Teaching old dogs new tricks can ward off dementia in pooches.
Teaching old dogs new tricks can prevent dementia in the animals
Researchers used MRI scans to measure changes in the brain structure of 43 middle-aged beagles over a period of three years.
During the study, the dogs exercised daily, played with lots of different toys and were allowed "free play" with other canines for 30 minutes each day.
The findings revealed that the volume of the hippocampus - the region of the brain that is linked to cognition - increased for all of the dogs by an average rate of 1.74 per cent per year.
The study contrasted with previous research into beagles, which demonstrated that hippocampus volume declines over time.
The experts from the University of Kentucky and the University of California wrote: "Remarkably, the hippocampus increased in volume in all dogs.
"We argue that these increases may be attributed to the high levels of behavioural enrichment in the present study that included social interaction, exploration, physical exercise and sensory stimulation - all of which are known to induce a number of neurological changes.
"It doesn't hurt to take this as a helpful pet-care tip... playing with your dogs may be beneficial to their brain health."