Futurity.org » dogs

33,000-year-old teeth from domesticated dog

Shelley Littin-Arizona — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:06:57 +0000

U. ARIZONA (US) — An ancient dog skull, preserved in a cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia for 33,000 years, presents some of the oldest known evidence of dog domestication, say researchers.

Together with equally ancient dog remains from a cave in Belgium, the finding indicates domestication of dogs may have occurred repeatedly in different geographic locations rather than with a single domestication event.

Why pet owners love Purina’s ‘dog-noise’ ad

Neil Schoenherr-WUSTL — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:13:00 +0000

WASHINGTON U.-ST. LOUIS (US) — A dog food commercial for Nestlé Purina’s Beneful brand features high-frequency noises intended for dogs’ ears only, but one marketing expert says the ad speaks to pet owners, too.

Marketing expert Carol Johanek says the ad should serve to increase the bond owners feel with their pets.

Flame retardants 10x higher in dogs

Steve Hinnefeld-Indiana — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:43:50 +0000

INDIANA U. (US) — Chemical flame retardants found in household furniture and electronics are showing up in the blood of pet dogs at concentrations five to 10 times higher than in humans.

However, the levels are lower than those found in a previous study of cats, suggesting that dogs may be a better gauge of human exposure to compounds present in the households that they share. The reason: A dog’s metabolism is better equipped to break down the chemicals.

Mummy dogs were godly go-betweens

Jessica Kelly-Cardiff — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:19:31 +0000

U. CARDIFF (UK) — Millions of ancient dogs buried in tunnels were likely used as intermediaries between ancient Egyptians and the gods, according to new research.

The Catacombs of Anubis project, led by Paul Nicholson of Cardiff University, is examining an elaborate labyrinth of tunnels beneath the desert at Saqqara in Egypt that make up the catacomb for the burial of animals sacred to the dog or jackal-headed god Anubis.

To get healthy, get a dog

Jason Cody-Michigan State — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:36:48 +0000

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Man’s best friend may also be health care’s secret weapon. People who own and walk a dog are 34 percent more likely to meet federal benchmarks for physical activity.

“Walking is the most accessible form of physical activity available to people,” says Matthew Reeves, professor of epidemiology at Michigan State University.

Bigger animals sport stiffer ‘shoes’

Karl Bates-Duke — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:24:47 +0000

Whether running, walking or standing still, the bulk of the animal’s weight is borne on that pillowy clover-shaped pad behind the four toes. It’s made of pockets fatty tissue hemmed in by baffles of collagen. A big dog’s weight is borne by the big pad behind the toes. The bigger the animal, the stiffer the pad. (Courtesy: HTO/Wikimedia Commons)

DUKE (US)—The mechanical properties of the pads on the bottom of animals’ feet vary in predictable fashion as animals get larger. In short, bigger critters need stiffer shoes.

For decades, researchers have been looking at how different-sized legs and feet are put together across the four-legged animal kingdom, but until now they overlooked the “shoes,” those soft pads on the bottom of the foot that bear the brunt of the animal’s walking and running.

Designer breeds shape dog genome

Leila Gray-UW — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:36:19 +0000

A very wrinkly Shar-Pei puppy nuzzles a smoother companion. Tiny variations in a certain gene seemed to be linked to whether a Shar-Pei will be wrinkled or smooth. Researchers are working to map canine genome regions that show signs of recent selection and that contain genes that are prime candidates for further investigation. (Credit: Alison Ruhe)

U. WASHINGTON (US)—Researchers have identified 155 regions on the canine genome that appear to have been influenced by selective breeding.

While domestication of dogs began well over 14,000 years ago, diversity among breeds originated in the last few centuries through intense artificial selection and strict breeding for desired characteristics.

Fido or Fluffy: What’s your pet personality?

Tim Green-U. Texas — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:50:26 +0000

“This research suggests there are significant differences on major personality traits between dog people and cat people,” says psychologist Sam Gosling. “Given the tight psychological connections between people and their pets, it is likely that the differences between dogs and cats may be suited to different human personalities.”

U. TEXAS-AUSTIN—Dog people tend to be agreeable extroverts and cat people are more open and neurotic, new research shows.

“There is a widely held cultural belief that the pet species—dog or cat—with which a person has the strongest affinity says something about the individual’s personality,” says Sam Gosling, a University of Texas at Austin psychologist.

Baby and puppy miss the cue . . . again

Nicole Riehl-U. Iowa — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:40:30 +0000

“We like to think our kids and pets are special, and in many ways they are,” says John Spencer. “But in our view, there is no special ability at play here.”

U. IOWA (US)—New findings challenge the conclusions of two recent studies on how babies and dogs respond to certain social cues, suggesting they may not be so clever after all.

Last year, a surprising study led by József Topál of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences showed cues from adults—like nodding, speaking, and pointing—cause babies to perform worse in a classic toy-hiding game. The September 2008 report in Science suggested that babies have a unique ability to “read” social cues in a way that misled them in this particular task.

To get fit—and stay fit—get a dog

Futurity-Jenny Leonard — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:13:35 +0000

With more than two-thirds of Americans now considered overweight and one-third obese, many doctors prescribe weight loss programs as a solution. But previous studies have shown that the number of people who maintain their weight loss decreases drastically after six months. So Cornell University researchers begin a pilot study on if dogs can help their owners lose weight and keep it off.

CORNELL (US)—Can dogs help their owners lose weight—and keep it off? That’s the question researchers at Cornell University hope to answer during a 12-week pilot study.

With more than two-thirds of Americans now considered overweight and one-third obese, research associate Barbour Warren says there’s been a related surge in obesity-related illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis. Many doctors prescribe weight loss programs as a solution, but previous studies have shown that the number of people who maintain their weight loss decreases drastically after six months.