Should I Get A Rescue Dog?
“Why buy while those in shelters die?” This mantra from rescue organizations has authentic appeal. Like me, if you’re someone with a soft spot for dogs, the idea of dogs isolated in a cage 24-7 tugs on your heartstrings pretty hard. Every year in the US, people surrender 3.3 million dogs to animal shelters. Adopting […]
The Role Of Genetics in Behavior
When parents have their first child, they tend to believe that the child’s behavior, performance in school, and personality have been molded and shaped by their parenting alone. But when they have a second child, they realize that parenting and a shared home environment do not explain all the differences. Even in a shared environment […]
What in the Whorl?
Research done by Lisa Tomkins at the University of Sydney found that, statistically, right-pawed dogs with a counterclockwise whorl on their chest had twice the chance of succeeding in guide dog school compared to left-pawed dogs equipped with a clockwise whorl on their chest. It sounds crazy, but the science is solid. Dr. Temple Grandin […]
Cognitive Bias in Dogs
Is the glass half-empty or half full? The answer to the question indicates a person’s worldview. Optimists will usually say the glass is half–full, whereas pessimists will usually point out that it’s half–empty. Cognitive bias is the scientific term to describe this phenomenon, but did you know that dogs and many other animals also have cognitive bias. The study […]
Dog Tail Wags – What do they mean?
The direction your dog wags his tail can tell you about his emotional state. A tail that wags more to the right indicates relaxation and wags more to the left during fear and uncertainty. And contrary to popular belief, wagging tails do not always mean a happy dog. Dog communication is so complex, and wagging […]
“Handedness” in Dogs
Did you know dogs can be left- or right-pawed and that it may affect their personality and aptitude for specific tasks? And did you know dogs are mostly right pawed, on average? According to the largest-ever study of canine paw preference, most dogs are right-pawed. Male dogs are more likely to be left-pawed than female […]