tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/canine-studies-5255/articlescanine studies – The Conversation2022-08-25T20:03:46Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1892972022-08-25T20:03:46Z2022-08-25T20:03:46ZDogs can get dementia – but lots of walks may lower the risk<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480752/original/file-20220824-13-vjkv7g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=38%2C38%2C5137%2C3406&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.pexels.com/photos/2123773/pexels-photo-2123773.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1260&h=750&dpr=2">Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dogs get dementia too. But it’s often difficult to spot. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15837-9">Research</a> published today shows how common it is, especially in dogs over ten years old.</p>
<p>Here are some behavioural changes to watch out for in your senior dog and when to consult your veterinarian.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1489861843875028992"}"></div></p>
<h2>What is doggy dementia?</h2>
<p>Doggy dementia, or canine cognitive dysfunction, is similar to <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-causes-alzheimers-disease-what-we-know-dont-know-and-suspect-75847">Alzheimer’s disease</a> in humans, a progressive brain disease that comes with behavioural, cognitive and other changes.</p>
<p>It is generally seen in dogs over eight years old, but can occur in ones as young as six. </p>
<p>Pet owners may dismiss many behaviour changes as just a normal part of ageing. So it’s likely there are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787808001779">more dogs</a> with it than we realise.</p>
<p>Veterinarians can also find it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6582309/">difficult to diagnose</a>. There is no accurate, non-invasive test for it. And, just like humans, senior dogs are likely to have a number of other health issues that can complicate diagnosis.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-dont-dogs-live-as-long-as-humans-93374">Curious Kids: Why don't dogs live as long as humans?</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Does my dog have dementia?</h2>
<p>Dogs with dementia can often get lost in their own backyard or home. They can get stuck behind furniture or in corners of the room, because they forget they have a reverse gear. Or they walk towards the hinge side of a door when trying to go through. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480712/original/file-20220824-18-ryjatq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480712/original/file-20220824-18-ryjatq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480712/original/file-20220824-18-ryjatq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480712/original/file-20220824-18-ryjatq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480712/original/file-20220824-18-ryjatq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480712/original/file-20220824-18-ryjatq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480712/original/file-20220824-18-ryjatq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sixteen-year-old Sheedy ‘stuck’ behind the foot rest, unable to figure out how to walk around.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Used with permission, Samantha Hobbs</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dogs’ interactions with people and other pets can change. They may seek less or more affection from their owners than before, or start to get grumpy with the other dog in the home where once they were happy housemates. They may even forget faces they have known all their lives.</p>
<p>They also tend to sleep more during the day and be up more at night. They may pace, whine or bark, seemingly without purpose. Comfort does not often soothe them, and even if the behaviour is interrupted, it usually resumes quite quickly.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480755/original/file-20220824-24-q7xuh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480755/original/file-20220824-24-q7xuh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480755/original/file-20220824-24-q7xuh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480755/original/file-20220824-24-q7xuh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480755/original/file-20220824-24-q7xuh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480755/original/file-20220824-24-q7xuh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480755/original/file-20220824-24-q7xuh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480755/original/file-20220824-24-q7xuh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Senior dogs may get confused.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Editor supplied</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sometimes caring for a senior dog with dementia is like having a puppy again, as they can start to toilet inside even though they are house-trained. It also becomes difficult for them to remember some of those basic behaviours they have known all their lives, and even more difficult to learn new ones.</p>
<p>Their overall activity levels can change too, everything from pacing all day, non-stop, to barely getting out of bed. </p>
<p>Lastly, you may also notice an increased level of anxiety. Your dog may not cope with being left alone any more, follow you from room to room, or get easily spooked by things that never bothered them before.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480756/original/file-20220824-26-6h01pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480756/original/file-20220824-26-6h01pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480756/original/file-20220824-26-6h01pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480756/original/file-20220824-26-6h01pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480756/original/file-20220824-26-6h01pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480756/original/file-20220824-26-6h01pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=643&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480756/original/file-20220824-26-6h01pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=643&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480756/original/file-20220824-26-6h01pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=643&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Watch for gradual changes in behaviour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Editor supplied</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>I think my dog has dementia, now what?</h2>
<p>There are some medications that can help reduce signs of doggy dementia to improve quality of life and make caring for them a little easier. So, if you think your dog is affected, consult your veterinarian.</p>
<p>Our group is planning research into some non-drug treatments. This includes looking at whether exercise and training might help these dogs. But it’s early days yet.</p>
<p>Unfortunately there is no cure. Our best bet is to reduce the risk of getting the disease. This latest study suggests exercise might be key.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480758/original/file-20220824-16-he6swc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480758/original/file-20220824-16-he6swc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480758/original/file-20220824-16-he6swc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480758/original/file-20220824-16-he6swc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480758/original/file-20220824-16-he6swc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480758/original/file-20220824-16-he6swc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480758/original/file-20220824-16-he6swc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480758/original/file-20220824-16-he6swc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There is no cure for canine cognitive dysfunction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.pexels.com/photos/133163/pexels-photo-133163.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=800">Pexels/Klas Tauberman</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What did the latest study find?</h2>
<p>US research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15837-9">published today</a> gathered data from more than 15,000 dogs as part of the <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/">Dog Aging Project</a>.</p>
<p>Researchers asked pet dog owners to complete two surveys. One asked about the dogs, their health status and physical activity. The second assessed the dogs’ cognitive function. </p>
<p>Some 1.4% of the dogs were thought to have canine cognitive dysfunction.</p>
<p>For dogs over ten years old, every extra year of life increased the risk of developing dementia by more than 50%. Less-active dogs were almost 6.5 times more likely to have dementia than dogs that were very active.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480744/original/file-20220824-16-jt1h0i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480744/original/file-20220824-16-jt1h0i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480744/original/file-20220824-16-jt1h0i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480744/original/file-20220824-16-jt1h0i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480744/original/file-20220824-16-jt1h0i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480744/original/file-20220824-16-jt1h0i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/480744/original/file-20220824-16-jt1h0i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Keeping your dog active could help prevent doggy dementia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Used with permission from Lauren Bevan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While this might suggest regular exercise could protect dogs against dementia, we can’t be sure from this type of study. Dogs with dementia, or with early signs of dementia, may be less likely to exercise. </p>
<p>However, we do know exercise can reduce the risk of dementia <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0799-5">in people</a>. So walking our dogs may help them and us reduce the risk of dementia.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-my-dog-too-cold-how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-walk-heres-how-to-tell-184141">Is my dog too cold? How cold is too cold for a walk? Here's how to tell</a>
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<h2>‘I love my girl so much’</h2>
<p>Caring for a dog that has dementia can be hard, but rewarding. In fact, our group is studying the impact on carers.</p>
<p>We believe the burden and stress can be similar to what’s been reported when <a href="https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/caregiver-health/caregiver-stress">people care</a> for someone with Alzheimer’s.</p>
<p>We also know people love their old dogs. One research participant told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I love my girl so much that I am willing to do anything for her. Nothing is too much trouble.</p>
</blockquote><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189297/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Hazel is affiliated with RSPCA South Australia and the Dog & Cat Management Board of South Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracey Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>You may dismiss many behaviour changes as just a normal part of ageing. But it may be doggy dementia, or canine cognitive dysfunction.Susan Hazel, Senior Lecturer, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of AdelaideTracey Taylor, PhD Candidate, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1544262021-02-02T09:51:48Z2021-02-02T09:51:48ZHow to tell if your dog is a genius<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381750/original/file-20210201-21-exkmth.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=86%2C46%2C4343%2C3380&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Canine genius.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/clever-pomeranian-dog-book-sheltered-blanket-620037350">KristinaSh/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Anyone who has lived with a dog will know their capacity for learning the meaning of words, even ones you don’t want them to know. How many times have you had to spell the words “walk” or “dinner” in the hope of avoiding an explosion of excitement?</p>
