New 40-Minute Test Reveals How Dogs’ Memory Changes With Age

Dogs may begin experiencing measurable changes in memory and problem-solving ability earlier than their owners realise. Researchers in the United States have developed a new cognitive assessment that can detect age-related differences in dogs using three relatively simple tasks. The test, which takes approximately 40 to 60 minutes, could help scientists understand how canine brains age and eventually contribute to earlier recognition of cognitive problems. However, the researchers emphasise that further work is needed before it can be used to diagnose dementia in individual dogs.

When an Older Dog Starts Forgetting

An ageing dog may occasionally seem confused, hesitate before solving a familiar problem or take longer to find something hidden. Such behaviour can have many explanations, including changes in vision, hearing or physical health.But dogs can also experience cognitive decline as they grow older. In some animals, this develops into canine cognitive dysfunction, a condition that shares certain characteristics with human dementia.

Recognising the earliest changes is difficult. Veterinarians often rely partly on questionnaires completed by owners, who describe changes in their dogs’ everyday behaviour. These observations are valuable, but subtle problems may go unnoticed until they begin interfering with normal activities.Researchers from the University of Arizona and collaborating institutions have now developed a more direct way of measuring certain cognitive abilities.

Their findings were published on 12 October 2026 in Animal Cognition.

Three Tests, 239 Dogs

The researchers developed an assessment called CANID, short for Cognitive Assessment for Neuropsychological Impairments in Dogs.Rather than requiring weeks of training, CANID uses three tasks involving food rewards. Together, they measure aspects of memory, mental flexibility and the ability to control an immediate response.

The first task examines whether a dog can adapt when a previously successful route to food becomes blocked. The second tests whether the animal remembers where food has been hidden after increasingly long delays.In the third task, dogs must retrieve a treat from a transparent cylinder. Instead of approaching the food directly through the cylinder’s wall, they must resist that immediate response and enter through an open end.

A total of 239 dogs participated in the initial assessment. Their ages ranged from approximately ten months to sixteen years.Testing took place at three locations in the United States, including a university research centre, a dog daycare facility and a service-dog training centre.

Cognitive Differences Begin Around Middle Age

The results revealed a clear relationship between age and performance.Older dogs generally achieved lower scores on the combined assessment than younger animals. Age accounted for approximately 27% of the variation in overall cognitive scores after statistical adjustment.The researchers found that age-related differences became apparent around eight years of age.

That does not mean dogs develop dementia at eight. Normal cognitive ageing and pathological decline are not necessarily the same thing.However, the finding is significant because the behavioural signs used to identify canine cognitive dysfunction often become more noticeable later in life.The researchers suggest that direct cognitive testing might eventually help identify subtle changes before owners recognise obvious symptoms.Whether CANID can reliably distinguish normal ageing from early disease remains an important unanswered question.

Testing the Same Dogs Again

A useful cognitive assessment must produce reasonably consistent results when repeated. To investigate this, the researchers tested 138 dogs again after approximately six months. Another 114 dogs underwent testing at the twelve-month follow-up.The results showed substantial consistency between assessments, suggesting that CANID can provide meaningful measurements over time.

Interestingly, dogs performed slightly better on average during the six-month assessment. This may partly reflect familiarity with the tasks rather than an actual improvement in cognitive ability.By twelve months, the researchers no longer observed a statistically significant improvement in the overall scores compared with the original assessment.Understanding these practice effects is important. A dog that becomes better at solving a familiar puzzle may appear cognitively healthier even if some underlying abilities are declining.The researchers believe CANID’s relatively consistent performance makes it promising for longer-term studies of canine ageing.

Not Yet a Test for Canine Dementia

Despite the encouraging results, CANID is not currently a diagnostic test that owners can use to determine whether their dog has dementia.The study did not compare CANID scores directly with biological markers of cognitive disease or established diagnostic questionnaires.There are also practical limitations.Dogs must be willing to participate, accept food rewards and feel comfortable in the testing environment. Animals experiencing severe anxiety, poor vision or advanced cognitive impairment may be unable to complete some tasks.

The researchers also found differences between testing locations. Dogs associated with the service-dog organisation generally performed better on certain tasks, potentially reflecting differences in training, temperament or other characteristics.Further research will be necessary to understand these influences and determine how accurately the assessment identifies changes within individual dogs.

Why This Research Matters

The new assessment forms part of a broader effort to understand how dogs age and why some experience greater cognitive difficulties than others.Reliable measurements could eventually help scientists investigate whether exercise, mental stimulation, nutrition or medical treatments influence cognitive health.CANID may also make it easier to compare findings between research institutions.

The team has made its testing instructions, training videos, recording materials and scoring software publicly available, allowing other researchers to reproduce the assessment.For dog owners, the immediate message is not to begin testing their pets with homemade puzzles.Instead, the study highlights the importance of recognising that ageing affects more than a dog’s physical abilities.

Changes in memory, behaviour or orientation deserve attention, particularly when they are persistent or interfere with everyday life.Although CANID is still primarily a research instrument, it represents another step towards understanding the ageing canine brain—and perhaps, eventually, helping dogs maintain a better quality of life for longer.

Primary Scientific Sources

1. Original peer-reviewed research

Hargrave, S. H., Bray, E. E., Switzer, L. R., et al. (2026).

Cognitive assessment for neuropsychological impairments in dogs (CANID): an efficient, repeatable, and sensitive evaluation for studies of cognitive aging.

Animal Cognition. Published 12 October 2026.

DOI: 10.1007/s10071-026-02112-x

Read the original scientific paper

The paper is open access under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The publisher identifies it as an accepted, peer-reviewed article awaiting final editorial production.

2. Original research materials

The researchers have released the CANID testing protocols, training videos, scoring instructions and associated data through the Open Science Framework.

CANID research materials and protocols

3. Additional scientific context

The paper discusses previous research into canine cognitive dysfunction and the limitations of owner questionnaires, including the 2026 veterinary guidelines for diagnosis and monitoring of the condition.

Olby, N. J., et al. (2026). The canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome working group guidelines for diagnosis and monitoring of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome.

Veterinary guidelines — Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association