Pet Pantry Warehouse and Scared Heart University are partnering to bring “genius testing for dogs” to this year’s New Canaan Dog Days.
The free community event is happening on Sunday, May 7th, and supports two non-profit organizations; New Canaan Nature Center and Adopt-a-Dog. Special activities and event features also include The Dog Lovers Lure Coursing; Kid Zone; Face Painting; Caricature Artist; Pet Pantry Bone Bar; Pet Pantry Ice Cream Pawlour; Pet Pantry Sniffari; Doggie Beer Garden; Animal Communicator; Food Trucks, and an all-new Scavenger Hunt produced by Rock, Paper Scissor Custom Events.
In the SHU Canine Cognition Lab students investigate how our canine companions understand and interact with the world around them. They also look at how their cognitive abilities are similar to human development. Dogs that visit the lab play fun games and are rewarded with a dog toy and a certificate of appreciation. Owners are with their dog during the entire game and most studies last less than 30 minutes.
“Our animal companions have feelings, intelligence, and problem-solving abilities. It is long overdue that they are recognized as thinking, sentient beings. Congratulations to Sacred Heart University for investing in the creation of their Canine Cognition Project. It was an honor to participate with my Afghan hound,” said Cynthia Fox, Ph.D., Creative Director and Purchasing Strategist at Pet Pantry Warehouse.
Dr. Deirdre Yeater began working at Sacred Heart University (SHU) in 2008, with a specialty in animal behavior and cognition. Dr. Dawn Melzer Began at SHU in 2009 with a background in Developmental Psychology. Together they realized they were interested in the same cognitive questions, just with different species, and began comparative studies first with dolphins and preschool children. This led to our combined interest in studying dog cognition, with the opening of the Canine Cognition Lab on campus in 2020.
For more information on the Canine Cognition Lab please visit SHU online here
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