Dr. Maria Botero shares research done in the Smart Dog Cognition Lab that investigates whether dogs can provide dissent when participating in a research study. Dissent is a term frequently used in pediatric research that refers to allowing a child to actively withdraw from a study. Dr. Botero argues that we should grant dogs a similar opportunity to express their dissent through their behavior, and that providing this opportunity matters greatly for research ethics. Maria Botero, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Psychology and Philosophy Department at Sam Houston State University. As evident in her publications and research grants, her academic research focuses on animal cognition and ethics. The time she spent at Gombe National Park, Tanzania (Africa), observing chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) from the Kasekela community, shaped the way she views the primate mind, communication in human and non-human animals, and the methods used to study social cognition. Most recently she developed a Smart Dog Cognition Lab to study the relationship between anxiety and the performance of cognitive tasks in dogs. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx