The recent studies out on dog cognition include many things that us dog lovers already know: mainly that dogs understand us and feel emotions. Anyone who has lived and loved a dog knows this instinctively. Of course, I'm very glad that these observations are being up by scientific facts, and proving what incredible and special animals dogs are.
What's exciting are the studies coming out which give us a glimpse of things we might not know about our beloved companions, like they actually prefer human companionships yet don't feel guilt. I am continually intrigued about the various cognition leaps and bounds being made.
Purina Pro Plan who has taken a lead in researching the science behind why dogs do what they do, has a list of dog cognition facts on their website. It's a good read, and there is also a test you can take about dog cognition (which leads you to a money saving coupon).
In addition, you can find a Dognition Assessment which is a set of 20 games created by experts such as trainers, behavioral specialists, and scientists. The games are to be played with your dog to realize and boost their cognition skills.
In the meantime, check out this handy infographic (who knew your dog was either right-handed or left-handed?!):
