According to the research of the University of California, Davis, ducklings can establish cognitive connection and perceive the voice and visual characteristics of their owners during hatching. However, there is still a certain gap between ducklings and dogs, cats and other pets in the ability to recognize their owners.
In contrast, this study also shows that ducklings are more likely to follow their peers' actions and behaviors. This means that if you want to keep ducklings as pets, it is best not to keep them alone in an open environment, but to keep them with other ducklings as much as possible, which can better promote their social behavior and cognitive development.
To sum up, ducklings are smart, cute and funny pets, although there are still some gaps compared with dogs and cats in cognition and ability to recognize their owners. If you need a pet, you can choose ducklings, which can not only increase the fun of life, but also improve the quality of life to a certain extent.