For the study, dogs were simultaneously shown photographs of a landscape and of a dog, and were rewarded if they selected the latter using a paw-operated touch screen computer.

If you’re having trouble sorting through all those family photos, maybe you should ask your dog to help.  It turns out that dogs recognize and categorize complex images – just like we do!  It seems our furry friends are able to form abstract concepts, an ability previously only identified in birds and primates.

In a pioneering study at the University of Vienna, Friederike Range and his colleagues demonstrated that dogs can place photographs into categories.  “We know they can categorize ‘food’ or ‘enemies’ from experience,” says Range, “but this is the first time we’ve taught them an abstract concept – ‘a dog’ – and shown they can transfer this knowledge to a new situation.”

In the training phase, four dogs were simultaneously shown photographs of a landscape and of a dog, and were rewarded with food pellets if they selected the latter using a paw-operated computer touch-screen.  The dog photos thus became the positive stimulus.

The next phase involved two tests.  During the first test, the dogs were shown completely different dog and landscape pictures.    They continued to identify the pictures containing dogs, demonstrating that they could transfer their knowledge gained in the training phase to a new set of visual stimuli, even though they had never seen those particular photos before.

In the second test, the dogs were shown new dog pictures pasted onto the landscape photos they had seen in the training phase. Faced with contradictory information – on the one paw, a positive new stimulus as the pictures showed a dog, albeit an unfamiliar one, on the other paw, a familiar negative stimulus in the form of a landscape. Faced with the choice of a new dog on the familiar landscape or a completely new landscape with no dog, they continued to select the photo with the dog.

What this tells us, says Range, is that the dogs were able to form a concept, i.e. dog, but leaves open the question of whether they understood the pictures to be of actual dogs.  He and his fellow researchers also used the study to comment on the strength of their methodology. “Using touch-screen computers with dogs opens up a whole world of possibilities on how to test the cognitive abilities of dogs by basically completely controlling any influence from the owner or experimenter.”  They believe that the methodology can be used to test a range of learning strategies, and could potentially allow researchers to compare the cognitive abilities of different species using a single method.

What kind of influence does Range expect the study to have?  “We are starting to see that dogs have some good reasoning abilities,” says Range.  “I hope this might impact how we treat them at home.”

Scientists knew that dogs were breed for different tasks, but new research shows that traits like activity or aggression needed for those tasks may influence a dog’s lifespan – a finding that may be key in unlocking the mysteries of our own lifespan.

By domesticating dogs, humans unwittingly initiated an artificial selection experiment on personality – the results of which may have implications for our own longevity.

We know that dogs were breed to specific tasks and that individual dogs were selected for reproduction based on certain behavior traits – such as activity, aggressiveness, and docility – related to those tasks.  Today those traits are recognized at dog shows by categories like Sporting, Working, Herding, and Toy and dogs within those categories are recognized for their skills at retrieval, guarding, herding, and human companionship.

But it’s assumed that other traits, such as longevity or energy expenditure were probably not targeted for selection.  Now researchers are finding correlations that suggest metabolism and lifespan changed as by-products of selection on personality traits.  These connections between behavior, metabolism, and longevity have resulted in a “pace-of-life” syndrome hypothesis.

A team led by Vincent Careau, a PhD student at University of Sherbrooke, gathered data on many aspects of dog biology published in such disparate fields of study as psychology, longevity, and veterinary research. While the information was well known within the respective research domains, it was never put together. By combining findings, the authors show that obedient breeds – on average – live longer than disobedient breeds, but aggressive breeds have higher energy expenditure.  As the late naturalist Don Thomas said, “It is hard to imagine how an aggressive personality could be adaptive if it lacked the energetic and metabolic machinery to back up the threats. Simply put, 100 pound weaklings don’t kick sand in weight-lifters’ faces and survive in nature.”

This study, published in the June 2010 issue of the American Naturalist, is significant because it contributes to the growing body of research that shows that personality is related to many crucial aspects of an animal’s life – including energy needs, growth rate and lifespan.  It also brings scientists a step closer to understanding evolutionary causes and consequences of different personality types and may someday be a key in unlocking what determines our own lifespan.

