News Animals

How science can help you train your puppy

Young dogs’ cognitive abilities may predict behavioral traits in adulthood

A yellow lab puppy looks up at a trainer.

Scientists have linked certain cognitive abilities in puppies with desirable adult dog behaviors. Awareness of those links could help pet owners determine the best training for their puppies.

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By Joshua Rapp Learn

A puppy’s thinking ability may indicate how responsive the dog will be to training and whether it’ll grow up to be well-behaved.

Traits such as impulsivity, ability to follow gestures and reaction to unsolvable tasks in 3- to 7-month-old puppies were linked with desirable behaviors in those dogs in adulthood, researchers report in the May Applied Animal Behaviour Science.