Every parent believes their kid is destined to be the next Einstein – and fur-parents are no exception! In the latter case, usually all it takes is for Fido to roll over or Fifi to catch a frisbee to make dog owners yelp in delight about their precious pets’ high IQ. But it turns out that there are actually some dogs that display remarkable signs of intelligence – including impressive language, recognition, and memory abilities.

Could your pup be a professor? Read on to find out!

 

Canine brainiacs

Sure, your dog might seem to know its own name, especially if it comes after the word “walkies”. But how well do they recognise other names? Although many dogs can be trained to recognise commands such as “sit” or “stay”, it seems that names recognition and remembering are different skills, at least according to a recent study.

Hungarian researchers conducted a global, 2-year search for dogs who could identify their toys by name, eventually ending up with six dogs, all of them Border Collies. These talented pups could remember the names of over 28 toys, with some of them even remembering an impressive 100 names! Dr Shany Dror, one of the researchers, likened it to human babies suddenly starting to recognise and remember words at around 18 months of age.

Is your dog up to the challenge? Test their skills here: http://geniusdogchallenge.com/ .

But, don’t worry if they can’t remember the name of every fluffy bunny they ever chewed on – they remember you love them, and that’s what’s important.

 

Are you as clever as your dog? Then do the smart thing and get insurance!

Even if your dog might not make it into medical school any time soon, they still deserve the best protection. So, instead of a college fund, why not rather invest in premium pet insurance with dotsure.co.za?

Our range of plans allows you to go to the vet with peace of mind knowing we’ll reimburse you within 48 hours for vet bills resulting from accidents, health scares, check-ups, and more*.

*T&Cs apply. Subject to plan selection and reimbursement is subject to submission of a valid claim.