Technorati Tags: behavior traits, dog breeding, dogs, human longevity, Research

Scooping will keep your neighbors happy, your community healthy and may help you avert public embarrassment or hefty fines.

Do you or don’t you? Pick up after your dog that is. Call it an eyesore, an embarrassment or a public health issue, doggie doo doo is in the news. And now, thanks to tactics that would make CSI investigators proud and be a fitting topic for a Seinfeld episode, it looks as if your dog’s DNA may incriminate you if you fall into the latter category.

The issue had so enraged residents at The Scarlet Place condominiums in Baltimore that the condo association considered mandating all the residents give their dogs DNA cheek swabs. After reporter Jill Rosen posted the original story in the Baltimore Sun, it hit the Internet and went global. When the association met again to debate the merits of the idea, cooler heads prevailed and the idea was put on hold.

It turns out the company, BioPet Vet Lab – that advertised it could catch the offenders by keeping a database of all the condo dogs’ DNA and then matching the offending debris to the offending dog or rather owner (someone from the condo association would have been responsible for collecting a sample and mailing it in a sealed container to the company) – may have never tested an actual field sample. But as Jim Simpson, president of BioPet told ABCNews.com about communities that use the service “what we’re finding is that most people, after it’s been implemented, clean up after their dogs.”

Residents were also concerned that testing didn’t really address the problem, it merely offered consequences afterwards. Others wondered how one would go about convincing Fluffy or Fido that getting their checks swabbed was a good idea. There was even some speculation that testing might take an ugly turn if a neighbor, irate about another issue, managed to secure and “plant” a sample from someone’s dog, thus resulting in false incrimination.

But with approximately 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States (averaging 1.7 dogs per owner) according to the Humane Society of the United States, and more apartments, condos and hotels than ever that are pet friendly; this is an issue that’s not likely to go away.

It’s estimated that there are four million tons of dog waste a year, posing serious health hazards for children, adults and the dogs themselves. According to the Center for Disease Control, dog waste transmits several parasites, including roundworm and Cryptosporidium, both of which causes gastrointestinal illnesses in humans. The waste is also a magnet for heartworms and tapeworms which pose serious health risks to your dog. Left long enough, the waste washes into storm drains and from there works its way into rivers, lakes and streams, polluting our water supply.

In Europe where dogs are welcome pretty much anywhere their owners want to take them, including restaurants, there is zero tolerance for scofflaw owners. In recent years fines for not picking up after dogs have ranged from the equivalent of $600 in Paris to $750 in London per incident.

So the next time you walk your dog, do a good turn for both your dog (and remember what people think of your dog is often based on what people think of you as a pet owner) and your community and pick it up!

Technorati Tags: DNA, Dog Poop, dogs, walking your dog

Dog rental companies let the renter experience what it's like to own a dog, while proponents and opponents of the idea debate the ethics of such entrepreneurship.

“Money may buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail.” Kinky Friedman, former Texas gubernatorial candidate and self-proclaimed author, columnist, musician and beautician.

Most dog lovers would agree with that sentiment.  I know my heart was forever sealed the day at the Humane Society when I asked my dog, Nicky, if he wanted to come home with me, and in response, he put his paws on my shoulders and began kissing my face.  That was 10 years ago, and I can’t imagine life without him or a dog lover who would not, if circumstances allowed, choose to have a dog in their lives.

But now, it seems a new option exists for the dogless. Banned in Boston, but possibly coming to a city near you – Rent a Dog! The idea was formed when high end hostelries in the US, Europe and Japan began loaning out dogs as a way for travelers to have companionship away from home.

Operating in much the same way as a car rental – you choose the size, temperament (a sporting breed perhaps? or something more sedate), and duration (a couple hours romp in the park versus the overnight rental) – and the driving, er walking, pleasure is all yours with no worries about grooming, pet food costs or veterinary care.

