This Simple Game Reveals A Lot About Your Dog’s Intelligence

If you are like me, then sometimes when you like playing magician with your dog. That is when you show them an object, and then quickly hide it when they are distracted.

What you probably didn’t know is that how they react to the action can be used to measure their intelligence. If your dog finds the object as soon as you hide it, it’s proof of their sharp cognitive abilities. Scientists will tell you that the dog has a true object permanence. What is that, you wonder? It’s the ability to acknowledge that an object still exists even when they can’t be seen, smelled, touched, or heard.

A dog with true permanence will always find the hidden object regardless of the obstacles it has to overcome. If the dog gives up or just stares at you in amazement after hiding the object then it potentially means that they have grown too dependent on you as proofed by some Hungarian researchers.

The researchers hid an object in isolated incidences and tested how well children, dogs, and wolves could find it. They observed that children and domesticated dogs depended on the verbal and gestural cues offered by humans while the wolves didn’t. So, what’s the takeaway? I know you love your pup but you have to let them take care of themselves at times.

Too much reliance on you, also known as learned helplessness, could lead to heightened confusion, fear, and anxiety when they find themselves in a new environment without you to guide them. To maintain your dog’s sharpness try incorporating treasure hunting in their playtime. Have them seek out an object and reward them if successful. You can also invest in specialized cognitive dog toys.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay