Dogs use several different memory capacities on a daily basis.
Each plays a role in their learning and behavior.
Scientific studies of how dogs’ memory works are still in their infancy, but research is progressing.
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The elephant is known to have an extremely complex and long memory, while the goldfish has to settle for scrap (wrong). Between the two, where does our dog fit in? What is its memory capacity and where is the science on this subject? Response items.
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The dog’s semantic memory: myth or reality?
Empirically, owners observe that their pet dog knows the names of certain objects and people around him in his daily life and is able to retrieve them on command. These are simple expressions such as a first name or the name of a toy or accessory (ball, stick, frisbee, remote control, leash, basket, kennel, etc.). Although the animal does not seem to understand the semantic meaning of the word itself, it nevertheless associates it with the object, according to the experiment conducted by researchers at the University of Budapest published in the scientific journal Current Biology in March 2024. It also retains words associated with actions or orders (sit, lie down, paw, attack, act nice, fetch, report, etc.). Until this latest study based on the analysis of the brain waves of control dogs, researchers believed that this cognitive ability was reserved for a few particularly intelligent individuals. However, this is not the case as all dogs seem able to remember a certain number of words and associate an appropriate response to them. This specific memory is cultivated through learning and nourishes the dog’s long-term memory.
The dog’s short-term memory
Research has also made serious progress in this area. In 2014, a study conducted at Stockholm University stopped dogs’ short-term memory in just… two minutes. In other words, almost nothing. In 2017, other researchers from the University of Budapest conducted an experiment that pushed this deadline to 24 hours, a time that already seems more realistic. It was then a matter of confronting the animals with commands that contradicted those received the day before and observing their response to check whether they possessed an episodic memory and over what duration. However, the method can be debated because the studied dogs were already trained in this type of behavior before the experiment.
The dog’s long-term memory
In the long term, the animal’s implicit memory develops like ours. The dog learns from an early age to feed itself, to walk, to run and it retains these abilities throughout its life. This is called procedural memory. It is more complex with working dogs, which also have to remember pack watch, sniffing (customs dogs, avalanche dogs, etc.) or assistance patterns. In all dogs, it also includes the immediate reaction to the order and is therefore similar to the Pavlovian reflex: it is possible to condition it and automate the reaction.
The dog also has an implicit emotional memory which works by association. Through his personal experiences, he would be able to retain the feelings they gave him and learn from them. Thus, he can celebrate a person who offered him a treat during his previous visit, or, on the contrary, be distant or aggressive towards the person who previously mistreated him. You may not remember it, but he does. And the more the action is repeated, the more the response behavior becomes embedded in the animal’s memory. This is why a puppy that has been mistreated for weeks has a good chance of becoming an anxious and suspicious adult dog.
One final part of the dog’s long-term memory is still very unclear: its explicit episodic memory. Is the dog able to remember an episode in its life, place it in time, and adjust its current or future behavior accordingly? The mystery is not yet solved.
