A new study is going towards confirming what many dog-owners may have already suspected: mothers appear to have a biological connection with their dogs. Massachusetts General Hospital veterinarian Lori Palley set up a study to explore the extent of the human-pet connection. The study conducted MRI scans of the brains of moms with young children … Read more
Does it sometimes seems like your dog knows exactly what you’re saying? Research has long shown that dogs respond to intonation and emotion in human speech, but a new study by PhD candidate Victoria Ratcliffe takes a deeper look into the canine brain. Ratcliffe and her team reported their findings in the November 26, 2014 … Read more
What is it? Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a lentivirus (“slow virus) from the same retrovirus family as feline leukemia virus, though it differs from feline leukemia virus in its make-up and effects. Where is it? FIV is found in cats worldwide. In the United States, 1% to 3% of healthy cats are infected with … Read more
So you want to take your dog to the dog park? That’s a great idea, but know what you’re getting into. A lot of myths surround the dog park, and you should address them before letting your dog (and yourself) into one: • My dog is friendly. o Some dogs are friendly to everyone. Some … Read more
It can sure seem like your dog feels guilty when he cowers after chewing up one of your slippers, but what’s really going on in his brain? We certainly like to imagine that our dogs feel joy, guilt, sadness, and love – and this tendency to attribute human emotions to non-human animals is called anthropomorphizing. … Read more