Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Kia Ora
You are currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and that there are some features you can't use or read.

We are an active community of worldwide senior members participating in chat, politics, travel, health, blogging, graphics, computer issues & help, book club, literature & poetry, finance discussions, recipe exchange and much more. Also, as a member you will be able to access member only sections, many features, send personal messages, make new friends, etc.

Registration is simple, fast and completely free. Why not register today and become a part of the group. Registration button at the very top left of the page.

Thank you for stopping by.

Join our community!

In case of difficulty, email worldwideseniors.org@gmail.com.
If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
This is your captain speaking - woof
Topic Started: Feb 17 2016, 09:45 AM (222 Views)
Kahu
Member Avatar

This is your captain speaking - woof

Posted Image
Animal trainer Mark Vette, hugging his dog, Paddy, is attempting to teach man's best friend to pilot a plane. Photo / Doug Sherring

Dogs are moving from the driver's seat to the cockpit in a new TV show tracking a Kiwi dog trainer's attempts to teach man's best friend to pilot a plane.
Animals on Q owner Mark Vette will lead a final, 10 week-long "flight school" for the three dogs who top an earlier series of problem-solving tasks assigned to 12 shortlisted dogs.
Mr Vette, who is based at Waimauku in northwest Auckland and was behind the project to train three rescue dogs to drive three years ago, could not be contacted this morning.
But the Daily Mail reported his latest project was being filmed in the United Kingdom as part of a Sky TV reality show Dogs Might Fly.
The 12 dogs chosen from the United Kingdom and Spain for the initial tests include a 2-year-old Pyrenean shepherd called Chilli, a collie-lurcher cross called Alfie and boisterous puppy named Tess. Three strays are among those who will have their cognitive skills put to the ultimate test.

Source Link

Mark Vette was behind this project ....



Dogs this smart deserve a home.
Every year, the SPCA need to find homes for thousands of dogs just like Porter -- dogs who have been abused, abandoned, or just forgotten. Our dogs may be a motley bunch, but they're all smart and they're all lovable. So please don't forget about them. Adopt them.
To find out more about our #drivingdogs head to www.drivingdogs.co.nz or visit www.spca.org.nz today to adopt a dog.
Edited by Kahu, Feb 17 2016, 09:52 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
angora
Member Avatar
WWS Book Club Coordinator
Why?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kahu
Member Avatar

Why not?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
angora
Member Avatar
WWS Book Club Coordinator
many better things to do and money to spend. does not benefit the dogs. for a start. :)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
FuzzyO
Member Avatar

Dogs love to work though.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dana
Member Avatar
WWS Hummingbird Guru & Wildlife photographer extrordinaire
"Dogs this smart deserve a home."

It might be hard to find homes with people smarter than some of these dogs. I had a border collie once who was extremely intelligent, a great companion at home and while traveling though I would never let him drive!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kahu
Member Avatar

angora
Feb 18 2016, 10:07 AM
many better things to do and money to spend. does not benefit the dogs. for a start. :)
The trained dogs become advertising stars and the proceeds benefit the NZ RSPCA. Dogs are being trained for specific tasks in an increasing variety of occupations from providing assistance for the disabled, using their senses to detect dangerous drugs, explosives, biosecurity hazards and much more.



Full ad of spot, Telecom's mascot of the 1990's. Everyone's hero. Sadly Spot passed away in 1999. R.I.P Spot.
You will be forever remembered in Kiwi's hearts.


Edited by Kahu, Feb 18 2016, 11:03 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dana
Member Avatar
WWS Hummingbird Guru & Wildlife photographer extrordinaire
Funny ads !
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Trotsky
Member Avatar
Big City Boy
There is strong precedent:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_hwerqogzQ
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
angora
Member Avatar
WWS Book Club Coordinator
Dogs love to work.. some do, some don't. Anyway, they've already taught dogs to drive cars. What next, pilot a space craft? Remember what happened to Laika.

It is unnecessary and unnatural.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
FuzzyO
Member Avatar

If we limited ourselves to the necessary and the natural we wouldn't do much.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
angora
Member Avatar
WWS Book Club Coordinator
But Fuzzy, at least we'd leave the animals alone to live the life they deserve. Ours isn't all that great. Why force it on them?

And you know, philosophically speaking, If we limited ourselves to natural and necessary maybe we'd be a lot better off than we are.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
FuzzyO
Member Avatar

But there would be no art, no music!
I don't like seeing dogs dressed up in cute outfits, but i think that generally we understimate their abilities.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
angora
Member Avatar
WWS Book Club Coordinator
Fuzzy I knew that you would be thinking about art and music and so did I since art especially means so much in my life. However, my mind went in a different direction. I though of the invention of guns, bombs, cars and trucks that go too fast and the whole life of transparent improvements that have done nothing to improve our lives. Maybe they were/are improvements but we were not intelligent enough nor advanced enough to handle them.

As for dogs, it's not their abilities I question but the making of our desires for them into believing that they are their desires as well.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
FuzzyO
Member Avatar

OK, I get that. It's just that I think we have a great deal to learn about other species and I see this man as one of the people who can contribute to that learning. I feel that some kinds of training are demeaning to the animal, I don't think this guy does that. Just my take on it.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Pets & Wildlife · Next Topic »
Add Reply