Recent studies has been testing dogs' ability to use deception to get what they want from humans. A team of researchers headed by Marianne Heberlein of the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Experimental Studies at the University of Zürich wanted to gauge the animals’ ability to be tricky when obtaining treats or benefits from people. The study called "Deceptive-like behaviour in dogs (Canis familiaris)", was published in journal Animal Cognition and … [Read more...]
Understanding Your Dog’s Body Language
December 5, 2016 by
Understanding your dog’s body language is very important, especially when around strangers, small children or new dogs. Bites can happen in an instant. Children often want to hug a cuddly dog and often go in face first. This can frighten even the most stable dogs. A playful encounter can quickly turn antagonistic. Odds are a dog's sharper teeth and claws will win out over a young child's softer skin most every time. At the Peaceable Kingdom shelter, we … [Read more...]
Should You Hug Your Dog?
May 2, 2016 by
Should you hug your dog? I would guess if you love your pet, you have probably given him a squeeze now and then. Some people do it more than others. If makes us feel good as well as our dog - or so we think. However, according to a study by psychologist and author Dr. Stanley Coren, hugging your dog actually raises its stress and anxiety levels. I saw several news items related to this article recently - two on the local TV news plus the New York Times … [Read more...]
Does Your Dog Get Jealous?
July 31, 2014 by
The first thing you learn when introducing a new dog to your household is that they all expect to be treated the same. I have had multiple dogs in my house most of my adult life and can attest that dogs do get jealous if you don’t treat them all in the same way. According to Brandon Griggs in a recent CNN report, “New research suggests that dogs can exhibit jealousy, a human emotion usually ascribed to squabbling siblings or the jilted third of a love … [Read more...]
Why Do Dogs Howl?
July 10, 2014 by
Almost every morning I wake up to howling. It begins with Bill, our smooth coat chihuahua who sleeps downstairs with his brother Ted, who does not howl. Bill will start softly and build volume until Yoshi and Jack answer from the upstairs bedroom. Finally Carl will chime in. Yoshi, the Japanese chin is the most musical, Jack is tone deaf and Carl, the older chihuahua, is a baritone. What I find interesting is that the other dogs in the house never … [Read more...]