When Asa was little I spent a lot of time trying to be a positive influence on his cognitive development. After all, it is widely accepted by dog behaviorists that behavior is neither entirely inherited or entirely acquired. Rather dog cognition is the process in dogs of acquiring, storing in memory, retrieving, combining, comparing, and using in new situations information and conceptual skills.

As the puppy’s brain develops, so does the learning ability which stimulates more neural development. According to scientific research, when a puppy is stimulated, his brain matures faster and he will grow up to have a larger brain with more cells, and more interconnections between them. Well I certainly helped Asa to develop a big blockhead. However, I question the theory that a larger brain means a smarter dog.

For today’s Throwback Thursday, may I present this video of Puppy Experiment: Asa’s Cognitive Development (May 22, 2015).