Akwai ra'ayoyi da yawa waɗanda ke magana game da nau'in hankali abin da karnuka suka mallaka, kodayake ra'ayoyi game da ko za'a iya auna IQ dinsu ya sha bamban koyaushe. A cikin fewan shekarun da suka gabata an yi karatu da yawa waɗanda ke magance wannan matsalar, kuma hakan ma ya haifar da adadi mai yawa na gwaji don kimanta matakin tunanin waɗannan dabbobi.
Daga cikin su, wanda aka aiwatar a watan Fabrairun wannan shekara ta Makarantar Kasuwanci ta London, tare da haɗin gwiwar Jami'ar Edinburgh. Tawagar masana kimiyya sun kirkiro samfurin gwajin leken asiri wanda suka tantance kwafi 68 na Border Collies, wanda ake ganin shine mafi tsananin jinsi. Wannan jarabawar ta haɗa da gwaje-gwajen da karnukan zasu bambance tsakanin abinci daban-daban ko isa ga abincin da ke ɓoye a bayan wasu matsaloli.
Concarshen binciken, wanda aka buga a cikin mujallar Intelligence, ya bayyana cewa karnukan da suka gama gwaje-gwajen cikin sauri (kowannensu yana da awa a matsayin iyakar lokaci), sunyi hakan daidai. Masu binciken sun kuma gano cewa wadanda suka yi aiki mafi kyau a gwaji daya sun fi dacewa a kan sauran su. Ta wannan hanyar, sun nuna cewa hankali na canine yana aiki a cikin kama da na mutum, cikakken banbanta nau'ikan ayyuka na fahimi.
Makasudin wannan binciken shine fahimtar alakar da ke tsakanin hankali da kiwon lafiya, wani abu da zai iya taimaka wajan magance cututtuka irin su cutar mantuwa. Kamar yadda Rosalind Arden na Makarantar Kasuwanci ta London ya bayyana: 'Karnuka na ɗaya daga cikin animalsan dabbobin da ke haifar da yawancin halaye masu mahimmanci na rashin hankali, don haka fahimtar iyawar fahimtarsu na iya zama mai amfani wajen taimaka mana fahimtar abubuwan da ke haifar da wannan matsalar a cikin mutane kuma wataƙila maganin gwaji. "