New Research Reveals Eye-Opening Connection Dogs Have to Their Favorite Toys

A new study from Shany Dror of Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, discovered something pretty interesting when they studied five dogs who had their toys put away for two years by their parents.

When the parents presented the toys to their dogs after the two year time period was up the dogs, for the most part, were able to pick the toys pout of a group by name.

The Guardian reports, "The results reveal that, overall, the dogs picked the correct toy 44% of the time on average – with some having a success rate of up to 60%. These figures, the researchers add, are far above the level expected by chance.

The results were driven by the prowess of four dogs, with these canines remembering the names of between three and nine of their test toys."

People on Facebook think this all sounds very logical and one person said, "Of course! My dog (a standard poodle) has a huge vocabulary and understands quite complex conversations. You can tell he understands because he reacts in an entirely appropriate way, even if he is not being spoken to directly. For example, if I ask my son what he wants for dinner, and he says, 'Let's go to the Merchant's' (a very good dog-friendly gastro pub) then dog immediately goes and waits by the door. If he says we could cook x, y, or z meal, then he doesn't react. It is the same with all sorts of conversations. He also looks at the person who is speaking, and he clearly takes into account body language." Another added, "If they can remember routes they take, people they’ve met and whatever else, of course they remember the names of their toys."

Related: Study Finds Dogs Learn More Efficiently When Rewarded with 2 Specific Things

The Guardian also goes on to say, "The team stress that just because some dogs can learn object names, not every canine can do so, with the factors behind the skill still unclear."

You can read the entire study from Shany Dror of Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary here.

One thing the study researcher and first author of the paper, Shany Dror, said is The more you invest in your dog, the more you will get back from the relationship,” she said." Makes perfect sense to me, the more you play and interact and talk to your dog, the more words they are probably capable of learning.

Ideas For Dog Mental Stimulation

You can provide mental enrichment for your dog by using puzzle feeders or snuffle mats or slow feeders. You can also play games like hide and seek with their favorite toys. name the toys as you hide them so your dog starts to associate the names with the toys

Allow a dog to sniff while on walks is said to be good for their mental health, as well as taking new routes when you walk them or to a new park they are unfamiliar with.

Dog parents can also do regular training sessions for basic commands (like sit, stay, come) or more advanced tricks and that can challenge your dog mentally.