The Ultimate Memory Test: How Long Is Your Dog’s Memory?

As pet owners, we already know our dogs can remember us and recognize training cues.

And we’ve all heard the stories of long-lost dogs being happily reunited with their owners after several years.

Research tells us that dogs have both short-term and long-term memory just like we do, but their ability to remember things can vary – depending on the circumstances and various other factors.

So when we wonder how long a dog’s memory is, the answer is – as is so often the case – it depends.

Let’s start by looking at the different types of memory.

Short-Term Memory

Research suggests that domestic dogs have a similar capacity for storing information as a 2- or 3-year-old child.

This means they can remember experiences for up to two minutes in the short term.

It explains why, when you leave the house for a quick errand, your dog will still be just as excited to see you when you return as if you had been gone for hours.

Long-Term Memory

Dogs can also remember things for long periods of time.

For example, they can remember their owners even if they have been separated for several years.

They can also recognize other familiar people, places, and animal friends they haven’t seen in a long time.

They can recall specific events and experiences and – as anyone who has ever trained their furry friend even the most basic of cues or tricks will know – they can remember those too.

Studies also show that dogs can remember where specific items have been hidden, even after months of not seeing them.

Long-term memory is divided into the following three types.

Procedural Memory

Procedural memory refers to the long-term memory system that stores information related to how to perform specific tasks or skills.

It plays a crucial role in dogs’ ability to learn and remember complex tasks, such as trick training and agility courses.

Procedural memory is different from other types of memory, such as semantic or episodic memory, as it is more focused on motor skills and procedural knowledge.

It is often acquired through repetition and practice and can be accessed and used automatically without conscious effort.

Semantic Memory

Semantic memory in dogs refers to their long-term memory system that stores knowledge and information about the world.

It is the type of memory that allows dogs to remember the meaning behind a certain cue, the location of their food bowl, or the sound of their owner’s voice.

Episodic Memory

Episodic memory refers to the long-term memory system that stores information related to specific experiences.

This type of memory allows dogs to remember things, such as which houses in the neighborhood have barky dogs who run along the fence when they go past on their walks.

Episodic memory is different from other types of memory as it is often tied to specific contexts, emotions, and sensory details, and is important for dogs’ ability to navigate their environment and respond to different situations.

Do Dogs Really Have Episodic Memory?

The concept of episodic memory in non-human animals has long been debated due to the belief that such animals lack self-awareness.

In other words, they do not have the ability to see themselves “clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection” (Ackerman, 2020).

However, researchers have demonstrated that certain animal species, including Western scrub jays, hummingbirds, rats, and great apes, do possess “episodic-like” memory.

Many animals have to remember complex sequences of information in order to survive.

For example, the aforementioned Western scrub jays can recall what food they have hidden, where it is located, when they hid it, and who was present when they did so (Morell, 2016).

Do As I Do

To investigate the concept of episodic memory in dogs, researchers at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary tested how long dogs can remember past events and actions that are not necessary for their survival.

To do this, 17 dog owners were asked to use a special method called “Do As I Do.”

• First, the dogs were trained to imitate human actions on cue (e.g. jumping in the air or stepping on a chair).
• Second, the dogs were trained to watch human actions but were no longer required to imitate them.
• They were trained to lie down instead.
• Third, the owners surprised the dogs by performing an action after they had laid down and suddenly giving them the cue to “Do it!” (i.e. imitate the action).
• The dogs had to recall what they had seen their owner do, even though they had not expected to have to remember the action.

The dogs were tested after one minute and again after an hour to see if they could remember the human’s actions.

They remembered both times. But they did worse as more time passed.

Overall, this suggests that dogs have a more complex memory than was once thought and that they may remember past events just like we do – even if they’re not expecting to have to remember them (Fugazza et al., 2016).

If you’re trying to figure out what the ‘Do As I Do’ method looks like, here’s the Family Dog Project explaining everything:

How Far Back Can Dogs Remember?

The Do As I Do study shows that dogs can remember events and experiences for at least a certain period.

In fact, some long-term memories can last for years, such as the scenario where a lost dog has been reunited with his owner after several years.

However, a dog’s memory relies more on his sense of smell and spatial memory than on visual cues, like we do as humans.

Dogs also have a strong associative memory, which allows them to recall events based on the context in which they occurred.

All in all, dogs are capable of forming and retaining memories that can last for years – particularly if the experience is emotionally significant.

Associative Memory

Associative memory refers to a dog’s ability to associate a specific event or experience with a particular cue or context.

