In the February/March 2011 issue of Lowcountry Dog Magazine, we did a story on Chaser, the dog who was thought to be the World’s Smartest Doggo.  Sadly, she recently passed away and joined her owner, Dr. John Pilley, across the Rainbow Bridge. Dr. Pilley taught Chaser to understand more than a thousand nouns by training up to five hours a day using stuffed animals, balls and Frisbees.  In fact, it was said that Chaser understood about three times as many words as the average 2 year old.  

Dr. Pilley was a psychology professor at Wofford College when he took an interest in studying animal intelligence.  He received Chaser as a gift from his wife in 2004 and the rest is history. Border Collies are thought by many to be among the smartest breed of dogs, and Chaser did nothing but prove this right.  In her extraordinary life, Chaser met celebrities such as Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Anderson Cooper and had many stories told about her rare talents.  

The city of Spartanburg, SC will honor Chaser and her amazing achievements by naming a portion of a street after her.  If you ever find yourself on Chaser the Border Collie Boulevard, snap a pic and send it our way! And let’s continue to celebrate how amazing dogs are, and how much they enrich our lives and warm our hearts.