Category Archives: Citizen Science

The Dapper GSD: Three German Shepherds with Three Different Cognitive Profiles

November 26th, 2016 by Tori Holmes

Remi (left), Barrett (middle), Wesson (right) = The Dapper GSD Pack. Remi and Wesson are litter mates.

HOW THE PACK CAME TO BE

Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Barrett, Wesson, and Remi are three German Shepherds with three very different personalities. Barrett, now 7-years-old, was the first to join the family when their owner, Kate, fostered and subsequently adopted him in February 2012. After their 13-year-old lab had to be put down in 2014, Kate made the decision to begin fostering again with the Greater Charlotte SPCA.

The decision to foster was a strategic one; Kate was getting her family used to idea of having a second dog join them, but also allowing Barrett to ease into the socialization process in a controlled environment to overcome his fear aggression.

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Posted in Case Studies, Citizen Science, The Dognition Experience. Tagged with Charlotte, germanshepherd, GSD, maverick, renaissance, socialite.

Lucy & Emily get surprises from test results

November 23rd, 2016 by Jennifer D. Dubow

A few months ago, we featured Lucy & Emily of @pupsonpar on our blog in September after they completed their Dognition dog cognition assessments. This week, Lucy & Emily received their dog DNA test results from Embark Vet, as part of their participation in the canine behavioral genetics research study that Dognition & Embark Vet announced on October 24. The Embark Vet dog DNA test kits reveal Accurate Breed Mix; Family Tree; Drug Sensitivity; Heart Disease Risk; Over 160 Genetic Diseases; Adult Weight; Genetic Aging. And here’s how Embark Vet compares to other dog DNA test kits on the market.

Many people have asked questions about why they should participate in our canine behavioral genetics research study as citizen scientists.

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Posted in Case Studies, Citizen Science, Dog Love, Research Study, The Dognition Experience. Tagged with Ace, embarkvet, Protodog.

Exploring new frontiers in canine behavioral genetics research

November 3rd, 2016 by Jennifer D. Dubow

UNCHARTERED TERRITORY

On October 24, 2016, Dognition announced a new research partnership with Embark Vet, a world leading dog DNA testing company based in Austin, TX, to conduct the largest canine behavioral genetics research study of its kind to date. We aim to enroll 5,000 pet dogs so we can better understand:

The origin of behavioral tendencies
The most effective training methods to use with dogs at different ages and stages of their development
The level to which environment and breed affect each dog’s behavior
The rate of cognitive decline based on genes and breed

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Posted in Case Studies, Citizen Science, Research Study, The Dognition Experience. Tagged with canine-genetics, dogdna, embarkvet, research-study.

Maska, the Charmer, participates in new canine research study

November 3rd, 2016 by Jennifer D. Dubow

Maska is a male Husky living in Toronto, Canada with his little fur sister Adler. Maska’s mom Nancy purchased the Embark Vet dog DNA test to see if Maska was indeed a purebred Siberian Husky, and to see if he was at risk for any genetic diseases. Contrary to popular belief, many dogs sold as purebreds have other breeds mixed in. To Nancy’s delight and relief, Maska’s Embark dog DNA test results revealed that he is indeed a purebred Husky and is not at risk for any genetic diseases.

When Nancy found out about the research partnership between Embark Vet and Dognition, she eagerly completed the Dognition assessment with Maska to learn as much as she could about her beloved dog and to participate in our new canine behavioral genetics research study.

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Posted in Case Studies, Citizen Science, Research Study, The Dognition Experience. Tagged with canine cognition, canine cognition science, charmer, citizen_science, citizen_scientist, citizen-science, dogs, embarkvet, husky, researchstudy, siberian-husky.

Back to school: lifelong learning opportunities for you and your dog

September 26th, 2016 by Jennifer D. Dubow

While kids everywhere are going back to school, Dognition has a ton of educational opportunities for you and the other bright minds in your house.

	The free online class from Coursera, Dog Emotion and Cognition, will introduce you to the exciting new study of dog psychology, what the latest discoveries tell us about how dogs think and feel about us, and how we can use this new knowledge to strengthen our relationship with our best friends. If you’d like to get a certificate, there is a fee. The course runs every 6 weeks.
	Dognition’s Dr. Brian Hare joined Reddit’s Ask Science ‘Ask Me Anything’ on June 30, 2016. You can read through the Q&A and learn more about the inner workings of your dog’s brain, how they see the world, and the cognitive skills that influence your dog’s personality and behavior.
	The DogSmarts podcast, hosted by Dr. Brian Hare, explores a dog’s brain through the lens of human cognition. Through stories and interviews, he tackles questions about memory, word learning, navigation, nutrition, and love in six podcast episodes. Available on iTunes and Google Play. “DogSmarts” is sponsored by Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND®, a breakthrough in pet nutrition created to nourish a dog’s mind. Discover more at www.dognition.com/brightmind.
	‘Citizen Science as a New Tool in Dog Cognition Research” This research paper evaluates the quality of the first data on dog cognition collected by citizen scientists using the Dognition.com website. This analysis suggests that in the future, citizen scientists will generate useful datasets that test hypotheses and answer questions as a complement to conventional laboratory techniques used to study dog psychology.