<p>Previous studies have investigated how non-human animals, including <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635710000148">chimpanzees</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1901/jeab.2002.78-449">sea lions</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32864425/">rhesus monkeys,</a> learn words. But now <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-81699-2">a paper</a> published in Nature shows some dogs learn the name of a new object after hearing it only four times, an ability previously thought to be confined to humans.</p>
<p>The researchers found this ability was not common among all the dogs studied, instead it may be limited to a few “talented” or highly trained individuals. So how can you tell whether your own dog is a genius or not?</p>
<p>The study was simple, and easy to replicate at home. Just follow the steps the researchers took to see whether your dog can learn the names of objects as quickly. But don’t worry if your dog doesn’t have this ability, it might just be down to their breed or previous experience.</p>
<h2>Whisky and Vicky Nina</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A collie standing in front of a pile of toys." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381707/original/file-20210201-13-p98vbj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381707/original/file-20210201-13-p98vbj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=866&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381707/original/file-20210201-13-p98vbj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=866&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381707/original/file-20210201-13-p98vbj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=866&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381707/original/file-20210201-13-p98vbj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1088&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381707/original/file-20210201-13-p98vbj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1088&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381707/original/file-20210201-13-p98vbj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1088&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Whisky the collie.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.eurekalert.org/multimedia_prod/pub/web/254343_web.jpg">Claudia Fugazza</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The new study involved a collie called Whisky, who knew 59 objects by name, and a Yorkshire terrier called Vicky Nina, who knew 42 toys.</p>
<p>The researchers tested each dogs’ knowledge of their toys by asking them to bring each toy in turn. Neither the owners nor the experimenters could see the toys, to avoid influencing the dogs’ choice.</p>
<p>Once it was established the dogs knew the names of all their toys, the researchers introduced two new objects, placing each in turn in a group of known toys. In this test Whisky chose the new toy every single time. Vicky Nina fetched the right one in 52.5% of trials, which is slightly above chance.</p>
<h2>Learning new names</h2>
<p>For the next part of the study the dog was shown a toy, told its name and was then allowed to play with it. After four repetitions of the name of two different new toys, the dog was asked to choose one of the two new toys.</p>
<p>No familiar toys were included in this part of the trial, to prevent the dog choosing the right toy by exclusion. If it knows the name of all other toys, the dog might pick the correct toy because it guesses the unfamiliar word must indicate the unfamiliar toy.</p>
<p>Both dogs chose the new toy more often than chance would predict, suggesting they were indeed learning the name of a new object very quickly. However, their memory decayed considerably after 10 minutes and almost completely after one hour. This shows the new learning needs more reinforcement if it is to be retained.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/six-tips-for-looking-after-your-new-puppy-according-to-science-152837">Six tips for looking after your new puppy, according to science</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The test involving the new toy was also carried out by 20 volunteers with their own dogs, but these dogs didn’t show the ability to learn new names after few hearings. </p>
<p>The authors suggested the difference between the performance of the two dogs in their test and the volunteer dogs means, in order to learn new names quickly, the dog might need to be unusually intelligent or to have a lot of experience in learning names.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A dog surrounded by toys." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381706/original/file-20210201-15-5t9zeu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381706/original/file-20210201-15-5t9zeu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381706/original/file-20210201-15-5t9zeu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381706/original/file-20210201-15-5t9zeu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381706/original/file-20210201-15-5t9zeu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381706/original/file-20210201-15-5t9zeu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381706/original/file-20210201-15-5t9zeu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vicky Nina with all her toys.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.eurekalert.org/multimedia_prod/pub/web/254344_web.jpg">Marco Ojeda</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Clever dogs</h2>
<p>It seems likely there are a combination of factors at work in these experiments. It’s significant that the breed most commonly used in studies of this type is a border collie, which is purposefully bred to attend to audible commands and is very highly motivated to carry out tasks and to please the handler. Yorkshire terriers also enjoy mental and physical stimulation.</p>
<p>Similar tests have been carried out by other research groups, usually using border collies. In 2004, <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/304/5677/1682?hwshib2=authn%3A1612084426%3A20210130%253A3733da58-6b54-4785-b3ad-4917519faa88%3A0%3A0%3A0%3Aznm6Gr1EVRyJyRN%2F34fHiQ%3D%3D">a dog called Rico</a> was found to know the names of 200 different objects, and in 2011 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635710002925">Chaser learnt 1,022</a> unique objects.</p>
<p>Other breeds may simply be less interested in playing with or fetching toys. For example sight hounds, such as salukis and greyhounds, are primarily bred for hunting or racing, so are generally more difficult to train. They may show no interest in toys at all, as well as being considerably less motivated to please the handler.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wr_P5NR1A3k?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Clever dogs can learn new names quickly.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Both the experimental dogs in this study were intensively trained, through play and social interaction, to pay attention to the names and characteristics of the toys. This might make them more likely to notice the differences between new and familiar toys, and to attend to the verbal cue associated with them. </p>
<p>Although their training was not formal, it was nevertheless positive reinforcement training, a powerful method for teaching animals and humans. The dogs have undoubtedly learned their skills to a high degree.</p>
<p>It’s quite possible to teach all dogs to perform tasks, including learning the names of objects. But the degree to which they’re willing and able to learn, and to carry out the task, is very much regulated by breed of dog and the level of motivation the individual dog possesses.</p>
<p>If your pet is an Afghan hound or a St Bernard, you should not expect it to be interested in spending hours fetching toys for you. If, on the other hand, you have a border collie or a poodle, their abilities may only be limited by your imagination and your dedication to playing with them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154426/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jan Hoole does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A new study found some dogs learn the name of a new object after hearing it only four times.Jan Hoole, Lecturer in Biology, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1327192020-03-03T12:08:31Z2020-03-03T12:08:31ZCould a dog pick the next president?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317856/original/file-20200228-24676-hh4ibz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C65%2C2703%2C1870&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A patriotic pooch.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/super-cute-bulldog-puppy-laying-on-290552843">JStaley401/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I’m not sure who first said it, but it’s clear <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=never+trust+a+person+who+doesn%27t+like+dogs">a lot of people agree</a> with the <a href="https://twitter.com/biiimurray/status/529765805123051520?lang=en">sentiment</a>: “<a href="https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/869126984785375233?lang=en">Never trust a person who doesn’t like dogs</a>.” Many pet lovers share the belief that a person’s attitude to dogs reveals something essential about their character.</p>
<p>During the political campaign season, Americans are deciding who has the characteristics, skills and temperament to be president. As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Tk06aX4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">dog psychologist</a> and founder of the <a href="https://psychology.asu.edu/research/labs/canine-science-collaboratory-wynne">Canine Science Collaboratory</a> at Arizona State University, I spend my time studying the relationship between dogs and their people. I’d certainly be happy if a candidate’s attitude toward dogs could offer a simple way to evaluate a leader’s personality, cutting to the essence of a person’s character and clinching my vote without needing a detailed assessment of their policy proposals. </p>
<p>Is it enough just to follow the leash to choose a leader? There must be good people with bad dogs, or no dog at all, and some notoriously bad people who were loved by their dogs, no? But I want to believe that canine companionship can still shed <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a27112793/2020-presidential-candidates-dogs-pets/">light</a> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/meet-pets-dogs-presidential-contenders-beto-s-turtle-n1000941">on</a> <a href="https://qz.com/1552748/meet-the-dogs-of-the-2020-presidential-race/">human</a> <a href="https://slate.com/human-interest/2019/11/2020-democratic-primary-dogs-warren-bailey-buttigieg-truman-buddy-biden-major.html">character</a> and help us pick a candidate.</p>
<h2>Dogless in the White House</h2>
<p>For the past three years, the pup-parazzi have been speculating on President Donald Trump’s dogless existence at the White House. It’s certainly most common for the president to have a dog – perhaps because, as someone reputedly said, “<a href="https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/23/washington-dog-truman/">If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog</a>.”</p>
<p>The Washington Post has claimed that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/02/12/trump-first-president-century-with-no-dog-explains-why-i-dont-have-any-time/">every occupant of the White House since William McKinley</a> has had a dog at some point. Just a couple of weeks ago, Trump declared at a rally that having a dog would be “phony.” </p>
<p>The only dog he has expressed any enthusiasm for while in office was the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/27/us/politics/trump-dog-al-baghdadi-raid.html">Belgian Malinois involved in the raid</a> that resulted in the death of Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. As for al-Baghdadi, Trump said he “<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-confirms-islamic-state-leader-killed-by-us-military-11846633">died like a dog</a>.”</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BqSVOuBluqB","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Dog friends</h2>
