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<html><body><p>At its core, the Dog Aging Project is a long-term, <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/inside-science-cross-sectional-versus-longitudinal-study-design">longitudinal</a> study looking at aging and healthspan in companion dogs. Members of our Dog Aging Project Pack participate in the study by completing surveys, at-home activities, and potentially providing veterinary electronic medical records.</p>
<p>We also have additional studies, known as cohorts. To learn more about these cohorts, please check out our blog, <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/one-study-or-many-cohorts-in-the-dog-aging-project">One Study or Many? Cohorts in the Dog Aging Project</a>. One of these is our <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/inside-science-introducing-the-test-of-rapamycin-in-aging-dogs"><i>Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs</i> cohort (otherwise known as TRIAD)</a>. This clinical trial is just one part of our larger project.</p>
<p>Studies looking at aging, longevity, and lifespan are growing, as are clinical trials looking at the impact of medications and other treatments on aging and health. As we continue to see more of these studies and clinical trials, we at the Dog Aging Project want to let you know what makes our research and community unique.</p>
<ol>
<li aria-level="1">The Dog Aging Project is a collaborative team of people from various universities. Our funding is provided by grants from the National Institute of Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, as well as other organizations and private donors. Our work is dedicated to scientific research, public education, and the training of future scientists and veterinarians.</li>
<li aria-level="1">We are an <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/opendata">open-data initiative</a>, meaning we share curated, anonymized data with the public and other researchers. This allows other scientists to check our work and make new discoveries and insights of their own. As stewards of the data we collect, we strive to ensure accessibility and transparency while also maintaining privacy and confidentiality. We aim to provide peer-reviewed, scientifically valid information that positively impacts the scientific, veterinary, and dog owner communities.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Our <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/triad">clinical trial</a> is a placebo-controlled, double-blind study assessing the effects of rapamycin on health and aging in dogs. Enrolled dogs receive either rapamycin or a placebo. To avoid any bias, both the participants and researchers involved in the study are blinded (also called masked), meaning they don&rsquo;t know if the dog is receiving the trial medication or the placebo until after the study has been completed. Since we are a publicly funded study and not a pharmaceutical manufacturer, we are not testing different formulations, and the nature of the study medication is neither secret nor proprietary.</li>
<li aria-level="1">As our participants can tell you, we aren&rsquo;t just a research project. We&rsquo;re a community. Our participants, staff, and researchers share their stories, ask questions, and interact with one another through our <a href="https://dogpark.dogagingproject.org/">members-only Dog Park Forum</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DogAgingProject">DAP Pack Events</a>, in-person events, blogs, newsletters, and more.</li>
</ol>
<p>The Dog Aging Project is passionate about canine health and aging. We can never have enough time with our canine companions, which makes the increase in canine aging research exciting. We&rsquo;re looking forward to all the discoveries we and other projects are able to contribute to our pups living longer, healthier lives. To learn more about our insights so far, please visit our <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/publications">Publications</a> page. We&rsquo;re so excited to continue on this journey with all of our furry friends!</p>
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Standing out from the crowd: What makes the Dog Aging Project unique?

