Pug awarded MBA
Pugs — you know, those little tan dogs with the smashed-in black faces that always have their tongues hanging out — are by no means the sharpest arrows in the quivver. In fact on a canine intelligence test, they rank way down at 57th out of 79 listed breeds. (By the way, Afghan hounds, the beautiful blondes of the dog world, rank 79th. It figures.)
It thus occasions considerable surprise to learn, thanks to the Chronicle of Higher Education, that a pug with the improbable name of Chester Ludlow has been awarded an MBA. I mean, it’s not as though Chester is a border collie. If you told me that a border collie had just been named president of Harvard, my reaction would be “Well, they must have hired him to clean up Larry Summers’s messes. Good choice!” Border collies are scary smart. But a pug with an MBA? That just can’t be right.
Well, no, it can’t, for the degree was awarded by Rochville University (not a major football power), which offers online masters degrees in recognition of life experiences. Apparently the life-experience itemized on Chester’s curriculum vitae is so impressive that he easily qualified.
My ninth-grade algebra teacher used to shake her head and say, “Sigelman, you’ve got a strong, strong back and a weak, weak mind.” I think she would be less surprised to learn that a pug has an MBA than that I have a Ph.D. But if she knew anything about dogs, I think her response would be “But a pug?”
[Hat tip to Carol Sigelman]
Comments
Hi Lee,
But what good is a Canine Intelligence Test that doesn’t rank Portuguese Water Dogs?!
Although I might not have an MBA or a PhD (or live in the White House), at least I am a member of the Midwest Political Science Association!
Cheers, Moxie
Posted by: Moxie | September 25, 2009 10:35 AM
Only a dog named “Chester Ludlow” would even want an MBA. I bet Rochville would hand out a PhD to properly named dogs like “Forrest” or “Tugboat”.
Posted by: Forrest (the dog) | September 25, 2009 10:57 AM
I think it has to be said: it IS just an MBA……
:)
Posted by: Matt Jarvis | September 25, 2009 03:15 PM
ROFL at the blonde joke — not. It does bring into question how much your judgement can be relied on generally.
Posted by: mmouse | September 26, 2009 05:42 AM
Well, the canine intelligence test really measures willingness to accept training and orders. Sight Hounds like the Afghan are free thinking and were bred for independent thought and decision making while hunting… That pug must be a free thinking wheeling-dealing business pug!
And judging from the MBAs I have worked with, certainly has better management skills…
Posted by: Michael | September 28, 2009 12:17 PM