<p>Among the Democratic front-runners, Joe Biden shares his life with a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2018/11/18/joe-biden-adopts-rescue-dog-german-shepherd-named-major/2047503002/">German shepherd, Major</a>. This may be a good move for the uniformed vote: German shepherds are a <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/german-shepherd-canine-cop/">favored breed of military and police forces</a>. Biden has always preferred German shepherds, but, for his latest – acquired in November 2018 – he softened the image by adopting a puppy that had been <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2018/11/18/joe-biden-adopts-rescue-dog-german-shepherd-named-major/2047503002/">exposed to toxic chemicals</a> and was being cared for by the Delaware Humane Society.</p>
<p>Biden might want to be careful of the historical baggage that comes with this popular large breed. The most famous German shepherd in politics must surely have been Blondi, the dog Adolf Hitler himself said was the only being that loved him.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317857/original/file-20200228-24659-c5sgi8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317857/original/file-20200228-24659-c5sgi8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317857/original/file-20200228-24659-c5sgi8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317857/original/file-20200228-24659-c5sgi8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317857/original/file-20200228-24659-c5sgi8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317857/original/file-20200228-24659-c5sgi8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317857/original/file-20200228-24659-c5sgi8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317857/original/file-20200228-24659-c5sgi8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Elizabeth Warren’s dog, Bailey, gets a belly rub from a supporter.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/supporters-of-us-presidential-candidate-and-massachusetts-news-photo/1199267875">Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Elizabeth Warren has a dog with a gentler association. Warren’s stereotypically family-friendly golden retriever, Bailey, is named for George Bailey from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Warren said she named her dog for “a guy who was <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/395934-elizabeth-warren-announces-name-of-new-puppy">decent, determined and saw the best in people</a>.” Warren’s <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/10/01/elizabeth-warren-golden-retriever-dog-bailey-mh-orig.cnn">Bailey is front and center</a> in all her campaign activities.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://twitter.com/firstdogsSB/status/1194988680265523200","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Bailey features so prominently in his owner’s social media feeds that Warren might want to be careful not to be upstaged by her pooch. George H.W. Bush’s dog, Millie, published <a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/millies-book">a memoir that outsold</a> President Ronald Reagan’s contemporaneous “An American Life.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/03/01/802023529/pete-buttigieg-suspends-presidential-bid">Pete Buttigieg has suspended his campaign</a>, effectively dropping out of the race. He and his husband Chasten already had a shelter mutt, Truman, when they added another – Buddy – to their household in December 2018. Marie Claire magazine considers <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7109061/Truman-Buddy-Buttigieg-pooches-Mayor-Pete-Twitter-famous.html">Buddy and Truman</a> “<a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a26973141/pete-buttigieg-dogs-instagram-twitter/">the cutest fur babies in all of politics</a>.” Buddy is the ultimate underdog: rescued from a shelter, of no particular heritage. With only one eye, he peeks out from Instagram voicing droll commentary on the goings-on.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BvAny-dguBI","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Dog-detached?</h2>
<p>Other candidates either have no dog or are happy to keep their canine enthusiasms to themselves.</p>
<p>The Facebook group “Pet Lovers for Bernie Sanders” had to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Pets4NoOligarchy/photos/a.1600450870229019/1601798060094300/?type=1&theater">photo-edit dogs</a> into an image of Sanders and his wife, who have no dog. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317858/original/file-20200228-24701-f46vem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317858/original/file-20200228-24701-f46vem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317858/original/file-20200228-24701-f46vem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317858/original/file-20200228-24701-f46vem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317858/original/file-20200228-24701-f46vem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317858/original/file-20200228-24701-f46vem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317858/original/file-20200228-24701-f46vem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317858/original/file-20200228-24701-f46vem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=755&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">These pets do not actually belong to Bernie Sanders.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/Pets4NoOligarchy/photos/a.1600450870229019/1601798060094300/?type=1&theater">Pet Lovers for Bernie Sanders Facebook group</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Michael Bloomberg was in the “apparently dogless” camp until just the other week when he got into a spot of dog difficulty by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/01/30/michael-bloomberg-shakes-dog-snout-moos-pkg-ebof-vpx.cnn">shaking a pooch by its snout</a> rather than engaging in one of the more customary forms of interspecies greeting. The dog looked unperturbed, but pet lovers on social media <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/29/mike-bloomberg-shake-dog-snout-video">roasted Bloomberg</a> for his maladroitness.</p>
<p>The billionaire’s campaign quickly stitched together a 30-second ad spot of dogs voiced to endorse their candidate – ending with a cute white Lab who “says,” “I’m Mike Bloomberg’s dog, <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bloomberg-2020-dog-ad-video_n_5e31e4c1c5b6aa15c6df512d">and I approve this message.”</a></p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1222552068231176192"}"></div></p>
<h2>Canine character references</h2>
<p>Of course, dogless people get elected all the time – they can always pick up a pooch later. The Obama family did not acquire their dog, Bo, until three months <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/obama-legacy/sunny-and-bo-white-house-dogs.html">after the inauguration</a>. Having originally indicated an interest in rescuing a shelter mutt, they ended up with a pedigree Portuguese water dog because of their <a href="https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20081112/hypoallergenic-dogs-dog-allergies-faq">daughter Malia’s allergies</a>. Though often known as the “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bill-clintonthe-big-doggets-fixed-1451953476">Big Dog</a>,” Bill Clinton did not acquire a dog of his own, a chocolate Labrador retriever, until his second term.</p>
<p>On Trump’s doglessness, the memoirs of his ex-wife, Ivana, are often quoted: “<a href="http://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/raising-trump/index.html">Donald was not a dog fan</a>. When I told him I was bringing Chappy with me to New York, he said, ‘No.’ ‘It’s me and Chappy or no one!’ I insisted, and that was that.” But two sentences farther on – and far less frequently cited – Ivana adds, “Donald never objected to Chappy’s sleeping on my side of the bed.” </p>
<p>In fact, from 2010 to 2015, the Westminster Kennel Club had a tradition of sending the winner of its annual show to be photographed with Trump at his eponymous New York tower. Images <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/photos/a.488852220724/10155220197675725/?type=3&theater">from</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WKCDogShow/photos/a.10150108125721506/10151433474621506/?type=3&theater">that</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/photos/a.488852220724/10151289370045725/?type=3&theater">time</a> show Trump <a href="https://thefreshtoast.com/daily-delight/weekly-delight-election-edition-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-posing-dogs/">happily hugging the pooches</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317855/original/file-20200228-24651-fkrru3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317855/original/file-20200228-24651-fkrru3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/317855/original/file-20200228-24651-fkrru3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317855/original/file-20200228-24651-fkrru3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317855/original/file-20200228-24651-fkrru3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317855/original/file-20200228-24651-fkrru3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317855/original/file-20200228-24651-fkrru3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/317855/original/file-20200228-24651-fkrru3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Donald Trump poses with the winner of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2010.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Westminster-Dog-Show/db8ad3c06869429b917f47d858957ecc/4/0">AP Photo/Mary Altaffer</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Witness accounts from these meetings, quoted by <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-dogs-disgusting/">Snopes.com in an assessment of the claim</a> that Trump hates dogs, recall Trump thoroughly enjoying himself cuddling the prize-winning canines. Snopes concluded that claims Trump considers dogs “<a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-dogs-disgusting/">disgusting</a>” were just plain false.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Harry Truman, to whom the <a href="https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/23/washington-dog-truman/">claim about dog friendship in Washington is often mistakenly attributed</a>, not only <a href="http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/mike/">declined to bring a dog</a> into the White House; he actually <a href="http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/feller/">gave away a cocker spaniel puppy</a> named Feller that was given to him. </p>
<p>Asked at a press conference in April 1947 what had become of the pup, Truman responded: “To what?” On receiving clarification, he lied, “<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=bzveAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1027&dq=truman+dog+feller&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwif-ufL98DKAhXGVD4KHUBiC1UQ6AEISDAI#v=onepage&q=feller&f=false">Oh, he’s around</a>.” In fact, Truman had already <a href="https://www.who2.com/is-this-the-saddest-presidential-dog-photo-ever/">given Feller away</a> to his physician, Brig. Gen. Wallace Graham.</p>
<p>Much as we might like dogs to tell us whom to vote for, the truth is, dogs are such <a href="https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/Dog-Is-Love/9781328543967">forgiving assessors of human character</a> that their appraisals need to be taken with more than a pinch of salt. We may just have to do the hard yards and learn about the candidate’s policies. It isn’t easy. Maybe not having to participate in a democracy is what keeps our dogs so happy.</p>
<p>[<em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132719/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clive Wynne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A dog psychologist looks at the presidential candidates’ relationships with dogs.Clive Wynne, Professor of Psychology, Arizona State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1086702019-01-07T01:20:29Z2019-01-07T01:20:29ZCurious Kids: is it true dogs don’t like to travel?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250146/original/file-20181211-76962-1lzcmcu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C1%2C995%2C508&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some dogs may associate car travel with trips to the beach or park – while others only remember trips to the vet.
