Search Results for: blog can dogs be pessimists

Dogs and Guilt: A Case Study

I recently read a study, I don’t remember where now, that claimed to definitively prove that dogs don’t feel any guilt. Researchers left a variety of dogs alone in a room (one dog per room) with some treats. All the dogs were scolded when the humans came back, whether or not they actually got into the treats. Each dog reacted to the admonishment, no matter what it had done. In fact the innocent dogs, the ones that had left the treats alone, acted even more ashamed of the supposed crime than the guilty ones. The researchers concluded that dogs aren’t … Continue reading →

Managing Smart Dogs

Smart is often a selling point for dogs. There are certain breeds, especially those known for herding, that are generally considered the cream of the clever canine crop. Thus if you want an intelligent dog it might not be too hard to seek one out, but there are some things you need to know before adopting a brainy companion. Pet site ZooToo has some tips. The most important thing to consider first is that smart doesn’t necessarily mean easy. We think that it will; we think how nice it will be to have a dog that can fetch slippers and … Continue reading →

Female Dogs Might Think Differently from Male Dogs

Maybe I’ll learn by osmosis A recent article on MSNBC posited that perhaps female dogs are more intelligent than male dogs. Or at least, that’s what the sensationalist headline might lead readers to think. What’s really going on is that a study from the University of Vienna may have found evidence that male and female dogs think in slightly different ways. The study, led by cognitive biologist Corsin Muller, tested domesticated dogs for their comprehension of “object permanence.” Object permanence is a physical law stating that when an object disappears from view, that doesn’t mean that it’s ceased to exist … Continue reading →

Canine Body Language, Pt. 2

Today I finally come to the conclusion of my series looking at explanations for the noises made and body language of dogs and cats. My information comes from articles published on website Paw Nation by animal behavior specialist Amy Shojai. The sounds a dog makes can tell us a lot about what it’s feeling. While barks are meant to warn the household of imminent dangers, they can also indicate that a dog feels conflicted. They’re both playful and defensive gestures; a dog barks when it wants to do something, but isn’t sure that it’s allowed. Thus a dog might bark … Continue reading →

Can Dogs Be Pessimists?

Does my droopy body language mean I’m a pessimist? You know the phrase “are you a glass half empty or a glass half full person?” It’s used to determine whether or not you generally have a positive or negative outlook on life. Well, now one researcher at a pet behavior center in Scotland believes that we can apply the same concept to dogs. Companion animal behaviorist Viv Silverstein from the Pet Behaviour Centre in Cambuslang, Scotland, tells the U.K.’s Daily Record that paying attention to your dog’s body language can actually reveal whether or not it’s a pessimist or an … Continue reading →

Introducing Pets to Newborns, Pt. 1

I am currently babysitting the newborn of a friend until the baby is old enough to go to daycare. The baby will only be at my house for six days, but this is a good opportunity to begin training my dog in how to behave around infants once the time comes for me to have a baby of my own. My dog behaved better than I feared when my friend arrived with her newborn. Our previous experiences with Chihiro at the houses of friends with babies indicated that she might constantly try licking the baby’s face, something she does with … Continue reading →

“Psychic” Pets

A recent poll reported by Newser.com and conducted by The Associated Press and Petside.com concluded that many American pet owners believe that their pets are psychic or have a sixth sense on some level. The actual details vary depending on what questions people were asked. According to the poll, 2/3 of American pet owners believe that animals have a sixth sense about bad weather, and 43% of the people polled say their pets can predict bad news. Owners of both cats and dogs claimed that their feline or canine pets warned them either about poor weather or upcoming bad news. … Continue reading →

Pressure Treatment

The Thundershirt from my last pet blog made me start to wonder about pressure as a treatment for dog anxiety. As I said, I’d never heard of the practice before, so I’m curious as to whether or not it’s a legitimate calming method or something made up by Thundershirt salespeople. After spending a while researching the topic, I’m more inclined to believe the latter. Multiple searches using varied forms of the phrase “pet anxiety pressure treatment” resulted in page after page only talking about the subject specifically in relation to selling the Thundershirt. I’m ready to consider the “pressure as … Continue reading →

The Basics of Horse Care, Pt. 1

With the Christmas season approaching many of us might be considering giving pets as gifts. I’ve always been clear on my stance: don’t give any animal as a surprise present. Make sure the giftee knows what he or she is receiving and is ready and willing for the responsibilities which come with that particular animal. Maybe some of you are actually thinking about purchasing a particular pet that was always my special holidays dream: a horse. Sure I wanted a dog, but I always thought that might be within the realm of possibility. A horse is what I always wanted … Continue reading →

Pheromone Therapy

Valerian, an herb with a soothing effect The day after I posted my article on laser declawing, I received an email from my friend and former roommate Becca. She wanted to share a laser declawing success story; a friend of hers signed her cat up for the surgery and it went very well. The cat was able to jump around the house the same day as the surgery as if everything was normal, and because the procedure did not remove the cat’s knuckles, it can still catch things like houseflies that traditionally declawed cats cannot. I’m excited to hear firsthand … Continue reading →