John W. Pilley

{{Infobox academic

| name = John W. Pilley

| image = John_Pilley,_Behavioral_Psychologist_and_owner_trainer_of_Chaser,_the_worlds_smartest_dog.jpg

| imagesize = 200px

| birth_date = {{Birth date|year=1928|month=7|day=1|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age |2018|6|17 |1928|7|1 |mf=yes}}

| death_place = Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S.

| title = Professor of psychology 1969–1996; professor emeritus of psychology, 1996–2018

| period = 1969–2018

| known_for = Owner and trainer of Chaser the border collie

| education = Ph.D. psychology (1969)

| discipline = Behavioral psychologist

| alma_mater = Memphis State

| workplaces = Wofford College

| spouse = Sally Pilley (married 1955)

| children = Deborah Pilley Bianchi, Robin Pilley

}}

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.{{cite journal |author1=John W. Pilley |author2=Alliston K. Reid |title=Border collie comprehends object names as verbal referents |journal=Behavioural Processes |volume=86 |issue=2 |date=2011 |pages=184–195 |doi=10.1016/j.beproc.2010.11.007 |url=http://webs.wofford.edu/reidak/Pubs/Pilley%20and%20Reid%202011.pdf |pmid=21145379 |s2cid=18753940 |access-date=2021-03-13 |archive-date=2019-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831174307/https://webs.wofford.edu/reidak/Pubs/Pilley%20and%20Reid%202011.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/smart-dog-anderson-cooper-60-minutes-chaser-8-16-18/|title=The Smartest Dog in the World|access-date=2018-09-19|language=en}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://ideas.time.com/2013/11/05/your-dog-is-a-toddler/|title=Meet the Dog Who Knows 1,000 Words|last=Pilley|first=John W.|magazine=Time|access-date=2018-09-19|language=en-US|issn=0040-781X}} He was a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Wofford College and was an avid kayaker throughout his life.{{Cite web |url=https://www.wofford.edu//about/news/headlines-and-news/news-archives/news-archive-2018/dr-john-pilley-professor-emeritus-passes-away |title=Wofford College - Dr. John Pilley, professor emeritus, passes away |website=www.wofford.edu |access-date=2019-06-23}} Pilley was awarded an honorary Doctor of Psychology from Wofford College in 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fayobserver.com/news/20180619/john-pilley-trainer-of-smartest-dog-in-world-dies-at-89|title=John Pilley, trainer of the 'smartest dog in the world,' dies at 89|last=Lavender|first=Chris|website=The Fayetteville Observer|language=en|access-date=2019-05-05}}