Harvard University Canine Cognition Lab

I don’t remember if I first heard about the Canine Cognition Lab while trolling Craigslist for focus groups, or at a pet store, but Woofie and I signed up to participate in their cognitive studies for dogs, and had a lot of fun!
As long as your dog is not aggressive– which they screen for in the initial email communication, on the phone, and then in person before they bring you into the study– you can sign up for the 45 – 60 minute non-​invasive experiments (the one we did was a puzzle to find hidden treats based on human gestures and expressions).
There’s no compensation, except for a free gift for your dog, and a sweet diploma at the end (see photo).
It took them awhile to respond to my initial inquiry because they’re quite busy, but the staff was very professional and informative. They debrief you at the end and explain the study, which is cool if you’re interested in what may or may not make the canine brain tick.