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	</div><p>Posts in our <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/tag/inside-science/"><strong>Inside Science</strong></a> series provide you with the ins and outs of doing scientific research. We hope that understanding the process will get you excited about the cutting-edge research being conducted by the Dog Aging Project team.</p>
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<p>The Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs, also known as TRIAD, is one of the many research studies being conducted by Dog Aging Project scientists. TRIAD is a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to test the effect of a medication called rapamycin on healthy aging.</p>
<p><b>What is rapamycin?&nbsp;</b></p>
<p>Rapamycin is a medication that has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration for use in humans to treat some cancers and to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, but there seem to be other effects on healthy aging. In laboratory animals, low doses of rapamycin seem to positively affect heart health and cognitive function and even extend lifespan.</p>
<p>Our team at the Dog Aging Project is very interested in knowing whether or not rapamycin could have these positive effects in companion dogs.</p>
<p><b>What is a clinical trial?</b></p>
<p>A clinical trial is a kind of study that is designed to test the efficacy of a medication or treatment. In a clinical trial, some participants receive the medication being studied. Others receive a placebo (sometimes called a &ldquo;sugar pill&rdquo;). A placebo is a pill that doesn&rsquo;t contain any of the study medication or any other medication at all.</p>
<p>When we say TRIAD is &ldquo;placebo-controlled,&rdquo; it means that one group of dogs will be a &ldquo;control&rdquo; group. They will receive a placebo, not the study medication. Another group will be the &ldquo;treatment&rdquo; group. They will receive rapamycin. This way, we can compare heart health and cognitive function between the control and treatment groups.</p>
<p>When we say TRIAD is &ldquo;double-blind,&rdquo; it means that neither the owners of participating dogs nor the scientists evaluating the health of the participating dogs know which ones are taking rapamycin and which are taking placebo. Both are &ldquo;blind&rdquo; to the treatment group. This is very important so that no one who is part of the study inadvertently influences our results.</p>
<p><b>Who can be part of TRIAD?&nbsp;</b></p>
<p>To be eligible,&nbsp; dogs must be in good health, at least 7 years of age,&nbsp; and weigh at least 44 pounds (20 kg). Dogs must also meet other specific health and behavioral criteria. Dog owners must be willing to bring their dogs to one of our participating clinical sites regularly.</p>
<p><b>How do you apply to join TRIAD?</b></p>
<p>If your dog is currently a member of the Dog Aging Project Pack, they have already been evaluated for TRIAD eligibility. If your dog met the requirements described, you will have received an invitation to learn more about the TRIAD clinical trial. If you did not receive a TRIAD invitation, it is because your dog was not eligible at the time.</p>
<p>If you don&rsquo;t currently have a dog in the Pack, you can complete the <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/triad">TRIAD Rapid Eligibility Assessment </a>and find out if your dog meets the first set of eligibility requirements for the TRIAD trial. If they do, we will give you more information on how to proceed with the eligibility process. If your dog isn&rsquo;t a good fit for TRIAD, there are still lots of great ways you can get involved in our research by enrolling your dog in other aspects of our project.</p>
<p><b>When will you know the results of TRIAD?</b></p>
<p>Each dog in the clinical trial participates for three years, but we will continue to enroll dogs over the course of the next couple of years. That means that we won&rsquo;t &ldquo;unblind&rdquo; the study and begin analysis for at least four more years. As soon as we have results, we will share them with our participants and the broader scientific community.</p>
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Inside Science: Introducing the Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs

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	</div><p>Posts in our <strong>Scientific Results</strong> series introduce recent papers published in the scientific literature by members of the Dog Aging Project research team. <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/tag/scientific-results/">Follow this series to learn more about the scientific questions we&rsquo;re asking, the kinds of results we&rsquo;re getting, and what it all means for you and your dog</a>.</p>
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<h2>Who worked on this research?</h2>
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			<p>Diane Xue<br>
Devin Collins<br>
Mandy Kauffman<br>
Matt Dunbar<br>
Kyle Crowder<br>
Steve Schwartz<br>
Audrey Ruple</p>

