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 […]

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 […]

Envy is a dog’s life, study finds

The following article was published on AFP/Reuters (9.12.08): “Dogs can sniff out unfair situations and show an emotion similar to envy or jealousy, according to Austrian researchers. Dogs sulked and refused to “shake” paws if other dogs got treats for tricks and they did not, says Dr Friederike Range, an animal psychologist at the University […]

This is why dogs need large, raw meaty bones to chew on….it’s in their DNA!

Dogs’ evolution shows why they ‘love’ gnawing on bones   The following article was taken from BBC Nature,Ottawa,Canada (10.7.12, Victoria Gill Science reporter:    Scientists say they have discovered why dogs love to eat meat and bones. Ancient canines adopted pack-living about eight million years ago, to hunt larger prey, according to researchers. The resulting evolution […]

Animal Naturopath – Are Annual Vaccinations Really Necessary?

Do you have your dog vaccinated annually? You may want to ask your vet to test your dog instead, to see if that’s really necessary. It seems from research that was conducted by surveying vets on their vaccination protocols, many of them would consider testing dogs antibody levels rather than giving routine vaccinations. In addition, […]

Dogs Prefer Winners

The following article was written by Jennifer Viegas (published in Discovery News, 26.9.06: “Dogs seem to enjoy watching other dogs compete against each other and gravitate towards the winners at the end of the game, according to a recent study. The UK researchers, who publish their research in the journal Animal Behaviour, believe their discovery is […]

Single gene causes stubby legs in dogs

The following article was published in AFP/Reuters (17.7.09): “The stubby legs appear to be the result of a wolf gene that got spliced back into the dog genome, say researchers. The stubby, curved legs of dog breeds such as dachshunds, corgis and basset hounds stem from the mutation of a single gene early in the […]