For example, if a dog associates the sound of a doorbell with the arrival of a visitor, he may remember that association for a long time.

Similarly, if a dog associates a certain smell with positive or negative experiences, he may remember that smell and react accordingly in the future.

Spatial Memory

Spatial memory is the ability to remember the locations of objects or places in the environment.

This type of memory helps dogs navigate and find their way around, especially in unfamiliar environments.

Dogs rely heavily on their sense of smell and spatial memory to remember the locations of objects, people, and places.

For example, a dog may remember the location of his favorite toy or treat, or the route he takes on their daily walk.

Spatial memory is also important for dogs that are trained to perform tasks such as search and rescue or tracking, as they need to remember the locations of specific objects or scents to complete their tasks.

Are Associative Memory And Spatial Memory Short- Or Long-Term?

Both spatial and associative memories can belong to either short-term or long-term memory categories, depending on the duration of the memory.

As already mentioned, short-term memory refers to the ability to hold information in the mind for a short period, usually a few seconds or minutes.

Spatial and associative memories can be short-term memories if a dog is trying to navigate or remember something in the moment.

For example, he may use spatial memory to remember the location of a toy he just saw or use associative memory to remember a cue he was just given.

Spatial and associative memories can also be part of long-term memory if a dog remembers a specific location or event that occurred in the past.

For example, he may use spatial memory to remember the location of a hiding spot for the bone he buried in the yard several weeks ago, or use associative memory to remember a specific scent from the past that he has negative associations with.

Do Dogs Have Declarative Memory?

Declarative memory refers to the type of long-term memory that involves the conscious recall of facts and events. It is the memory system that allows us to remember information that we can consciously declare or verbalize, such as the name of our favorite food or the date of our birthday.

In dogs, declarative memory is not as well understood as it is in humans.

Research suggests that dogs may be able to remember specific events, such as past interactions with other dogs or people, but not enough is known at present to fully understand the extent of their declarative memory.

A study by Fugazza & Miklósi (2016) found that dogs can remember and copy new actions they see, even after a delay of up to 10 minutes.

They used the Do As I Do method to teach eight dogs to copy a person’s actions.

The dogs were then tested to see if they could remember the actions they learned in different situations.

The results showed that the dogs could remember and repeat actions they were familiar with, even after 10 minutes.

They could also copy a new action they saw after waiting for just one minute. In another test, the dogs were able to copy a new action they saw after a delay of 1.5 minutes.

The study suggests that dogs’ ability to copy actions may be based on their ability to remember the demonstration in their minds, so may have some capacity for declarative memory.

Triggers For Memory Retrieval In Dogs

Certain factors act as triggers for dogs to remember something.

Smell

Odors are powerful triggers for specific memories in dogs.

They have a far more powerful sense of smell than we do and rely on it much more too. 

Dogs have over 100 million olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity compared to 6 million in people.

Additionally, the area of the dog’s brain devoted to analyzing odors is about 40 times larger than the comparable part of the human brain (Jenkins et al., 2018; Llera, 2023).

Experience

Dogs can remember experiences that are significant to them, especially traumatic events.

For example, our Greek rescue dog Esme has recently become fearful of walking under the railway bridge when previously she was fine with it.

Why? Because there was one single time a cargo train thundered over the top when we were right underneath and she got scared.

Now she associates the tunnel with a scary experience.

Memories associated with fearful experiences can be very hard to overcome so for now, we just walk a different way.

Repetition

Repetition of an activity or behavior can help reinforce memories in dogs.

For example, if you consistently take your dog on a certain route for a walk, he will remember the route and where all the best places to sniff are.

Breed

Some breeds, such as Border Collies and German Shepherds, are known for their exceptional memory and ability to learn and remember complex tasks.

However, individual differences and experiences can also play a significant role.

Just because a breed is known for having a good memory doesn’t mean that every dog of that breed will excel in memory tasks.

Age

As adult dogs age, they may experience cognitive decline, which can impact their ability to remember things due to memory loss.

However, research shows that some older dogs can perform just as well as younger dogs on certain memory tasks.

Providing your dog with opportunities to learn and engage in new activities can help keep his memory sharp as he ages.

Training

Training can have a significant impact on a dog’s memory capabilities.

Regular training sessions help reinforce learned behaviors and keep a dog’s mind active and engaged, leading to improved cognitive function.

However, the training method can be significant in terms of how much a dog learns, and positive reinforcement has been shown to be more effective than punishment-based methods.

