. He was taught and just reads the names on the toys.

[@Bigdoglittle]

Haha, Good point!

[@leeeastwood6368]

lmao!!

[@BluePoetProductions]

This comment makes me think of a Bert and Ernie joke. Ernie comes into the scene where Bert is playing checkers with Bernice the pigeon. Ernie yells out "That is amazing! a pigeon that can play checkers." To which Bert replies "Not really that amazing. I have won 4 out of 5 games."

[@doodlebug6833]

@@BluePoetProductions perfect joke for the situation, person 1 "thats a amazing" person 2 "not reLLy im still unsurpassable" smart person in shock laughs at the other's stupidity.

[@leeeastwood6368]

Blue Poet Productions, Bert must be really good at checkers!!

[@JordansTake35]

Chaser is probably really smart because her owner made her use her mind constantly in her formative years. How many owners would take the time and have the patience to teach their dog 1000 different words and all sorts of other commands and tricks? That had to be a net positive on the dogs brain development

[@brendasnow8255]

Yes, and Border Collies are really smart, too.

[@Dell-ol6hb]

yea it's just like humans too!

[@elsjemassyn8921]

It will take me 50 years to remember 1000 Toys if I couldnt read 🤣

[@maryapatterson]

Its all about spending time with them and giving them something to do and not just leaving them outside on a piece of rope!

[@janefreeman4121]

I taught my dog how to heel. And for the next 16 years she would heel... On the 100 feet of road where she learned... and that's it. ♥

[@JennRighter]

I've watched this video so many times. I got a dog from a rescue, he is probably 100% Chow. I accidentally taught him names. The names of dozens of neighbors and dozens of the neighbors' animals. I didn't realize I was doing it, my Nelson just loves everything and everyone. So when he would go up to someone, I'd say "aw, is that Juan, you love Juan don't you", stuff like that. Over time I realized it wasn't just my tone of voice, he actually knows all of the names. We could be having a neighborhood BBQ and I'll see someone and say, look Nelson, there's Ryan! And he looks around, sees Ryan and goes right up to him. Dogs are amazing. Just brilliant, beautiful, awesome creatures.

[@anothercomment3451]

Mutual, genuine love accomplishes so much and feels SO good. Most dog owners don't realize or practice such great interaction with their pets ... and don't know the coolness they have been missing. Pointing directions, finger snaps, certain sounds made, and even a whispered "uh oh" with many of my dozen or so lifetime pets has always been done, and they respond right away, with & without additional words. It just takes lots of love, time, and focused repetition. They learn to watch details closely, and stay very "tuned" to people's vibes & moods (happy, cautious, quiet w/alert listening, Alert Scanning in certain areas, and immediate responses -- becomes so automatic and easy.

[@larryx2159]

We dont give animals enough credit.they fear,they have joy,some species morn a loss and some species are incredibly smart.

[@PinkAmadeus]

And to top it, we butcher them. Veganism (whole food plant-based diet) is the only way.

[@leeeastwood6368]

yeah, I hate smart ass bitches! that's why I'm divorced!!

[@alvallac2171]

*don't *mourn Put spaces after punctuation marks.

[@Robert-mu6qq]

@@alvallac2171 Again, don't be that guy.

[@gillion192]

@@PinkAmadeus oh boo hoo, animals butcher eachother in nature, dont be that kind of vegan that thinks your way is the right way

[@northerniltree]

After her wonderful owner's passing, Chaser was adopted by Niel deGrasse Tyson, and has since seen her graduate in 3 months from Berkley in California. Her PhD in astrophysics will be of great use in helping to identify the nature of dark matter and how it relates to our expanding universe. Her compensation includes regular tummy scratches.

[@Ryan-ni7mo]

Did he really adopt her though?

[@northerniltree]

Nah

[@DeltaCressida]

@@northerniltree that simple nah had me rolling

[@sebastianw13]

You missed a great opportunity, should have said "bark matter"

[@AshesAshes44]

@@sebastianw13 Also missed mentioning her thesis on Sirius. Oh noes! This is how it starts with dad jokes, isn't it?

[@nameunknown007]

5:18 that look back at her owner supposedly going - "see, I did it"! 😍

[@Markjogo]

I had a female Border collie .. “Chi Chi “ she had about 50 + toys .. and could retrieve on command any toy just by the toys name .. One day an old friend who had given “ chi chi “ a bunny rabbit toy 3 years prior .. arrived at our house .. chichi immediately retrieved .. the bunny toy from 3 years prior and brought it to our friend .. without any command .. she was one smart dog .. greatly missed ❤️

[@lonci2244]

I was high on happiness and then you hit me with a RIP oh Lord

[@TheFunkadelicFan]

The words "good" and "dog" spring to mind.

[@olafcarlson1046]

Rarely seen such an adorable dog, since our two dogs passed away. You will be remembered Mister Pilley, hope you are reunited with Chaser in heaven now!

[@RichardDames]

You were BOTH very WORTHY Beings to have graced our world. We surely miss you both! As for Chaser's REMARKABLE intelligence, truly ONE of a KIND! Makes me feel I NEED to LEARN more. RIP Chaser and John!

