Dogs are smarter than you think

Don't think you're being deceived.

According to animal researchers, pet dogs are capable of more than just grasping commands. According to a new study published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, they can reproduce what they just did.

The study is the first evidence that dogs are capable of abstract conceptualization, according to one of the study's authors.

Relating to intelligence in humans, abstract concepts have more to do with emotions or actions rather than direct things in the physical world. dolphins don't have the ability to ponder their past and repeat actions. This is the first time that it has been shown that dogs have the same potential.

The dogs were first trained to do basic actions, such as "spin" or "lay down." The repeat cue is a combination of a hand gesture and a spoken word that was taught to the dogs. They continued to add more actions to the training.

It clicked for them that it could apply to anything they did. "So I'm supposed to repeat the last action that I did.

A big cognitive leap

When the researchers gave the dogs a repeat cue, they were able to create their own actions, and then look back on them. That's a big change in thinking. They were able to come up with something on their own, and then think back to that action and repeat it.

Some examples were given by the man. A dog that was trained in the study put his feet on a stool after walking to it. A dog pulls a box down with her paw. They remembered the actions and performed them again and again.

The idea that animals can replay their experiences is very interesting. Colin Allen is a professor of animal cognition at the University of Pittsburgh. Allen did not take part in the study.

Research suggests dogs can think in abstract ways, similar to dolphins. Credit: Thanasis Zovoilis / Getty Images

The dogs in this study weren't just recalling past events. Allen said that they were able to remember what they did. He said that it had only been studied in dolphins before.

Whether or not a dog can remember past actions is not determined by age. One of the three dogs that participated in the study was more than eight years old and could perform as well as younger dogs.

The paper shows that dogs have the ability to think in complex ways. According to the situation, they can be trained to respond in a way that's flexible. They have the ability to think in more advanced ways. It doesn't have to be 'If I asked you to sit, you sit' They can be trained to do more complex things.