Are Dogs Secretly Genius? Discover What Golden Retrievers Are Learning Early On!

A recent study from Duke’s Canine Cognition Lab has revealed that our furry friends might be even smarter than we thought—specifically, golden retriever puppies! Over five years, researchers tested 100 of these cuties, examining their cognitive abilities from eight to 20 weeks of age. And guess what? These pups can anticipate commands and understand non-verbal human gestures much earlier than expected, demonstrating impressive communication skills rarely seen in wolf puppies at that age.

Led by PhD student Hannah Salomons, this groundbreaking study involved collaborating with the national service dog organization, Canine Companions. The findings suggest that a puppy’s environment plays a crucial role in developing socialization skills. They found that a puppy raised in a loving home could thrive just as well as one socialized on a busy campus. So the next time your dog stares at you, you might just be looking into the eyes of a future ‘dogtor’ making plans to steal the show—or the last piece of kibble!