[@truthsmiles]

Incredible to me is that she clearly understands "find" as the preparatory command and the word that follows as the object to find, even though she's never heard it before. Obvious to us, but means she understands human grammar. You can see her processing at 4:50 as her head tilts slightly at each word. She knew it meant "find.... *something*" Simply amazing.

[@TangSooTerp]

I have a border collie mix, and she'll do that too... she knows "find" is the command for search for whatever follows the command... I don't think that is particularly special, I'm sure lots of dogs can do that. What made Chaser so special was her memory for so many unique names, and Dr. Pilley also had her learning the distinction between general categories (e.g. "ball") and proper names (e.g. "blue," the name of a specific ball). Also, I think he was exploring Chaser's ability to understand more complex sentences...I'm fuzzy on that, it's been a while since I read Pilley's first book about Chaser. I recommend picking up a copy of it. Very cool stuff!

[@deathhamster_2213]

I've taught my border collie cross a similar command grammar. I started off using her name followed by a command, ie. "Bonnie: Come" as opposed to simply just "Come" as most owners do. Initially this was just for the benifit of simply being able to direct a command to the dog specifically. I didn't want her to misconstrue commands to other dogs as commands to her, so part of the training is to ignore commands without the "Bonnie" preface. This on its own if quite unremarkable, but I've recently found I could train her to interpret a string of commands, for example, to get her to roll on her back it used to be a two command structure, eg. "Bonnie: Down. Bonnie: Roll." But now I can say simply "Bonnie: Down, roll." Probably not particularly remarkable but it does save time haha. One of the most interesting things is if I list two conflicting commands, such as "Bonnie: Down, sit." What impresses me is that she'll lie down and then stand up into a sit. This shows that far from interpreting the listed commands as entirely new commands, she instead interprets the list as a sequence of discrete commands. Anyways, at this point I'm just gushing about my pupper so i'll stop there lol.

[@picapica201]

@@deathhamster_2213 What would she do if you only told her to "roll"? Would she by necessity perform "down", do it slightly differently or just instantly fell over? Chances are, she already interpreted "down" and "roll" as two discrete commands.

[@gemgal68]

@@deathhamster_2213 It is just like the game "Simon says" that I played when I was a kid... Follow instructions only if it begins with "Simon says" :)

[@infinitusfinitus]

I said "bring the mail" to my collie this morning and she did. Not because she's ever heard it before, but because she knows bring and the mail had just come through the door. Collies are amazing with context clues. :)

[@martinbondesson]

Rest in peace, John

[@rosemorris7912]

She was an extraordinary animal and taught us much about dog intelligence and communication. I wished she had lived long enough to use the new button system.

[@SunilSkanda]

In the end she took darwin from the tub and walked away, like "I'm gonna have to chat with this new guy.".

[@paul9156c]

Dogs are WAY smarter than most people realize. I have had a couple of dogs in my life that amazed me how quickly they learn. They're truly human's best friend. They never lie, & are always trying to please their human. Always be true to your dog, and they'll return your honesty 10 fold.

[@elisabethweber-maxted9419]

Just read the book called Chaser. Got it from my local library. Very informative & interesting how John trained Chaser & she had such good language skills.

[@jimperry4108]

i had a small golden retriever mix that did similar. not so many of course. same mannerisms. same attentiveness. it's a stunning thing to watch first hand. Chaser watching listening and understanding. truly love this. and tears come to my eyes remembering what I had too. Mine was named Goldie. I think if she had been in this man's household she would have given Chaser some competition and been one helluva playmate. but i'm glad i had her. one of the highlights of my life. miss you Goldie!

[@tylerzorn6152]

It is so very heartbreaking to realize that they are both gone, such a great loss.!!!! God bless both of them always and forever.

[@bookeens]

Dr Piley and Chaser are reunited in heaven. Bittersweet for us, but joy to them. Peace

[@guywithaname5408]

Neil deGrasse Tyson: "AKTSHYUALLY..."

[@gabrielahimsa4387]

damn thats wishfullthing and depressive.

[@bookeens]

@@gabrielahimsa4387 Positive mental attitude is a time saver.

[@CooManTunes]

Ridiculous statement. :'D Stop denying the concept of death, you slob. A human and an animal, 'reunited' in a Disney-level fantasy, called Heaven... HA!

[@bookeens]

@@CooManTunes I just like to think that our essence is unique and might live on after our expiry. What I like to believe works for me and my culture. What others believe I will respect. Shalom.

[@northofyou33]

My dog was like that with people. He remembered the name of every person he ever met, even if he only saw them a few times.

[@chrishowland6062]

The joy of this is beyond measure. The sadness that I learned they are no longer with us has the same measure. If there is an afterlife I hope they are together and enjoying even more of what they had here in an even bigger measure. ❤️🐾🐾

[@mrmichael1764]

This is truly beautiful. Such a bond is rarely seen. Saddens me to hear of his passing but im sure all the dogs are happy in heaven as this man arrived!

[@daviddemar8749]

I remember seeing this episode when it first aired. I'm still amazed . RIP chaser and john.

[@RDB-mw9ig]

Are they both dead now?

