Dogs Are Even More Like Us Than We Thought

Dogs Are Even More Like Us Than We Thought

It's likely no surprise to dog owners, but growing research suggests that man's best friend often acts more human than canine.   Dogs can read facial  expressions, communicate jealousy, display empathy, and even watch TV, studies have shown. They've picked up these people-like traits during their evolution from wolves to domesticated pets, which occurred between 11,000 and 16,000 years ago, experts say.

In particular, "paying attention to us, getting along with us, [and] tolerating us" has led to particular characteristics that often mirror ours, says Laurie Santos, director of the Yale Comparative Cognition Laboratory. Here are a few of the latest studies showing the human side of our canine companions.

Eavesdropping Dogs

Social eavesdropping—or people-watching—is central to human social interactions, since it allows us to figure out who's nice and who's mean.

According to a study published in August in the journal Animal Behaviour, our dogs listen in too.

In a new study, scientists tested 54 dogs that each watched their owners struggle to retrieve a roll of tape from a container. The dogs were divided into three groups: helper, non-helper, and control.

In the helper group, the owner requested help from another person, who held the container. In the non-helper group, the owner asked for help from a person, who then turned their back without helping. In the control group, the additional person turned his or her back without being asked for help. In all experiments, a third, "neutral" person sat in the room.

After the first round of experiments, the neutral person and the helper or non-helper both offered treats to the dog.

In the non-helper group, canines most frequently favored the neutral person's treat, shunning the non-helper. However, in the helper group, the dogs did not favor either the helper or the neutral person over the other. Scientists have previously observed similar results in human infants and tufted capuchin monkeys.

So are dogs taking sides by ignoring the people who are mean to their owners? Only future research will tell.

Made You Look

Gaze following is instinctual for many animals—including humans, chimps, goats, dolphins, and even the red-footed tortoise—because it alerts animals to everything from immediate threats to "a particularly tasty berry bush," says Lisa Wallis, a doctoral student at the Messerli Research Institute in Vienna, Austria.

Dogs were previously thought to follow human gazes only when food or toys were involved. Now, a new study suggests dogs also follow human gazes into blank space—but only if they're untrained.

"We know they should be able to do it," says Wallis, leader of the research published in August in the journal Animal Behaviour, but training was the "missing piece of the puzzle."

In recent experiments, Wallis and her colleagues recruited 145 pet border collies with a range of training levels and ages. The researchers wanted to see if age, habituation, or training influenced the dog's tendency to follow a human's gaze.

Wallis then observed the dogs' reactions as she gazed toward a door. Surprisingly, only the untrained border collies followed her gaze—the trained animals ignored it. That may be because trained dogs learn to focus on a person's face, and not where the person is looking.  

When Wallis and colleagues spent just five minutes teaching the untrained dogs to look at her face, they began ignoring the instinct to follow her gaze.

Even more surprising is that the untrained dogs often glanced back and forth between her and the door, baffled at what she was looking at. The behavior, only seen before in humans and chimps, is called "check backs" or "double looking," she said.

"It's a lesson for us all that we should always examine whether training has an effect in these types of studies," says Wallis.

Next Steps in Dog Research

In humans, aging hastens declines in short-term memory and logical reasoning skills, making it more difficult to learn new tasks. Previous research has found similar declines in dogs, but long-term memory is a little-known aspect of dog biology.

That's why Wallis and colleagues are studying how dogs both young and old memorize tasks, and whether the animals can remember them months later.

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How Dogs show their love to you

How Dogs show their love to you

The sky is blue, water is wet and dogs are affectionate -- at least in most cases. If you have a furry doggie in your life and want to "hear" it when he tells you that he loves you dearly, all you have to do is pay attention.

Licking

Messy, slobbery kisses may be a slight nuisance if you're trying to concentrate on your nighttime reading, but what they signify usually makes up for whatever slight frustration you experience. By licking you, your pooch is telling you that he loves you and loves being around you. In some cases, licking from dogs can also denote feelings of lower social status. However, the expression of obedience and affectionate licking are in no way mutually exclusive things. Your dog may lick you to tell you he loves you -- and also to tell you that he respects your position as his "pack leader."

Nosing

Dogs occasionally display their affectionate feelings toward human beings by lightly pressing against them with their noses. Not only can it be an indication of affection, it can be a request for it, too. If your cutie wants you to drop everything you're doing so you can snuggle up to him and pet him on the back, don't be offended -- it just means he loves you so. Nose nudging isn't an affectionate behavior 100 percent of the time, however. In some cases, it can just mean you're blocking something that your dog really wants.

Tail Wagging

If your dog sees you and his tail immediately starts wagging in wide and sweeping motions, then he indeed likes and loves you. The mere sight of you prompts his furry tail to go to its happy place. Not only does tail wagging show love and affection, it also signifies the utmost esteem.

