Pies: One survey reports that 33% of dog owners admit they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on answering mach

Evidence: 31 • authority: 92

Let's talk about "talking" dogs! Reviewing the science behind a bold idea.. The concept of a "talking" dog has long fascinated humans, as presented throughout history in pieces of folklore, literature, and other fields of culture. While speech, as we know, is a uniquely human trait, the evolution of dogs in close proximity to humans has allowed them to develop strategies that facilitate heterospecific communication with us. In this work, we explore the scientific plausibility of enhancing canine vocalisation towards speech-like communication, as Csányi (Bukfenc és Jeromos: hogyan gondolkodnak a kutyák? Vince K, 2001) suggested. Our approach involves a comprehensive overview of the anatomica…

Evidence: 31 • authority: 88

The Therapeutic Effects Upon Dog Owners Who Interact With Their Dogs in a Mindful Way. Problem. For many in contemporary culture, the pursuit of possession has become an attempt to achieve happiness. However, this path may not always be congruent with psychological well-being. In addition, this path may lead us further away from relationships within the natural world. Humanistic and existential psychologists have suggested that a mindful connection to ourselves, to other-than-human beings, and to the natural world would enable more meaningful lives. If dogs are considered an extension of nature and those interactions between dog and owner that promote mindfulness are examined, there is the…

Evidence: 31 • authority: 72

Dog food is specifically formulated food intended for consumption by dogs and other related canines. Dogs are considered to be omnivores with a carnivorous bias. They have the sharp, pointed teeth and shorter gastrointestinal tracts of carnivores, better suited for the consumption of meat than of vegetable substances, yet also have ten genes that are responsible for starch and glucose digestion, as well as the ability to produce amylase, an enzyme that functions to break down carbohydrates into simple sugars – something that obligate carnivores like cats lack. Dogs evolved the ability living alongside humans in agricultural societies, as they managed on scrap leftovers and excrement from hu…

Evidence: 25 • authority: 88

Hormonal and Neurological Aspects of Dog Walking for Dog Owners and Pet Dogs. The hormone oxytocin is involved in various aspects of the relationship between humans and animals. Dog walking is a common activity for dog owners and their dogs. The walk, of course, should be good for the health of the dog as well as its owner. In Experiment I, we assessed whether salivary oxytocin and cortisol in dog owners changed because of walking their dogs. Ten owners walked with their dogs and walked alone. Similar to other previous research, walking with a dog did not significantly change oxytocin and cortisol. Therefore, in Experiment II, we investigated the effect of dog walking on brain noradrenergic…

Evidence: 25 • authority: 80

Improving dog welfare: Helping owners decode their dogs’ behavior

Evidence: 25 • authority: 92

'My dog is my life': One Health approaches to healthcare for people and their companion animals experiencing homelessness in the United Kingdom.. Around one in ten people seeking shelter from homelessness in the United Kingdom have a companion animal, most commonly a dog. Dog ownership when homeless can pose a barrier to accessing healthcare and accommodation, and may force individuals to sleep on the streets. People experiencing homelessness with a dog are therefore a stigmatised minority within a minority, often invisible to support services and hard to reach. The bond between human and canine in these situations is usually strong; the dog is often the most significant 'other' in that per…

Evidence: 25 • authority: 92

Cross-species conversations: the development of the AURAL-Pet coding system to capture how people talk to pets in daily life.. While pets are a well-established fixture in many households, how owners perceive their pets' roles can range from distant housemates to casual companions to trusted confidantes. At the same time, findings relating to the impact pets have on human health and wellbeing are mixed. A potential explanation for these disparate effects is the naturally occurring variation in daily human-pet interactions and relationship quality. However, there is a lack of methodological approaches that can accurately quantify naturalistic interactions between people and their pets with l…

Evidence: — • authority: 38