Domesticated animals generally share a common set of traits that set them apart from their wild counterparts, including curly tails, floppy ears, smaller brains, and smaller teeth. This phenomenon is called “domestication syndrome,” and scientists and geneticists have posited several reasons why this may occur. Adam Wilkins and his colleagues at the Stellenbosch Institute of … Read more
A recent study by scholars at the University of California, San Diego have found that dogs exhibited jealously when their owners demonstrated affection towards an animatronic stuffed dog. This news may come as no great surprise considering most of us has seen a dog exhibit jealously, especially when a new family member or animal enters … Read more
Maybe you’re one of those people that is always on the go. You have a different activity planned every weekend and thrive on change. There is nothing wrong with that and it sounds like a lot of fun. Your dog, however, does not thrive on change. She thrives on routine and consistency, and a change … Read more
Are you an outdoorsy kind of person? Do you love hiking? If so, you should consider that when you go to adopt a dog. If you are an avid hiker that goes on strenuous terrain on a regular basis, you should seek out a dog that will be able to successfully keep up with your … Read more
Even though your dog has fur, he has patches of skin vulnerable to mosquito bites- nose and ears, for example. Just as in humans, mosquito bites can be just a source of irritation and annoyance, or they can cause something more serious such as parasite-borne diseases. For dogs, the most serious disease that can come … Read more
When one lives in Arizona or anywhere where the landscape is characterized by native cacti it is important to know what to do if your pet should have a tangle with prickly spines. If you choose to remove the spines with tweezers or pliers be sure to first apply an antibiotic ointment, since the spines … Read more
Appetite changes in your dog, especially dramatic ones, can be a cause for concern. Usually, appetite changes in themselves are a symptom of an underlying condition, be it physiological, environmental, or psychological. Greatly increased appetite in dogs to the extent that your dog appears ravenous all the time (polyphagia) can be caused by a … Read more
I’m sure most humans have at some point or another wished they had no innate taste for carbohydrates or sweets. It would make the summer months less stressful on our waistlines. Cats lucked out in this one seeing they simply cannot taste sweets. In 2005 researchers at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia found that … Read more
After watching movies and maybe your friend’s dogs, you might be under the impression that all dogs are born with the swimming gene, but that’s not the case. Certain breeds like boxers, dachshunds and bulldogs don’t do well in the water at all, but even if you have a breed without physical restrictions, swimming just … Read more
If you are considering adding a second dog to your family, it’s worth thinking hard about how this second dog will affect your family environment, including your first dog. It’s possible to re-home a dog after adoption, but there are emotional implications to this process, for both your family and the dogs. So, there are several … Read more