Rolling

Rolling all over the floor is also a classic sign of doggie affection. If your dog can't wait to plop down onto his back and roll around whenever you're near, it not only means that he genuinely loves you, but that he probably wants you to rub his belly, too -- aww.

Sighing

Happy and joyous dogs who are in their element frequently show it by sighing. Although sighing in humans often points to frustration, the sound is decidedly different in the doggie world. If you gently pet your dog's back and he sighs as you do so, it means he's reveling in it all -- and in your presence, too. It's common for dogs to sigh as good things draw to an end, as well.

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10 Reasons Why Dogs Are Man’s Best Friend

10 Reasons Why Dogs Are Man’s Best Friend

1. Dogs have terribleshort-term memories.

One of the crappier aspects of human friends is that, generally speaking, they remember all of the times you’ve wronged them and will hold it against you for the rest of their lives. Dogs, on the other hand, have the “gift” of poor memory. That means you can mess with their tail, play keep away with their food, and tug on their ears to your heart’s content, even if it annoys them. You get to have your fun, and your dog will forget all about it and treat you like their best bud within a couple minutes! It’s truly one of the only win-win scenarios in life.

2. Dogs have greatlong-term memories.

While your pooch will forget you pulling on their tail, they won’t forget the connection they share with you, and, if you are good to them, you will leave a lasting impact on them that they’ll never shake off. Take, for instance, my dachshund Chester. From a young age he was babied by my mom, and now, nearly twelve years later, he never leaves her side. Unfortunately this sort of thing goes both ways, as I used to mess with him quite a bit on a consistent basis (actually I don’t think it had anything to do with me; he’s just too attached to my mom to like anyone else), and so nowadays he barks in my general direction whenever words of any sort come forth from my mouth.

3. Dogs have your back.

Even though my dog Chester isn’t exactly a huge fan of me, he’ll still take me over strangers. Now, when a dog actually likes me (like my dog Sally does), they’ll defend you even more vehemently. Whenever a creepy solicitor or girl scout cookie peddling entrepreneur knocks on your door, your dog will be right there beside you barking at them as you tremble behind a corner, too afraid to answer. Of course, this can go a little overboard, like this one time when the UPS guy showed up and tried to put a box on my porch, only to be chased away by three dogs rushing out to defend the homeland. Understandably, he now leaves packages by the front gate instead.

4. Dogs can mimic youremotions.

Based on the tone of your voice and your body language, your dog will do its darnedest to emulate your current state of mind. When you’re sad, they’ll look at you with big doe eyes. When your angry, the fur will rise on their backs and they’ll start barking and growling at inanimate objects. Whereas humans might not respond to your emotional upswings and downswings in a way that you’d prefer, dogs will always be there whether you’re thrilled, depressed, or anywhere in between.

5. Dogs act as mini-dishwashers.

Ok, that sounds a little gross, but hear me out. Ever finish dinner and have too little food on your plate to save, but too much that it’d be a hassle to wash it in the sink? Well, here’s where your dog comes in! Just hand the plate over and let them polish it off. They’ll be happy, and you’ll have an easier time doing the dishes!

6. Dogs are great motivational tools.

In case you’re afraid that using your dog as a dishwasher will lead to them becoming overweight, fear not. Dogs prefer being active, at least when they’re younger. Make use of their abundance of energy and take them on walks, or, if you are super ambitious, runs! They’ll be tuckered out and supremely amused, and you’ll be on track to becoming a healthier person!

7. Dogs are freaking smart!

Intelligence varies depending on the kind of breed you get, but overall, dogs are some of the most intuitive animals around. This is demonstrated by their multiple facial expressions (I especially like the one where they tilt their head and look at you quizzically), their ability to deviously hide toys in the strangest of places, and more. One of my dogs is a miniature schnauzer, and he cracks me up with how smart he is. I have a few tennis balls by my desk (which I don’t use for tennis; I just toss em in the air whenever I’m concentrating), and he knows this. So, what he does is go on little reconnaissance missions into my room. If I’m in there, he pretends to look out my window or inspect my bed, while simultaneously stealing a few glances at my tennis balls (which usually lay haphazardly on the floor). Then, he’ll leave, but only after making a mental checklist of where the balls are. Later in the day, or it could even be several days later, I’ll go downstairs and see him happily chewing at one of my tennis balls, a mischievous look in his eye as he gazes up at me. It’s hilarious every time! He planned a stealth mission, waitedfor me to leave my room, retrieved the ball, and escapedwithout me noticing. Sounds like he should be made an honorary Navy Seal…

8. Dogs won’t allow you to eat alone ever again.

Who wants to eat alone? Sure it’s nice sometimes, but even as an introvert I’ll admit to liking a nice dinner with other people (only if I enjoy their company of course). Well, fear not, because if you have a dog you’ll always have company for dinner. Of course, they’ll be sitting by your knee, panting in your face, asking for your food, but it’s company all the same! Recently I went to go eat alone in my room, when I heard a distinct huffing and puffing outside my door. Turns out my 14 year old dachshund Sally had dragged her fat little body all the way up two flights of stairs to be there while I ate (presumably because she expected me to give her some of my Chinese food — oh and by the way she looked exactly like the corgi pictured in the above gif). After you’ve had a dog, it’s difficult to eat without the incessant barking in the background!

