JR (Jori) Noordenbos, MSc

I am an animal scientist with a strong interest in animal cognition, animal personality, domestication processes and the human - pet bond. From a young age onwards I have been fascinated by how much animals understand and how behaviour develops. I studied animal sciences at Wageningen University with the intent to study animal behaviour. My main interest is the social cognition of dogs, but over the years I have worked with cats, pigs, rabbits, horses and fish as well. 

I completed my bachelor's degree in 2017 with a thesis on human-directed altruism in pet dogs. I continued with the research master, where I did a thesis on personality differences in piglets from different housing systems at Wageningen University, and a thesis on dogs' understanding of human knowledge at Portsmouth University. I graduated my studies cum laude in 2020. Next to my formal studies, I took several courses on dog behaviour and am a certified dog instructor. After graduation I started my own company, organising workshops on dog behaviour and giving puppy training and obedience classes.

In November 2021 I joined the Behavioural Ecology (BHE) group as a research assistant, where I am involved in education and in supervising students doing their thesis research. In February 2023 I started my own (parttime) PhD project on canine social cognition.