Clever Canine Lab

Welcome to the University of Auckland’s Clever Canine Lab. With help from you and your dog, we can discover more about how dogs think.

How smart is your dog?

The University of Auckland is currently recruiting pet dogs to take part in our canine research. Register your interest now.

Latest News

Find out more about what the lab has been up to. See updates on our latest research, publications, events and projects.

About

Learn more about the Clever Canine Lab. Why study dogs? What is our research like? How can you get involved in our research?

Our Research

Find out about the direction of our research, as well as studies from other labs which inspired us to focus on investigating the canine mind.

The Team

Meet the dog-loving researchers and volunteers working at the Clever Canine Lab.
We can’t wait to meet you and your dog!

Latest news

New Study: Contagious yawning is not a signal of empathy

New Study: Contagious yawning is not a signal of empathy

Is contagious yawning a good measure of empathy? Our new study with dogs suggests not. Ever find yourself yawning after seeing someone else yawn? Contagious yawning has long been used as evidence for empathy in mammals. Researchers have claimed that, just like...

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A New Concept of Dog Intelligence

A New Concept of Dog Intelligence

Our lab director, Dr Alex Taylor, was recently interviewed on dog intelligence for Stuff.co.nz news. Read this latest article here! We are hoping to gain a better understanding of dog intelligence than simplistic tests such as "see how long it takes your dog to shake...

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Auckland’s The Big Dog Walk!

Auckland’s The Big Dog Walk!

On April 28th, the Clever Canine Lab team will be at The Big Dog Walk in Auckland. We will have our own stall at the event, where you can come and talk to us about animal intelligence, our sponsors (Healthy Pet Foods), and sign up your dog to participate in our...

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Need more information?

To find out more information about the Clever Canine Lab survey or around the project please don’t hesitate to contact us.