John W. Pilley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 1, 1928 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | June 17, 2018 (aged 89) |
| Years active | 1969–2018 |
| Known for | Owner and trainer of Chaser the border collie |
| Title | Professor of psychology 1969–1996; professor emeritus of psychology, 1996–2018 |
| Spouse | Sally Pilley (married 1955)[1] |
| Children | Deborah Pilley Bianchi, Robin Pilley[1] |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Ph.D. psychology (1969) |
| Alma mater | Memphis State |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Behavioral psychologist |
| Institutions | Wofford College |
John W. Pilley (July 1, 1928 – June 17, 2018) was an American behavioral psychologist best known for his research into canine cognition and language learning with his Border collie, Chaser, who had the largest tested memory of any non-human animal.[2][3][4] He was a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Wofford College and was an avid kayaker throughout his life.[1] Pilley was awarded an honorary Doctor of Psychology from Wofford College in 2016.[1][5]
- ^ a b c d "Wofford College - Dr. John Pilley, professor emeritus, passes away". www.wofford.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-23.
- ^ John W. Pilley; Alliston K. Reid (2011). "Border collie comprehends object names as verbal referents" (PDF). Behavioural Processes. 86 (2): 184–195. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2010.11.007. PMID 21145379. S2CID 18753940.
- ^ "The Smartest Dog in the World". Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ^ Pilley, John W. "Meet the Dog Who Knows 1,000 Words". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ^ Lavender, Chris. "John Pilley, trainer of the 'smartest dog in the world,' dies at 89". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved 2019-05-05.