Upper West Side Genius Dog Featured in The New York Times
West Side Rag••world
Key Points:
- Basket, a border collie living on the Upper West Side, has demonstrated exceptional language skills, recognizing the names of at least 150 toys and retrieving them on command, comparable to the word-learning ability of a 1.5-year-old human.
- Owned and trained by Elle Baumgartel-Austin, a linguistics enthusiast and software developer, Basket undergoes daily mental exercises and participates in scientific research, highlighting the dog’s need for constant mental and physical stimulation typical of her breed.
- Basket’s routine includes long training sessions, playtime with frisbees, and social visits to a local dog-friendly bar, Beer Run, reflecting both her active lifestyle and integration into the Upper West Side community.
- Maintaining Basket’s extensive toy collection is