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<h2>Where was it published?</h2>
<p>World Organization for Animal Health- Scientific and Technical Review</p>
<h2>What is this paper about?</h2>
<p>This paper describes the infrastructure developed by the Dog Aging Project to integrate and analyze environmental data with the goal of understanding how these factors can affect the health of dogs. Within the Dog Aging Project, data has been collected from dogs&rsquo; homes, yards, and neighborhoods. These data can be combined with health information, including medical records, behavioral surveys, genetics, and other biological data, to investigate contextual determinants of health and interactions between contextual and individual-level factors.</p>
<p>Variables have been collected across four environmental domains: Physical and Built Environment, Chemical Environment and Exposures, Diet and Exercise, and Social Environment. These data are collected through a combination of owner-reported surveys and census-based secondary data connected to individual households using geocoding tools.</p>
<p>While there has been extensive research on how the environment influences human health, this is one of the first major efforts to capture the impact of the built, natural, and social environment on companion dogs. The infrastructure developed by the Dog Aging Project is flexible and designed to grow and improve as more dogs are added to the Dog Aging Project Pack each year and as new investigators contribute additional environmental variables. This type of &lsquo;big data&rsquo; approach to analyzing environmental data alongside other data types is critical to discovering key factors that contribute to healthy lifespans and setting up potential precision health approaches in the future.</p>
<h2>What do these results mean for me and my dog?</h2>
<p>By completing the Dog Aging Project Health and Life Experience Study, not only are you able to learn more about your dog, but you are contributing to our understanding of environmental factors, helping to identify potential health risks, and promoting potential population-level interventions to improve dog health.</p>
<p>The environmental data infrastructure allows us to provide a deeper understanding of how the surrounding environment can influence health and aging in companion dogs. As more studies are done, this knowledge may help you become more aware of the environmental influences on your dog&rsquo;s health and take appropriate measures to create a healthy environment.</p>
<p>Of course, environmental- or neighborhood-level trends will not apply to every dog but often present an overall average effect, so keep in mind that there are factors that make your dog unique. Before making any changes in your home, yard, or neighborhood environment, keep in mind that conclusions based on the Dog Aging Project studies cannot sufficiently prove a causal relationship and further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms underlying environmental factors and health outcomes.</p>
<h2>Where can I learn more?</h2>
<p>XUE D.;COLLINS D.;KAUFFMAN M.;DUNBAR M.;CROWDER K.;SCHWARTZ M.;Dog Aging Project Consortium;RUPLE A.. Big data from small animals: integrating multi-level environmental data into the Dog Aging Project. Scientific &amp; Technical Review. 2023 01 1; 42: pp. 65-74. doi: https://doi.org/10.20506/rst.42.3349.</p>
<h2>Abstract</h2>
<p>Environmental exposures can have large impacts on health outcomes. While many resources have been dedicated to understanding how humans are influenced by the environment, few efforts have been made to study the role of built and natural environmental features on animal health. The Dog Aging Project (DAP) is a longitudinal community science study of aging in companion dogs. Using a combination of owner-reported surveys and secondary sources linked through geocoded coordinates, DAP has captured home, yard, and neighborhood variables for over 40,000 dogs. The DAP environmental data set spans four domains: the physical and built environment; chemical environment and exposures; diet and exercise; and social environment and interactions. By combining biometric data, measures of cognitive function and behavior, and medical records, DAP is attempting to use a big-data approach to transform the understanding of how the surrounding world affects the health of companion dogs. In this paper, the authors describe the data infrastructure developed to integrate and analyze multi-level environmental data that can be used to improve the understanding of canine co-morbidity and aging.</p>
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Scientific Results: Big data from small animals: integrating multi-level environmental data into the Dog Aging Project

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	</div><p>Posts in our <strong>Scientific Results</strong> series introduce recent papers published in the scientific literature by members of the Dog Aging Project research team. <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/tag/scientific-results/">Follow this series to learn more about the scientific questions we&rsquo;re asking, the kinds of results we&rsquo;re getting, and what it all means for you and your dog</a>.</p>
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<h2>Who worked on this research?</h2>
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			<p>Rachel L. Melvin<br>
Audrey Ruple<br>
Elizabeth B. Pearson<br>
Natasha J. Olby<br>
Annette L. Fitzpatrick<br>
Kate E. Creevy</p>

