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狗狗老了以后，可能在家里迷路、变得更焦虑，这些都可能是失智的信号，但等主人发现时，衰退往往已持续多年。美国亚利桑那大学的研究团队设计了一套名为 CANID 的测试，用约40分钟、三个“找零食”游戏来考察狗的记忆力和行为灵活性，能在狗约7至8岁时发现细微变化。团队测试了239只狗，并在半年和一年后复测，分数保持稳定。研究还发现，大型犬并不是衰退得更快，而是往往活不到衰退的后期，寿命更长的小型犬反而更容易表现出来。这项测试需要专业人员和设备，不能在家里做，主要用于大规模研究。文章按“问题—方法—结果—意义”展开，阅读时可留意 so、however、instead 等词如何连接因果、转折和对比。

正文

It is hard to watch a pet dog grow old. A senior dog may get lost in its own home or become more anxious, and these can be signs of dementia. But by the time owners notice such changes, the decline may have been going on for years. University of Arizona researchers say simple games could help find it much earlier.

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看着自家的狗慢慢变老并不容易。一只老年狗可能在自己家里迷路，或者变得更加焦虑，这些都可能是失智的迹象。但等主人注意到这些变化时，衰退可能已经持续了好几年。美国亚利桑那大学的研究人员表示，一些简单的游戏可以帮助更早地发现这个问题。

The new test is called CANID. It takes about 40 minutes and uses three tasks to measure memory and flexible behavior. According to the team, it can detect small changes in thinking when dogs are about seven or eight years old. Clear signs of dementia usually appear later, at around 12 to 14 years of age.

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这项新测试名为 CANID，大约需要40分钟，用三项任务来衡量狗的记忆力和行为灵活性。研究团队称，它能在狗大约七八岁时发现思维能力上的细小变化，而明显的失智迹象通常要到12至14岁左右才出现。

The researchers could not simply ask the animals questions, so they let the dogs show what they could do while playing for treats. In the first game, a dog watches a treat go into a clear tube that is open at both ends. It must walk around to an opening instead of pushing its nose against the front. In the second game, a treat is hidden behind one of four wooden barriers, and the dog has to remember the right place after waiting up to 40 seconds. In the third game, the dog walks around a barrier to reach food, but the team secretly blocks one path and changes it each time the dog learns the open one.

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研究人员无法直接向动物提问，于是让狗在玩找零食游戏时展示自己的能力。第一个游戏中，狗看着零食被放进一根两端开口的透明管子，它必须绕到开口处去拿，而不是把鼻子顶在管子正面。第二个游戏中，零食被藏在四块木板中的一块后面，狗要在等待最长40秒后记住正确的位置。第三个游戏中，狗要绕过一道挡板去拿食物，但团队会偷偷堵住其中一条路，并且每当狗学会走那条通路时就更换。

Each dog’s results are combined into one score. The team tested 239 dogs in Tucson and California, and many of them were tested again six months and a year later. Their scores stayed steady, so the test appears reliable. The study was published in the journal Animal Cognition.

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每只狗的成绩会合并成一个分数。团队在图森和加利福尼亚测试了239只狗，并在六个月和一年后对其中许多只再次测试。它们的分数保持稳定，因此这项测试看来是可靠的。该研究发表在《动物认知》期刊上。

Most current tools are surveys filled in by owners, and they often find problems only when the damage is already serious. CANID is not a home test, because it needs trained staff and special equipment. However, it can help scientists study large numbers of pet dogs and learn what keeps aging brains healthy.

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目前大多数工具是由主人填写的问卷，往往要等损害已经很严重时才能发现问题。CANID 不能在家里做，因为它需要受过训练的工作人员和专门设备。不过，它可以帮助科学家研究大量宠物狗，了解是什么让衰老的大脑保持健康。

The results also suggest that large breeds do not lose their thinking skills faster. Instead, dogs appear to follow one path of decline, and big dogs often die before they reach its later stages. Small breeds such as Chihuahuas live longer, so they are more likely to show it.

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研究结果还表明，大型犬的思维能力并不会衰退得更快。相反，狗似乎都沿着同一条衰退路径发展，而大型犬往往在到达后期阶段之前就已离世。吉娃娃等小型犬寿命更长，因此更可能表现出衰退。

The researchers believe the work may help people too. Old dogs with dementia can develop brain changes similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s disease, and they share our homes, water and air.

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研究人员认为，这项工作也可能对人类有帮助。患失智症的老年狗大脑中可能出现与人类阿尔茨海默病相似的变化，而且它们与我们共享家园、饮水和空气。

新闻来源

• Phys.org · Hide-and-seek for treats offers a new window into cognitive decline in dogs (23 Oct 2026)
• Animal Cognition · Cognitive assessment for neuropsychological impairments in dogs (CANID): an efficient, repeatable, and sensitive evaluation for studies of cognitive aging (2026)

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