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/waferboard/6069666166/in/photolist-afmChE-6EEmPy-5YnPK7-u4CgNZ-8HfnL-97R93A-Jzexs7-22DYqPY-81EsMc-roCJtM-81JAH3-HYt1Pp-urYyR-bWK6bU-25dsFZ3-8m6hzD-YLvHeu-74PmEV-6JTZdX-9iZQii-awBHTR-awGUJR-v4vsc-8AGyag-25AL9Xb-cm3kf3-shUgi-8AGxdT-ZwW5wB-8AKGk3-djkdtN-8TJumD-8AGq2T-7P7a3n-JJscJa-awKDXN-fmSgbs-74TbZY-pU3QMS-awH3SV-8XkhBk-26gHMZp-8AGBYp-8AKsFb-8AKqtW-nzoaFo-FcitwE-8AGr3R-27yqHQc-83zxqq">Linda Colquhoun/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/curious-kids-36782">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children. Send your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au. You might also like the podcast <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/kidslisten/imagine-this/">Imagine This</a>, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids.</em> </p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Hello. My dad says that dogs don’t like to travel. Is that true? - Ankush, India.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hi Ankush. Thanks for the question. The answer depends a bit on the dog and what you mean by travel. </p>
<p>Most dogs don’t like to travel, and those that do have usually had to learn to like it. </p>
<p>In the wild, being too adventurous could get a dog killed, so dogs may have mostly evolved to be cautious and remain close to what is familiar. That said, dogs may see some kinds of travel as a chance to find things they want – like food or a mate.</p>
<h2>Home sweet home</h2>
<p>It’s normal for dogs to value the territory they know well, where they know they can find food, water and shelter easily.</p>
<p>It is also home to the thing most precious to them: their social group. That is, the other dogs or humans they know and like. Yes, dogs probably see the humans they live with as their social group.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251426/original/file-20181219-27764-wy3gy0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251426/original/file-20181219-27764-wy3gy0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251426/original/file-20181219-27764-wy3gy0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251426/original/file-20181219-27764-wy3gy0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251426/original/file-20181219-27764-wy3gy0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251426/original/file-20181219-27764-wy3gy0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251426/original/file-20181219-27764-wy3gy0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251426/original/file-20181219-27764-wy3gy0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many dogs are happiest in their home range.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/anjibarton/5654158870/in/photolist-9BD3rL-WEZQdd-rbmBNk-ipBjBE-pAEq3B-5pVxw9-5pVwjf-4UjX9x-6SdeZn-4UpbfY-scdxv-3StxS2-3Sxq61-4UjXKr-5pVsxd-24wfZes-dayY57-sRg6V-XpP33N-4dgrp-5pRdqa-6c3BPi-8fqJ9Q-5pVuws-8kZn6H-b5iotk-4PpJJr-8Nh2tc-8kZiaM-VjSncS-fnm9me-7Bf8Ew-8kZk4D-8m3tXC-eh1VPV-rmaMBj-8jXueE-5rct7R-buBnV6-4139ZC-bkpCw4-9KNHSR-4UpcnY-5fHStj-qsUhJ8-sm4uLD-B9qXL-qVZRi2-pSJcC-qqNkgf">Flickr/anji barton</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Most dogs have what scientists call a “home range”. That’s the area in which they feel comfortable. At the core of the home range is its den (for example, your dog may see your home and garden as its den). Beyond that core, there’s what we call the periphery – that might be the neighbour’s front yard, the park down the road, and your street. </p>
<p>Dogs can recognise their home range by its smell. Have you ever noticed a dog weeing on trees and lamp-posts or scraping his hind-paws against the ground? That’s how dogs mark their territory with their own scent. </p>
<p>Many humans love to travel, but for dogs, travelling too far from home comes with risks. Dogs that wander into another’s territory might be outnumbered by other dogs, or overpowered by a stronger individual. Or they may return to their home range only to discover that the social group changed while they were away and they no longer fit in as well as they used to.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-dont-dogs-live-as-long-as-humans-93374">Curious Kids: Why don't dogs live as long as humans?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Travelling with friends</h2>
<p>When we exercise dogs in unfamiliar areas, they may love the challenge of all those new places and smells to explore. Many dogs are clearly joyful as they explore all this with us, their social groups, but when alone their response may be very different.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251424/original/file-20181219-27749-o4mw5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251424/original/file-20181219-27749-o4mw5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251424/original/file-20181219-27749-o4mw5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251424/original/file-20181219-27749-o4mw5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251424/original/file-20181219-27749-o4mw5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251424/original/file-20181219-27749-o4mw5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251424/original/file-20181219-27749-o4mw5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251424/original/file-20181219-27749-o4mw5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For many dogs, a trip to the local park can be a fun and safe form of travel.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gabelippmann/37640072771/in/photolist-Zm8dgV-21HeJsf-ZTrWLH-Q2KPn7-ZE3YWy-27WYjRQ-2afq32S-25duvzc-MeQLJ3-2abhf95-JY2Qu9-Q7BvDs-Zt7cEt-Hac2qk-Qo5Pyw-24qdQdm-ZaXdG5-XVM8v6-21SAL1y-ZRnUkF-24AFtvL-YYvKXn-LFwQqt-DLoCqj-XvHiuB-25eiaA5-PLTQjm-28mh9gn-27N8Mrm-2b8dqhc-2cHepCj-29m6AiM-CHSDGX-BXYmc9-247pXCD-214C6BG-2bFMy5z-21iRgSi-Zb8NBE-28UkymD-Li9Ydu-ZzXuEh-293QuWW-22ViF9c-Zko3nM-23fzBVY-KRTEu3-24udGED-21YjRkZ-HoftSJ">Flickr/Gabe Lippmann</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For domestic dogs, exercise beyond the den (the house and garden) is exciting because it offers so many opportunities: to play, pee and poo in new places, to explore and eat food, to meet and greet new dogs, mark territory and find a mate. </p>
<p>So some dogs will take the chance to wander, if they really need to do any of those things.</p>
<h2>Car travel – a mixed blessing</h2>
<p>Many puppies and dogs who are not used to cars will get car-sick. But then again, cars can also be a way for dogs to encounter a cascade of odours, see new dogs, or score a stimulating walk in a new territory. Car rides can bring enormous joy to some dogs, once they get used to car travel.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250145/original/file-20181211-76968-1rwxyag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C613%2C409&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250145/original/file-20181211-76968-1rwxyag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C613%2C409&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250145/original/file-20181211-76968-1rwxyag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250145/original/file-20181211-76968-1rwxyag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250145/original/file-20181211-76968-1rwxyag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250145/original/file-20181211-76968-1rwxyag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250145/original/file-20181211-76968-1rwxyag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250145/original/file-20181211-76968-1rwxyag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For some dogs, cars can be a way for them to encounter a cascade of odours, see new dogs or score a stimulating walk in a new territory.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/licol/10679530484/in/photolist-hgHokW-MyeK6P-ZhadxE-26xCx2n-272Wtzd-NvvPu6-Jk6fM2-27YN5tS-271LoAW-YmSqsn-272qXTb-26TUXkQ-2aPWbaL-KR5drW-Gnwjai-271Lnr1-BW6bgW-KR58kd-27UwvPs-NeEhbT-25B5zyU-JsxKTK-Z5zSKo-26WL1mQ-29jy8E1-29p1sLv-249nFjP-25vjxXx-2aZr9Kx-25bmcWj-289jL9Z-26QNX1m-KVW8FE-FMGyP2-Jst6Dg-HVFQSx-HGrJ5n-29w9oX9-28366AD-26WL2Ly-25hw2xN-27RNVHf-273Tryd-Ny1pmN-Hnxipm-LzSA1U-24g1VMg-LFsGK7-25hpVTd-JsxHat">Flickr/Linda Colquhoun</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For some dogs, hopping into the car is associated with a trip to the park or beach. For others, it reminds them too much of a trip to the vet where they may have had a scary experience, like having an injection. </p>
<p>Dogs learn to mistrust the smell of the vet’s waiting room and now some vets use <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159105002509">calming pheromones in their clinics</a>. Pheromones are special chemicals that can affect mood.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251425/original/file-20181219-27746-xar6zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251425/original/file-20181219-27746-xar6zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/251425/original/file-20181219-27746-xar6zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251425/original/file-20181219-27746-xar6zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251425/original/file-20181219-27746-xar6zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251425/original/file-20181219-27746-xar6zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251425/original/file-20181219-27746-xar6zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/251425/original/file-20181219-27746-xar6zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">At the end of the day, most dogs are happiest in places they know well.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/giuseppemilo/26573149515/in/photolist-Gubkyg-9xcR4M-4qftmR-4z9LEf-6fSZ81-4JGBNe-2WFtfo-CmPWpT-5AbKnK-DBdNcq-29gxW9X-hbz44h-mxLKoT-xoqeDv-6fNNqR-jKCxW-9uwpAy-KGAQ7r-6JqL6r-dBZa2R-5SLUQi-4AWKU9-8qiE2C-6bKaUK-6PuX17-YryT5C-SwLBWn-azTBfD-9b1rZn-Eg8N6N-36A9kP-dymC8v-Vyh79q-Hz2kf-ipBjBE-8KRLA-ogAivU-68GQjv-qFuT8W-2dzA4JD-qcJfbX-4spCEB-UkdJxf-7Tzy7C-5gYMTF-FGH1Wx-T2DhvT-TiLEkq-HwpLY-oVZHB2">Flickr/Giuseppe Milo</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, whether or not dogs like to travel might depend a lot on the individual dogs and their life experience. It may depend on whether travel reminds them of fun-filled trips or fear-filled ones. </p>