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<h2>Where was it published?</h2>
<p>Frontiers Veterinary Science</p>
<h2>What is this paper about?</h2>
<p>This paper is about frailty &ndash; a complex syndrome associated with aging that has become important in human healthcare and research. When humans experience loss of emotional and physical reserves, they are less able to bounce back from stressors. Frailty, even more than chronological age, is associated with increased risk of negative health outcomes and death. There are many different ways to measure or determine frailty in humans, and this paper gives a brief review of frailty in human medicine and research. Assessing frailty is important because while we cannot reverse chronological age, we can intervene to reduce or even reverse frailty. And hopefully, this will be true for dogs as well.</p>
<p>Although frailty has been successfully measured in mice, rats, and small controlled populations of dogs, there is not a widely used frailty instrument available in veterinary medicine. This paper outlines the importance of a frailty instrument in the growth of geriatric veterinary care. We then propose a plan to develop a short, easy-to-use, low-cost, low-tech frailty instrument &ndash; FIDo (Frailty Instrument for Dogs) to be utilized by general practitioners.</p>
<h2>What do these results mean for me and my dog?</h2>
<p>Our Dog Aging Project Pack members, by participating in surveys, cognitive games, and other activities, are contributing data that will help inform the creation of FIDo. Our surveys and activities are repeated annually so that data can be compared year to year, so as the members of the Pack age chronologically, we can track changes in resilience and health. One day, we would like to produce a frailty instrument that will be available for use by your primary care veterinarians, which will help them care for your companion.</p>
<h2>Where can I learn more?</h2>
<p>Melvin RL, Ruple A, Pearson EB, Olby NJ, Fitzpatrick AL and Creevy KE (2023) A review of frailty instruments in human medicine and proposal of a frailty instrument for dogs. Front. Vet. Sci. 10:1139308. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1139308</p>
<h2>Abstract</h2>
<p>Over the last few decades, frailty has become a pillar of research and clinical assessment in human gerontology. This complex syndrome, characterized by loss of physiologic reserves leading to decreased resilience to stressors, is of critical importance because it predicts higher risks of poor health outcomes, including mortality. Thus, identifying frailty among the elderly human population has become a key focus of gerontology. This narrative review presents current scientific literature on frailty in both humans and animals. The authors discuss the need for an accessible frailty instrument for companion dogs suitable for general use in veterinary medicine and the advances that would be facilitated by this instrument. A phenotypic frailty instrument for companion dogs, utilizing components that are easily collected by owners or in the general practice setting, is proposed. The authors elaborate on the domains (physical condition, physical activity, mobility, strength, cognitive task performance, and social behavior), factors that will be included, and the data from the Dog Aging Project that inform each domain.</p>
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Scientific Results: A review of frailty instruments in human medicine and proposal of a frailty instrument for dogs

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<html><body><div class="vc_message_box vc_message_box-standard vc_message_box-rounded vc_color-violet">
	<div class="vc_message_box-icon"><i class="fa fa-paw"></i>
	</div><p>Posts in our <strong>Scientific Results</strong> series introduce recent papers published in the scientific literature by members of the Dog Aging Project research team. <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/tag/scientific-results/">Follow this series to learn more about the scientific questions we&rsquo;re asking, the kinds of results we&rsquo;re getting, and what it all means for you and your dog</a>.</p>
</div>

<h2>Who worked on this research?</h2>
<a href="#" id="" class="in-page-link"></a><section class=" vc_row wpb_row vc_custom_1655256879436 vc_custom_1655256879436"><div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-4"><div class="vc_column-inner vc_custom_1655256869645"><div class="wpb_wrapper">
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			<p>Brianah (Bri) M McCoy<br>
Layla Brassington<br>
Kelly Jin<br>
Greer A Dolby*<br>
Sandi Shrager<br>
Devin Collins<br>
Matthew Dunbar<br>
Dog Aging Project Consortium<br>
Audrey Ruple<br>
Noah Snyder-Mackler</p>

