Numerous studies have shown that petting a dog lowers stress and glucocorticoid levels, while increasing happiness, feelings of well-being, dopamine, and oxytocin. Caspian provides undergraduate relief by plopping on his back for a belly rub, and occasionally provides sticks for butterfly habitats. Mostly, he sits quietly under a desk.
Caspian is an F1 cross, and has provided blood samples for a study that maps genes to traits—extreme focus, in his case.