<p>Despite what some movies ask us to believe, very few dogs ever get the travel bug and want to explore the world. At the end of the day, they’re usually happiest at home.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-do-cats-and-dogs-lose-baby-teeth-like-people-do-98380">Curious Kids: Do cats and dogs lose baby teeth like people do?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/165749/original/image-20170419-32713-1kyojyz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/165749/original/image-20170419-32713-1kyojyz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/165749/original/image-20170419-32713-1kyojyz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/165749/original/image-20170419-32713-1kyojyz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/165749/original/image-20170419-32713-1kyojyz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/165749/original/image-20170419-32713-1kyojyz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/165749/original/image-20170419-32713-1kyojyz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Please tell us your name, age and which city you live in. You can send an audio recording of your question too, if you want. Send as many questions as you like! We won’t be able to answer every question but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108670/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul McGreevy has received funding from the Australian Research Council and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. He is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science and a life member of the RSPCA NSW. He is the co-author of "Making Dogs Happy".</span></em></p>Travel can come with danger, so dogs have mostly evolved to avoid being over-adventurous. That said, dogs may see some kinds of travel as a chance to find things they want – like food or a mate.Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/767822017-05-01T20:04:12Z2017-05-01T20:04:12ZThe bark side: domestic dogs threaten endangered species worldwide<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167289/original/file-20170430-12979-apfd4b.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A feral dog chasing a wild boar, Banni grasslands, India</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/A-Dogged-problem-for-Wildlife-1488977724740826/">Chetan Misher/Facebook</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Humans and their canine companions share many close bonds. Wolves (<em>Canis lupus</em>) were the first animal domesticated by people, some time between 15,000 and 50,000 years ago. </p>
<p>There are now an estimated <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282685782_The_dog-human-wildlife_interface_Assessing_the_scope_of_the_problem">1 billion</a> domestic dogs across their near-global distribution. </p>
<p>Domestic dogs include feral and free-ranging animals (such as village and camp dogs), as well as those that are owned by and completely dependent on humans (pet dogs).</p>
<p>Our <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320717305967">latest research</a> reveals that the ecological “pawprint” of domestic dogs is much greater than previously realised. </p>
<p>Using the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/">IUCN Red List of Threatened Species</a>, we counted how many species are negatively affected by dogs, assessed the prevalence of different types of impacts, and identified regions with the greatest number of affected species. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167290/original/file-20170430-12970-e0s6x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167290/original/file-20170430-12970-e0s6x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167290/original/file-20170430-12970-e0s6x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167290/original/file-20170430-12970-e0s6x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167290/original/file-20170430-12970-e0s6x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167290/original/file-20170430-12970-e0s6x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167290/original/file-20170430-12970-e0s6x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167290/original/file-20170430-12970-e0s6x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A dog with a black-naped hare, Maharashtra, India.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/A-Dogged-problem-for-Wildlife-1488977724740826/">Hari Somashekhar/Facebook</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Dogs are third-most-damaging mammal</h2>
<p>We found that dogs are implicated in the extinction of at least 11 species, including the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22692693/0">Hawaiian Rail</a> and the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/21286/0">Tonga Ground Skink</a>. Dogs are also a known or potential threat to 188 threatened species worldwide: 96 mammal, 78 bird, 22 reptile and three amphibian species. This includes 30 critically endangered species, two of which are classed as “possibly extinct”. </p>
<p>These numbers place dogs in the number three spot after cats and rodents as the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/113/40/11261.abstract">world’s most damaging invasive mammalian predators</a>. </p>
<p>Even though dogs have an almost global distribution, the threatened species they are known to affect are concentrated in certain parts of the globe. South-East Asia, South America, Central America and the Caribbean each contain 28 to 30 threatened species impacted by dogs. Other hotspots include Australia, Micro/Mela/Polynesia and the remainder of Asia.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167093/original/file-20170427-15112-e0la10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167093/original/file-20170427-15112-e0la10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167093/original/file-20170427-15112-e0la10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167093/original/file-20170427-15112-e0la10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167093/original/file-20170427-15112-e0la10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=254&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167093/original/file-20170427-15112-e0la10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167093/original/file-20170427-15112-e0la10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167093/original/file-20170427-15112-e0la10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Regional concentrations of threatened species negatively impacted by domestic dogs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Lethal and non-lethal impacts</h2>
<p>Predation was the most commonly reported impact of dogs on wildlife. The typically omnivorous diet of dogs means they have strong potential to affect a diversity of species. For instance, dogs killed at least 19 endangered <a href="http://www.edgeofexistence.org/birds/species_info.php?id=1947">Kagu</a> (a ground-dwelling bird) in New Caledonia in <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rod_Hay/publication/240465712_Multiple_Kagu_Rhynochetos_jubatus_deaths_caused_by_dog_attacks_at_a_high-altitude_study_site_on_Pic_Ningua_New_Caledonia/links/0deec53cd8767a4176000000.pdf">14 weeks</a>. Threatened species with small population sizes are particularly vulnerable to such intense bouts of predation.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167236/original/file-20170428-3525-ftv8jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167236/original/file-20170428-3525-ftv8jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=354&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167236/original/file-20170428-3525-ftv8jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=354&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167236/original/file-20170428-3525-ftv8jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=354&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167236/original/file-20170428-3525-ftv8jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167236/original/file-20170428-3525-ftv8jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167236/original/file-20170428-3525-ftv8jb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The frequency of different types of dog impact on threatened species.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Uxs~1R~e71Xl</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aside from simply killing animals, dogs can <a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-saving-nature-when-our-beaches-have-gone-to-the-dogs-72078">harm wildlife in other ways</a>, such as by spreading disease, interbreeding with other canids, competing for resources such as food or shelter, and causing disturbances by chasing or harassment. For example, contact with domestic dogs increases <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0030099">disease risk</a> for endangered <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/african-wild-dog/">African Wild Dogs</a> in Kenya.</p>
<p>Part of the problem is that when wild animals perceive dogs as a threat, they may change their behaviour to avoid them. One <a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/6/611.short">study</a> near Sydney found that dog walking in parklands and national parks reduced the abundance and species richness of birds, even when dogs were restrained on leads. </p>
<p>None of the Red List assessments mentioned such indirect risk effects, which suggests that their frequency is likely to be much higher than reported.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167291/original/file-20170430-12987-1uuitvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167291/original/file-20170430-12987-1uuitvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167291/original/file-20170430-12987-1uuitvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167291/original/file-20170430-12987-1uuitvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167291/original/file-20170430-12987-1uuitvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167291/original/file-20170430-12987-1uuitvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167291/original/file-20170430-12987-1uuitvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167291/original/file-20170430-12987-1uuitvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Feral dogs chasing Indian wild ass at Little Rann of Kutch, India.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.facebook.com/A-Dogged-problem-for-Wildlife-1488977724740826">Kalyan Varma/Facebook</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Friend and foe</h2>
<p>Despite their widespread and sometimes severe impacts on biodiversity, dogs can also <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_kZoAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA55&dq=info:vZu_SkOQdMAJ:scholar.google.com&ots=_YqKHaxbAw&sig=u96i8Br0vKyEBm7Fy2clC_43agU&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false">benefit some species and ecosystems</a>. </p>
<p>For example, in Australia, the closely related dingo (<em>Canis dingo</em>) can suppress populations of introduced predators such as red foxes (<em>Vulpes vulpes</em>), and in doing so <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2011.00203.x/abstract">can benefit smaller native prey</a>. It is possible that domestic dogs could perform similar ecological roles in some situations.</p>
<p>In some regions, dogs and their keen noses have been trained to help scientists find threatened species such as <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-14/specially-trained-dog-finds-tiger-quoll-scat-in-otway-ranges/6940360">Tiger Quolls</a>. Elsewhere they are helping to <a href="http://www.australianwildlife.org/field-updates/2013/canine-rangers-sniff-out-feral-cats.aspx">flush out and control feral cats</a>. </p>
<p>An emerging and exciting conservation role for dogs is their growing use as “<a href="https://www.zoo.org.au/about-us/vision-and-mission/our-projects/wildlife-guardian-dogs">guardian animals</a>” for wildlife, with the remarkable story of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7AV2ZYlxvI">Oddball</a> being the most well known.</p>