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<h2>Where was it published?</h2>
<p>Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health</p>
<h2>What is this paper about?</h2>
<p>In this study, we explored how the social environment affects the health and well-being of companion dogs. We closely looked at data from over 21,000 dogs that are part of the Dog Aging Project and linked different components of the dog&rsquo;s environment to their health. Dogs in lower-income houses or areas with more residential turnover had poorer health and less physical mobility. While these adverse environmental factors were linked to poorer health, things that capture positive social environments, like social support (e.g., living with other dogs), were associated with better health outcomes for the dogs, even after taking into account their age and weight. What&rsquo;s interesting is that not all environmental components had the same impact: social support was 5x more predictive of dog health compared to financial factors. This suggests that having companionship and interaction with other dogs can greatly contribute to a dog&rsquo;s overall well-being.</p>
<p>Taking advantage of the broad age range of dogs in the Dog Aging Project Pack, we could also look at how environmental effects on health changed with dog age. For instance, we found a stronger relationship between the owner&rsquo;s age and the dog&rsquo;s health in younger dogs compared to older ones. This highlights the importance of considering both the age of the dog and the owner&rsquo;s age when studying the impact of the social environment on dog health. Overall, our findings suggest that there are behavioral or environmental factors that can be modified to promote healthy aging in dogs and potentially in other species as well.</p>
<h2>What do these results mean for me and my dog?</h2>
<p>The findings of this study have important implications for both dog owners and the general public, shedding light on how the social environment influences the health and well-being of companion dogs. These insights can help us make more informed decisions and take appropriate actions to ensure our furry friends lead happy and healthy lives.</p>
<p>The study highlights the significance of financial and household stability for dog health. It suggests that dogs living in environments facing financial difficulties or unstable household conditions may experience poorer health outcomes and reduced physical mobility. Understanding this connection can be particularly valuable for dog owners who may be going through challenging financial times. By being aware of the potential impact on their dog&rsquo;s health, they can take proactive steps to provide the necessary care and support.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the study emphasizes the importance of social support for dogs&rsquo; well-being. Dogs that have companionship and opportunities for social interaction, such as living with other dogs, were found to have better health outcomes. This underscores the significance of fostering social connections and ensuring our dogs have opportunities to interact with their fellow canines. Consider arranging playdates or safely visiting dog parks to promote their social well-being.</p>
<p>It is important to note that the impact of the social environment on dog health is not uniform across all factors. The study reveals that social support has a significantly stronger influence on dog health compared to financial factors. This knowledge can help us prioritize providing social support for our dogs, recognizing its significant contribution to their overall well-being.</p>
<p>The veterinarians from the Dog Aging Project stress the importance of considering both the age of the dog and the owner&rsquo;s age when interpreting these findings. The study found that the owner&rsquo;s age had a stronger relationship with the dog&rsquo;s health in younger dogs compared to older ones. This suggests that younger dogs may be more sensitive to the influence of the owner&rsquo;s age on their health. Veterinarians can use this understanding to offer tailored advice and recommendations to dog owners based on specific age-related considerations.</p>
<h2>Where can I learn more?</h2>
<p>McCoy, B. M., Brassington, L., Jin, K., Dolby, G. A., Shrager, S., Collins, D., Dunbar, M., Ruple, A., &amp; Snyder-Mackler, N. (2023). Social determinants of health and disease in companion dogs: A cohort study from the Dog Aging Project. <i>Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health</i>. DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoad011"> https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoad011</a></p>
<h2>Abstract</h2>
<p>Exposure to social environmental adversity is associated with health and survival across many social species, including humans. However, little is known about how these health and mortality effects vary across the lifespan and may be differentially impacted by various components of the environment. Here, we leveraged a relatively new and powerful model for human aging, the companion dog, to investigate which components of the social environment are associated with dog health and how these associations vary across the lifespan. We drew on comprehensive survey data collected on 21,410 dogs from the Dog Aging Project and identified five factors that together explained 33.7% of the variation in a dog&rsquo;s social environment. Factors capturing financial and household adversity were associated with poorer health and lower physical mobility in companion dogs, while factors that captured social support, such as living with other dogs, were associated with better health when controlling for dog age and weight. Notably, the effects of each environmental component were not equal: the effect of social support was 5x stronger than financial factors. The strength of these associations depended on the age of the dog, including a stronger relationship between owner&rsquo;s age and the dog&rsquo;s health in younger as compared to older dogs. Taken together, these findings suggest the importance of income, stability, and owner&rsquo;s age on owner-reported health outcomes in companion dogs and point to potential behavioral and/or environmental modifiers that can be used to promote healthy aging across species.</p>
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Scientific Results: Social determinants of health and disease in companion dogs: A cohort study from the Dog Aging Project

