Imagine sitting down for a game of Fortnite or Tetris, and your furry friend picks up a controller to join in the fun.

Thanks to Orlo, an Australian shepherd poodle mix and research pup-ticipant, this future could become a reality.

In an Eckerd College study, Orlo is revealing the surprising depths of canine cognition. Since Orlo lacks thumbs, he uses his nose to boop a set of controller buttons that guides a blue dot on screen to make contact with a black square. When Orlo succeeds, he receives every doggo gamers’ pinnacle of motivation: a treat.

As we continue to learn more about animal intelligence, studies like the one at Eckerd College are paving the way for a future where dogs are active participants in the digital age, and use technology to solve common problems like boredom.

More about dog intelligence

All dog owners know that there’s an intelligent sparkle behind those big puppy eyes. Research on dog cognition has revealed that dogs possess a range of cognitive abilities. For instance, a 2024 study of 129 family dogs over two and a half years, identified broad cognitive domains—problem-solving and learning ability—that interlink similarly to humans.

Studies by the Duke Canine Cognition Center suggest that understanding dog minds can help us comprehend how human cognition evolved, as there are surprising convergences between dog and human minds. The Canine Cognition Center at Yale has similarly explored how dogs perceive their environment, solve problems, and make decisions. Their research has implications for improving training and working with dogs, especially in roles that involve service or therapy animals.