<h2>Managing the problem</h2>
<p>Dogs not only interact with wildlife, but can also attack and spread disease to humans, livestock and other domestic animals. As such, managing the problem requires looking at ecological, cultural and social perspectives.</p>
<p>Some of the regions with high numbers of species threatened by dogs are also hotspots for urbanisation and road building, which make it easier for dogs to access the habitats of threatened species. Urban development increases <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.12236/abstract">food waste</a>, which feeds higher numbers of dogs. As dogs expand into new areas, the number of species they impact is likely to grow.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167273/original/file-20170430-12979-1nwsng2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167273/original/file-20170430-12979-1nwsng2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167273/original/file-20170430-12979-1nwsng2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167273/original/file-20170430-12979-1nwsng2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167273/original/file-20170430-12979-1nwsng2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167273/original/file-20170430-12979-1nwsng2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167273/original/file-20170430-12979-1nwsng2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/167273/original/file-20170430-12979-1nwsng2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Street dogs scavenging food waste in India.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Achat1234/wikimedia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We can protect wildlife by integrating human health and animal welfare objectives into dog management. Vaccination and desexing campaigns can reduce disease risk and overpopulation problems. We should also focus on responsible dog ownership, removing dogs without owners, and reducing access to food waste.</p>
<p>Given the <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_kZoAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA286&dq=info:7VdDMTtVI8MJ:scholar.google.com&ots=_YqKHazdyy&sig=tNYLFyaH8BBPJt-ghAGht1g9k7U&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false">close relationship between humans and dogs</a>, community engagement should form the basis of any management program. More research is needed to get a better picture of the scale of the problem, and of how dogs interact with other threats such as habitat loss. Such actions are critically important for ensuring the conservation of wildlife threatened by dogs around the world.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article was co-authored by Dr Al Glen from Landcare Research, New Zealand and Dr Abi Vanak from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, India. These institutions had no role in the design or funding of this research.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/76782/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tim Doherty receives funding from the Australian Academy of Sciences, Ecological Society of Australia and Deakin University. Tim is on the board of the Society for Conservation Biology (Oceania) and is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia, and the Australian and American Mammal Societies.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Dickman receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Long Term Ecological Research Network, the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the National Environmental Science Programme, and The University of Sydney. He is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia, the Australian and American Mammal Societies, the Royal Zoological Society of NSW, and a Director of WWF-Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dale Nimmo is a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Hermon Slade Foundation, the Australian Academy of Science, and the Department of Land, Water and Planning, the Department of Parks and Wildlife.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Euan Ritchie is a Director (Media Working Group) of the Ecological Society of Australia, and a member of the Australian Mammal Society.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Newsome receives funding from Deakin University, The University of Sydney, the National Geographic Society for Research and Exploration, Seattle City Lights, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Newmont Tanami Operations. He is Treasurer of the Australasian Wildlife Management Society and a member of the Australian Mammal Society and the Ecological Society of Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aaron J. Wirsing does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cats have a bad reputation as wildlife killers (deservedly so). But dogs aren’t off the hook: new research shows domestic dogs have contributed to the extinction of at least 11 species.Tim Doherty, Research Fellow, Deakin UniversityAaron J. Wirsing, Assistant Professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of WashingtonChris Dickman, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, University of SydneyDale Nimmo, ARC DECRA Fellow, Charles Sturt UniversityEuan Ritchie, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityThomas Newsome, Fulbright Scholar and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/650002016-09-08T08:02:07Z2016-09-08T08:02:07ZHere’s what dogs see when they watch television<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/136744/original/image-20160906-6086-1gvgvvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">When's the next dog food commercial on?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-39737818/stock-photo-dog-with-remote-control.html?src=-cjQvReora4j5LNYP5IkQw-1-2">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dog owners often notice their pets watching televisions, computer screens and tablets. But what is going on in their pooch’s head? Indeed, by tracking their vision using similar methods used on humans, <a href="http://acid.uclan.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/is-my-dog-watching-tv.pdf">research has found</a> that domestic dogs do prefer certain images and videos. </p>
<p>This research indicates that dogs have a preference towards watching other canines – but our <a href="http://acid.uclan.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Ilyena-Thesis-ACI.pdf">studies have also discovered that sound</a> often initially attracts dogs towards television and other devices. Favoured sounds include dogs barking and whining, people giving dog-friendly commands and praise, and the noise of toys squeaking. </p>
<p>How dogs watch TV is very different to the way humans do, however. Instead of sitting still, dogs will often approach the screen to get a closer look, and walk repeatedly between their owner and the television. They are essentially fidgety, interactive viewers.</p>
<p>What dogs can see on the screen is also different to humans. Dogs have <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3730601/">dichromatic vision</a> – they have two types of colour receptor cells and see colour within two spectrums of light: blue and yellow. The use of colour within media is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3730601/">very important for dogs</a> and explains why canine TV channel, <a href="http://dogtv.com">DogTV</a> prioritises these colours in its programming. Dogs’ eyes are also <a href="http://redwood.berkeley.edu/bruno/animal-eyes/dog-vision-miller-murphy.pdf">more sensitive to movement</a> and <a href="http://sciencenordic.com/do-dogs-see-what%E2%80%99s-happening-tv">vets suspect</a> that the improved flicker rate that has come from the shift from standard to high definition television has allowed dogs to better perceive media shown on TV. </p>
<h2>But do they enjoy it?</h2>
<p>Multiple screens have also been used in research to see whether dogs can pick what to watch. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581916300611">Early research has shown</a> that when presented with three screens, dogs are unable to decide, instead preferring to watch one screen no matter what is on it. This has still to be tested with two screens, and possibly more than three. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/136856/original/image-20160907-25257-13z1lvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/136856/original/image-20160907-25257-13z1lvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/136856/original/image-20160907-25257-13z1lvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/136856/original/image-20160907-25257-13z1lvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/136856/original/image-20160907-25257-13z1lvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/136856/original/image-20160907-25257-13z1lvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/136856/original/image-20160907-25257-13z1lvt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Oh, just let me watch …</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-161832497/stock-photo-close-up-cat-and-dog-together-lying-on-the-floor.html?src=_KWEdNZ38ZPe8L3XoUB46g-1-7">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While science has shown that dogs can engage with television and that they prefer certain programmes, it has yet to delve into the complex question of whether they actually enjoy it. We as humans will often watch distressing footage or videos that make us feel a range of emotions, from distress to anger and horror. It’s not always because it makes us feel good. We just don’t know whether similar factors motivate dogs to watch.</p>
<p>What a dog does engage with, however, differs from dog to dog, depending on their personality, experience and preference. This is speculated to be influenced by what their owner watches, with dogs <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982211013935">following their human’s gaze</a> and other communication signals, such as gestures and head turns. </p>
<p>Dogs, unlike humans, will also often have very <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581916300611">short interactions, often under three seconds</a>, with the media, preferring to glance at the TV rather than focus on it like humans. Research has found that even with media specifically designed for dogs, they will still <a href="http://bit.ly/2bXeDkX">spend the majority of their time watching nothing at all</a>. The ideal television for dogs, therefore, should contain lots of snippets rather than long storytelling scenarios.</p>
