Chaser: Unlocking The Genius Of The Dog Who Knows A Thousand Words: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words – The NYT Bestselling Story of Border Collie Intelligence - Softcover

“An engrossing and remarkable tale.”—The Bark

“There seems to be no end to Chaser’s abilities.”—USA Today

Chaser has fascinated dog lovers and scientists alike. Her story reveals the potential for taking our dialogue with dogs well beyond “fetch.” When retired psychology professor John Pilley first got his new Border collie puppy, Chaser, he wanted to explore the boundaries of language learning and communication between humans and man’s best friend. Exhibiting intelligence previously thought impossible in dogs, Chaser soon learned the names of more than a thousand toys and sentences with multiple elements of grammar. Chaser’s accomplishments are revolutionizing the way we think about the intelligence of animals. John and Chaser’s inspiring journey advocates for the power of learning through play, and opens our eyes to the boundless potential in the animals we love.


“If a truly great book leaves one better for having read it, then Chaser is quite simply a masterpiece.”—Jennifer Arnold, author of Through a Dog’s Eyes

John W. Pilley is an emeritus professor of psychology at Wofford College. He has been working with Chaser since 2004 and has published the findings from their work in the journals Behavioural Processes and Learning and Motivation.

Hilary Hinzmann is a freelance editor and writer based in New York City.