WHY WOLVES ARE FOREVER WILD, BUT DOGS CAN BE TAMED

  According to Kathryn Lord from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (2013, January 17): “Dogs and wolves are genetically so similar, it’s been difficult for biologists to understand why wolves remain fiercely wild, while dogs can gladly become “man’s best friend.” Now, doctoral research by evolutionary biologist Kathryn Lord at the University of Massachusetts […]

RESEARCH: PERSONALITY IN DOGS

RESEARCH ARTICLE: Personality consistency in dogs: a meta-analysis. Abstract “Personality, or consistent individual differences in behavior, is well established in studies of dogs. Such consistency implies predictability of behavior, but some recent research suggests that predictability cannot be assumed. In addition, anecdotally, many dog experts believe that ‘puppy tests’ measuring behavior during the first year […]

DOG GENETICS CAUSE RESEARCHERS TO DISAGREE OVER CANINE DOMESTICATION

GENETICS SPUR SCIENTIFIC SPAT Researchers disagree over canine domestication The following article taken from ‘Nature'(Vol: 498, 282-283. 20.6.13) describes the controversy between researchers over when and where dogs were domesticated: “Scientists investigating the transformation of wolves into dogs are behaving a bit like the animals they study, as disputes roil among those using genetics to understand […]

PLANT PHENOLICS IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CANCER

The following article was taken from Adv Exp Med Biol. (2010;698:36-51) and describes the health benefits of phenolics in plant foods: “Epidemiological studies indicate that populations consuming high levels of plant derived foods have low incidence rates of various cancers. Recent findings implicate a variety of phytochemicals, including phenolics, in these anticancer properties. Both monophenolic and […]

HIP DYSPLASIA IN DOGS CAN BE CAUSED BY ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

A Number of Environmental Factors Can Affect the Incidence of Hip Dysplasia in Dogs The following article is taken from Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (2012, March 26) and describes some of the causes of hip dysplasia in dogs: “Hip dysplasia (HD) in dogs is affected to a larger degree than previously believed by the environment […]

PET KIDNEY INJURIES ARE SIMILAR TO HUMAN KIDNEY INJURIES

The following article is taken from the University of Missouri-Columbia (2011, December 19) on the similarity between the injuries animals experience to their kidneys and human kidney injuries: Pet Kidney Injuries Are Similar To Human Kidney Injuries “When evaluating early kidney injuries in people, doctors monitor blood level increases of creatinine, a waste product of […]

OBESITY-RELATED METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN DOGS: a Comparison with Human Metabolic Syndrome

The following abstract was taken from: Asta Tvarijonaviciute, Jose J Ceron, Shelley L Holden, Daniel J Cuthbertson, Vincent Biourge, Penelope J Morris and Alexander J German. BMC Veterinary Research (2012, 8:147): Obesity-related Metabolic Dysfunction in Dogs: a Comparison with Human Metabolic Syndrome Background Recently, metabolic syndrome (MS) has gained attention in human metabolic medicine given […]

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON COMPULSIVE TAIL CHASING IN DOGS

The following article was taken from Tiira K, Hakosalo O, Kareinen L, Thomas A, Hielm-Björkman A, et al. (2012). Environmental Effects on Compulsive Tail Chasing in Dogs. PLoS ONE 7(7): “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder observed both in humans and animals. Examples of Canine Compulsive Disorder (CD) include excessive tail chasing (TC), light/shadow […]

DOGS UNDERSTAND HUMAN PERSPECTIVE

Researchers find that dogs understand human perspective. Sean Coughlan. BBC News. 11.2.13: “Dogs are more capable of understanding situations from a human’s point of view than has previously been recognised, according to researchers. They found dogs were four times more likely to steal food they had been forbidden, when lights were turned off so humans […]

DO ANIMALS DREAM?

According to Kaitlin Miller (Australian Popular Science, 2.2.12) the answer is “Yes”. In her article, Kaitlin states that: “Many pet owners have seen their sleeping dog or cat twitch or paw the air, as if dreaming of bones to bury or mice to chase. Stanley Coren, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia […]

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