Rosco is enrolled in the Dog Aging Project, an ongoing study conducted by the University of Washington and Texas A&M University, with the goal of understanding how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging. They want to use the information they gather to help pets and people increase healthspan, the period of life spent free from disease.
As part of Rosco's enrollment in the Dog Again Project, today he participated in the 1,2,3 Treat Game. I followed the study protocol to construct three identical boxes and prepare the setup array by following the Dog Aging Project protocol.
After warming up by allowing Rosco to watch me place a single treat into each cardboard box from all three array stations individually, we then proceeded to complete the nine study rounds of the 1,2,3 Treat Game.
Each round, Rosco was on his leash on my left-hand side as we walked clockwise around the left-hand of the array. Rosco watched me place a treat into each box and was allowed to eat the treat from all except one box each round.
Rosco was given 20 seconds to search only one box each round. If he chose "right" he was allowed to eat the treat from the box. If he chose "wrong" he returned to me and we proceeded to the next round without letting him eat the treat.
Though there is really no "right" or "wrong," Rosco got five out of nine rounds "right" by choosing to search the box that he had watched us leave a treat inside as we walked around the array. Rosco thouth it was a fun game and we are to complete it annually, with no "practicing" in between years.
Results: Out of nine rounds, Rosco got five "right."
Round 1: Treat in Box 1, Rosco chose Box 1 right
Round 2: Treat in Box 2, Rosco chose Box 2 right
Round 3: Treat in Box 3, Rosco chose Box 2 wrong
Round 4: Treat in Box 2, Rosco chose Box 2 right
Round 5: Treat in Box 3, Rosco chose Box 3 right
Round 6: Treat in Box 1, Rosco chose Box 1 right
Round 7: Treat in Box 3, Rosco chose Box 2 wrong
Round 8: Treat in Box 2, Rosco chose Box 1 wrong
Round 9: Treat in Box 1, Rosco chose Box 2 wrong
Rosco chose Box 1: three out of 9 times (Box 1 was right 3 times in the study protocol, Rosco wrongly chose Box 1 one time, Rosco rightly chose Box 1 two times)
Rosco chose Box 2: five out of 9 times (Box 2 was right 3 times in the study protocol, Rosco wrongly chose Box 2 three times, Rosco rightly chose Box 2 two times)
Rosco chose Box 3: one out of 9 times (Box 3 was right 3 times in the study protocol, Rosco wrongly chose Box 3 zero times, Rosco rightly chose Box 3 one time)
At 15 years of age, Rosco is rocking it:
Rosco playing the 1,2,3 Treat Game:
