Every dog owner considers their pet unique. However, scientists claim that some dogs truly possess exceptional abilities! There are individuals capable of remembering the names of their toys.
A recent study conducted by specialists from ELTE University in Budapest identified three main signs of a 'gifted dog.' These include the ability to remember the names of toys in just 30 minutes, as well as the capacity to master up to 50 names over two years.
Gifted Dogs
Previous studies have shown that some dogs can learn new words after hearing them only four times, placing them on par with a two-year-old child. In particular, border collies are known as one of the most 'gifted' breeds.
In their new study, the team aimed to determine the specific characteristics of dogs with high trainability. The project was named Gifted World Learner (GWL).
“GWL dogs are very rare; until now, we have only mentioned their existence,” noted Professor Adam Miklósi, a co-author of the study. “The rare ability to remember object names is the first documented case of talent in a non-human species.”
For five years, researchers searched for GWL dogs around the world. This project was citizen science! Dr. Claudia Fugazza, the group leader, shares: “When a dog owner tells us they believe their pet knows the names of toys, we provide them with instructions for self-testing their dog and ask them to send us a video of the test.”
After that, researchers conducted a video call with the owners to test the dog's vocabulary under controlled conditions. If the dog demonstrated knowledge of its toy names, the researchers asked the owners to fill out a questionnaire.
“In the questionnaire, we asked owners about their dogs' life experiences, their own experiences in raising and training, as well as the methods through which the dog learned the names of its toys,” explained Dr. Andrea Sommese, a co-author of the study.
Ultimately, the researchers identified 41 GWL dogs from nine countries: the USA, the UK, Brazil, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Hungary.
As previous studies showed, the majority (56%) of the dogs were border collies. However, among the GWL were two Pomeranians, one Pekingese, one Shih Tzu, a corgi, a poodle, and several mixed breeds.
You might assume that the owners of gifted dogs have experience in professional training. However, researchers found no correlation between the owner's level of experience and the dogs' ability to remember names.
