Since opening this past summer, Transylvania University’s canine cognition lab and the professor who runs it have gotten a doggone lot of attention.
Most recently, hundreds of pet owners shared photos of their canines to be included in a mural that art major Ashley Johnson ’25 is painting on a wall there. And Ellen Furlong ’03, who launched the Dog Behavior and Cognition Lab, has been interviewed by The Farmers’s Dog Digest and WEKU, just in the past month.
All this attention comes on the heels of Furlong providing her expertise for the Popular Science article “Why do dogs lick humans? It could be a sign of affection,” along with other features.
The psychology and neuroscience professor, who teaches the class Fido on the Couch (featured on WKYT), also co-presented research from the dog lab at the American Psychological Association annual convention this past summer.
Located in the lower level of Mitchell Fine Arts, the lab is far from rigorous on its subjects — it’s more along the lines of playing games and getting petted.
“All of our studies are fun for the dogs,” according to the lab’s webpage. “They involve things like watching a puppet show, playing with toys, earning some treats and solving some puzzles. If you are in the Lexington area and interested in becoming involved in our studies, we would love for you to come in sometime.”