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Dog IQ test showed connection between intelligence and health
Dog owners often think their dog is very smart. Surely some dogs are smarter than other dogs, but what is the connection between intelligence and their health? Is it possible that intelligent dogs are healthier and live longer? A scientifically-developed IQ test for dogs aims to establish the link between intelligence and health. Maybe such an understanding could also help us humans. Because the intelligence of humans and dogs works the same, say researchers.
An IQ test in dogs will now clarify the link between intelligence and health. The findings could also be of interest to us humans because the scientists found that dogs' intelligence works just like our human intelligence. Smart people live longer, researchers say. If the physicians can determine that it is similar in dogs, dogs could be used to investigate long-term health problems such as dementia, write the experts from the "Edinburgh University" and the "London School of Economics" in a press release to their study results.
A dog IQ test should provide information about the connections between intelligence and health. (Image: www.matteozanga.it/fotolia.com) Study on just under 70 dogs brings new insights
If a dog performs well in one test, is it better than average in other tests? The researchers tried to clarify this question in their study. The results make it clear that the question can be answered with a "yes", says dr. Rosalind Arden from the London School of Economics, who conducted research with researchers from Edinburgh University. The discovery could have far-reaching consequences for the understanding of human health as well as the health of dogs, the physicians add. The new IQ test for dogs has effects that are not immediately apparent at first glance. In the study, the scientists studied the intelligence of 68 Border Collies, in which the dogs had to perform a series of cognitive tasks.
Dogs are good subjects because they are basically abstinent
Smart people live longer, at least researchers say. However, it is very difficult to prove or substantiate this statement because many factors have a major impact on our health. Smoking, drinking, eating and exercising affect our health. Observations on dogs can provide interesting facts because they are basically abstinent. Arden. Tests on dogs are very reliable, because dogs do not smoke, do not drink alcohol and do not test drugs in their teens - all influences modify the results in human reports. Dogs also have another important feature: they are able to develop naturally dementia. This condition causes her behavior and the structure of the brain to change. Arden. Such dogs then change their social habits. For example, they may no longer want to be stroked, they may become more and more introverted and often want to be alone. These disorders also occur in human dementia, say the medical profession.
Understanding the connection between health and intelligence
The intelligence of dogs is measurable, as in humans, that the researchers could clearly determine. Now, however, further research has to find out how this intelligence has an effect on health, emphasize the physicians. The investigation was only a first step, but we want to develop a canine IQ test that is fast and reliable, Dr. Mark Adams from the University of Edinburgh. Such a test could quickly improve our understanding of the link between dog intelligence and health, and this in turn could affect the lifespan of the animals. Dogs are excellent for this type of work because they like to participate and enjoy being allowed to participate, the researchers write. (As)