Leading the way in the US is FlexPetz, the banned in Boston doggie rental.  With current locations in New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, and London, the company webpage announces plans to expand domestically into Seattle, Miami, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Phoenix, and West Palm Beach. The company says that where possible, FlexPetz dogs are rescue dogs or in urgent need of rehoming.  It also notes that it pays for training, veterinary expenses, including regular three months veterinary checks for all FlexPetz dogs, food and cage free shelter when the dogs are not out on rentals.  An interested dog renter must first register with FlexPetz, and if okayed by the company undergo a mandatory one hour session on training and handling a FlexPetz dog.

So who are the people that rent the dogs?  Some have had relocations from other countries or states and were unable to take their dog along when they moved.  A family might rent a dog to vacation with or a single might find it’s easier to met people accompanied by a dog.  Other people would love to be full-time dog owners but because they can’t give a dog enough time or they live in places that don’t allow pets, fill their need through renting.  Some have even lost beloved dogs and don’t feel able to commit to owning another animal.  Or someone might rent a specific breed before buying to see if it is a good match.  Most yearn for the companionship of a dog, and some will return time and time again to rent the same dog.

But, as critics charge, companionship doesn’t come cheap.  A monthly FlexPetz membership, which includes four one-day rentals, costs $279.95. In contrast is Rent-A-Pet, which allows people to rent dogs for free, but in return its members are expected to spend considerably more time with the dogs and are given assignments to expose the dogs to things like household sounds, riding in a car or climbing staircases. Rent-A-Pet dogs range in age from puppies to older dogs.  Some Rent-A-Pet dogs are described as being bit scruffy and bearing the signs of having lived on the street.

Given the cost and/or time involved, it seems obvious the people doing the renting must feel like they get something out of it.  But what about the dogs?

“Why would you need to rent a dog when you could walk a dog in a shelter in your community?” says Gary Patronek, director of animal welfare and protection at the Animal Rescue League of Boston.  Shelter dogs in Boston don red vests that say “Available for Adoption” and go on walks with volunteers.

Many others are also less than thrilled with the idea. The American Humane Society issued a statement saying “Pets are not like cars or furniture.  Moving them from person to person, home to home, can induce problems such as anxiety and depression.”  Dogs like children, it is thought, need routines and a stable environment in order to thrive. There is also the fear that rentals encourages people to treat dogs as a disposable accessory.  It may also make it very difficult for a rental dog to form bonds with humans.

Supporters point out that dog owners routinely hire others, such as dog walkers or pet sitters, to handle some of their dogs’ care needs with no ill effect to the dogs.  They also note that these are dogs that might have been euthanized under other circumstances, and that many rental dogs end up permanently adopted.  Rent-A-Pet reports that over 1,000 dogs have been adopted through their program.

What do you think?  Is this a humane alternative for dogs that would otherwise be homeless or possibly euthanized or is it one more example of how poorly we can treat our best friends?  I’d love to hear your views!

Technorati Tags: Dog Related Companies, dog rentals, dogs, pet ethics

New studies show that your dog's tail wag tells a lot: a wag to the right of its body shows positive emotions; to the left negative.

Imagine if your dog could talk. What does he really think of your new boyfriend? How badly does he want to go nose to nose with the overaggressive dog at the park whose owner assures you just loves everybody?

Most dog owner will look at their dog’s posture for some clue, and consider a wagging tail one of the best indicators. But which way is it wagging?

Dog’s tails fall in the mid-line of their bodies, neither to the right or the left. Now researchers in Italy have discovered that when dogs feel fundamentally positive about something or someone, their tails wag to the right. When they have negative feelings, their tail wagging tends left.

Giorgio Vallortigara, a neuroscientist at the University of Trieste in Italy, and two veterinarians, Angelo Quaranta and Marcello Siniscalchi, at the University of Bari, also in Italy, recruited 30 family dogs of mixed breeds that were enrolled in an agility training program. The dogs were placed in cages with cameras angled to precisely track the direction of their tail wags. Then they showed the each dog four stimuli through a slat in the cages: the dog’s owner, an unfamiliar human; a cat; and an unfamiliar, dominant dog.

