Not long ago (all of us excluded) believed that while dogs were able to perform some tasks, they had no feelings and no understanding of what they were doing. Today we’ve learned so much more about the animals with whom we share our lives. Many of our behaviors and skills are learned by imitation beginning […]
Dog Behavior
Ever wonder why your dog does the things he does? Scientists have only recently begun studying dog behavior seriously. Dog owners all know that their dogs are intelligent and can understand them pretty well. Researchers are studying how much of the anecdotal stories can be proven scientifically and whether dogs’ behavior has been modified as a result of living closely with humans. They claim that humans may misinterpret dog behavior, seeing the dog’s actions through the prism of human behavior. Understanding a dog’s behavior opens up the possibilities of modifying it or simply reacting appropriately.
Submissive/Excitement Urination in Dogs
So you’ve trained your dog to go outdoors to relieve him-herself. But when you come home after a long day or someone comes to visit, your dog is so happy and excited or even stressed that s/he loses control and piddles. Your dog hasn’t forgotten the house training rules, this is a behavioral problem. But […]
Dealing with Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Some dogs suffer from separation anxiety when left alone. It’s not clear why this happens although there can be contributing factors – if you’ve spent a period of time constantly with your dog, after your dog has spent time in a shelter or kennel, if your dog is rarely alone or any changes in your […]
Effects of What We Wear on Dogs
We know that prey animals use defensive measures that mimic other dangerous animals in order to fool predators. For example, the Scarlet Kingmaker’s stripes help him look like the poisonous coral snake to avoid predators. Called “Aposemitism”, it means warning coloration in which prey use adaptations of color and/or color patterns to mislead predators. At […]
Do Dogs Recognize Human Faces
We know that dogs can recognize the emotions we show on our faces, but can they also recognize individual humans. Dogs use their incredible senses of scent and sound to study the world around them. They can easily pinpoint who we are by our scent, but what about recognizing us by our faces alone. In […]
Wagging Tails
Dogs use their tails as well as other parts of their bodies to express a variety of emotions. Tail wagging sends signals to other animals (human too) about what they are feeling at that moment. It’s important to understand these signs especially since not all tail wagging is friendly. It’s usually accompanied by other body […]
Does Your Dog Eat Too Fast
Many dogs gobble down their food so quickly it seems as they’re inhaling it. And that’s a recipe that may not stay down. Cleaning up the mess is no fun for you and vomiting is no fun for your dog. Eating too quickly can also cause digestive problems. Some are really serious such as stomach […]
“Stop and Smell the Roses”
When we humans go out for a walk, we usually keep up a good pace. We seldom stop until we reach our destination unless we meet a friend or look in a shop window. Dogs, on the other hand, seem to stop and go constantly – ready to sniff at anything visible. At these times, […]
What’s in a Dog’s Name
Names are very important to us. They are part of our identity. A dog’s name is important to him/her too. It’s one of the first words s/he learns to recognize. If you have multiple dogs, each one learns to respond to the sound of his/her name. We’ll refer to the dog as her from now […]
Long-Term Effects of Abuse to Dogs
Best Friends Animal Society located in Kanab, Utah, recently ran a study to determine the differences in behavior between abused dogs and those in normal environments. The dogs in the study were selected by asking owners, who believed their dogs were abused prior to adopting them, to complete a survey. The researchers then studied the […]