Gaby
A team of researchers at Auburn University in Alabama found that chewing toys can help anxious dogs improve their memory. The scientists evaluated the performance of 34 Labrador Retrievers in a working memory task, in which the dogs had to remember which bucket the researchers placed a treat in. Just before the task, the dogs were given a chew toy for five minutes while a computer program recorded their biting frequency.
Prior to the experiment, trainers who had been working with the dogs for about a month filled out a questionnaire to assess the dogs’ behavior, including each dog’s level of anxiety. The researchers found that among the most anxious dogs, increased chewing was linked to improved spatial working memory. In contrast, dogs with lower anxiety levels showed the opposite effect, as reported by the Daily Mail.
It’s likely that chewing helps reduce physiological arousal in skittish dogs, allowing them to focus better. Meanwhile, for calmer dogs, chewing may actually distract them. Dr. Deborah Wells, an expert in animal behavior and welfare at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, believes anxious dogs derive a greater therapeutic benefit from chewing than their more relaxed counterparts. She added that for less anxious animals, chewing might simply serve as a distraction and have a smaller effect on reducing arousal.
The study also indicated that chewing could benefit both anxious and non-anxious dogs when it comes to enhancing long-term memory. This became clear when the researchers presented the dogs with a maze memorization task: dogs that chewed more intensely required fewer attempts to relearn the maze. The team detailed their findings in a report published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science.
Experts have long observed a similar effect in humans: chewing gum can boost alertness and improve cognitive function.
