Animal Cognition Institute

AnimalSign's research/education division is being converted into the Animal Cognition Institute, a 501 (3)(c) organization. The mission is to study companion animal, cognitive capability and potential. We focus on language, bonding, and intelligence areas that offer benefit for enhanced, human-animal relationships. Then, we will educate the public and scientific communities (through publications) on our discoveries. Exposing this cognitive potential will not only provide well-being for animals themselves, but elevate people's respect for, and treatment of, them.

Our studies will pose and examine leading-edge questions on the intelligence and language potentials of dogs, horses, and cats. Through evidence-based, animal-friendly studies we will expose the biological basis of animal cognition. With anecdotal observations of behavior we will propose valid interpretations.

PROJECTS:

Communication:

Language studies focus on studying their learning potential, especially for communication--oral, gestural, and hormonal. Can animals really learn language? Do animals learning AnimalSign demonstrate an ability to learn only tricks, or language? Can dogs learn to associate new meanings (word concepts) to their many vocalizations?

Bonding:

We will study the biological basis of human-animal bonding. Do the human-animal interactions influence the bonding hormone levels in each? Does bonding play a role in the therapeutic effect animals have on people, whether handicapped, or not? Do different animals have varying potency of bonding power? If so, why?

Intelligence:

Animals have intelligences we have yet to uncover. Can animals really learn numeric or geometric sense?
Can they really count, not just perform 'counting' tricks?

These are just the beginning questions we will explore!
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Help us by gifting funds to this research/education organization. We are now filing as a non-profit and will be applying for 501 c3 tax exempt status.

To send a donation by mail, please write check and mail to:

AnimalSign (for ACI)
PO Box 3346
Monterey, CA 93942

Note: Funds will help with the legal, filing, and related consulting costs. Until the IRS officially classifies Animal Cognition Institute as 501c3 tax exempt organization, your gift is not tax-exempt.