Snoopy and Lassie tell us a lot about the dramatic changes in the status of the family dog that began in the mid-twentieth century. Snoopy has his famous dog house. He lives outside. He is fed outside. This is consistent with the life of most family dogs up to the time that Charles Schulz began drawing his Peanuts strip. Dogs… read more →
JP Morgan Chase is running a new commercial for their Chase Freedom card. If you haven’t seen it, here is how they describe it: “Watch as these adorable dogs rock costumes ranging from leprechauns to baskets of balloons and patriotic outfits (including the tiny striped hat). Oh, and don’t forget the Chihuahua wearing the bling.” Watching it made me cringe.… read more →
This week thousands of excited children will be given a new puppy for Christmas, just like in this scene from a recent McDonald’s commercial. What could be more adorable than puppies and kids? Too often it turns out poorly though when the realities set in. Here are three tips to help improve your new puppy’s odds of making it. 1.… read more →
“Smartest Dog in the World” is quite a claim. Chaser seems to back it up though. In case you missed his appearance on CBS’s 60 Minutes you can view it here http://www.cbs.com/shows/60_minutes/video/cucSLY74AU2N8tLukKHWqFnN1JluvEjw/the-smartest-dog-in-the-world/ Psychology professor, John Pilley, Chaser’s companion, proves the natural communication ability of dogs. Chaser understands over 1,000 toy names. Pilley has been working with Chaser up to 5… read more →
(Painting by Louis-Michel van Loo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons) In the beginning humans domesticated dogs for utilitarian purposes. Dogs helped as hunters, herders, protectors, and pack animals. It was only later that they became emotional companions. Owning a dog primarily for personal reasons was a luxury. Since most people spent their lives in extreme poverty, who could afford an… read more →
Your dog is relaxing. Suddenly your dog hears you moving. The immediate reaction is to find your face and perk up its ears. That look is a great sign that you are on the right track. You can know that your dog is tuned in. Your dog’s instinct is to pay attention to what you are doing and/or to what… read more →
With all the attention on the family violence NFL players have inflicted on their wives, girl friends, and kids, we shouldn’t forget the family dogs. No doubt, lurking beneath the surface there are many dogs being abused by football bullies. We just don’t see that side of the evil. It is easy to overlook the silent suffering that millions of… read more →
There are heated arguments on both sides of this issue. A 2008 article in the journal Genetics sheds some light on the question. Investigators studied 148 breeds, looking for markers that might control behavioral stereotypes: herding, pointing, excitability, boldness, and trainability. Using dogs showing extreme examples of these characteristics they were able to tentatively identify the associated genes. More significant… read more →