[@ryoamora8655]

@@RDB-mw9ig Yep

[@dragonrabbit7410]

I love how happy they both are after she got it right.

[@maryvaughn7886]

Border collies are so amazing. Have had 2 of them. Great dogs w/o training even. We didn't know much about them way back then.

[@yourhuckleberry6757]

When you think your dog knows what your saying, but people think your crazy.

[@okidok4155]

RIP Chaser July 23 ,2019 Age 15

[@wolfmangoland7972]

RIP Professor John & Chaser. They both were geniuses in their own right.

[@pastrie42]

I love how excited he was when the dog was able to understand context.

[@kluez8725]

4:21 Chaser: tf is a darwin bruh... 5:07 Chaser: nvm nvm I got it

[@DISCODAN1]

Rest in Peace Chaser! You were definitely smarter than some people I know :-)

[@DISCODAN1]

@Glenn Beck quite possibly some days Sir Glenn Beck!!

[@DISCODAN1]

@Glenn Beck but that you actually think that I think that Chase is smarter than I am, is not only presumptuous, but misguided by your own inflated self opinion! When did I say that or even imply it? You are very crafty in how you deliver your poison darts, hoping to say something without making clear what it is that you are actually saying. I have no beef with you, go comment on someone else. This is probably not even really THE Glenn Beck, as why would he stoop down to comment on such miniscule things such as this? I hardly think that the real Mr. Beck is that bored or that petty! Or is he? He has so much more to do than try and insult a commoner such as I. Adieu

[@DISCODAN1]

@Glenn Beck man you are REALLY bored and REALLY petty!

[@Jordan-W]

Smarter than most of the ones I know! Probably me too.

[@anitainmo489]

WOW!! I have no words to express how impressed I am with Chaser. What a beautiful, intelligent doggo!!

[@tristandavidmanley8150]

I grew up with a Border Collie. My friends were always amazed by him. "Wait, does he fuckin know English???" was a common refrain. We could tell him to find individual family members, and he would find them wherever they were in the house. He would spend 20 minutes finding a ball we accidentally hit into the woods. But goddamit he would find it, no matter what. RIP Blaze. Gone too soon. 11 was too young for him, he had so much more to give before liver disease got him. My parents are thinking of getting another dog from the same breeder, I can't wait. They are magic.

[@milcotto4153]

'That smartass Neil deGrasse thinking he could outsmart me!'

[@swampfox3536]

5:49 the instant realization of the hug!

[@marilandia1919]

I'm so sorry to hear about John and Chaser. I know they're playing 2gether. Amazing pair❤

[@linda6987]

Amazing! I can’t remember what I’m doing while I’m doing it! Bless their hearts! They have all those toys on the other side! ❤️

[@ismelltrouble7266]

Neil: that’s Darwin, good job. Chaser: of course it is.

[@radishpineapple74]

RIP Chaser :'( 2004-2019

[@jimmypage4162]

Awe they both passed. What an adorable match

[@John-gv2ug]

Three brilliant beings in one video. RIP Chaser and Professor John.

[@maxcovfefe]

Took my dogs on a play date to a NEW friend's house, and one of my dogs was so ninja-level smart that he cased the joint. He was acting shy, hiding behind a coffee table in another room. We'd see him standing in the hall, he seemed intimidated to play, so we let him be. Turns out that hall had a closet with *TREATS* inside. I owed this woman a whole box of large Milkbones next time I saw her. He kept staring down the hall to make sure we weren't looking when he stole them. He opened the closet, half-closed it, figured out a place to hide, and had a system to watch for guards. Even 3 other dogs missed it.

[@commodityjane]

Pretty soon dogs' brains will compete with ours; I think they're growing bigger

[@893263007]

Chaser is over 15 years old now. So on top of being a genius, she has great longevity as well.

[@Levi_Skardsen]

Unfortunately that's come to an end. She died 5 days ago.

[@OlJackBurton]

@@Levi_Skardsen She probably lost something when her owner died...

[@TheHungarianchick]

@@OlJackBurton No. A 15 year old dog is considered geriatric.

[@praiseworthy1087]

It was so gr8 to see this beautiful dog and John, I know neither of them are with us any longer. I am so glad she wasn't around too much longer after John passed, and now I am going to go through all of these videos of them and enjoy watching that puppy once again. I wanted to meet Joh before he died and bring my beautiful border collie there, I guess we can dream. I am sad when I write this because I have watched her get interviewed and she was smarter than the people who interviewed her, and tried to trick her. You cannot trick the border collie, they are the smartest of all the dogs. RIP baby girl and John will see you both in heaven and you can play with doggie it will be love at first site for him

[@tuckertruckerpatriot312]

Neil's glances at the camera are having me bust out LAUGHING!

[@modest_mind2526]

Everytime Chaser brings the right one and Neil reacts, Chaser's like "trippy right!?!"

[@gerardinecizmar]

I was sad when I read that they passed but when you think about it, how many people get to live to almost 90 and how many dogs live to 15 with almost all their life spent with such a great owner. Beautiful souls. I hope they're together. When I die, I hope to be with all my pets again.