ArticleGeroScience2026
Evaluating effects of aging on dog olfactory performance.
Article in GeroScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Canine "Sniffin' Sticks" enable behavioural olfactometry to complement neurological examination in dogs.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Reliability, repeatability, and age associations of the dogSIT (dog Smell Interaction Test) battery in untrained companion dogs (Canis lupus familiaris).Scientific reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Aging is a dynamic process across a dog's lifespan, with age-related changes impacting how dogs function in their companion and working roles. However, the impact of aging on key sensory modalities, such as olfaction, is not well understood. The current study aimed to characterize age-related changes in canine olfactory abilities via an adaptation of the Natural Detection Task. Data were collected on 65 dogs aged 5 years or older, with 44 dogs completing all components of the task. We found age-related decrements in olfactory performance, but only under certain conditions and with differential effects as a function of training level. Age also affected whether dogs completed the entirety of the task, indicative of non-olfactory (e.g., physical or motivational) factors. Additionally, dogs completed the Cylinder Reversal Task (CRT) to determine whether olfactory changes were correlated with cognitive changes. We found no age-related changes in CRT performance and no significant associations between cognitive and olfactory task performance. These findings indicate that dogs' olfactory capabilities decrease with age but, critically, training experience may have protective effects against age-related declines, and effects may only be apparent under certain conditions. Future studies should continue to consider olfaction when studying aging impacts upon the dog.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.