Dr. Brian Hare
Co-founder & Chief Scientist
Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University and founder of the Duke Canine Cognition Center.
HOW DOGNITION WORKSHow
How
Dognition
Works
Dognition is the world's first AI-powered dog cognition and health app. You start with the science-based assessment and your dog's Profile Report, keep going with weekly challenges and daily check-ins, upload video for AI insight from DognitionGPT, and track vet visits and health records in the same place.
The assessment is where Dognition began — first-of-its-kind citizen science that hundreds of thousands of dogs and their humans have taken part in worldwide. It's still the foundation, but it's now the first chapter of a record that follows your dog from puppy to senior.
01
PLAY: Games Designed by Canine Experts
The 10 games that comprise the Dognition Assessment were created by world-leading scientists, trainers, and behavioral specialists. They are fun and easy for anyone to play with their dog at home.
In the time you would normally take your dog for a walk, you can gain a whole new understanding of your dog's unique genius through each science-based shared play game.
02
DISCOVER: The Dognition Profile Report
When you complete the Dognition Assessment, you'll receive your dog's unique Profile Report — 10–15 pages (served up in our CanineQ app) that describe your dog's unique genius across five cognitive dimensions: Empathy, Communication, Cunning, Memory, and Reasoning.
With millions of potential outcomes, each report is one of a kind — just like your dog. Are they a Socialite? An Einstein? Or a Maverick?
See all 9 Profiles
03
KEEP GOING: Weekly Challenges & Puppy Kindergarten
After the assessment, Weekly Challenges deliver new science-based games and activities week to week. Puppy owners follow the Puppy Kindergarten program, drawn from Dr. Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods' book, through the window when a puppy's cognitive development moves fastest.
Daily Check Ins run underneath it all — walks, nutrition, and sleep logged in seconds, available to every customer including during the free trial.
04
ANALYZE: Video Uploads & DognitionGPT Chat
Upload photos and videos of your dog and DognitionGPT returns an AI-powered read of what it sees — body language, attention, and behavior — in plain language. It's a conversation, so you can keep asking follow-up questions about your dog.
Try it free on the homepage without an account. Once your dog has a cognitive profile, that profile becomes context for the insights you get back.
Try DognitionGPT free05
TRACK: Vet Visits & Health Records
Record veterinarian visits with outcomes and notes, and upload prescriptions and veterinary documents, so your dog's medical history lives beside its cognitive profile and daily logs. Each month, DognitionAI produces a health report built from the videos you've uploaded.
Dognition organizes and summarizes what you log and upload. It does not diagnose and is not a substitute for veterinary care — it's the record you bring with you to the vet.
What is Dognition?06
Guided by Global Experts
Leading scientists, trainers, and behaviorists have come together to produce invaluable insights into all areas of your dog's life.
Dr. Richard Hawkins
Veterinary Medicine
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, President of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board with 35 years' experience.
Victoria Stilwell
Dog Behavior Expert
World-renowned positive-reinforcement dog trainer, bestselling author, and TV personality, host of It's Me or the Dog.
See another Dognition Game in Action!
Here's another to show what playing actually looks like. This sample game is a variation on the games inside the full Dognition Assessment — same household setup, same idea of letting your dog's choice do the talking.
What happens in a Dognition Assessment game?
You set up a simple situation with household items — usually treats and paper cups — give your dog a cue or a choice, and record what they do. There is no right answer to coach toward; the choice your dog makes is the data.
Is the game in the video the same as the full assessment?
It's a close variation, not an exact match. The video shows the style of game and how you run it at home. The full Dognition Assessment is a set of games scored together across empathy, communication, cunning, memory, and reasoning.
How long does the assessment take?
About 20 minutes per session, spread across a few sessions. Short sessions keep your dog engaged and produce cleaner results than one long sitting.
What do I need at home to play?
Treats your dog likes, a few opaque paper cups, some open floor space, and ideally a second person for a handful of the games. Nothing else needs to be purchased beyond the assessment itself.
What happens after the assessment is finished?
The assessment is the starting point, not the whole product. Your Profile Report stays in the app, and you keep using Dognition through Weekly Challenges, the Puppy Kindergarten program for puppies, Daily Check Ins for walks, nutrition and sleep, DognitionGPT insights and chat from the videos and photos you upload, and a health record for vet visits, prescriptions and veterinary documents.
Do I need to finish the assessment to use the AI features?
No. You can try DognitionGPT free on the Dognition homepage without an account, and Daily Check Ins are available to every customer, including during the free trial. Completing the assessment adds your dog's cognitive profile as context.
Find the genius in your dog.
Join over 250,000 owners who have already discovered their genius.
Questions before you start? Contact our team.