Canine Corner

The human-animal bond
Stanley Coren, Ph.D.
Kellymmiller73/Shutterstock

Do Nervous Dog Owners Have Nervous Dogs?

Dog owners who have more neurotic personalities tend to have dogs who are nervous and cope with stress less efficiently, a new study finds.
Photo elements from Cameron Ritchie and Brandon Morrison — Creative Commons License

How Dogs Respond to an Angry Expression on a Human Face

Whether your dog looks at your face may depend upon your emotional expression
David Hale Smith photo — Creative Commons License

Dogs Like Variety in Music Including Reggae and Soft Rock

Although most genres of music seem to relax dogs, research shows that soft rock and reggae have the most positive effects
Jose Carlos Castro photo — Creative Commons License

Do Dogs or Cats Make You Look More Attractive?

New data looks at how having a dog or a cat in a photo affects how appealing and attractive the person in the photo appears.
Painting by Edwin Henry Landseer (1839) — Public Domain

Why Do Large Dogs Have Shorter Life Spans Than Small Dogs?

Bigger is not better when it comes to the size of dogs. Recent data help explain why larger dogs age more quickly.
Gopal Aggarwal photo — Creative Commons License

A Dog That Is Afraid of Loud Noises Is Afraid of Everything

Research indicates that dogs that are easily frightened by loud noises are much more apt to be fearful in many situations, show separation anxiety, and even aggressive behaviors.
Yvonne Larsson photo — Creative Commons License

Can We Slow the Aging Process in Dogs?

Aging is a risk factor for many life-threatening diseases in dogs. Pilot data shows that new drug may slow the effects of aging.
John Morris photo — Creative Content License

How Much Wolf Is in Your Dog's Behavior?

Data shows that older dog breeds, that is those that evolved earlier from wolves, show less affection and attachment to human beings.
Bob Bawell photo — Creative Commons License

Does Stress Cause Premature Graying in Dogs?

New data shows that dogs suffering from anxiety and stress will show graying hairs on their face prematurely
Archives of New Zealand — Creative Commons License

Helen Keller and the First Akitas in the United States

Helen Keller, the deaf blind social activist, speaker, and author, is credited with bringing the first Akitas to America.
SCMW photo — Creative Commons License

Why Do Dogs Have Tails?

The dog's tail is not simply a signal flag conveying his mood. It has some other important purposes.
Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license photo

Do We Interpret Dog and Human Emotions in the Same Way?

Recent data answers the question of whether the brain processes emotional expressions of humans and dogs in the same way.
John Perry photo — Creative Commons License

Do Dogs Grieve Over the Loss of an Animal Companion?

New data shows that dogs show grief and stress when they lose a companion animal from their household.
FÄ photo — Creative Commons license

Do Dogs Have Empathy for Other Dogs?

New data shows that a dog who hears the whines and whimpers of another dog may empathize with its stress and try to provide comfort.
Robert Hensley photo — Creative Commons license

What Dogs Do After Training Affects How Much They Remember

Data shows that adding a play session after training can improve a dogs memory and performance by 40%.
SC Psychological Enterprises image

How to Keep a Dog From Jumping on Everyone

You can keep a dog from jumping on people by considering the dog's behavior, and how people usually respond to the behavior.
Pete Eveleigh photo — Creative Commons License

A Dog Is More Likely to Ignore Bad Advice Than a Child

Both dogs and children imitate the behaviors that they see, however dogs are less likely to imitate behaviors that are not relevant to completing a task.
SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd. image

Can Dogs Teach Other Dogs to Speak?

A dog can learn how to make and use specific sounds for communication simply by observing other dogs
angela n photo-Creative Commons License

Can a Dog Really Suffer From Depression?

One of the breakthroughs in veterinary medicine has been the recognition that dogs and humans may have similar psychological problems and can be treated the same way.
Luigi Anzivino photo; Creative Commons License

Can Confiding in Your Dog Improve Your Mental Health?

New data shows that people confide in their dog during times of adversity, but only about certain specific emotions
György Rétvári photo -- Creative Commons License

Just Looking at a Dog Can Make You Smile

A simple set of data demonstrates that merely seeing a dog can make people feel good.
Creative Commons License CC0

Can a Dog's Size Predict Its Intelligence?

New data shows that very large or very small dog breeds rank lower in intelligence.
clipart.com

Do Dogs Prefer Food or Praise?

A new study looks at whether dogs prefer food rewards more than social interaction with their owners by monitoring what goes on inside the dogs brain.
János Rusiczki photo — Creative Commons License

Should You Share Your Cocktail Hour With Your Dog?

Evidence shows that sharing alcoholic beverages with your dog is a bad practice.
Harry Whittier Frees photo -- Public Domain

Dog People Are Popular While Cat People Are Single

Data based on 160,000 Facebook users shows interesting differences in lifestyle, personality and personal preferences between dog people and cat people.
Modified from xxtgxxstock photo -- unrestricted use license

Is the English Bulldog a Doomed Breed?

New data suggests that the gene pool for the English bulldog is too small to maintain a healthy population.
Boston Public Library -- Creative Commons License

Stop the Presses! Dog Owners Are Happier

A new study reveals the impact dog and cat ownership has on the mental well-being, happiness, and life satisfaction of people.
Barbara Din photo - Creative Commons license

Just Being Near You Is Rewarding for Dogs

A new study suggests that dogs find merely being near humans to be rewarding, even without social interactions.
b1ue5ky photo -- Creative Commons license

Which Emotions Do We See in Dogs and Cats?

New data looks at the basic and complex emotions that pet owners observe in their own dogs and cats.
SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd. Photo

How People Perceive Dogs With Docked Tails and Cropped Ears

New data shows that seeing a dog with a docked tail and cropped ears may cause people to believe that the dog is aggressive and its owner might be aggressive as well.

Pages