9. Dogs won’t leave you hanging.

Ever make plans with a human friend, only to find out that they canceled at the last minute? Well, no need to worry about that when you have a dog. They don’t know how to use phones, as far as I know, so there’s no reason to fear them calling up the neighbor’s poodle to see if they want to hit up some local bars, abandoning you to your TV and a paltry, lonesome microwave dinner. They’re there for you and you alone!

10. Dogs know how to live.

To put it simply, dogs behave like humans who aren’t concerned about the more ridiculous aspects of sentient existence. For example, paying the bills, getting an education, running errands, dealing with annoying people all of the time, etc. All they want to do is wake up, say hi to you, run around, play with their toys, eat, nap, eat again, nap again, say hi again, and sleep. Is that so bad?! Sure, we humans have certain responsibilities thanks to our “intelligence,” but it sure would be nice if we could all go through life like dogs; care free and completely sure of ourselves. At the very least, if you have a dog, you can live vicariously through them.

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Dog and Cat People Reveal Why They Love Their Animals

Dog and Cat People Reveal Why They Love Their Animals

For many of us, family life is a multi species affair—and although we don’t get to choose our relatives, we do get to pick our pets. What makes us identify with and select one type of animal over another?  

If one thing is clear from the results, it’s that the answer is complex This is reflected in the incredibly heterogeneous responses we received from readers who, as it turned out, keep a remarkable array of pets. Nevertheless, a few patterns did emerge—particularly in answer to this question: Explain why you prefer cats, dogs, neither or both. The answers yielded such distinct camps that we decided to visualize them as word clouds (in which the size of each word reflects how frequently it was used).

Cat people tended to focus on practical reasons for loving felines, namely the lower maintenance demands. More than any other descriptive, the word “independent” dominated, perhaps because it both describes the feline personality and the ease of cat care. It came up a whopping 139 times in the explanations that the 520 self-described cat people gave for their preferences.

Dog people, on the other hand, emphasized classic canine personality traits. Words such as “loyal,” “loving,” “affectionate” and “companions” came up repeatedly. Some more practical considerations came up as well, particularly allergies to cats that all but disqualified felines as pets. But it was clear that, above all, dog people valued the close interactions they have with their pets—a sharp contrast from cat people’s emphasis on independence.Although the majority of pet owners in our poll kept either a cat or a dog, more participants identified themselves as both cat and dog people than either or neither type. In their explanations these cat- and dog-loving people tended to emphasize that each species appeals to different parts of their personalities and that they are fond of many other kinds of animals as well.

Personality data from poll participants also revealed a few patterns. We asked readers to rate, on a scale of 1 to 5, how strongly they identified with certain descriptors, such as assertiveness and empathy. As in previous studies and polls, we found that cat people tend to rate themselves as more reserved and quiet than dog people do. Findings like these support the notion that certain personality traits may predispose a person to choosing one pet over another. But our survey also found that on many measures these two archetypal pet owners were not so different. Their self-ratings of openness to new experiences and dependability, for example, were very similar.

Although cats and dogs were by far the most popular pets, participants in our survey also reported keeping shrews, squirrels, potbellied pigs and fennec foxes (among other unusual animals). After dogs and cats, the most popular pets in our survey were fish, birds, rabbits, horses and turtles, in that order.

Another piece of the pet preference puzzle is that, of course, many people keep more than one type of pet. We found a few pet-pairing trends. For example, more than 80 percent of horse owners also own a dog and, more surprisingly, 25 percent of snake owners also own a bird.An important caveat: our survey was informal, not scientific. In fact, rigorous research on the subject remains scarce. Even so, our findings contribute to a growing appreciation of the powerful bond between pets and people, and how much about it remains to be explored.
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Why Get a Dog Reason behind It

Why Get a Dog Reason behind It

Do you have ever thought about having a Dog in your house?

Are you still thinking about that?

So don’t think more about that your confusion is now over! Go and get a dog today in your house they will share your sadness your aloneness they keep you happy motivated and energetic. There are some more reasons behind why should you have a Dog.

This is my personal experience that for me, life before dogs was not very happy, nor very healthy. The only time I used to laugh was when I was chugging gin and tonic (love that drinks!). Now, my dogs make me laugh all the time. I have a two friend now name is Sheru and Chitu I play with them all the time when I present in my house.

