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Originally Posted by Chris Noble  The ability of dogs to judge the passage of time could be tested experimentally. Why not investigate this explicitly rather than assuming that dogs can't do it? The explanations that Sheldrake doesn't investigate tell us a lot about Sheldrake |
I am against changing Sheldrakes basic experiment as randomized return times simply rule it out. For even demonstrating dogs can accurately know time, this ability still falls short of explaining Sheldrake's reported results.
Chris, if the 'dogs that know' team must do this to appease debunkers.... I suggest one could buy 4 automated dog food dispensers to automatically dispense a titbit treats. Make dispensers look different. Set times so a box opens between 90-360 minutes of previous box, keep pattern and see if the dogs eventually learns to visit the correct box in correct order at the correct time accurately. If not, it is not worth testing further. If successful now move times forward to later part of day and see what pattern dog follows now.
Even this would still not fully explain Sheldrake results IMHO, although it would strengthen the skeptics theory. Irregular or randomized returns times is so much easier than such a detour. That is why we cannot be critical of Sheldrake's experiment, he did all he could be reasonably expected to do.