Can Old Dogs Learn New Tricks? New "Brain Games" May Help Them Stay Young
As people become increasingly attached to their screens, scientists are researching whether dogs could benefit from the technology.
An old golden retriever plays a touchscreen game.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY VETMEDUNI VIENNA, MESSERLI RESEARCH INSTITUTE
By Sarah Gibbens
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 8, 2018
As we age, cognitive functions like memory begin to decline. To combat this, some seniors play "brain games" to keep their minds sharp.
Researchers in Vienna think dogs may be able to get the same benefit. Except instead of sitting down to a crossword puzzle or working on a sudoku, cognitive scientists have trained dogs to respond to a touchscreen.
They're calling it "dog sudoku" (though it's not conceptually similar to the numbers game), and they hope it may one day be used in the home to increase a dog's quality of life by combatting boredom and restlessness.
The Vienna-based research center, aptly named the Clever Dog Lab, tested 100 pet border collies and 115 dogs of different breeds on the touchscreen system.
More:
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/02/dog-cognitive-brain-games-touchscreen-lab-video-spd/
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The researcher gets awarded with sloppy kisses. Always a good thing.
R&K