Reason 1:-

A dog will keep you happy, healthy, and help you lose some weight.

Physical exercise is extremely important to living a healthy and happy life.

I hear this all the time, but motivating me to actually go to the gym every day is close to impossible. I pretty much have to fight a mental battle with myself every day, and frequently, it is my lazy butt persona who wins.

Unlike visits to the gym, I can’t get lazy, and I can’t come up with excuses of other things I need to do. When it is time for their walks, they will come and find me, and give me intense, meaningful looks.

I have had several fitness coaches, but none have been able to motivate me as well as my dogs. Those deep eyes, and expectant faces gets me off my lazy butt every day of the week.

Reason 2:-

A dog will keep your mind engaged and active.

In addition to physical exercise, mental exercise is also important to living a healthy life. My dogs have taught me many things, and they continue to challenge me every day.

For example, dogs have a really weird fashion sense. They do not see the difference between a pair of torn-up sneakers, and my prizedJimmy Choo shoes. Both are fair game as chew toys they also think that mud on designer clothing is very much in style. Therefore, I have to come up with many ingenious ways to convince them that there is some value to human fashion after all.

Getting dogs to respect human fashion, as well as follow basic house rules and manners, can take a surprising amount of time and mental effort. As a result, I think less about food, and burn off extra calories while matching mental wills with my dogs; otherwise called dog obedience training.

Reason 3:-

A dog will teach you to relax and be Zen.

Live in the moment, and follow your own wisdom, that is what Zen is about.

Telling someone to “live in the moment” is similar to telling someone to “buy low and sell high Easy to say, but very difficult to implement. Dogs, however, make living in the moment seem easy, because that is what they naturally do every second of the day.

Some people mistake this to mean that dogs do not feel or do not have memories. Quite the opposite. Just like us, they may feel stressed, or depressed. However, the key difference is they move on and leave the past behind.

My dogs help me stay connected to the world around me. They provide me with a fun, and sometimes very demanding activity to take my mind away from my troubles. They teach me to move on and let things go, just by being who they are.

This results in less stress, less sadness, and a happier, healthier life.

Reason 4

A dog will make you laugh.

My dogs make me laugh every day. They are always doing silly and funny things that make me smile, even when I am troubled.

My Sheru has this butt-in-the-air move (see below) that he thinks is just too hot to touch. Whenever he has an audience, he will start performing this butt-move as if to say, “look at me, I’m too sexy!”.

Studies have shown that there are many health benefits to laughter. It can boost our immune system and help stave off viral infections. It can help us relax, and reduce stress related illnesses (e.g. high-blood pleasure, ulcers).

Laughter is also a good tonic against negative feelings such as depression, frustration and anger.A life filled with laughter, is a good life.

Reason 5:-

A dog will be your loyal friend for life.

Dogs spend much of their lives observing us; our mannerisms, routines, and quirks. They probably understand us better than we understand ourselves.

As a result, dogs share a bond with us that is difficult to replicate with people.

They have a natural sense of empathy, and can easily sense changes in our emotions, however slight. Thus while everyone else may be oblivious to my troubles, my dog will come over and put his head on my lap.

Strange as it may seem, dogs communicate better than people do. Although they may speak a different language, they express themselves more clearly and more truthfully. They don’t say yes when they mean no and vice versa.

With a dog you always know where you stand.

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Health benefits of pets (dogs and cats)

Are you living alone?

Are you living far from your home?

Are you suffering from disease?

All these reason tends to you depress you maximize your tress in life

But don’t be worry there is solution for your every problem.

So let’s having Pets with you to talk to you and be with you always.

If you will own a pet, you already know how much fun and affection they can bring. But did you know that pets also come with some pretty powerful mental and physical health benefits? Dogs in particular can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, eases loneliness, encourages exercise and playfulness, and even improves your cardiovascular health. Caring for a dog can help children grow up more secure and active or provide valuable companionship for older adults. Perhaps most importantly, though, a dog can add real joy and unconditional love to your life.

More than any other animal, dogs have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and our behavior and emotions. While dogs are able to understand many of the words we use, they’re even better at interpreting our tone of voice, body language, and gestures. And like any good human friend, a loyal dog will look into your eyes to gauge your emotional state and try to understand what you’re thinking and feeling (and to work out when the next walk or treat might be coming, of course!)

While most dog owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with canine companions, many remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure of playing with or snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the benefits of the human-animal bond. The American Heart Association has linked the ownership of pets, especially dogs, with a reduced risk for heart disease and greater longevity. If you care your pet well you will always be happy give your pets best love from your side . Don’t treat them like they are animal, feed them with better food available do not purchase duplicate dog foods always purchase best food for dogs and lets play them with pet toys buy all thing from online take a look http://www.4petneeds.com/  we have all range of pet needs on very reasonable pries. For your every pet needs take a look 4petneeds.com