Introduction
Cognition is described as the ability to use perception, memory, attention, and reasoning to assimilate information into knowledge and understanding. Scientists now know that a single construct such as general intelligence does not adequately explain the variation seen in cognitive abilities within and between species such as humans and dogs. The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) and its donors have invested in ground-breaking research to explore the cognitive abilities of our canine companions – particularly those that work closely with us as detection dogs, service dogs, assistance dogs, and more.
With funding from CHF Grant 1995: Understanding the Flexibility and Limitations of How Dogs Acquire Knowledge and Understanding: Application to Service Dog Emotional Health and Selection, investigators examined dogs’ temperamental and cognitive traits and how they might be used to predict an individual dog’s chance of success as a service or detection dog.
Key Points
- Puppies as young as 8–10 weeks show early signs of memory, social skills, and problem-solving.
- Successful service dogs tend to make eye contact and show strong reasoning skills.
- Detection dogs excel in short-term memory and interpreting human gestures.
- Puppies use human cues like pointing and markers to find hidden rewards.
- Early cognitive testing can help predict future success in working roles.
Challenge Background
Training service and detection dogs is time-consuming and expensive, and not all dogs are suited for these roles. Historically, trainers relied on general intelligence or temperament assessments, which didn’t always predict success. There was a need for more precise tools to understand how dogs learn and interact with humans, especially from a young age.
CHF recognized this gap and funded research to explore how cognitive traits develop in puppies and how these traits relate to future performance in working roles.
The Breathrough
Researchers developed the Dog Cognitive Development Battery, a series of 14 tasks designed to assess puppies’ cognitive abilities between 8–10 weeks of age. These tasks measured traits like memory, attention, problem-solving, and social interaction.
Key discoveries include:
- Puppies already show perceptual discrimination, short-term memory, and social communication.
- They respond to human gestures like pointing and markers better than chance.
- Puppies demonstrate inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility, though less developed than in adult dogs.
- Traits like laterality (paw preference) and reaction to novel or surprising events vary and may relate to temperament.
These findings suggest that dogs are biologically prepared to communicate with humans and that these skills emerge early in life.
Photo courtesy of Canine Companions for Independence
Impact & Next Steps
This research helps trainers and organizations like Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) identify promising puppies earlier, improving training efficiency and reducing costs. It also opens doors to personalized training based on each dog’s cognitive style.
Future studies will track how these traits evolve through adolescence and adulthood, helping refine selection and care practices for working dogs. Ultimately, this could lead to better outcomes for service dog programs and happier, healthier dogs.
References:
1.MacLean EL and Hare BA. (2018) Enhanced Selection of Assistance and Explosive Detection Dogs Using Cognitive Measures. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 5:236. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2018.00236
2.Bray, E. E., Gruen, M. E., Gnanadesikan, G. E., Horschler, D. J., Levy, K. M., Kennedy, B. S., Hare, B. A., & MacLean, E. L. (2020). Cognitive characteristics of 8- to 10-week-old assistance dog puppies. Animal Behaviour. 166, 193–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.05.019
