Rockefeller Foundation's failed post-war 'super dog' genetic project

Following World War II, the Rockefeller Foundation funded an ambitious 13-year genetic research project in Maine, USA, aimed at breeding a ‘super dog’ with extraordinary intelligence. Led by researchers John Paul Scott and John Fuller, the study, titled ‘Genetics and the Social Behavior of Mammals’, utilized over 500 puppies from five different breeds: Basenji, Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, Shetland Sheepdog, and Fox Terrier.

The experiment sought to test the hypothesis that intelligence and social behavior could be passed from parent to offspring through selective breeding, similar to physical traits like coat color. Researchers conducted various performance tests, including maze navigation, starting from when the puppies were five weeks old.

Ultimately, the project failed to produce a single superior breed. The findings, published in 1965, suggested that intelligence was not as easily controlled by genetics as hypothesized, as different breeds excelled in different areas and results were heavily influenced by emotion and motivation rather than pure reasoning.