Canine Corner

Animal Behavior

Do Puppy Classes Have a Lasting Effect on Dog Behavior?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on October 17, 2024

Enrolling a puppy in a puppy class before the age of 6 months reduces the likelihood of adult behavior problems such as aggression and destructive behavior.

Oxytocin

Why Playing With Dogs Is So Good for Kids

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on October 3, 2024

Playing with kids give dogs a proven positivity boost as well.

Consumer Behavior

Are Designer-Crossbred Dogs Healthier Than Purebred Dogs?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on September 5, 2024

Claims have been made that designer crossbred dogs are healthier than the purebred dog breeds that they are derived from. A new study tests this belief.

Animal Behavior

Could Your Dog Be Your Therapist?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on August 16, 2024

Pets could aid people who won't seek treatment.

Loneliness

Is a Dog or a Cat Better at Relieving Loneliness?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on July 23, 2024

Pets make a difference, but as it turns out, not just any pet.

Animal Behavior

How Good Is a Dog's Hearing Compared to Humans?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on July 7, 2024

Dogs can hear specific sounds better than a human does, and vice versa.

Law and Crime

What Is That Dog Doing in the Witness Box?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on June 18, 2024

Therapy dogs to comfort stressed witnesses in court has not gone unchallenged.

Animal Behavior

How a Puppy Whines Affects Their Mother's Behavior

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on May 29, 2024

Canine mothers can recognize the whines and whimpers of puppies from their own litter, and they trigger a strong caregiving response.

Stress

Research Confirms It: Dogs Don't Like Being Hugged

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on May 16, 2024

Most show signs of stress in hugs; many try to bite.

Animal Behavior

Spayed and Neutered Dogs Show More Signs of Aging

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on April 30, 2024

Spaying and neutering dogs is not an effective means of behavioral control but exposes dogs to severe physiological risks and increased signs of aging.

Evolutionary Psychology

Why Do Most Dogs Have Brown Eyes While Wolves Do Not?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on April 17, 2024

Dark-eyed dogs are rated as friendlier and more puppy-like. Brown eyes may have been specifically selected for during the domestication of dogs.

Animal Behavior

What Makes One Dog More Intelligent Than Another?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on April 10, 2024

Dog intelligence has a problem-solving factor, a learning factor, and a G factor that ties them together.

Animal Behavior

Do Spoken Words Create Mental Images in Dogs?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on March 27, 2024

EEG measurements suggest that humans compare seen objects to the mental images evoked by their word labels, and recent data indicates that the same is true for dogs.

Animal Behavior

Can Dogs Tell Lies with a Growl?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on March 13, 2024

When threatened dogs can alter their growls to make themselves appear larger and more dangerous.

Animal Behavior

When the President's Dog Misbehaves

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on February 28, 2024

A number of US presidents have been bothered by the troublesome behaviors of their family dogs. Some of their dogs have been nippy and aggressive, others just embarrassing.

Animal Behavior

If You Died Alone, Would Your Cat or Dog Eat You?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on February 8, 2024

Interviews with first responders suggest that cats may be more predatory than dogs if their owner is deceased.

Animal Behavior

What Dogs Most Like to Watch on TV

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on January 24, 2024

A dog's age and breed influence its TV viewing. Program content, especially the presence of animals other than humans, determines how engaging a video is to canine viewers.

Intelligence

Living With a Pet Can Prevent Age-Related Cognitive Decline

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on January 11, 2024

Loneliness can accelerate the rate of age-related cognitive declines. Pet ownership may slow, or offset, the process.

Environment

Does It Matter if Dogs Are Walked in the City or in Nature?

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on December 28, 2023

New data tests the validity of the idea that dogs walked in natural, rather than urban, settings show reduced stress levels.

Cognition

What Dogs Understand but Cats Cannot

Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC on December 7, 2023

When it comes to responding to human communication gestures, dogs are considerably more accurate than cats. A high proportion of cats simply refuse to be tested.