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The top five pets remain as announced in the programme:
- Dogs scored an average of 4.0 for each test
- Parrots scored an average of 3.8 for each test
- Horses scored an average of 3.8 for each test
- Cats scored an average of 3.6 for each test
- Rats scored an average of 3.4 for each test
Parrots rank above horses because they did more tests. Ferrets performed some tests very well, but only 94 took part, in comparison with 16853 dogs and 6726 cats. Guinea pigs were the lowest scorers, averaging 2.8.
View the full results for all the tests. And see how your dog or cat compared to other dogs and cats of the same breed by looking at the full results by dog breed and the full results by cat breed.
| Final results for Flip the Tin |
- Ferrets scored an average of 4.7
- Dogs and Horses scored an average of 4.6
- Parrots scored an average of 4.2
To find out which pets showed a left paw preference and which showed a right paw preference, view the full handedness results.
| Final results for Drop the Treat |
- Parrots scored an average of 4.2
- Cats and Dogs scored an average of 4.0
- Horses scored an average of 4.0
| Final results for Round the Bend |
- Dogs scored an average of 4.2
- Ferrets scored an average of 3.9
- Cats scored an average of 3.7
| Final results for Pull the String |
- Parrots scored an average of 3.7
- Cats scored an average of 3.4
- Rats scored an average of 3.3
| Final results for Hide & Seek |
- Dogs scored an average of 4.3
- Ferrets scored an average of 4.0
- Rats scored an average of 3.3
| Final results for Command of Language |
- Horses scored an average of 3.3
- Dogs scored an average of 2.5
- Parrots scored an average of 2.2
| Average number of commands per animal |
- Horses knew an average of 20 commands
- Dogs knew an average of 13 commands
- Rat knew an average of 10 commands
- Parrots knew an average of 8 commands
| Other information we gained from the tests |
In the 'Through the Hoop' test, designed specifically for small mammals, ferrets did best, averaging 4.2; followed by gerbils, rats and hamsters on 3.7.
We grouped dog breeds into seven categories, and they scored differently in different tests. Overall, the pastoral dogs such as collies, and the working dogs, such as retrievers, came out highest, with hounds and toy breeds lower down the list.
Pedigree dogs and mongrels performed the same overall, but pedigree cats scored marginally higher than mixed breed cats on all the tests.
Many of our pets were reported as being clearly right-handed. For scientist Tim Guilford, this is really interesting, as until recently a bias towards right-handedness was thought to be unique to humans, and related to different functions for different sides of the human brain. That other animals may share this division opens up new possibilities for research into brain function.
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