It turns out that training may not just teach our dogs specific behaviors. It might help them solve problems that come along in the future.

In people, testing has shown that learning how to solve one problem makes it easier to solve the next one — even if it’s completely unrelated. It may all come down to persistence, or continued motivation.

In dogs, positive reinforcement — or receiving rewards — is a key part of training. But what about highly trained animals — like search-and-rescue or agility dogs — that perform a linked chain of behaviors without getting rewarded for each one? That is, how do they remember them all?

They’ve likely learned persistence, which prevents the behavior from fading away and helps them face the next problem ahead. So, far from being one-trick canines, they’re set up for success going forward.