The science of happier dogs: 5 tips to help your canine friends live their best life

Bigzumi/Shutterstock Mia Cobb, The University of MelbourneWhen you hear about “science focused on how dogs can live their best lives with us” it sounds like an imaginary job made up by a child. However, the field of animal welfare science is real and influential. As our most popular animal companion and coworker, dogs are very deserving of scientific attention. In recent years we’ve learned more about how dogs are similar to people, but also how they are distinctly themselves. We often think about how dogs help us – as companions, working as detectors, and keeping us safe and healthy. Dog-centric science helps us think about the world from a four-paw perspective and apply this new knowledge so dogs can enjoy a good life. Here are five tips to keep the tails in your life wagging happily. 1. Let dogs sniff Sniffing makes dogs happier. We tend to forget they live in a smell-based world because we’re so visual. Often taking the dog for a walk is our daily physical activity but we should remember it could be our dogs’ only time out of the home environment. Letting them have a really good sniff of that tree or post is full of satisfying information for them. It’s their nose’s equivalent of us standing at the top of a mountain and enjoying a rich, colour-soaked, sunset view. Dogs live in a world of smells, so it’s important...

Read More........→December 05, 2024

Why do dogs have different coats? Experts explain – and give grooming tips for different types

WildStrawberry / Shutterstock Susan Hazel, University of Adelaide and Mia Cobb, The University of MelbourneDog hair comes in many varieties, from shaggy to short, curly to straight. If you live with a dog, you live with their hair – on your couch, in your clothes, it’s everywhere! Beyond colour, have you ever wondered what’s behind the differences in coat type? We actually know quite a lot about why dogs have different coats, and it comes down to their genes. What are the main coat types in dogs? The three main features of dog coats are how long the hairs are, whether they are curly or straight, and whether they have extra flourishes. The flourishes are called “furnishings”, and can include a hairy moustache and shaggy eyebrows. The three main features of a dog’s coat (aside from colour) are how long the hairs are, whether they are curly or straight, and whether they have extra ‘furnishings’ such as moustaches and eyebrows. Laugesen MateoCombinations of these three features result in seven different coat types in dogs: short, wire, wire and curly, long, long with furnishings, curly, and curly with furnishings. We know from a study of more than 1,000 dogs with varying coats that differences in only three genes are responsible for this variety. The gene responsible for long hair (called FGF5) is recessive, meaning dogs...

Read More........→September 12, 2024

Why do dogs have different coats? Experts explain – and give grooming tips for different types

WildStrawberry / Shutterstock Susan Hazel, University of Adelaide and Mia Cobb, The University of MelbourneDog hair comes in many varieties, from shaggy to short, curly to straight. If you live with a dog, you live with their hair – on your couch, in your clothes, it’s everywhere! Beyond colour, have you ever wondered what’s behind the differences in coat type? We actually know quite a lot about why dogs have different coats, and it comes down to their genes. What are the main coat types in dogs? The three main features of dog coats are how long the hairs are, whether they are curly or straight, and whether they have extra flourishes. The flourishes are called “furnishings”, and can include a hairy moustache and shaggy eyebrows. The three main features of a dog’s coat (aside from colour) are how long the hairs are, whether they are curly or straight, and whether they have extra ‘furnishings’ such as moustaches and eyebrows. Laugesen MateoCombinations of these three features result in seven different coat types in dogs: short, wire, wire and curly, long, long with furnishings, curly, and curly with furnishings. We know from a study of more than 1,000 dogs with varying coats that differences in only three genes are responsible for this variety. The gene responsible for long hair (called FGF5) is recessive, meaning dogs...

Read More........→July 11, 2024

Bobi, known as the oldest dog in the world, dies aged 31

Bobi, who was this year ordained the oldest dog in the world by Guinness World Records, has died at the ripe old age of 31, Portuguese media reported Monday."We have better memories of a long life where he was happy and, above all, where he made a lot of people happy, especially his family," Bobi's owner Leonel Costa told local media from the little village in central Portugal where he lives.A purebreed Rafeiro, a Portuguese livestock guard dog whose normal life expectancy is between 12 and 14, Bobi was not supposed to make it beyond puppyhood.He was born on May 11, 1992, along with three other pups in a wood storage shed owned by the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros.Because the family owned so many animals, the father decided they could not keep the newborn puppies and the parents took them from the shed the next day, while the mother dog Gira was out, said Leonel Costa, who was eight years old at the time.But they didn't realise they had left one puppy behind, and that puppy became Bobi."He died at the age of 31 years and 165 days," according to the Guinness World Records.After he was declared the world's oldest dog in February, media and curious onlookers from around the world paid Bobi a visit. Bobi, known as the oldest dog in the world, dies aged...

