Do Dogs Understand Math? 

We all know that dogs are intelligent. Sometimes too smart for their own good! Have you ever wondered if dogs understand mathematics? The theory may be more believable when considering the different quantitive thinking forms. Allow us to dig deeper into the topic.

Research shows that dogs can determine quantity. This refers to the ability to compare two groups of items. For example, the dog who runs to a pile containing 20 pieces of kibble rather than a pile next to it that includes five pieces of kibble makes that decision based on its judgment of the number of kibbles in each pile! In addition, dogs are known to count. In field trials, retrievers must be able to count how many ducks are out in the field to retrieve.

Do you assume that if dogs can count, they know how to add? Researchers studied this theory by showing a dog a single large treat and then putting a low screen in front of it. The dog watched the researcher place another treat behind the screen. If the dog can do the math, it knows that one plus one equals two, so it should expect there to be two treats.

The ability to count and do simple math may seem like an advanced skill to dogs, but it dates back to their wild ancestors. While dogs do not know how to solve for X or calculate the hypotenuse of a triangle, they understand math, and you should be proud! This is another reason why dogs are incredibly brilliant!