Is your dog a genius? Probably not, but it's not out of the question
BOSTON – If you think you think your dog is a genius, chances are he's not. But a new study finds genius dogs are rare but real.
Dogs are usually included in lists of the top-10 world's smartest animals, but as we dog owners know, some dogs are more astute than others. And a few, though not many, may be downright geniuses.
A new study in Scientific Reports, identified 41 gifted word-learning dogs that knew the names of at least five toys, with some capable of learning the names of more than 100.
It's not clear exactly what differentiates a gifted word-learning pup from a run-of-the-mill pooch but researchers did notice that gifted dogs were very motivated to play and paid close attention to their owners when they spoke.
They also think a puppy's early environment as well as natural talent both play a role.