Read More........→March 18, 2024

If humans disappeared, what would happen to our dogs?

Shutterstock Bradley Smith, CQUniversity Australia and Mia Cobb, The University of MelbourneFor many of us, dogs are our best friends. But have you wondered what would happen to your dog if we suddenly disappeared? Can domestic dogs make do without people? At least 80% of the world’s one billion or so dogs actually live independent, free-ranging lives – and they offer some clues. Who would our dogs be if we weren’t around to influence and care for them? What are dogs? Dogs hold the title of the most successful domesticated species on Earth. For millennia they have evolved under our watchful eye. More recently, selective breeding has led to people-driven diversity, resulting in unique breeds ranging from the towering Great Dane to the tiny Chihuahua. Today’s diverse dog breeds are a result of the modern approach to selective breeding. ShutterstockHumanity’s quest for the perfect canine companion has resulted in more than 400 modern dog breeds with unique blends of physical and behavioural traits. Initially, dogs were bred primarily for functional roles that benefited us, such as herding, hunting and guarding. This practice only emerged prominently over the past 200 years. Some experts suggest companionship is just another type of work humans selected dogs for, while placing a greater emphasis on looks. Breeders play a crucial...

Read More........→December 07, 2023

Aggression in dogs: New study aims to 'bust some myths'

. Academics at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences have been investigating dog aggression towards people with a survey of UK dog owners which has been published online in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Dr Rachel Casey is Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and led the research. VOR's Tim Ecott asked her what had prompted the survey. "Aggression is a big public health issue," Dr Casey says. "People have even been killed by dogs, so it's a serious problem for people, but it's also a welfare issue for dogs, because it they're showing aggression, it's likely to be because they're feeling stressed in their environment. "We wanted to look not at serious aggression such as biting, but at any sign of aggression, such as barking or lunging." What did you find? "We asked about aggression in different situations. Are dogs generally aggressive or in very specific situations? We asked owners about the dog's behaviour in the family, out for walks, and when people visit the household. The results varied quite a lot between the contexts." "It tells us about the behaviour, not why the dogs are doing it. It's a baseline." There's a danger that these findings will be taken up by people who think that dogs should be more controlled, or vice versa, that it's only a small number of dogs that are aggressive....

Read More........→January 08, 2015

Neuroscientist explores how dogs love us

“The heart of my interest is the dog-human relationship,” says Emory neuroeconomist Gregory Berns, director of the university's Center for Neuropolicy. His latest research involves training dogs to enter a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner (fMRI) and hold perfectly still, so that he can scan their brain activity. Berns' research began with his own pet, Callie, adopted from an animal shelter, and has expanded to include a dozen “MRI-certified” canines. Only positive training methods are used on the dogs. They remain awake and unrestrained in the fMRI as they respond to stimuli like hand signals indicating food and smells of familiar humans. The results Berns has gathered so far are the subject of his new book, “How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain.” “The idea behind the book is essentially my deep-seated desire to know what my dogs are thinking, and whether they love us for something more than food,” Berns says. “I think the answer is definitely, yes. They love us for things far beyond food, basically the same things that humans love us for. Things like social comfort and social bonds.” Source: eScienceCommons...

Read More........→January 27, 2014

War Dog

This is the story of a four-legged Warrior suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But humans aren't the only ones with problems. Military dogs returning from war zones are also showing signs of PTSD. And there's evidence that these canines need some extra tender loving care after their tours of duty. The most energetic and playful dogs will be trained for combat. Once on the job, the stress and rigors of war may take their toll on the dogs like they do on humans. Sometimes the animals show signs that they're suffering from nervous exhaustion; others appear distressed or confused and forget routine commands. Doctors began wondering: Could it be that canines experience PTSD like people? Image Screen Shot On Video...