<p>But while dogs have their own TV channel, and have been shown to prefer to watch other dogs through short interactions with specially coloured programmes, many mysteries remain. Nevertheless, technology has the potential to provide entertainment for domestic canines, improving the welfare of dogs left home alone and in kennels. Just don’t expect a doggie version of the Radio Times just yet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/65000/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas is affiliated with the University of Central Lancashire</span></em></p>Dogs like a little TV – and researchers have been investigating why.Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, PhD candidate, University of Central LancashireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/547902016-02-18T16:24:08Z2016-02-18T16:24:08ZHow did Moscow’s stray dogs learn to navigate the metro?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111937/original/image-20160218-1276-1krhe5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/atbaker/76486058/sizes/l">Adam Baker/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For most of us, commuting is a task to be endured. Busy, noisy and often cramped, the world’s underground transport systems are places that we humans tolerate as a matter of necessity. But not so for <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/628a8500-ff1c-11de-a677-00144feab49a.html#axzz40FyKQXDD">Moscow’s “metro dogs”</a>. A number of strays have taken to riding the city’s underground railway – and remarkably, they seem to know where they’re going.</p>
<p>Of Moscow’s 35,000 odd stray dogs, about 20 are thought to travel regularly on the city’s underground rail system. These dogs seem to be able to identify which trains to board, and where to alight. It appears that they can recognise humans who will give them a treat or a pat – and avoid those who won’t. They also show an impressive ability to deal with the noise and activity of the busy metro system, which many pet dogs would find distracting and stressful – indeed, they can often be found relaxing and sleeping in the crowded carriages. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111980/original/image-20160218-1236-av6wsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111980/original/image-20160218-1236-av6wsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=798&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111980/original/image-20160218-1236-av6wsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=798&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111980/original/image-20160218-1236-av6wsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=798&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111980/original/image-20160218-1236-av6wsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1003&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111980/original/image-20160218-1236-av6wsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1003&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111980/original/image-20160218-1236-av6wsg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1003&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Growing up together.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>So how did Moscow’s stray dogs learn this behaviour? Well, dogs have co-evolved alongside humans for <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/276/5319/1687">several thousand years</a>. During that time, they have developed the capability <a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/1/20150883">to recognise</a> and respond to our <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635708002623">physical and emotional signals</a>. While most animals have trouble interpreting the social cues of other species, dogs are <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661305002081">unusually adept</a> at responding to human behaviour. This evidence goes some way to explaining how Moscow’s metro dogs know who to approach and who to steer clear of. </p>
<p>These social skills strongly suggest a degree of <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065345409390038">convergent evolution between dogs and humans</a>. This occurs when different species evolve similar traits while adapting to a shared environment. So, the abilities of the metro dogs might even suggest that they have developed coping mechanisms similar to those of their fellow human commuters. </p>
<p>But Moscow’s stray dogs have an even stronger motivation to venture into the metro system. Dogs learn through positive associations – this forms the basis for the modern <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159111000876">reward-based methods</a> we use to train both working and pet dogs. For example, we can teach a dog to “sit” on command by rewarding that behaviour with treats. These positive reinforcement strategies generate reliable and consistent responses from our canine companions, as well as safeguarding their welfare. </p>
<p>It seems likely that the metro dogs have learned to associate the subways with warmth and food. So the strays return, time and time again, much like the pet dog that repeatedly “acquires” dinner from the kitchen counter. For the metro dogs, the rewards of food and shelter are probably worth the risk of negative experiences, such as being shooed away, hurt or worse: one poor pooch, called Malchik, was <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100326044534/http://english.pravda.ru:80/main/18/90/361/16437_dog.html">stabbed to death</a> in the subway, to the dismay of many Muscovites. </p>
<p>In this way, the metro mutts might serve as an interesting model for training pet dogs, since they show us that particularly powerful rewards will overcome incidental negative experiences.</p>
<h2>No maps needed</h2>
<p>Explaining how the metro dogs navigate the underground transport system is a bit more complicated. Given that the canine nose is substantially more sensitive than our own, it’s distinctly possible that they choose which stations to disembark at, based on scent. But studies suggest that dogs often use many sensory cues to find their way, and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016815910300114X">do not rely on smell alone</a>. </p>
<p>So, the metro dogs probably use many indications including smell, lighting, passenger movement and perhaps even specific people to get their bearings in the subway. It has even been suggested that the dogs come to know the stations by name, by listening to the announcements over the tannoy. We know that dogs can <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661304002451">learn words</a>, so this is a possibility. But in this case, we can’t be sure whether the dogs genuinely know the names of specific stations, or simply associate some of them with food. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111982/original/image-20160218-23704-wn3m75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111982/original/image-20160218-23704-wn3m75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111982/original/image-20160218-23704-wn3m75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111982/original/image-20160218-23704-wn3m75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111982/original/image-20160218-23704-wn3m75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111982/original/image-20160218-23704-wn3m75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111982/original/image-20160218-23704-wn3m75.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">I don’t get it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The final puzzle is how the dogs are able to time their journeys. This is a tough one, because it’s difficult to prove that dogs can even grasp the concept of time: many pet owners will receive identical welcome responses from their dogs, whether they have been absent for one minute or one hour. These observations suggest that dogs may perceive the passage of time very differently to humans. </p>
<p>Even so, many animals thrive on routine, and dogs are no exception. The regular goings on in Moscow’s metro – the opening and closing of stores, the peak hour rush and the system’s nightly shutdown – could be encouraging the dogs in their travels. The dogs are likely to associate these routine happenings with positive experiences, much like the excitement of a pet dog on hearing their owner’s car pull into the driveway after a day at work. </p>
<p>Moscow’s metro dogs represent an extremely interesting example of the domestic dog’s ability to adapt to a world built for humans, by humans. They show us that dogs have developed the capability to read human behaviours and respond accordingly, and to integrate themselves into our daily customs and practices. Understanding how dogs respond to the changing human world can help us understand both them, and ourselves, much better.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/54790/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Boyd does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The answer lies in the history we share with our canine companions.Jacqueline Boyd, Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/478202015-12-02T11:05:25Z2015-12-02T11:05:25ZWhat clues does your dog’s drool hold for human mental health?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103945/original/image-20151201-26568-1ld7n8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There goes some precious DNA....</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/graemebird/2478467142">Graeme Bird</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dogs were the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-dna-analysis-says-your-poochs-ancestors-were-central-asian-wolves-49271">first animals people domesticated</a>, long before the earliest human civilizations appeared. Today, tens of thousands of years later, dogs have an unusually close relationship with us. They share our homes and steal our hearts – and have even evolved <a href="http://barkpost.com/dogs-love-us-like-family/">to love us back</a>. Sadly, they also suffer from many of the same difficult-to-treat psychiatric and neurological diseases we do.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103939/original/image-20151201-26582-1tcleck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103939/original/image-20151201-26582-1tcleck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103939/original/image-20151201-26582-1tcleck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=733&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103939/original/image-20151201-26582-1tcleck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=733&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103939/original/image-20151201-26582-1tcleck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=733&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103939/original/image-20151201-26582-1tcleck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103939/original/image-20151201-26582-1tcleck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103939/original/image-20151201-26582-1tcleck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=921&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Beskow, in fine spirits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Elinor Karlsson</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>I learned this firsthand about six years ago, when my sister Adria adopted Beskow, a beautiful, boisterous, black and white mutt. Beskow became my constant companion on my morning runs along the Charles River. Her joy in running was obvious to everyone we passed, and she kept me going mile after mile. </p>
