Introduction
Memory is such a large part of our own continuing emotional experience, if we care about our animals we might want to know how a dog’s memory influences their well-being.
FiverPet asks do dogs have a good memory, so we can better understand their perspective on the world.
Do Dogs Have Memory ?
Dog Guardians will often look at their canine and wonder what they’re thinking, sometimes this is a practical consideration such as whether they remember the education or training we’ve imparted, other times we simply want to know what Memories they have from their past, and how they affect their present, although their brain function is different to humans.
Dogs do indeed have a memory, we can see this when a dog recognizes their owner after a long time or gets excited when we reach out to their leash before a walk, this is thanks to a dog’s great aptitude for associative learning, dogs learn the rules of coexistence and basic training commands by associating them with words and gestures when they know you give them a prize If they raise a paw, they know that by repeating that action they will be rewarded again, dogs do have memories but they are mainly associative.
How Good Is a Dog’s Memory ?
Dogs have the ability to remember but its mechanism is different from that of humans, dogs can remember some things While others go in one ear and out the other, this is because dogs do not have episodic memory, the type of memory responsible for absorbing retaining and sealing episodes in our memory hard drive and allowing us to access them at will, a dog’s memory is based on Association that allows certain things to be internalized and transformed into a kind of memory. although some studies are suggesting possible episodic-like memory in dogs, the current consensus is that dogs mainly Remember by habit and repetition.
for example, your dog might survive a fall from the balcony at home, but then won’t want to go any closer to the scene of the incident, they will not do so because they remember the episode itself, but rather because they have Associated the place with pain and fear, the same goes for the leash you use to take them out for a walk, it is normal for your dog to be excited every time you take them outside, this is because they associate the object with the pleasurable feelings which exercise elicits, with training and positive reinforcement associations can be changed especially negative ones.
Do Dogs Have Long or Short-Term Memory ?
Dogs have long-term and short-term memory, but their short-term memory is better as they forget things quickly, short-term memory is used to develop an immediate Action Reaction or behavior, which does not necessarily represent information that must be stored for a long period of time, the short-term memory of dogs is estimated at about 2 minutes, as with all animals, any knowledge they need to survive can be recorded, as we’ve explained before associative memory allows them to associate an object person or situation with a sensation, be it Joy or fear, this is how long-term memory in dogs is constructed.
it should be noted that the senses of dogs are very closely related to their memory, it is through their smell or hearing they can relate to a person or situation either positively or negatively, having less developed eyesight means Vision does not play such an important role in their memory.