When the dogs saw their owners, their tails all wagged vigorously toward the right side. Their tails wagged moderately and more to the right, when looking at unfamiliar human. When faced with a cat, the dogs’ tails again wagged more to the right but in smaller sweep.
When viewing an aggressive, unfamiliar dog – a large Belgian shepherd Malinois – the dogs tails all wagged to the left side of their bodies.

“This is an intriguing observation,” said Richard J. Davidson, a neuroscience researcher at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  Not surprisingly, the findings play up some of the fundamental differences that have been shown between the left and right brain in humans — research that has been replicated in other animals.

In most animals, including fish and birds, the left brain deals with behaviors scientist term approach and energy enrichment. In humans, that means the left brain is associated with positive feelings, like love, or a feeling of safety and calm.  The opposite occurs in the right brain with behaviors involving withdrawal and energy expenditure. In humans, these behaviors are associated with fear or depression.

The study which appears in the March 20 issue of Current Biology, suggests that the muscles in the right side of the tail reflect positive emotions while the muscles in the left side express negative ones.

Technorati Tags: dogs, Research, tail wag

Ah, the joys of gardening...with your dog!

Ah, the joys of summer. If there’s anything to get Fido off the couch after a long winter’s inactivity, it’s the prospect of digging in those lovely beds of newly overturned earth that you so thoughtfully provided. Followed, of course, by a dip in the pond.

Say what? That wasn’t your plan. If your dog is old/and or sedate, you’re probably shared many happy moments together:  the dog — snoozing peacefully in the sun, you — weeding the vegetable garden. But if you have a puppy or active breed, chances are good your garden has seen more upturned soil than a backhoe could shovel.

Animal trainers and behaviorists are divided over how to teach a dog proper behavior in the yard. But the ideas fall into four basic categories:

1. Confinement: your dog has his own dog run. Generally this area should include shelter from both heat and cold, a regularly filled water bowl, and some chew toys to occupy his time.

2. Reward: your dog gets her own sandbox. You create her own special area (a mixture of half sand/half mulch is suggested) to dig in, and to ensure she does, bury treats and small toys in there for her to discover.

3. Deterrent: a common suggestion is burying chicken wire just below the ground surface and covering it with mulch. Dogs don’t like getting their paws caught in the wire and will avoid these areas. Rocks or ornamental borders can also help train dogs that these areas are off-limits.

4. Exhaustion: seriously, a dog that gets enough exercise (and attention) through regular walks is far less likely to take out excess energy on your plants.

Other suggestions include working with and not against the natural tendencies of your dog. Since all dogs love to “run the fence” and guard their territory, establishing permanent pathways along the fence line will be more helpful than trying to fight against this tendency. If you really want to spoil your dog, giving her a “window” or lookout in a solid fence line to view passers-by will also help keep her occupied.

Now that you’ve protected your yard, there are some things you’ll want to do to protect your dog as well. Chemical fertilizers can get on paws and be ingested if the dog licks its feet. So beware of using them in an area that your dog would roam or seek organic alternatives.

A wide variety of common plants, including daphne, hydrangeas, and marigolds can be harmful if consumed. Complete lists of plants that are toxic to pets are readily available on the Internet, and your vet should be called at once if your dog has eaten one of the varieties listed.

If you have a pond or water feature that your dog likes to frolic in, consider triple-lining it to reduce the risk of punctures from toenails. But keeping your dog out of the pond water is better for both your water garden’s aesthetics and your dog’s health. A buildup of fish, amphibian, and reptile waste in a pond can cause skin lesions if your dog plays in the water or an internal infection if he drinks it.

But if you love gardening and your dog, don’t hesitate to mix the two. After all when else but down on all fours are you going to get to experience the world from your dog’s eye view?

Technorati Tags: Dog Training, dogs, gardening, summer

What do dogs think? Try thinking like a dog to find out.

