"Detox" for the cells

Why well-trained dogs (can) live longer

If you train your dog, you not only ensure that it behaves well, but also that your "best friend" lives longer.(Bild: Christian Müller, stock.adobe.com)

In 2020, a team of researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna discovered that dogs' social and cognitive abilities decline despite a lifetime of training. In a subsequent study, various factors influencing the change in telomeres (protective caps at the ends of chromosomes) were investigated. The results show that the more trainable the dogs are, the slower they shorten.

A team led by Julia Weixlbraun from the Center for Biological Sciences at Vetmeduni Vienna has now shown a strong correlation between the "trainability" of dogs and the change in telomeres. The scientists used trainability in test situations to measure how attentive the dogs were and how quickly they performed the tasks set.

When cells divide, the DNA segments called telomeres at the ends of the chromosomes become shorter. This shortening is associated with cell ageing and reduced immune function, according to the researchers in the scientific journal "PLOS One". If the protective caps are too short, the cell stops dividing altogether.

The study also showed that trainability does not change with increasing age.(Bild: beatrix kido - stock.adobe.com)

Age, gender and diet are less important
The results indicate that "greater trainability has a positive influence on telomere dynamics in ageing dogs", says Weixlbraun. "We were even able to observe a lengthening of telomeres." Other factors such as age, gender or diet are less important in this context.

Trainability does not change
The study also showed that trainability does not change with increasing age. For Weixlbraun, this suggests that "telomere dynamics in dogs depend more on a social characteristic such as trainability than on age."

In humans, cognitive and social factors have already been linked to changes in telomeres in previous studies, but such correlations have not been sufficiently researched in animals.