UNL Canine Lab looks to promote research through upcoming 'DogFest"

A new University of Nebraska-Lincoln research program is studying dog psychology and dog-human interactions this fall, and is looking for dog owners to participate in the study.

The Canine Cognition and Human Interaction Lab, working alongside the UNL Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Biology, and Research, will host its inaugural Husker DogFest this Saturday to recruit owners and their dogs for the study.

When the study begins in September, dogs will be brought in to play games for treats while researchers record data about their decision making and cognition. The second part of the research will have participants interact with dogs to see how they influence people.

Associate professor of psychology Jeffrey Stevens said the research could improve the lives of dogs, as well as their owners.

“There are millions of households, millions of dogs in the U.S. and what we could understand about them could potentially improve the lives of those dogs and the lives of the owners of those dogs,” Stevens said.

The Dog Fest will take place on Saturday, August 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the open space south of Memorial Stadium and Manter Hall on UNL’s City Campus.

The festival will include lab tours, professional dog demonstrations and dog activities.

For more information on the Lab or to enroll your dog, visit https://dogcog.unl.edu/.