<p>When not running, though, Beskow suffered from constant anxiety that left her stressed and unhappy – on edge around other dogs and prone to aggressive behavior. Beskow had trouble even playing outdoors, since she was compelled to attend to every sound and movement. Working one-on-one with skilled behaviorists and trainers helped immensely, but poor Beskow still never seemed able to relax. Eventually, Adria combined the intensive training with medication, which finally seemed to give Beskow some relief. </p>
<p>Beskow’s personality – her intelligence, her focus and her anxiety – was shaped not only by her own life experiences, but by thousands of years of evolution. Have you ever known a dog who would retrieve the same ball over and over again, for hours on end? Or just wouldn’t stay out of the water? Or wasn’t interested in balls, or water, but just wanted to follow her nose? These dogs are the result of hundreds of generations of artificial selection by human beings. By favoring useful behaviors when breeding dogs, we made the genetic changes responsible more common in their gene pool.</p>
<p>When a particular genetic change rapidly rises in prevalence in a population, it leaves a “signature of selection” that we can detect by sequencing the DNA of <a href="http://genomesunzipped.org/2010/09/detecting-positive-natural-selection-from-genetic-data.php">many individuals from the population</a>. Essentially, around a selected gene, we find a region of the genome where one particular pattern of DNA – the variant linked to the favored version of the gene – is far more common than any of the alternative patterns. The stronger the selection, the bigger this region, and the easier it is to detect this signature of selection. </p>
<p>In dogs, genes shaping behaviors purposely bred by humans are marked with large signatures of selection. It’s a bit like evolution is shining a spotlight on parts of the dog genome and saying, “Look here for interesting stuff!” To figure out exactly how a particular gene influences a dog’s behavior or health, though, we need lots more information. </p>
<p>To try to unravel these connections, my colleagues and I are launching a new citizen science research project we’re calling <a href="http://darwinsdogs.org/">Darwin’s Dogs</a>. <a href="http://iaabc.org/">Together with animal behavior experts</a>, we’ve put together a series of short surveys about everything from diet (does your dog eat grass?) to behavior (is your dog a foot sitter?) to personality (is your dog aloof or friendly?). </p>
<p>Any dog can participate in <a href="http://darwinsdogs.org/">Darwin’s Dogs</a>, including purebred dogs, mixed breed dogs, and mutts of no particular breed – our study’s participants will be very genetically diverse. We’re combining <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2013.09.006">new DNA sequencing technology</a>, which can give us much more genetic information from each dog, with powerful new <a href="http://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3382">analysis methods that can control for diverse ancestry</a>. By including all dogs, we hope to be able to do much larger studies, and home in quickly on the important genes and genetic variants. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103941/original/image-20151201-26574-6ny0rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103941/original/image-20151201-26574-6ny0rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103941/original/image-20151201-26574-6ny0rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103941/original/image-20151201-26574-6ny0rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103941/original/image-20151201-26574-6ny0rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103941/original/image-20151201-26574-6ny0rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103941/original/image-20151201-26574-6ny0rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103941/original/image-20151201-26574-6ny0rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A beagle considers making the saliva donation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Stephen Schaffner</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once an owner has filled out the survey, there’s a second, crucial step. We send an easy-to-use kit to collect a small dog saliva sample we can use for DNA analysis. There’s no cost, and we’ll share any information we find.</p>
<p>Our plan is to combine the genetic data from many dogs and look for changes in DNA that correlate with particular behaviors. It won’t be easy to match up DNA with an obsession with tennis balls, for instance. Behavior is a complex trait that relies on many genes. Simple <a href="http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/gregor-mendel-and-the-principles-of-inheritance-593">Mendelian traits</a>, like Beskow’s black and white coat, are controlled by a single gene which determines the observable characteristic. This kind of inherited trait is comparatively easy to map. Complex traits, on the other hand, may be shaped by tens or even hundreds of different genetic changes, each of which on its own only slightly alters the individual carrying it. </p>
<p>Adding to the complexity, environment often plays a big role. For example, Beskow may not have been as anxious if she’d lived with Adria from puppyhood, even though her genetics would be unchanged. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103946/original/image-20151201-26546-hlyirx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103946/original/image-20151201-26546-hlyirx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103946/original/image-20151201-26546-hlyirx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=648&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103946/original/image-20151201-26546-hlyirx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=648&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103946/original/image-20151201-26546-hlyirx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=648&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103946/original/image-20151201-26546-hlyirx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=814&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103946/original/image-20151201-26546-hlyirx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=814&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103946/original/image-20151201-26546-hlyirx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=814&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Darwin’s Dogs team member Jesse McClure extracts DNA from a sample.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Elinor Karlsson</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>To succeed, we need a lot of dogs to sign up. Initially, we’re aiming to enroll 5,000 dogs. If successful, we’ll keep growing. With bigger sample sizes, we’ll be able to tackle even more complex biological puzzles. </p>
<p>This is a huge effort, but could offer huge rewards. By figuring out how a genetic change leads to a change in behavior, we can decipher neural pathways involved in psychiatric and neurological diseases <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0278-5846(00)00104-4">shared between people and dogs</a>. We already know these include not just anxiety, but also <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/us/more-military-dogs-show-signs-of-combat-stress.html">PTSD</a>, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1186/gb-2014-15-3-r25">OCD</a>, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2014.106">autism spectrum disorders</a>, <a href="http://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2001.219.467">phobias</a>, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81965-0">narcolepsia</a>, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/epi.12138">epilepsy</a>, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/0197-4580(95)02060-8">dementia and Alzheimer’s disease</a>.</p>
<p>Understanding the biology underlying a disease is the first step in developing more effective treatments – of both the canine and human variety. For example, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81965-0">genetic studies of narcolepsy in Doberman pinschers</a> found the gene mutation causing the disease – but only in this one dog population. Researching the gene’s function, though, led to critical new insights into the molecular biology of sleep, and, eventually, to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S56077">new treatment options for people</a> suffering from this debilitating disease. </p>
<p><a href="http://darwinsdogs.org">Darwin’s Dogs</a> is investigating normal canine behaviors as well as diseases. We hypothesize that finding the small genetic changes that led to complex behaviors, like retrieving, or even personality characteristics, like playfulness, will help us figure out how brains work. We need this mechanistic understanding to design new, safe and more effective therapies for psychiatric diseases. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103943/original/image-20151201-26582-7fy2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103943/original/image-20151201-26582-7fy2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/103943/original/image-20151201-26582-7fy2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103943/original/image-20151201-26582-7fy2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103943/original/image-20151201-26582-7fy2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103943/original/image-20151201-26582-7fy2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103943/original/image-20151201-26582-7fy2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/103943/original/image-20151201-26582-7fy2k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Beskow with one of her loving family members.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Adria Karlsson</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And Beskow? Six years later, she is as wonderful as ever. While still anxious some of the time, the medication and training have paid off, and she enjoys her daily walks, training and playtime. She still gets very nervous around other dogs, but is a gentle, playful companion for my sister’s three young children.</p>
<p>We are now sequencing her genome. In the next few months, we should have our first glimpse into Beskow’s ancestry. We know she is a natural herder, so we’re curious to find out how much her genome matches up to herding breeds, and which genes are in that part of the genome.</p>
<p>Of course, we can’t figure out much from just one dog – if you are a dog owner, please <a href="http://darwinsdogs.org">enroll your dog today</a>!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/47820/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elinor Karlsson receives funding from the NIH and the Worcester Foundation.</span></em></p>Researchers want your canine’s DNA to help unravel the connections between genes and behavior – for dogs and human beings.Elinor Karlsson, Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, UMass Chan Medical SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.