Dogs are much smarter than we think? The scientists’ experiment is impressive

In the magazine “Current Biology” Hungarian scientists published the results of an unusual experiment. Under the leadership of Dr. Claudia Fugazzy, they examined whether dogs can categorize objects on the basis of not only appearance but also their functions. The idea was observed by observing children who at an early stage understand that cutlery and dishes are connected by the fact that they are associated with food.

Dogs subjected to an extraordinary experiment

Six Border Collie dogs and one Blue Heeler participated in the experiment. These animals are known for their talent to remember words. Their owners played with pets, using very different toys. Some were dragged and others were thrown for contribution. Two words were used to describe types of activities.

After a week, the dogs received new, unknown toys that also served for these two games. This time, without any training, people began to use both words of the keys, and the animals reached for the right toys without major problems. They themselves decided which better suitable for stretching, and which to play in kind.

Dogs group objects not only because of the appearance

“We discovered that dogs can expand the meaning of words to items with the same function, even if they look completely different,” emphasized dr. Fugazza. The study proved that dogs not only learn new words quickly, but also remember them for longer without repeating.

“The way dogs extend the meaning of words beyond the visual similarity, testifies to the wide range of their cognitive abilities,” she added.