Like people, dogs lose mobility, reflexes, and mental activity deteriorates as they age. To slow this deterioration over time, it is advisable to do mental exercises.
A team of Austrian scientists has created an interactive game for older ARISTOPETS. Through touch screens so they can exercise their brains. The study, conducted by the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Austria), consists of solving various puzzles through touch screens.
The author of the project, Lisa Wallis, states that "as in humans, dopamine production in dogs also decreases with aging, leading to a decline in memory and motivational drive. But this natural mental decline can be counteracted with specific training of cognitive skills."
Image from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
The authors of this study confirm that these exercises could replace physical activity that does not require much effort for older dogs. Despite their physical limitations, older dogs are capable of continuing to learn.
This type of game not only stimulates mentally, but also creates emotions through interaction and reward. Huber, one of the project collaborators, states that "it not only encourages us, but it also pulls dogs out of the apathy of old age, and increases their motivation and engagement, and maximizes learning opportunities."
Touchscreen games are usually used for younger dogs. But scientists have shown that older dogs also respond positively to this type of training.
Other alternatives proposed by this team of scientists are a series of computer games, in which simple mental tasks are combined with a reward system.
Like humans, dogs tend to forget what they have learned throughout their lives. What this team of scientists cannot confirm is whether this is due to age. But they do state that this type of training can help with memory loss. For now, this project remains in the laboratory.