How Nazi Scientists Tried to Create an Army of Talking Dogs

[Fumesucker]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110526/wl_time/httpnewsfeedtimecom20110525hownaziscientststriedtocreateanarmyoftalkingdogsxidrssfullworldyahoo

In his new book Amazing Dogs: A Cabinet of Canine Curiosities, Cardiff University historian Jan Bondeson mines obscure German periodicals to reveal the Nazis' failed attempt to breed an army of educated dogs that could read, write and talk. "In the 1920s, Germany had numerous 'new animal psychologists' who believed dogs were nearly as intelligent as humans, and capable of abstract thinking and communication," he writes. "When the Nazi party took over, one might have thought they would be building concentration camps to lock these fanatics up, but instead they were actually very interested in their ideas."

According to the book, scientists envisioned a day when dogs would serve alongside German troops, and perhaps free up SS officers by guarding concentration camps. So to unlock all that canine potential, Hitler set up a Tier-Sprechschule (Animal Talking School) near Hanover and recruited "educated dogs" from throughout the country. Teachers claimed a number of incredible findings. An Airedale terrier named Rolf became a mythic figure of the project after teachers said he could spell by tapping his paw on a board (the number of taps represented the various letters of the alphabet). With that skill in hand, he mused on religion, learned foreign languages and even asked a noblewoman, "Can you wag your tail?" Perhaps most outlandish is the claim by his German masters that he asked to serve in the German army because he disliked the French. Another mutt barked "Mein Fuhrer" when asked to describe Hitler. And Don, a German pointer, is said to have imitated a human voice to bark, "Hungry! Give me cakes!" in German.

Germany's love of dogs may have blinded the Nazis to the outlandish goals of their project. "Part of the Nazi philosophy was that there was a strong bond between humans and nature. They believed a good Nazi should be an animal friend," Bondeson says. "Indeed, when they started interning Jews, the newspapers were flooded with outraged letters from Germans wondering what had happened to the pets they left behind."

Hitler, a well-known dog-lover, had two German Shepherds named Blondi and Bella. He killed Blondi shortly before killing himself in 1945.

[SpiralHawk]

1. How RepubliCorp Billionaire OverLords Created an Army of Blabbering SuckerPuppets

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I don't know about dogs, but I heard that pigs were *the* intelligent animal.

[Shagbark Hickory]

5. You may be thinking of how the pigs anatomy most closely resembles the humans?

:shrug:
They probably are pretty intelligent but the most? I dunno bout that one.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. There were animal behavioral studies that showed an inordinate intelligence

for a non-sapian mammal.

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-intelligent-pig-a84448

[reggie the dog]

11. you saw what the pigs were capable of in animal farm

they outwitted all the other animals :)

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. Shows how smart those dumbass nazzies are. Dogs already do talk.

They just don't speak your fucking language.

[reggie the dog]

12. broo roo!

of course french dogs say ouaff and american dogs say woof, it can all be very confusing......

[gordianot]

4. Maybe Republicans could take up this research to replace the tea party with intelligent canines.

Surely dogs are more intelligent and loyal than your average tea party advocate if they can or cannot talk. The price of dog food would be about right for the corporate masters of the GOP and they would have the perfect excuse to treat their base like dogs. If faceless corporations can obtain person hood why not dogs at least they are alive?

The thought of obtaining heaven with Christian Republicans leads me to follow the observation of Will Rogers "I prefer to go where the dogs go".

[KamaAina]

7. What do you mean, "tried"?

[NoGOPZone]

8. How long before someone creates one of those YouTube Downfall parodies about this? nt

[Drale]

9. I tell you what Nazi's were evil as hell but

they sure came up with some wacky ideas.

[reggie the dog]

10. dogs are very intellegent animals

i have seen dogs trained to think who are able to learn a terrain, a mountainside, and then go flush out animals on it in such a manner that their master will have a clear shot without putting the dog at risk, find and lead their way back home, bark to signal problems, hell i have seen a dog notice a child struggling in water, grap an inflated inner tube by the rope tied to it and swim out to them before they went under the water, then pull the kid to shore and this is a dog i taught to swim but never trained to save anyone. the dog "knew" the 12 year old kid was in trouble and had breathed water and the dog noticed before the adults (we wondered why alfie had taken the inner tube), was able to think that the tube would help the kid, was able to take the tube by the rope so it would not break and was then able to pull the kid to shore. I have thought of dogs and most animals as capable of high level thinking since then, it blew my mind.

[Capitalocracy]

13. Ruh roh!

Take the f off of woof and you've got what these folks accomplished.

[grahamhgreen]

14. Hitler was proof dogs can talk.

[unblock]

15. squirrel!

[Bombtrack]

16. This would make an excellent animated Disney movie EOM