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	</div><p>Posts in our <strong>Scientific Results</strong> series introduce recent papers published in the scientific literature by members of the Dog Aging Project research team. <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/tag/scientific-results/">Follow this series to learn more about the scientific questions we&rsquo;re asking, the kinds of results we&rsquo;re getting, and what it all means for you and your dog</a>.</p>
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<h2>Who worked on this research?</h2>
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			<p>Kellyn E. McNulty<br>
Kate E. Creevy<br>
Annette Fitzpatrick<br>
Vanessa Wilkins<br>
Brain G. Barnett<br>
Audrey Ruple</p>

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<h2>Where was it published?</h2>
<p>Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA)</p>
<h2>What is this paper about?</h2>
<p>This manuscript details the creation, development, and validation of the End of Life Survey (EOLS), which is used to obtain information about Dog Aging Project participating dogs who have died by gathering the information directly from dog owners.</p>
<h2>What do these results mean for me and my dog?</h2>
<p>This was a &ldquo;methods&rdquo; paper, meaning that its purpose was to describe why it was necessary to create this survey, how the survey was created, and how we demonstrated that it was a valid survey. Some high-level results from the survey are presented, including:</p>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">83% of Dog Aging Project dogs who die are euthanized</li>
<li aria-level="1">Top cause of death is illness or disease, followed by &ldquo;old age&rdquo;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Top reason for euthanasia is pain and suffering followed by poor quality of life</li>
</ul>
<h2>Where can I learn more?</h2>
<p>McNulty, K. E., Creevy, K. E., Fitzpatrick, A., Wilkins, V., Barnett, B. G., Dog Aging Project Consortium, &amp; Ruple, A. (2023). <i>Development and validation of a novel instrument to capture companion dog mortality data: the Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey</i>, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (published online ahead of print 2023). DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.02.0078">https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.02.0078</a></p>
<h2>Abstract</h2>
<p><b>Objective</b>: The researchers and clinicians within the Dog Aging Project (DAP), a longitudinal cohort study of aging in companion dogs, created and validated a novel survey instrument titled the End of Life Survey (EOLS) to gather owner-reported mortality data about companion dogs.</p>
<p><b>Sample</b>: Bereaved dog owners who participated in the refinement, face validity assessment, or reliability assessment of the EOLS (n=42) and/or completed the entire survey between January 20 and March 24, 2021 (n=646).</p>
<p><b>Procedures</b>: The EOLS was created and modified by veterinary health professionals and human gerontology experts using published literature, clinical veterinary experience, previously created DAP surveys, and feedback from a pilot study conducted with bereaved dog owners. The EOLS was subjected to qualitative validation methods and post hoc free-text analysis to evaluate its ability to thoroughly capture scientifically relevant aspects of companion dogs&rsquo; death.</p>
<p><b>Results</b>: The EOLS was well-received with excellent face validity as assessed by dog owners and experts. The EOLS had fair to substantial reliability for the three validation themes: cause of death (kappa = 0.73; 95% CI [0.5-0.95]), perimortem quality of life (kappa = 0.49; 95% CI [0.26-0.73]), and reason for euthanasia (kappa = 0.3; 95% CI [0.08-0.52]) and had no need for any substantial content alterations based on free-text analysis.</p>
<p><b>Clinical</b> <b>Relevance</b>: The EOLS has proven to be a well-accepted, comprehensive, and valid instrument for capturing owner-reported companion dog mortality data and has the potential to enhance veterinarians&rsquo; ability to care for the aging dog population by illuminating their understanding of companion dogs&rsquo; end-of-life experiences.</p>
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Scientific Results: Development and Validation of a Novel Instrument to Capture Companion Dog Mortality Data: The Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey

<p>We have established the Dog Aging Project as an engine for innovation. While core research activities are supported by the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institutes of Health, we are actively seeking additional support to sustain and expand our existing initiatives and to develop new, cutting-edge programs that will benefit dogs and people too.</p>


Donate Now

<p>The goal of the Dog Aging Project is to understand how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence health and aging. Our research program is designed to collect—and connect—critical data in six scientific domains: health, genetics, environment, lifestyle, cognition, and activity. We use innovative approaches and cutting-edge technologies to assemble, analyze, and share high quality canine health data with the scientific community and the public.</p>


