According to a new study by researchers at Eötvös Loránd University, there are two key traits to look for when identifying a truly gifted dog. The first is the ability to remember the names of hundreds of objects. However, to be considered genuinely talented, these pups must retain at least some of those names for a minimum of two years, which is the second trait. Previous research has shown that only a small number of dogs possess the unique ability to remember the names of hundreds of items. According to animal psychologists, Border Collies are among the few breeds most likely to have this talent.
This was confirmed by the recent study conducted by Hungarian scientists, the results of which were published in the journal Biology Letters. Currently, the researchers have identified a small group of dogs from this breed that can remember certain names for at least two years. There is hope that these talented animals will help researchers understand which living beings, besides humans, are capable of retaining memories. Dr. Claudia Fugazza, the leader of the university team, noted, “We know that dogs can remember events for at least 24 hours and scents for about a year, but this is the first study to show that some gifted dogs can remember words for at least two years.”
What did the researchers discover? During the study, the team analyzed the behavior of five Border Collies: Gaia, Max, Whisky, Squalla, and Rico. These dogs participated in the scientific project Genius Dog Challenge, where they learned and memorized the names of numerous toys, and after two years, they underwent retesting. The researchers were pleasantly surprised to find that four out of the five animals remembered the names of 60-75 percent of the toys. Notably, Gaia performed the best on the task, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The team noted that the average recall rate among the dogs was 44 percent, significantly higher than what would be expected by chance. Dr. Shani Dror, the lead author of the study, explained, “We waited two years and then decided to retest the dogs to see if they remembered the names of the toys. Since a lot of time had passed, some toys were lost. So, three dogs were tested on 12 toys, one on 11, and another on 5.” The scientist admitted that she and her colleagues found it challenging to remember the names of the toys over two years. But not the dogs!