Is YOUR dog gifted? Scientists reveal the 14 key characteristics of ‘special’ pooches – so, does your pup have them?
All dog owners believe that their pet is special.
But scientists say some dogs are “even more special” for their talent for remembering the names of toys.
A new study by experts from ELTE University in Budapest has identified 14 key characteristics of these “gifted” dogs.
This includes having to learn a new toy name in less than 30 minutes and memorizing a whopping 50 names over the course of two years.
So, does your dog meet the requirements to be considered gifted?
A new study by experts from ELTE University in Budapest has identified 14 key characteristics of “gifted” dogs.
All dog owners believe that their pet is special. But scientists say some dogs, like Basket (pictured), are “even more special” thanks to their talent for remembering the names of toys.
Previous research has shown that some dogs can learn new words after hearing them only four times, putting them on the same level as a two-year-old child.
Border collies in particular are known to be one of the most “gifted” breeds, although other dog breeds share this skill.
In their new study, the team set out to understand the specific characteristics of Gifted World Learner (GWL) dogs.
“Because GWL dogs are so rare, until now there have been only anecdotes about their origin,” said Professor Adam Miklosi, co-author of the study.
“The rare ability to remember the names of objects is the first documented case of a talent in a non-human species.”
For five years, researchers searched the world for GWL dogs.
“This was a citizen science project,” said Dr. Claudia Fugazza, the team leader.
“When a dog owner told us they thought their dog knew the names of toys, we gave them instructions on how to test their dog themselves and asked them to send us a video of the test.”
The researchers then held a video call with the owners to test the dog’s vocabulary under controlled conditions.
And if the dog showed that it knew the names of its toys, the researchers asked the owners to fill out a questionnaire.
“In the questionnaire, we asked owners about their dogs’ life experiences, their own experiences raising and training dogs, and the process by which a dog learned to name its toys,” explained Dr. Andrea Sommese, co-author. -author of the study.
In total, the researchers found 41 GWL dogs from nine countries – the US, UK, Brazil, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Hungary.
In total, the researchers found 41 GWL dogs from nine countries – the US, UK, Brazil, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Hungary. In the photo: Brin
As seen in previous studies, the majority (56 percent) of the dogs were Border Collies. However, two Pomeranians, one Pekingese, one Shih Tzu, a corgi, a poodle and several mixed breeds also proved gifted. In the photo: gadget
As seen in previous studies, the majority (56 percent) of the dogs were Border Collies.
However, two Pomeranians, one Pekingese, one Shih Tzu, a corgi, a poodle and several mixed breeds also proved gifted.
“Surprisingly, the majority of owners reported that they did not intentionally teach their dogs the names of the toys, but rather that the dogs simply spontaneously picked up the names of the toys during unstructured play sessions,” said Shani Dror, lead researcher.
You might think that owners of gifted dogs might have professional dog training experience themselves.
However, the researchers found no connection between the owner’s level of experience and the dogs’ ability to remember names.
You might think that owners of gifted dogs might have professional dog training experience themselves. However, the researchers found no connection between the owner’s level of experience and the dogs’ ability to remember names. Pictured: Augie
“In our previous studies, we showed that GWL dogs learn the names of novel objects very quickly,” Dr. Dror said.
“So it’s not surprising that when we tested on dogs, the average number There were 29 toys known to dogs.
“But when we published the results, more than 50% of owners reported that their dogs had already mastered a vocabulary of more than 100 toy names.”
The researchers hope the findings will encourage owners of other gifted dogs to join the research project.
“The relatively large sample of dogs documented in this study helps us identify common characteristics shared by these dogs and brings us one step closer to understanding their unique abilities,” added Dr. Miklosi.