I admit it. I am one of those dog owners. By those I mean, I talk to my dog, take him for rides, buy him ice cream, consider his feelings, and in short, treat him pretty much as you might a furry four-legged child. And of course, my child is brilliant.

But as my friend and housemate, and dog person himself reminds me, the average dog has a brain about the size of a golf ball. Fearing there was some dreadful mistake, I scurry to my computer, only to find that he was, in fact, right. But the area of a dog’s brain that is dedicated to olfactory processing is huge and much more complex than ours, he assured me. What’s that? Some kind of lame consolation prize?

Because for dog owners like me, their dogs’ ability to solve problems, understand their owners thoughts and response accordingly, and outwit any attempts to train them in a direction that they themselves do not want to go, is proof positive of the advanced thought processes that go on in their canine cranial cavity.

So do dogs think? And if they do, what do they think about? Maybe a better way to address these questions is to try and think like a dog. Dog-trainer/behaviorist William E. Campbell gives the following example: Dinner’s fast approaching and your dog, Ella, is gazing at you with limpid eyes. She’s wondering when her dinner’s going to be ready you think. What Campbell says is more likely is that all that tail wagging and rapt attention is designed to get you to do and say the things she knows will lead to the actual procurement of dinner. Like you asking her “you want your dinner too, don’t you?” She’s also probably practicing her shtick in the room she’s found to be the source of the magic repast – the kitchen.

So, if Ella’s brain isn’t saying “I want my dinner” – what is it doing? The second thing we need to do, says Campbell, is get rid of the idea of language being involved in a dog’s thoughts. For example, if you were suddenly thrust into the middle of Tokyo, you might understand a great deal about what’s going on around you without understanding one bit of the Japanese language. Eventually you might figure out what some of the words mean. But because dogs lack the vocal ability to speak our language, the limit of our dog’s language learning is the meaning of the sounds of certain words. Luckily, says Campbell, dogs are very quick to learn the sounds that are important to them.

Just as our minds are full of the images, smells and sounds we’ve heard throughout life, dogs process images in their mind through their senses. If the mention of elementary school transports you back to the smell of the chalkboard, the sound of the school bell, and the feel of the wool in your school uniform, you probably have some idea of how your dog experiences the world.

This doesn’t necessarily mean your dog spends his days replaying his favorite movies with a particular car ride earning a “four paws up” or that steak night is Oscar worthy. But some very convincing research suggests dogs do share our ability to form and experience in their minds certain images, odors and sounds. The first evidence of this was confirmed over three decades ago when a Russian scientist studying the electrophysiology of the brain wired several dogs with brain wave equipment and radio transmitters. During an unexpected weekend tour of the lab, he turned a dog named Lo’s equipment on and was amazed to find the dog’s brain wave pattern changed to a pattern that was nearly identical to that of his “working hours.”

These are just a few examples of what may go on in the average dog’s head. But as any true dog lover will tell you, my dog is far from average.

Technorati Tags: brain waves, dog, Dog's Brain, images, language

A Collie-Doberman mix won’t stop sniffing at a mole on the arm of its owner and even resorts to trying to bite it off. The alarmed woman contacts her doctor who affirms the worried dog’s behavior. The mole is indeed cancerous.

These stories, among at least 16 verifiable anecdotes about dogs detecting cancer in their unsuspecting owners, prompted researchers in England in 2004 to test whether dogs could be trained to detect bladder cancer. The results, while statistically unimpressive, were enough to warrant further studies.

In 2006, an international collaboration of scientists at the Pine Street Foundation conducted a study using five dogs to see if they could detect breast and lung cancers. Unlike the bladder cancer study in which dogs sniffed patients’ urine samples, breath samples were used because it was thought the biomarkers of cancer would be easier to identify in breath samples. Researchers were successful in teaching dogs to identify both breast and lung cancers.

“Our study provides compelling evidence that cancers hidden beneath the skin can be detected simply by [dogs] examining the odors of a person’s breath,” said Michael McCulloch, lead researcher at the Pine Street Foundation, a cancer research organization in San Anselmo, California.

