It may seem that because of a dog’s friendly demeanour and ability to perform tricks they would be smarter.
But a new study has discovered that dogs are not be as clever as many people perceive them to be.
Psychologists from Exeter and Canterbury University examined how the cognitive abilities of dogs compared to those of other animals.
They concluded that canines do not possess particularly higher intelligence than other species and weren’t particularly great at understanding objects around them.
Researchers used existing information on the behaviour of dogs, cats, wolves and chimpanzees to see if canines possessed any specific special skills.
They concluded that although more comparisons between the cognitive abilities of dogs and other animals are needed, ‘dog cognition does not look exceptional’.
A new study has discovered that dogs may not be as smart as many people perceive them to be. Psychologists examined how the cognitive abilities of dogs compared to those of other animals and concluded that canines do not possess (stock image)
The study, led by Professor Stephen Lea and Dr Britta Osthaus, was published in the December issue of scientific journal Learning and Behaviour.
They explored canine cognition to other carnivores, social hunters and domestic animals.
Various aspects of a dog’s intelligence, including sensory cognition, physical cognition, spatial cognition, social cognition and self-awareness were analysed.
They experimented with a series of tests to conduct how different animals reacted.
Examples given in the study were following human pointing – which found that dolphins, seals and pigs were best at.
String-pulling was also used (where pulling a string releases food) – wolves, cats and racoons were more effective at that.
Cats were found to be good at locating hidden objects, though relying primarily on egocentric cues. Physical cognition is not a domain in which dogs excel, and their performance is at least equalled by other members of all three of our comparison groups (stock image)
Professor Lea and Dr Osthaus said that dogs appear to be no better than other animals at associative learning.
They gave an example of when they’re being trained to respond to social cues by an owner.
When it came to physical cognition, how dogs understand objects around them, they were ‘at least average’.
Their social cognition was above average, especially when they are taking cues from humans.
‘Dogs have an impressive ability to use other animals’ behaviour (particularly the behaviour of humans) as a cue,’ they said.
Physical cognition is not a domain in which dogs excel, and their performance is at least equalled by other members of all three of our comparison groups.
In spatial tasks, dogs have shown good performance, but the same is true of other species
Cats are good at locating hidden objects, though relying primarily on egocentric cues.
Researchers used existing information on the behaviour of dogs, cats, wolves and chimpanzees to see if canines possessed any specific special skills. They concluded that ‘dog cognition does not look exceptional’ (stock image)
They referred to studies that dogs have been used in countless behavioural and psychological experiments over the years due to their status as ‘model organisms’.
They gave an example of Ivan Pavlov’s 1927 study on the way in which dogs salivate when presented with food.
They were simply choosing to use canines in the experiments as a matter of convenience.
The scientists explained that early research didn’t compare the cognitive abilities of dogs to other animals.
While many may think that dogs have the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom, the researchers found that pigs ‘ might even be better than the dog’s’.
Professor Lea and Dr Osthaus found that horses were ‘just as able’ to communicate with humans just as well as their canine peers
When it came to physical cognition, how dogs understand objects around them, they were at least average. Their social cognition was slightly above average, especially when they are taking cues from humans (stock image)