You teach an old dog new tricks...just feed him salmon
Dr Samantha Ware, lead nutritionist at Tails.com, said: “Feeding your dog a healthy diet made up of foods such as salmon, peas and sweet potato will ensure they are getting good levels of nutrients like vitamins, fatty acids and antioxidants, which have been shown to improve intelligence, memory and cognitive abilities.
“It’s important to remember that all dogs are individuals and their diet should be tailored to meet their needs.
“In addition to their diet, giving your dog behavioural enrichment including a combination of attention, regular outings, toy time and socialising with other dogs will help improve their brain function.”
The study of 2,000 pet owners found that more than half are convinced their dog gets brainier with age – with two-thirds believing their dog understands them more than anyone.
One in six said he or she feeds his or her dog specific food to help to make it more intelligent and two in five think their dog is more intelligent than some of their friends.
Six years ago a sevenyear-old dog in Austria called Betsy amazed scientists by being able to recognise more than 340 words. Animal psychologists have found that the average dog can recognise about 15 orders and will have the intelligence of a two-anda-half-year-old child.
They can understand gestures, count to five and can perform simple mathematical calculations, being far more intelligent than they are given credit for.