The Secrets Inside Your Dog’s Mind – TIME Article

I love this article!

Carl Zimmer takes a close look at the social intelligence of dogs in “The Secrets Inside Your Dog’s Mind,” and what science has to say about it. He explains a simple experiment that demonstrates how a dog can understand the gesture of a pointing hand, and how this is an indication of a strong cross-species bond between human and canine.

If you live near universities such as Duke or Harvard, your dog may have the opportunity to participate in intelligence tests to explore the abilities of the canine mind. Additionally, scientists are exploring the meaning of canine behavior, like kisses and guilty behaviors.

This article explains the close bond dogs have with humans, and why they respond so well to our positive training techniques. It is a fun glimpse into the mind, and the evolution, of our best friend.

Here are a few links to some related web sites:

The Dog Cognition Labs:

• What do dogs understand video looking at the Dog Cognition Lab at Duke University
• Brian Hare’s research at Duke University

The People:

• Brian Hare’s research at Duke University
• Biography and video of Alexandra Horowitz and her book Inside a Dog

The Experiments:

• Dogs: Kids in Fur Coats ScienceNOW Daily Newsarticle by Virginia Morell
• “Dogs Show a Fetching Communication Savvy” ScienceNews article by Bruce Bower about researching dog toy fetching skills
• Experimental domestication of foxes in Novosibirsk, Siberia

behavior, dogs, intelligence