Making Sense of Dogs w/ Ellen Furlong

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the other podcast platforms. New episodes post on Tuesdays.

Sniffing Out The Best Ways To Understand Dogs

About The Episode

At just eight years old, Ellen Furlong began training her dogs – Coco, a terrier, and Sassy, a cocker spaniel. She found herself creating a list of questions she had about dog behavior, like why did Coco and Sassy act so differently when they were raised in the same environment? What were they thinking?

Her curiosity and passion surrounding dogs continued to develop over the years. But it was while working towards her undergraduate degree, that she realized her fascination with animals could blossom into an academic career. During her time as a post-graduate fellow at Yale University, she eventually helped start the Yale Canine Cognition Center with Laurie Santos, a prominent cognitive scientist who she worked alongside. In the program, they studied the patterns and behavior of dogs, and Ellen got a better understanding of the way dogs think.

Following her time at Yale, Ellen became an Associate Professor of Psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU), where she founded their Dog Cognition Lab. Ellen’s two dogs, Cleo, an Australian Shepherd, and Charlie, a lab mix, would be the initial primary subjects for the studies. Her students were able to learn about dog behavior in real-time through various games and tasks they performed with the two dogs, with each of them having their own type of personality and energy.

One particular aspect of Ellen’s work at the IWU Cognition Lab is looking at the importance of a sense of smell for dogs. Since their olfactory anatomy is incredibly sensitive and very extreme compared to humans, the way dogs perceive the world around them through their noses is much different.

As a result of her findings, Ellen advocates for what she likes to call “sniffy walks” where the transformation of the typical dog walk is a more explorative and leisurely experience. Though humans tend to stress the fact that dogs need exercise, which they do, a dog’s mood can actually benefit much more from stimulating their sense of smell.

Ellen has been able to chronicle her lifetime study of dogs in her new Audible Originals audiobook, Decoding Dogs: Inside the Canine Mind, which begins with the species’ genealogical and evolutionary history, and transitions into answering questions about dog behavior, such as why they mimic their humans and how our dogs are able to detect disease.

Although we can learn from dogs on a scientific level, they can also teach us to see life from a more simple, enriching, appreciative perspective. Ellen’s work with dogs serves as a reminder to stop and smell the roses. If our dogs can, why can’t we?

Editor’s Note: Since the time of our interview, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ellen’s beloved Cleo, who lived a beautiful 17 years of life. We offer our condolences to Ellen, as Cleo will be greatly missed.

About The Guest - Ellen Furlong

Ellen Furlong is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) who specializes in the study of canine cognition, including an emphasis on the importance of smell for dogs. Her interest in understanding dogs from a young age led her to help found Yale University’s Canine Cognition Center and now directing the Dog Cognition Lab at IWU. She recently published an audiobook, Decoding Dogs: Inside the Canine Mind, looking at the history of the species and what we’ve learned about them over time.

Featured Links

InterviewJack SommerEducation, People Studying Dogs