Genetics of Dog Breeding – Part 1
Any dog lover knows that Labrador retrievers are friendly, Dalmatians are hyper, and Australian shepherds are smart (Scott & Fuller, 1974). Some dog lovers also know that Labradors are susceptible to hip dysplasia, while deafness and kidney stones run in Dalmatians. But why is this the case? Breeding dogs for particular characteristics, or phenotypes, has […]
Genetics of Dog Breeding – Part 2
Tameness Many researchers have noted that beyond tameness, dogs appear to retain certain traits associated with juvenile wolves, especially behavioral traits such as whining, barking, and submissiveness. Russian geneticist Dmitry Belyaev focused on tamability as a guiding characteristic. His idea was not only that early humans would have selected the tamest animals to live with them, […]
Genetics of Dog Breeding – Part 3
The Dog-Human Relationship In addition to tameness, another unique trait of dogs is their ability to understand humans. For example, if you point or even shift your gaze toward a certain object (say, a jar that contains dog treats), a dog will likely investigate the object (Hare & Tomasello, 2005). Even our closest animal relatives, […]
The Future of Dogs
Like many people, my wife Diana and I had long been in the habit of buying purebred dogs without bothering to learn much about their breeding beforehand. And so it was in 1977, when we made an impulse purchase of a Jack Russell Terrier named Phineas. Despite the many other wonderful dogs who’d blessed our […]
The Future of Pets
In his 1915 guide to pets, Alpheus Hyatt Verrill, an American naturalist, lambasted the dog-keeping habits of his day. “There is no excuse for pampering, constant fondling, dressing up in clothing, and other ridiculous customs,” he wrote. Dogs, Verrill insisted, should be treated like the animals they are. A century later, Verrill’s message has gone stupendously […]
Scientist predicts that our dogs will be able to talk to us by 2050
A series of predictions about life in the middle of the century includes wearable muscles, neural interfaces with computers, and most excitingly – chatty chihuahuas. How many times do dog owners look at their pets and say, ‘If only they could talk.’ Well, if futurologist Ian Pearson is right, they might be able to. One […]
8 Tricks to Help Your Cat and Dog to Get Along
When people aren’t debating whether cats or dogs are more intelligent, they’re equating them as mortal foes. That’s a stereotype that both cat expert Jackson Galaxy, host of the Animal Planet show My Cat From Hell, and certified dog trainer Zoe Sandor want to break. Typically, cats are aloof and easily startled, while dogs are gregarious and […]
Tips on how to make a dog and cat become friends
Are dogs and cats natural enemies? Yes, they are. Dogs and cats are two very different species and they see each other as potential prey. But this doesn’t mean that they can’t get along. In fact, many households have proven that dogs and cats can become best friends. Here are some tips on how to […]
How to Introduce a Dog to a Cat
Some dogs do fine living with cats; others simply cannot live safely with felines. Sometimes, a dog can live with certain cats (depending on their age, temperament and activity level), but not others. Even if your dog has successfully lived with cats in the past, it is important to remember that each dog and each […]
Your 1-year-old dog isn’t 7 human years old, contrary to the traditional math
Dogs live an average of 12 years. Life expectancy in humans, by contrast, is at least five times that. That discrepancy is in part the basis for the common rule of thumb that one “dog year” is the equivalent of seven “human years.” But according to a new study published in the journal Cell, that one-to-seven ratio is wrong. […]