Read More........→June 11, 2013

Canine brain-tumor treatment trials may help humans

Following a seizure, Petey the pit bull was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He is doing well after undergoing treatment in a pilot trial in 2011. By Janet Christenbury, Woodruff Health Sciences Center The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, Inc., has awarded the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Veterinary Medicine and Emory University a $119,000 grant over three years to test a newly developed experimental drug to treat dogs with naturally-occurring brain tumors, following partial surgical removal of those tumors. The goal of the research is to help translate new brain cancer therapies to humans by assessing results in dogs with similar diseases. According to the researchers, the tumors in dogs, known as spontaneous gliomas, are very similar to human malignant brain tumors both by imaging and biology, and both tend to grow back rapidly. The poor prognosis for dogs with gliomas is similar to human patients. The researchers are hoping the novel treatment being tested will slow down tumor growth. A seven-year-old pit bull named Petey was the first dog enrolled in the initial pilot trial at UGA in 2011. Following discovery of a brain tumor after a seizure, Petey underwent surgery in September 2011 to remove a portion of the tumor. Simon Platt, a professor of veterinary neurology at UGA, performed the surgery...

Read More........→February 02, 2013

DARPA Military Robot Dog LS3 Follows On Command

Working with the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL), researchers from DARPA's LS3 program demonstrated new advances in the robot's control, stability and maneuverability, including "Leader Follow" decision making, enhanced roll recovery, exact foot placement over rough terrain, the ability to maneuver in an urban environment, and verbal command capability. For the past two weeks, in the woods of central Virginia around Fort Pickett, the Legged Squad Support System (LS3) four-legged robot has been showing off its capabilities during field testing. Working with the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL), researchers from DARPA’s LS3 program demonstrated new advances in the robot’s control, stability and maneuverability, including "Leader Follow" decision making, enhanced roll recovery, exact foot placement over rough terrain, the ability to maneuver in an urban environment, and verbal command capability. Testing shows advances in robot’s autonomy, maneuverability and recovery: The LS3 program seeks to demonstrate that a highly mobile, semi-autonomous legged robot can carry 400 lbs of a squad’s equipment, follow squad members through rugged terrain and interact with troops in a natural way similar to a trained animal with its handler. The robot could also be able to maneuver at night and serve as a mobile auxiliary...

Read More........→December 24, 2012

Belgian Malinois Military Working Dogs.

In Europe the Belgian Malinois (short-haired fawn) is one of four varieties of the Belgian Shepherd Dog.The other varieties are the Groenendael (long-haired black, called Belgian Sheepdog in the US), the Tervuren (long-haired fawn), and the Laekenois (wire-haired fawn or gray). The American Kennel Club split the varieties into three separate breeds back in the 1950s (AKC does not recognize the Laekenois). The genetics behind each  breed  are  very  similar,  as  are  their  personalities  and  temperaments. The advantage here is that a study of the more common Tervuren and Sheepdog will give you some indication of the qualities of the short-haired, fawn colored Malinois. A word of caution: The US Military has imported many dogs from the Netherlands for use as Military Working Dogs (MWDs). Although they refer to these dogs as Belgian Malinois, many of them are mixed with other breeds and do not possess all of the Belgian Malinois breed's characteristics. The Belgian Malinois is a sensitive, family-oriented dog. They love to do anything and everything with their owners, and at times they will insist! They are not a breed that is happy being kenneled or otherwise deprived of their owner's companionship. They are also an extremely high-energy dog. This is an...

Read More........→October 26, 2012

Dogs and cats may help kids escape respiratory illnesses

Dogs and cats might offer protection against respiratory illnesses in the first year of an infant’s life, a new study has revealed. Finnish researchers have found that having pets during infancy may actually protect children from respiratory illnesses during the first year of their life. They followed 397 children from the time their mothers were pregnant through age 1. The scientists found that those who were exposed to dogs at home had fewer respiratory illnesses or symptoms compared with children who didn’t have dogs. Children with dogs also had less-frequent ear infections and needed antibiotics less often as compared to those children who were never exposed to dogs. Cats offered similar protective benefits, but to a lesser degree. According to the authors, the findings suggest that early contact with dogs or cats may ramp up infants’ immune systems. “We speculate that animal contacts could help to mature the immunologic system, leading to more composed immunologic response and shorter duration of infections,” ABC News quoted. The amount of time a dog spends inside the home also has an impact on children’s respiratory health. Children who live in houses where dogs are inside less than six hours a day are at lowest risk for respiratory problems. The authors think that it could...