It’s been theorized that cancer cells emit different metabolic waste than normal cells. The differences between these wastes are significant enough that they can be detected by a dog’s amazing olfactory abilities, even in the early stages of disease.

The dogs sniffed test tube breath samples of cancer patients and healthy controls. The test tubes contained fiber to capture microscopic particles. The dogs were trained using clickers, praise and food rewards to sit or lie down in front of a positive cancer sample. “We think dogs are like people and perform best when they get positive feedback,” says McCulloch.

Once trained, the results were remarkable: dogs achieved an accuracy rate of 88% for breast cancer and 99% for lung cancer, much better than laboratory tests. During the actual trial phase to ensure that dogs were not picking up on subtle clues from the humans, the researchers in the room with the dogs did not know which test tubes contained the cancerous samples.

Buoyed by the results, Pine Street researchers are now working with the dogs to see if they can detect ovarian cancer, which often evades detection yet is far more treatable when caught in the early stages.

So, what’s next for man (and woman’s best friend)? Will your health screening someday include being sniffed over by a Golden Retriever? Well, maybe not. But being able to use breath samples to detect cancers in their earliest stages is important not only for savings lives, but being able to treat cancer with less invasive methods.

As McCulloch notes “The fact that it was dogs is almost beside the point. Although I should add that the dogs performed so well that now technology really has to rise to the challenge that they laid down.”

Technorati Tags: Dogs-Cancer-Breast-Lung-Tumor-Animals-Studies

The Gov. of Texas is frightened of snakes

Republican Rick Perry may be running for a third full term against Democratic Bill White, but he won’t ever run from danger. The Texas Governor told the press that he won a confrontation with a coyote on Tuesday, thanks to his laser-sighted pistol. He admitted that he always carries his .380 Ruger – fully loaded with hollow-point bullets – out for jogs on the trails around his home, and that this time it came in handy when he needed to protect his dog’s life.

The coyote yawned, and startled the governor

He said it’s because of his fear of snakes, but everyone knows that rocks are as effective as hollow-point bullets when it comes to killing a reptile. But, according to Texas state law, citizens are entitled to shoot at coyotes if they feel that the creature is threatening their livestock or domestic pets. And so, when Perry was confronted by the coyote, who did not heed the governor’s vocal warnings, he had no choice but to send it to coyote heaven.

Perry admitted that the coyote went down immediately following the gunshot wound, and that it probably didn’t feel any pain. He acted with the intentions of saving the young retriever from harm, and protect it he did. The young family dog wasn’t harmed, though the coyote was left to rot in the middle of the dusty road.

As for the gun blast, no report was required, since – according to the Department of Public Safety Spokeswoman, Tela Mange – people are constantly shooting coyotes and snakes, and none of the cases are ever reported.

Technorati Tags: coyote, dog, pistol, rick perry, texas governor

Michael Edelbrock Ph.D.

Michael Edelbrock, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at The University of Findlay, asked students to help him study canine cells using a process that Alexander Vaglenov – M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences – perfected in order to study human cells – not dogs’.

It may seem odd, but, according to Edelbrock, studying how a dog responds to toxic exposure is a great indicator for assessing how a human would react to the very same toxin. As it stands, exposure to environmental pollutants could affect the human genome, resulting in mutations that could potentially lead to serious diseases like cancer. Edelbrock is looking to study the canine population in a controlled geographical environment, to assess how humans would survive in an identical setting.

Edelbrock studies dogs because they resemble humans: genetically speaking.

If these tests discover consistent patterns within the dog’s cells, than eventually they could be employed to analyze the overall environmental quality of a given location; for instance, would a dog be able to live a single day, breathing in the L.A. air?”

Such research like this is currently conducted in $450,000 cutting-edge scientific laboratories, completed prior to the 2007-2008 academic year, and attended by the students and faculty members of the University, as they dig further into the essence of discovery, uncovering the hidden truths of knowledge, and polishing the magnificent facts of biological life.

Technorati Tags: alexander vaglenov, dog, findlay, human, michael edelbrock, university