Abstract
A
simple test for detecting decline of cognitive ability in aged dogs is
needed in modern society. We used a basic place-selection test to
develop a new test to assess cognitive ability in dogs, using 25 house
dogs. Three covered bowls were placed in front of the subject. One of
them was the correct bowl, from which the subject was rewarded with a
food treat when he/she chose it. If the subject made an incorrect
selection, he/she was returned to the starting point and the trial was
repeated. Cognitive ability was assessed by the number of errors needed
to fulfill the criterion. We found a significantly high correlation
between the dogs’ ages and the number of error trials, suggesting that
age-related cognitive dysfunction may reliably be assessed by the
documented place-learning test.
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