Canine Cognition Testing
Supporting Selection, Training and Performance
Canine cognition testing provides a fascinating insight into the unique ways our dogs learn and think.
It helps us to understand how dogs perceive and retain information, solve problems, and make decisions.
Is your dog quick to make inferences?
Are they strong in memory?
Is your dog a problem solver?
It can help enhance selection and training methods, providing objective insights into your dogs’ natural problem-solving abilities, memory and learning style. Cognition testing provides a structured, repeatable way to assess these capabilities and is suitable for anyone, with any breed, in any discipline.
The aim of the tests isn’t about deciding whether a dog is “smart”, or finding the “perfect” dog. Dogs are intelligent in many different ways, and what matters is understanding how your dog learns best. The results can reveal interesting insights into behaviour, helping build a more complete understanding of the strengths and potential of each individual dog.
The cognition tests are based on pioneering research conducted by Dr. Brian Hare at Duke University, founder of the Duke Canine Cognition Centre, working in tandem with Cameron Ford of Ford K9. These tests have proven to reduce failure rates in selecting dogs for operational work, and also significantly speed up training time due to better understanding of the needs of each dog.
Whether you’re curious about your young dog’s potential, want to understand your adult dog a little better, or simply love discovering new things about your four-legged friend, our cognition testing seminars offer a fun and informative way to improve the partnership and training with your dog.
Hosting Lucy for a Canine Cognition Seminar
Lucy is available for hosting to run cognition seminars and follow on workshops wherever you are and loves to travel! She can offer seminars for dog trainers or private groups. Please get in touch to enquire →
How it works
The cognition seminars are generally conducted over two consecutive days, approximately 10am till 4pm, and split into four sections. Both handler and spectators spaces are available.
1: Theory – How the testing works and why we test, cognition vs intelligence, inference and memory, learning and problem solving, handler influence and behavioural observations, how can these tests help me?
2: Practical tests – Inference
3: Practical tests – Memory
4: Results and interpretations
There is no upper age limit providing a dog is healthy and is capable of seeing objects up to four meters in front of them, but ideally dogs are no younger than 8 months old when tested. If your dog is younger, please get in touch before booking. Dogs will need to be able to wait securely in your vehicle between goes as we only have one dog in the test area at a time.
The seminars are suitable for any handler and dog owner, of any breed. Please note, if you book a handler space you will be conducting some of the tests yourself, and being comfortable bending down to the floor and handling light objects is necessary.
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