Is your dog a genius? Probably not, but it's not out of the question

BOSTON – If you think you think your dog is a genius, chances are he's not. But a new study finds genius dogs are rare but real.

Dogs are usually included in lists of the top-10 world's smartest animals, but as we dog owners know, some dogs are more astute than others. And a few, though not many, may be downright geniuses. 

A new study in Scientific Reports, identified 41 gifted word-learning dogs that knew the names of at least five toys, with some capable of learning the names of more than 100.  

It's not clear exactly what differentiates a gifted word-learning pup from a run-of-the-mill pooch but researchers did notice that gifted dogs were very motivated to play and paid close attention to their owners when they spoke.  

They also think a puppy's early environment as well as natural talent both play a role.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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