For Immediate Release
Dognition Launches CanineQ: The First AI-Powered Cognitive Analysis Platform for Dogs
Built on the canine cognition science of Dr. Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods, CanineQ brings laboratory-grade cognitive assessment — and years-long developmental tracking — to any dog owner with a smartphone.
DURHAM, N.C. — — Dognition today announced the launch of CanineQ, the first AI-powered cognitive analysis platform for dogs. Built on more than a decade of peer-reviewed canine cognition research from Dr. Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods — the New York Times bestselling authors of The Genius of Dogs and Puppy Kindergarten — CanineQ combines a scientifically validated cognitive assessment with AI-guided analysis and, for the first time at consumer scale, longitudinal tracking of a dog's cognitive development, behavior, and health across its entire life.
Where earlier tools offered a single snapshot of a dog's thinking style, CanineQ is designed to follow a dog over years — capturing how cognition emerges in puppyhood, matures in adulthood, and changes with age. By turning every participating household into a node in a global research network, the platform aims to do for dogs what large-scale citizen science has done for human health: surface patterns across breeds, ages, and environments that no single laboratory could ever observe.
Draft — requires Dr. Hare's approval
"For years our research was limited by the number of dogs we could bring into the lab. CanineQ removes that limit entirely. Anyone with a phone and a dog can now contribute to real science — and in return, get a window into their dog's mind that simply didn't exist before. The ability to track cognition longitudinally, across a dog's whole life, is something we could only dream about a decade ago."
The platform's assessment measures a dog's distinct cognitive dimensions — empathy, communication, cunning, memory, and reasoning — and uses AI to translate those results into clear, personalized guidance for owners. Because CanineQ records results over time rather than once, it can help owners understand not just who their dog is, but how their dog is changing — an early-warning lens on cognitive and behavioral shifts that often precede health concerns.
Draft — requires Vanessa Woods's approval
"Every dog is a unique puzzle, and that puzzle changes as they grow. What excites me most about CanineQ is that it lets families be part of their dog's developmental story from puppyhood onward — and lets that story add up, across millions of dogs, into discoveries that help every dog. This is citizen science at a scale we've never had access to before."
CanineQ extends the legacy of Dognition, the citizen-science platform whose original data was validated in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE (2015) and has since informed a generation of canine cognition research. The new platform makes that science radically more accessible: no specialized equipment, no laboratory visit — just a phone, a dog, and a few household items.
Key features of CanineQ include:
- AI-powered cognitive assessment grounded in Hare and Woods's published research, translating a dog's performance into a clear cognitive profile.
- Longitudinal tracking of cognition, behavior, and health across a dog's lifetime — from puppyhood through senior years.
- Personalized, AI-guided insights that help owners understand and strengthen their relationship with their dog.
- Global citizen-science contribution, turning everyday play into data that advances the scientific understanding of dogs, breeds, and development worldwide.
CanineQ is available now. To learn more or begin an assessment, visit www.dognition.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CanineQ?
- CanineQ is the first AI-powered cognitive analysis platform for dogs. It combines a scientifically validated cognitive assessment with AI-guided insights and longitudinal tracking of a dog's cognition, behavior, and health across its lifetime.
Who built CanineQ?
- CanineQ was built by Dognition and is grounded in more than a decade of peer-reviewed canine cognition research from Dr. Brian Hare, professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, and Vanessa Woods, Director of the Duke Puppy Kindergarten. They are the New York Times bestselling authors of The Genius of Dogs and Puppy Kindergarten.
What cognitive dimensions does CanineQ measure?
- CanineQ's assessment measures a dog's distinct cognitive dimensions — empathy, communication, cunning, memory, and reasoning — and uses AI to translate those results into clear, personalized guidance for owners.
How is CanineQ different from earlier cognitive tools for dogs?
- Where earlier tools offered a single snapshot of a dog's thinking style, CanineQ is designed to follow a dog over years — capturing how cognition emerges in puppyhood, matures in adulthood, and changes with age. Because CanineQ records results over time rather than once, it can help owners understand not just who their dog is, but how their dog is changing.
Do I need special equipment to use CanineQ?
- No. CanineQ requires no specialized equipment and no laboratory visit — just a phone, a dog, and a few household items.
How does CanineQ contribute to scientific research?
- By turning every participating household into a node in a global research network, CanineQ aggregates data across breeds, ages, and environments. This citizen-science contribution advances the scientific understanding of dogs, breeds, and development worldwide.
Is the underlying Dognition science peer-reviewed?
- Yes. The original Dognition data was validated in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE in 2015 and has since informed a generation of canine cognition research.
When is CanineQ available?
- CanineQ is available now. To learn more or begin an assessment, visit www.dognition.com.
About Dognition
Dognition is a citizen-science platform founded on the canine cognition research of Dr. Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods. Through science-based games and AI-powered analysis, Dognition helps dog owners understand how their dogs think — while contributing to one of the largest studies of canine cognition ever conducted. Its founders are the New York Times bestselling authors of The Genius of Dogs, Survival of the Friendliest, and Puppy Kindergarten, and are featured in the Netflix documentary Inside the Mind of a Dog.
About CanineQ
CanineQ is the first AI-powered cognitive analysis platform for dogs. Combining a scientifically validated cognitive assessment with AI-guided insights and longitudinal tracking of cognition, behavior, and health, CanineQ lets any dog owner with a smartphone follow their dog's developmental story from puppyhood through senior years — while contributing to a global research network advancing the scientific understanding of canine minds.