Scientists at the University of Arizona have discovered that dogs with larger brains outperform smaller dogs in some cases, but not all. In particular, they discovered that larger dogs have better short-term memory and self-control than smaller dogs.
A dog’s ability to learn is best defined by the hedonic index, which factors in the subjective feeling of pleasure or suffering, or their “hedonic appeal”, after a single reward or punishment for a particular behaviour. A dog’s ability to learn depends in large part on the degree of experience gained from previous rewards.
As there are so many variables and ways to train and raise a dog, it is hard to put absolutes on every hows and whys. That being said, there is a joke among dog trainers that the answer to nearly every question asked about a dog is “It depends.”