Positive Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Positive reinforcement training is an effective way to train our canine companions because it sets them up for success.

In this type of training, they are rewarded for exhibiting desirable behaviors, while no consequences are given for a “wrong” (or unwanted) behavior.

This creates a positive learning environment that encourages dogs to use their brains and gives them the confidence to try out new things as they work to figure it out.

On the other hand, punishment-based training can be detrimental to a dog’s learning and emotional well-being.

Dogs can become anxious, stressed, and scared when punished for getting it “wrong” – instead of being taught what to do as an alternative.

This level of negative emotional arousal makes it difficult for them to learn.

Conversely, positive reinforcement training allows dogs to use their rational brain, which inhibits the emotional brain, leading to a more effective learning process.

Frequency And Duration

A recent study found that training frequency and duration also affect memory acquisition in dogs.

Surprisingly, dogs trained 1-2 times per week had better acquisition than those trained daily, and dogs trained only 1 session a day had better acquisition than those trained 3 sessions in a row.

The study suggests that the combination of weekly training and one session results in the highest level of acquisition.

Regardless of the training schedule, all groups had a high level of retention after 4 weeks (Demant et al., 2011).

These findings can help optimize dog training and ensure that dogs retain what they’ve learned.

Gifted Word Learner Dogs

Only a few dogs have been documented to have the ability to learn and remember object names.

They are known as Gifted Word Learner (GWL) dogs.

A recent study by Miklósi et al. (2021) investigated how quickly GWL dogs can acquire new object names and retain them long-term

Researchers tested six GWL dogs on their ability to learn the names of 6 and 12 new toys in one week and then if they could remember them after one and two months.

Interestingly, the dogs were able to learn up to 12 new object names in just one week, which is comparable to how infants learn new words.

Most of the dogs were also able to remember the object names for at least two months.

However, this ability is quite rare and is mostly found in Border Collies.

The Smartest Dog In The World

Chaser the border collie was known as the smartest dog in the world.

He lived with his owner, John Pilley, in South Carolina, USA, and was able to learn and recognize over 1,000 words.

This is a record for any animal.

It took Pilley almost four years to train Chaser, using a technique called “play training.”

He would hide toys and then name them, gradually increasing the number of toys and words that Chaser could learn (Mood, 2019).

Here’s author and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson with Pilley testing out Chaser’s extraordinary skills:

Do Adopted Dogs Remember Their Past Lives?

While Chaser was a remarkable example of a dog with an exceptional memory, all dogs can learn and remember certain words.

They also possess the ability to remember important events, experiences, and people in their lives.

But what about rescue dogs, or dogs who are rehomed?

If you have ever adopted a dog, you may have wondered if they can remember anything about their past lives.

In my article, Do Rescue Dogs Truly Remember Their Past Lives? (Real Examples), I explore this exact question by combining the latest research findings with my extensive firsthand experiences working with fearful rescues. Join me there to learn more about the fascinating world of canine memory!

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Resources

• Acquisition and long-term memory of object names in a sample of Gifted Word Learner dogs – Shany Dror, Ádám Miklósi, Andrea Sommese, Andrea Temesi, & Claudia Fugazza
• Chaser the Dog Shows Off Her Smarts to Neil deGrasse Tyson [Video] – NOVA PBS Official
• Deferred imitation and declarative memory in domestic dogs – Claudia Fugazza & Adám Miklósi
• Do Dogs and Cats Have Long-Term Memories? – PetMD
• Episodic-like memory in dogs revealed by the Do as I Do method [Video] – Family Dog Project Research Group
• How Dogs Use Smell to Perceive the World – Ryan Llera
• The effect of frequency and duration of training sessions on acquisition and long-term memory in dogs – Helle Demant, Jan Ladewig, Thorsten J.S. Balsby, & Torben Dabelsteen
• Recall of Others’ Actions after Incidental Encoding Reveals Episodic-like Memory in Dogs – Claudia Fugazza, Ákos Pogány, & Ádám Miklósi
• Remembering Chaser, the “Smartest Dog in the World” – Abby Mood
• What Is Self-Awareness? (+5 Ways to Be More Self-Aware) – Courtney E. Ackerman
• When the Nose Doesn’t Know: Canine Olfactory Function Associated With Health, Management, and Potential Links to Microbiota – Eileen K. Jenkins, Mallory T. DeChant, & Erin B. Perry
• Your dog remembers more than you think – Virginia Morell