Volume 18: pp. 059-077

ManyDogs Project: A Big Team Science Approach to Investigating Canine Behavior and Cognition

ManyDogs Project

Daniela Alberghina

Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

Emily E. Bray

School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Canine Companions for Independence, Santa Rosa, California, USA

Daphna Buchsbaum

Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Sarah- Elizabeth Byosiere

Thinking Dog Center, Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA

Julia Espinosa

Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Gitanjali E. Gnanadesikan

School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

C.-N. Alexandrina Guran

Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Elizabeth Hare

Dog Genetics LLC, Astoria, New York, USA

Daniel J. Horschler

Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Ludwig Huber

Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Valerie A. Kuhlmeier

Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Evan L. MacLean

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Madeline H. Pelgrim

Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Bryan Perez

Thinking Dog Center, Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA

Dana Ravid-Schurr

Thinking Dog Center, Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA

College of Staten Island & The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA

Liza Rothkoff

Thinking Dog Center, Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA

Courtney L. Sexton

Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

Zachary A. Silver

Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Psychology, Center for Brain, Biology & Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

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Abstract

Dogs have a special place in human history as the first domesticated species and play important roles in many cultures around the world. However, their role in scientific studies has been relatively recent. With a few notable exceptions (e.g., Darwin, Pavlov, Scott, and Fuller), domestic dogs were not commonly the subject of rigorous scientific investigation of behavior until the late 1990s. Although the number of canine science studies has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, most research groups are limited in the inferences they can draw because of the relatively small sample sizes used, along with the exceptional diversity observed in dogs (e.g., breed, geographic location, experience). To this end, we introduce the ManyDogs Project, an international consortium of researchers interested in taking a big team science approach to understanding canine behavioral science. We begin by discussing why studying dogs provides valuable insights into behavior and cognition, evolutionary processes, human health, and applications for animal welfare. We then highlight other big team science projects that have previously been conducted in canine science and emphasize the benefits of our approach. Finally, we introduce the ManyDogs Project and our mission: (a) replicating important findings, (b) investigating moderators that need a large sample size such as breed differences, (c) reaching methodological consensus, (d) investigating cross-cultural differences, and (e) setting a standard for replication studies in general. In doing so, we hope to address previous limitations in individual lab studies and previous big team science frameworks to deepen our understanding of canine behavior and cognition.

Keywords: dogs, ManyDogs, big-team science, canine science, replication

Author Note: Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere, Thinking Dog Center, Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere at manydogsproject@gmail.com.