Harvard University goes to the dogs

    What is this dog thinking?? - Harvard CCL photo

Since Ivan Pavlov worked with dogs in the late 1800's to study their behavior, few scientists have used dogs as a model to study the thoughts and behaviors of the species that lives closest to us. As a matter of fact, man's best friend may be the most taken-for-granted species by scientists working in the cognition and behavior fields.

But all that is changing, as researchers discover that those little furry heads hold more mysteries than they've ever thought possible.

Through domestication and familiarity, dogs have become a beloved fixture to many humans. We often attribute thoughts and motivations to them without even thinking of whether we could be right. Now, researchers have focused on dogs to see if dogs have the same or similar cognitive abilities as humans.

Harvard professor Marc Hauser leads the team of researchers at the university's Canine Cognition Lab, looking to gain insight into canine reasoning ability and behavior. Scientists have studied species more closely related to humans - chimpanzees and other primates - to help understand what makes humans different. Now they're finding that in some ways, dogs' reasoning abilities are greater than primates.

The research staff looks for volunteers to bring their dogs in for a series of tasks which seek to answer questions about canine patience, abstract reasoning ability, and intentions.

But don't think that this research is harmful to the volunteer dogs - the staff is committed to making the experiments engaging and fun for the subjects. Before becoming part of the study, owners are asked a battalion of questions about their dog, it's behavior and it's likes and dislikes. Dogs which are toy-motivated are tested using mostly toys. Dogs which are food motivated are offered their favorite treats during the experiments, which are totally non-invasive.

What have they learned so far? Too early to tell, as the researchers have tested fewer than two dozen dogs so far. But it will be interesting to see what they conclude, after testing hundreds. Researchers are hoping for more insight into the human mind as opposed to the canine one, and are also hoping to learn things which will enhance people's ability to tune into dogs, understanding them better than ever.

It's been a long time since Pavlov learned that dogs who hear a bell ring just before being fed eventually salivate at the sound of a bell. This study looks to provide much more detailed, and much more interesting, information about the thoughts, desires and dreams of our furry friends.

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