Study finds that scent training may improve pet dog behavior

Scent training may improve pet dog behavior, a study by Aberystwyth University academics suggests. animal.

This study suggests that pet dogs trained to detect scents have increased mental capacity and ability to perform specific tasks.

It is known that training improves a dog's ability to solve cognitive tasks, but previous studies have compared highly trained working dogs, such as search and rescue dogs and assistance dogs, with training. The focus was on comparing untreated pets.

A study carried out by researchers at Aberystwyth University in collaboration with Emma Stoker, owner of Puppy Plus in Newtown, has found that training your dog can also change the way your dog deals with cognitive challenges. Suggests.

The researchers tested animals with varying degrees of training, both of which required impulse control.

One test involves passing through transparent barriers to obtain food, known as the “diversion task.” Another “non-B task” involved the dog being able to switch its choice from one pot to another depending on where the food was placed.

The study found that dogs trained in sniffing tasks performed better at these tasks than dogs that were not trained. A new study shows that scent training can improve a dog's ability to avoid impulsive behavior to complete certain tasks.

This ability, known as inhibitory control, has been shown to improve a dog's problem-solving abilities.

Importantly for pet owners, poor impulse control is thought to be the cause of many undesirable behaviors in dogs, including destructive behavior and inappropriate toileting. . So the new findings suggest that scent training may be a way for owners to improve their dog's behavior.

Dr Sarah Dalesman, who co-directed the project, said: 'We are a dog and animal loving people, and for good reason. They play a variety of roles, from provision to job provision.” For these and many other reasons, it is important to understand their behavior and what influences it.

“This study shows that dogs trained primarily on scent tasks have stronger inhibitory control, suggesting that this training may have a positive effect on dog behavior. I am.

“Scent training is offered by many dog ​​trainers and is easy to practice at home. It can be a great way for owners to improve their pet's behavior, and we hope future research will explore this. We aim to test theories.”

Dr Sebastian McBride, from Aberystwyth University, said: “This study is important for understanding how dog behavior is affected by the degree of training. Based on our findings, future research will “Dogs should not be simply categorized into highly trained and untrained dogs,” he added. Instead, consider this relationship between specific training and behavior.

“This exciting research would not be possible without the volunteer dogs, their owners and local training clubs, so we would like to thank everyone for their support.”