Who’s a clever dog? Scientists study secrets of canine cognition

Dogs can figure out some things that even chimps can't. Our science correspondent puts her puppy retriever to the test

It's a cold winter's day, and I'm standing in a room watching my dog stare fixedly at two flower pots. I'm about to get an answer to a burning question: is my puppy a clever girl?

Dogs have been our companions for millennia, domesticated sometime between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago. And the bond endures: according to the latest figures from the Pet Food Manufacturers Association 33% of households in the UK have a dog.