Duke University | Evolutionary Anthropology: How Can Your Dog Participate?

PARTICIPATION - What is involved?

Enrollment:

The Duke Canine Cognition Center has the cheapest tuition and highest acceptance rate at Duke!

This means we are interested in the cognition of dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds (mutts & purebreds). We only require that they be up to date on their rabies and bordatella vaccine. Once enrolled, dogs will be eligible to participate in fun cognitive games at the Duke Canine Cognition Center.

Our students run several projects each semester and each project may require different types (ages, breeds etc.) of dogs. We contact dog owners based on the requirements of each of our research projects. This may mean that you are not contacted immediately, but it is almost certain that you will be (we keep records of who we have and have not previously invited to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate). Also keep in mind we have hundreds of dogs signed up and cannot test them all each year. The good news is the center will be running problem solving games for many years to come so every dog should get many chances to participate. We look forward to meeting you and your dog!

What does a session entail?

Depending on the study each testing sessions takes around 45 mins to 1.5hrs. Once at the center dog owners will need to fill out a few forms while your pup gets acquainted with the facility before the games can begin. After the session, members of the research team will be happy to discuss your dog’s performance and answer any questions you may have.

Scheduling

Scheduling is flexible. We do our best to work with all parties involved to find a good time for each test session. Appointments are available on weekdays as well as weeknights and weekends.