What Does Your Dog Look at
on a Walk?
We are interested in how dogs interact visually with the world around them. Dogs are exposed to and required to navigate a human built visual world every day. In our study, we want to know what kind of visual information is available to dogs on an event in their daily lives as well as how they focus on different components of this environment, using an eye-tracker mounted to a set of dog goggles. We then use computer vision with collaborator’s from the Serre Lab (https://serre-lab.clps.brown.edu/) to see what kinds of objects your dog looks at. This program of research involves you training your dog to wear the goggles at home under the virtual supervision of our research team. Once your dog is comfortable wearing their training goggles we will record what they see and focus on while walking on a pre-determined route with you and a member of our research team. This study is a first step in understanding how dogs look at and move through the world around them.
Investigating Dogs’ Food Preferences
We are interested in exploring what factors impact dogs’ preference for food items. Dogs try and eat a variety of different foods, either as treats or in their daily meals. We want to explore what factors impact dogs preference of food. In this study, completed over Zoom video conferencing, you will present your dogs with food items that your dog is very (vs. not) familiar with and that you predict your dog will really like (vs. eat but not be excited about). This study is conducted entirely at home with a member of our research team instructing you over Zoom. This study will help us to know what factors impact dogs’ food preferences giving a better understanding to how their minds work.
If you are interested in participating with your dog, please fill out our online questionnaire so we can get to know a bit more about your dog!
Location
We are located in the Metcalf Research Building on the Brown University campus.
Address: 190 Thayer Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
Contact Us
Email: doglab@brown.edu
Phone: 401-863-2070