How to tell if your dog is a genius

Anyone who has lived with a dog will know of its ability to learn the meaning of words, even those you don’t want it to know. How many times have you had to spell out the words “walk” or “dinner” in hopes of avoiding an outburst of excitement?

Previous studies have investigated how non-human animals, including chimpanzees, sea ​​lions and rhesus monkeys, learn words. But now a document published in Nature shows that some dogs learn the name of a new object after hearing it just four times, an ability previously thought to be reserved for humans.

The researchers found that this ability was not common to all dogs studied, but may be limited to a few “talented” or highly trained individuals. So how do you know if your own dog is a genius or not?

The study was simple and easy to replicate at home. Just follow the steps taken by researchers to see if your dog can learn object names that quickly. But don’t worry if your dog doesn’t have this ability, it could just be due to their breed or previous experience.

Whiskey and Vicky Nina

The new study involved a collie called Whiskey, who knew 59 objects by name, and a Yorkshire terrier called Vicky Nina, who knew 42 toys.

The researchers tested each dog’s knowledge of their toys by asking them to take turns bringing each toy. Neither the owners nor the experimenters could see the toys, to avoid influencing the dogs’ choice.

Once it was established that the dogs knew the names of all their toys, the researchers introduced two new objects, placing each in turn into a group of known toys. In this test, Whiskey chose the new toy each time. Vicky Nina picked up the correct one in 52.5% of tries, which is slightly above chance.

learning new names

For the next part of the study, the dog was shown a toy, told its name, and then allowed to play with it. After four repetitions of the name of two different new toys, the dog was asked to choose one of the two new toys.

No familiar toys were included in this part of the trial, to prevent the dog from selecting the correct toy by exclusion. If he knows the name of all the other toys, the dog can choose the correct toy because he guesses that the unknown word must indicate the unknown toy.

Both dogs chose the new toy more often than chance predicted, suggesting that they were indeed learning the name of a new object very quickly. However, their memory deteriorated significantly after 10 minutes and almost completely after an hour. This shows that the new learning needs more reinforcement if it is to be retained.

Read more: Six tips for caring for your new puppy, according to science

The test involving the new toy was also carried out by 20 volunteers with their own dogs, but these dogs failed to show the ability to learn new names after a few auditions.

The authors suggested that the difference between the performance of the two dogs in their test and that of the volunteer dogs means that in order to learn new names quickly, the dog may need to be exceptionally intelligent or have a lot of experience in learning names.

smart dogs

It seems likely that there is a combination of factors at work in these experiments. It is significant that the breed most commonly used in studies of this type is a border collie, which is deliberately bred to respond to audible commands and is highly motivated to complete tasks and please the handler. Yorkshire terriers also enjoy mental and physical stimulation.

Similar tests have been done by other research groups, usually using border collies. In 2004, a dog called Rico was found to know the names of 200 different objects, and in 2011 Chaser learned 1,022 unique items.

Other breeds may just be less interested in playing with or fetching toys. For example, sighthounds, such as salukis and sighthounds, are primarily bred for hunting or racing, so they are generally more difficult to train. They may show no interest in toys and be considerably less motivated to please the handler.

Smart dogs can learn new names quickly.

The two experimental dogs in this study were intensively trained, through play and social interaction, to pay attention to toy names and characteristics. This could make them more likely to notice differences between new and familiar toys, and to pay attention to the verbal cues associated with them.

Although their training was not formal, it was nevertheless positive reinforcement training, a powerful method for teaching animals and humans. The dogs have undoubtedly learned their skills to a high degree.

It is completely possible to teach all dogs to perform tasks, including learning the names of objects. But the extent to which they are willing and able to learn and complete the task largely depends on the breed of dog and each dog’s level of motivation.

If your pet is an Afghan Hound or St. Bernard, don’t expect it to be interested in spending hours looking for toys for you. If, on the other hand, you have a border collie or poodle, their abilities can only be limited by your imagination and dedication to playing with them.