Community Chat

[Marp2]

because I KNOW he can and does remember some events much longer than 2 minutes. I bet your dog is exceptional too.

(NEWSER) – When it comes to short-term memory, animals have very short ones indeed. A new meta-analysis examined more than 90 memory experiments carried out on 25 species encompassing birds, mammals, and bees. Researchers at Stockholm University and Brooklyn College found that for dogs, events are forgotten after about two minutes—and that's on the long end of the spectrum.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/27/your-dog-forgot-the-hug-you-just-gave-him/24113189/

[cody2]

Marp, O/T I heard you and I agree. Equal on any and all sides. Pet Peeve.

[LucyGoose]

Dogs are smart. If they forget something 2 minutes after the event, then how do you explain trained dogs?

[Marp2]

[cody2]

On 2/27/2015 LucyGoose said:

Dogs are smart. If they forget something 2 minutes after the event, then how do you explain trained dogs?

I think training has to do with repetition, Pavlov's dog study, and this article seems to refer to a one time happening maybe.

[jessa]

On 2/27/2015 LucyGoose said:

Dogs are smart. If they forget something 2 minutes after the event, then how do you explain trained dogs?

Longterm memory?

[kdgn]

Then both of mine must be exceptional too. They don't seem to forget anything....drives me nuts sometimes.

[terrier3]

My dog is a doof.

He doesn't remember things 10 seconds after they happen.

When I went to pick him up at doggie day care this afternoon...he ran to greet me...then turned around and headed back up the stairs.

He's a sweet doof though!!!!

[Marp2]

On 2/27/2015 cody2 said:

On 2/27/2015 LucyGoose said:

Dogs are smart. If they forget something 2 minutes after the event, then how do you explain trained dogs?

I think training has to do with repetition, Pavlov's dog study, and this article seems to refer to a one time happening maybe.

You are correct Cody but I can't buy a blanket forgetting after two minutes. My little guy had two one time incidences that he has never forgotten. One involved a person and when he saw that individual three years later he remembered what happened and let everyone know it. The other involved a pack of Dachshunds. To this day when he encounters a Dachshund he cowers.

[Elstongunn]

If a dog forgets your hug (as stated in the article) shortly after you give him one, it's probably because most dogs dislike intensely being hugged. To them it is an "alpha" move on the part of the human; a show of dominance. Just look at a lot of photos of dogs being hugged, and you can tell that they don't like it by their body language (pulling their head to their side and/or away from the face/body of the person hugging them). Most times they'll sit and tolerate it if it's a beloved human or a mild-mannered dog, but they don't see it as a sign of affection.

Anyway, I don't think the article proved anything contrary to my experiences with many dogs, which is that they have very good short- and long-term memories.