Dogs Remember Toy Names for Years, Study Shows – Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal

It turns out our furry friends might be better at remembering names than we are—especially when it comes to their favorite squeaky toys.

A new study has revealed that some dogs can remember the names of toys even after not seeing them for two years. That’s not just adorable—it’s a groundbreaking insight into the canine mind.

Let’s unpack what researchers found, and why it might change how we understand memory, learning, and even the roots of human language.

Canine Memory: Better Than You Think

While many dog owners struggle to remember which plush animal is “Mr. Squeaky” or “Bouncy Bone,” some dogs show astonishing recall.

The study, conducted by researchers at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, builds on previous work showing that dogs can learn and retain the names of multiple toys.

One especially famous pup, a Border Collie named Chaser, learned more than 1,000 object names during her lifetime.

But the new research goes even further. It shows that dogs aren’t just associating names with frequent play—they can store these labels in long-term memory.

The Experiment: Bringing Old Toys Out of Retirement

To test this, researchers revisited five dogs who had previously learned the names of 12 toys during an earlier study. After that initial phase, the toys were packed away and left untouched for a full two years.

In the new experiment, the toys were reintroduced to the dogs, allowing them to sniff and examine the long-lost objects.

Then, five or six of the toys were mixed in with eight unrelated ones in a separate room. From another room, the dog’s owner would call out the name of one of the test toys, asking the dog to retrieve it.

Researchers monitored the whole scene through video recordings, noting which toy the dog chose. The test was run multiple times per dog, with additional rounds conducted for four of the five participants using all remaining toys.

The Results: Not Just Luck

On average, the dogs correctly picked the named toy 44% of the time—significantly higher than the level expected by random chance. In some cases, success rates reached as high as 60%.

That may not sound like genius-level performance, but considering that the dogs had no exposure to the toys for two entire years, it’s incredibly impressive.

These results suggest the dogs weren’t relying on constant reinforcement or repetition. They truly remembered.

Interestingly, four of the five dogs drove most of the success, with each recalling between three and nine correct toy names. One dog fell short—but as the researchers point out, not all dogs possess this skill. And that’s perfectly normal.

Nature, Nurture, or a Bit of Both?

So, what separates these memory-savvy dogs from the average pup? Lead author Shany Dror believes that engagement plays a key role.

Dogs with this ability often live in environments where their humans invest a lot of time teaching, playing, and communicating with them.

As Dror puts it, “The more you invest in your dog, the more you will get back from the relationship.” This lines up with other studies showing that dogs thrive cognitively when their humans actively nurture learning.

What This Tells Us About Human Language

Perhaps the most fascinating implication of the study is what it reveals about the evolution of language. One of the cornerstones of language is memory—being able to store and recall names, concepts, and symbols over time.

If dogs can remember object names for years, it suggests they possess at least a rudimentary form of this capability.

That doesn’t mean dogs can develop a full language system like humans—but it shows that certain building blocks of language may not be unique to us.

By examining where the similarities end, scientists hope to better understand what makes human language special. It’s part of a broader quest to determine which cognitive skills are shared across species—and which are ours alone.

What This Means for Dog Owners

This research doesn’t mean your dog is secretly fluent in English. But it does suggest that many dogs are capable of more than we realize—especially when it comes to memory and communication.

If you’ve ever joked that your pup understands more than they let on, you might not be far off.

And if you’re wondering whether your dog remembers that plush banana from two birthdays ago… they just might.