Well here is an interesting tidbit in the world of dog news… It seems researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology Animal-computer Interaction Lab are working on ways to help us dogs call for help – in the event that our human needs assistance. They are training canines to use dog-friendly touchscreens to dial 911. They also have these cool high tech vests for dogs, equipped with sensors. If there is an emergency the dog tugs a rope that is on his vest and it activates a sensor on the vest which communicates with a computer in the vest. The computer will then either make a call, send a text or will even broadcast an audio message.
This all sounds so exciting and progressive and such a cool technological advancement in canine communication. What a far cry from Lassie running for help and barking when Timmy fell down the well.
But seriously. I can’t EVER see it working for any of the dogs in THIS house. I mean the FG would chew the tug with the sensor within 3 minutes. And I can see Einstein smashing his face into a touchscreen and barking madly. And he would no doubt figure out how to call numbers OTHER than 911. I can see the phone bill now. Not to mention accidental calls for help – which are CLEARLY dangerous, and which could probably result in some hefty fines. We love our human – but counting on us in an emergency…well…remember how Einstein and I stood and stared at her when she broke her wrist a couple of years ago? We obviously need more emergency training….and hopefuly we don’t need it any time soon!
Have a good one.
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