Read More........→August 16, 2012

Is a dog your baby's new best friend?

Daniel DeNoon writes about a new study involving pets and babies for WebMD Health News. An excerpt: "Babies in homes with dogs have fewer colds, fewer ear infections, and need fewer antibiotics in their first year of life than babies raised in pet-free homes, Finnish researchers find. Homes with cats are healthier for babies, too, but not to the same extent as those with dogs, note researchers Eija Bergroth, MD, of Finland's Kuopio University Hospital, and colleagues."'The strongest effect was seen with dog contacts. We do not know why it was stronger than with cat contacts,' Bergroth tells WebMD. 'It might have something to do with dirt brought inside by the dogs, especially since the strongest protective effect was seen with children living in houses where dogs spent a lot of time outside.'... "A time-honored theory, the hygiene hypothesis, suggests that children's immune systems mature best when infants are exposed to germs in just the right amount. Too many germs are unhealthy, but so is a sterile, germ-free home. "That theory is now giving way to the 'microbiome hypothesis,' says Karen DeMuth, assistant professor of pediatrics at Atlanta's Emory University. "'The microbiome hypothesis is that early-life exposure to wide varieties of microbes lets them mix with the microbes in the gut and helps them keep...

Read More........→July 10, 2012

World's Biggest and Largest Dogs ever seen

Dog lover if you was really a dog lover, you will shock after see this weird and bizarre picture of the world's biggest dog ever, i don't know whether this is a photo shopped image or is it really original image?? check it out the world biggest dog ever.. Do not plan to crate a large dog. It's not a good idea to ever, ever crate/kennel a large dog. If you will be away from home for several hours at a time and need to confine your big dog, then it is fine to gate him off in a family room or kitchen. Crating a large dog will prevent him from getting up and walking around during the day. Source: MyClipt...

Read More........→June 08, 2012

What is your dog thinking? Brain scans unleash canine secrets

eScienceCommons, By Carol Clark: When your dog gazes up at you adoringly, what does it see? A best friend? A pack leader? A can opener? Many dog lovers make all kinds of inferences about how their pets feel about them, but no one has captured images of actual canine thought processes – until now. Emory University researchers have developed a new methodology to scan the brains of alert dogs and explore the minds of the oldest domesticated species. The technique uses harmless functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), the same tool that is unlocking secrets of the human brain.The Public Library of Science (PLoS ONE) is publishing on May 11 the results of their first experiment, showing how the brains of dogs reacted to hand signals given by their owners. “It was amazing to see the first brain images of a fully awake, unrestrained dog,” says Gregory Berns, director of the Emory Center for Neuropolicy and lead researcher of the dog project. “As far as we know, no one has been able to do this previously. We hope this opens up a whole new door for understanding canine cognition and inter-species”   communication. We want to understand the dog-human relationship, from the dog’s perspective.Key members of the research team include Andrew Brooks, a graduate student at the Center for Neuropolicy,...

Read More........→May 21, 2012

Dogs to help Russian servicemen in Tajikistan

By Julia Galiullina, The Russian military base 201, which is situated in Tajikistan, recently started to use dogs as mine searchers. The dogs help to clear up firing grounds from unexploded grenades or shells, or look for explosive devices in order to prevent terror acts during public events. The dogs’ handlers at the base 201 have undergone special training in Russia.The Russian contingent has been deployed in Tajikistan since the early 1990s, mainly at the Tajik-Afghan border, and, partially, in the cities of Dushanbe, Kulyab and Kurgan-Tyube. The Russian 201 division took a decisive role in the outcome of the civil war in Tajikistan, which lasted since 1992 till 1997. Tags: mine safety , Tajikistan, military base, Commentary, dog, Russia, Military news, World, Читать далее, Source: Voice of Russia, Source: Imag...

Read More........→April 09, 2012