Scientists at Harvard University's Canine Cognition Lab hope to study the behaviors of dogs to better understand those of humans. Dogs are being brought into the research to understand humans because they perform better in tasks, such as following the direction of a pointed finger, than animals more closely related to humans like chimpanzees. Scientists are also studying dogs because they are of a few unique species who has lived with humans for years. They are interested to see if some of the human traits that dogs observe have rubbed off on them. Researchers at Harvard and more established dog labs say their work could have many practical results, including new therapies for misbehaving dogs and more stimulating ways to play them.
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