Anwika Palle Week 15 - A Dog's Memory
Memory is an integral part of a human’s life. Since a lot of us may already be aware of how memory works in humans and due to my curiosity of how a dog’s cognitive processes work, I wanted to write this week’s blog post about a dog’s memory, in case you are curious as well.
According to “How a Dog’s Memory Works,” dogs have a different system of storing, processing, and recalling memories than humans do. For some background knowledge, humans have episodic memory, which allows us to “have the ability to store and remember vivid and explicit memories.” This memory allows us to think back and reflect on these experiences, and even relive them in our minds if we would like. Dogs, on the other hand, do not have episodic memory. Their memory system is called associative memory, which means “they remember events based on associations, and not actual memories. For example, if you put on your sneakers before taking your dog for a walk, your dog will be excited every time you wear them.” It is possible to change these associations by working to replace the negative ones with positive associations to see improvement. However, it is harder to change the negative associations since they “remain in your dog’s memory far longer than positive ones.” I can attest to this fact because my almost one-year-old golden/lab mix, Ripon, still displays many of his puppy habits, like biting the sleeves of my family’s sweaters when he demands playtime from us. So far, it has been difficult to break him out of this long-displayed habit.
So, it is not much of a surprise that a dog’s memory works differently than a human’s memory. I did find it interesting that classical conditioning comes into play in a dog’s memory. It is a bummer to realize that my dog probably does not remember all the amazing things I’ve done for him, such as all the puppuccinos I have given him, but it’s a relief to know that associations to the moments will bring back those memories.
Hi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteHearing about your pet's memory makes me think my own pets as well. I have two goldfish, and I've heard about a common misconception that goldfish only have memories that last 3 seconds long. That has never made sense to me, partly because they swim at the edge of the tank every time they see me. To them, the sight of me means food. That's a learned behaviour and keeping it presumably requires more than a few seconds. I think it is imperative that we understand the fact that other living things have memories and feelings as well, even if they are not entirely similar to ours.
Sincerely,
Sean Wang
Hi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog post quite fascinating. I think like dogs, humans also have a form of associative memory. How do I know this? My little brother. When he was really little, a dog bit him on the hand when he was on a walk with my parents and trying to pet a dog. Since then, he's been terrified of small and large dogs alike. Mammals are animals with fairly similar brain structures, so it makes sense that we would have shared aspects of memory.
Sincerely,
Krish
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a dog, but I have two really cute kitties, and I know for sure that they have some sort of memory. When my mom opens the fridge, they come running even though there is no food for them in the fridge. My children (cats), however, run away every time I come near them, and this is because I pick them up and kiss them on the belly (cats hate it, I don't recommend it). When I love something, I love it fiercely, and that means tight hugs and too many kisses. Do I wonder if they remember? Honestly, I never stopped to think. Memory is reflected in behavior, since they decided to stay away from me, I guess that it is their memory.
ReplyDeleteHi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about the memory of animals mainly because I don't actually have any pets. This blog, however, was very interesting because of the fact that dogs have a different type of memory. The part about negative memory is true for everyone: we tend to remember bad memories over good ones.
Sincerely,
Vivan Waghela
Hey Anwika, I really learned a lot from your post. Now I know why my dog used to run whenever my mom would come near him; she was in charge of bathing him, cutting his nails, flea repellent, etc (all the not so fun things). At this point, I don't know if he even had any positive associations; he was a real trouble maker, and we've never gone a day without telling him to shut up, drop it, or get off the couch. This was really interesting; thanks for sharing! (And Ripon is adorable!!)
ReplyDeleteHi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteNow that you have explained the way a dog's memory works, I now better understand the way we train dogs tricks and others. Most of the time, dogs respond well to positive affirmation, different from how we learn. The way humans learn things, such as studying, we rely on our episodic memory, returning to the topic we studied each day until we remember it. Your explanation of dog memory also helped me better understand why my dog still has a fear of men, even though none have harmed him since we got him from the shelter.
Hi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteIts interesting to hear how dog memory works. If that is truly how dog memory works, then I might just be part dog. I have made quite a lot of associations throughout my life, quite a few of which I wish that I could remove. In fact, one which I remember quite vividly, and still have, is my association of pickled artichoke hearts with a stomach ache. I remember that one time I ate them out of the jar and got a mild stomach ache (I either forgot to wash my hands or ate too many in a row), and ever since then, I have avoided them whenever possible. Whenever I see a jar of pickled artichoke hearts, I feel a mild mental pulse of discomfort.
Sincerely,
Raymond Yu
Hey Anwika!
ReplyDeleteYOUR DOG IS SO CUTE BRO. I definitely get that dogs have a far more simple perception of the world than us, but your blog really put just how much into perspective for me. I like your AP Psych reference of classical conditioning, and I think it is the cause of many animal behaviors. Even in Skinner and Pavlov's experiments, animals were used rather than humans due to their relatively simpler minds. It is so crazy how they can understand enough to navigate the world while not really understanding things as elaborately as we do. Thank you for sharing and good luck on your AP tests this week<3
Hi Anwika,
ReplyDeleteMan I remember making a reference to dog's pathetically short memory spans during a presentation in 9th grade English. I think its really cool how fundamentally, the entire structure of dog's memory and our memory function so differently. I think its especially cool considering that it really does reflect the difference between how humans and dogs live life. We tend to stress over the long terms and the things that have happened in the past. On the flip side, dogs are literally always living in the moment, seemingly so carefree.
Yi-Kuan C.