As it was explained to me, the experiment he was to conduct involved a re-creation of Pavlov's study of conditioned response, in which dogs hear a bell when they are served dinner and eventually come to associate the sound with food to the extent that they drool whenever they hear a ringing noise. Here are my own observations of how the experiment proceeded. Son gathers kibbles in a small bag. Dog expresses immediate interest, racing over to regard boy with frantic expression. Son scolds dog for drooling before the experiment is even started.
Sister shrieks that dog slobber is gross.
Mother evicts scientist and dog from kitchen. Son complains that nobody cares about his science project, but he's wrong - the dog obviously does care, with a passion bordering on obsessive. The experiment is reassembled in the living room. In a demonstration of human Pavlovian response, my son reacts to the proximity of the television by picking up the remote and surfing channels. The dog whines, eager to begin work on the project.