<p>From within the Dog Aging Project Pack, we enroll subsets of dogs into cohorts based on specific scientific criteria. These cohorts include Foundation, a genomics study; Precision, a biochemical study; and the Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs (TRIAD), a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.</p>


Our Research Goals

<p>Once you’ve completed the Health and Life Experience Survey, your dog will be an official member of the Dog Aging Project Pack!</p>


<p>The Dog Aging Project is a community science project. This means that we rely on our participating dog owners and their primary care veterinarians to provide the information that fuels our scientific research.</p>
<p>We’ll ask you to tell us about your dog’s health, behavior, environment, and physical activity on an annual basis. A study of this magnitude would be impossible without the help of dog lovers around the US. Our participants truly are the heart and soul of the Dog Aging Project!</p>


<p>Everyone whose dog is a member of the Pack is invited to join the Dog Park, a private, online community where dog owners can interact with other participants, join clubs, post cute dog pics, attend monthly Pack Appreciation Events, and have insider access to our research team.</p>


Unique mixed breed combinations represented

Participating institutions & clinical studies

<p>At the Dog Aging Project, we care deeply about the health and happiness of dogs. Our discoveries about healthy aging in our canine companions will translate into medical advances for people too. We’re working toward a future where dogs, and their humans, can live longer and stay healthier—together!</p>


Enroll Your Dog

<p>At the Dog Aging Project, we know how important dogs are for the health and wellbeing of their owners. They give us comfort, joy, and unconditional love. Being a part of this study gives each and every one of us a chance to enhance the lives of future generations of dogs.</p>
<p>Will you join us?</p>


<p>Our team collects comprehensive health and diet data via owner-reported surveys, veterinary medical records, and frailty assessments.</p>
<p>For members of the Precision and TRIAD Cohorts, we partner with primary care and speciality veterinarians to collect biological samples for detailed biochemical analysis.</p>


HEALTH

<p>Participants in the Foundation, Precision, and TRIAD cohorts receive a free DNA Kit with which to collect a cheek swab sample for use in low-pass sequencing.</p>
<p>Genome sequence data are integrated with health measures and age-related physiological and behavioral traits to carry out comprehensive genome-wide association studies of common diseases, frailty, and co-morbidity associated with age.</p>


GENETICS

<p>Dogs share our environment. They live with us. They often sleep with us. Sometimes they even share our food. Environmental exposures can have a profound impact on health.</p>
<p>In addition to owner-reported information about each dog’s home and yard, our team compiles extensive environmental data geolocated by zip code for each participant. For smaller cohorts, we conduct physical sampling from the home environment.</p>


ENVIRONMENT

<p>The Pack contains dogs from all walks of life, including companion dogs, working dogs, and dogs who participate in many different activities like nosework or agility. We use owner-reported information to understand how different canine lifestyles are related to health and aging.</p>


LIFESTYLE

<p>Aging dogs sometimes experience canine cognitive decline, a condition that is analogous to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. We’ve designed a comprehensive program to study all phases of cognitive development, health, and disease through surveys, interactive games that owners play with their dogs, and even an opportunity for interested participants to donate their dog’s body to science at the end of their natural lifespan.</p>


COGNITION

<p>Our research is already demonstrating links between activity levels and various health measures. We quantify activity levels through surveys, at-home mobility activities that owners complete with their dogs, and with collar-mounted actigraphs that collect high granularity data on movement in three dimensions.</p>


ACTIVITY

<p>We welcome ALL dogs—young and old, mixed breed and purebred, healthy and those with chronic illness—from all fifty US states.</p>
<p>The only requirement is that you have a good estimate of your dog’s age. If you and your furry best friend are interested in joining the Pack, start the process by clicking the button below.</p>


Brooks

Nero

George

Rosie

Buster

Utah

Lexi

Bailey

Lucy

Ruby

Nelly Bly

Emmy

Kohana

Roxie

Cooper

Bella Aspen

Emma

Gemma

Tibor

<p>The Dog Aging Project is an innovative initiative that brings together a community of dogs, owners, veterinarians, researchers, and volunteers to carry out the most ambitious canine health study in the world. We invite you to partner with us and help future generations of dogs live the best lives possible!</p>
