Study says that our beloved pet dogs actually understand us. When you ask other dog owner if their dog understands them, they’ll probably answer with a yes.

Psychology researchers at the University of Otago are conducting experiments whether dogs can really detect human emotions and the messages that we wish to convey.

Associate Professor Ted Ruffman and a team of students have put in Dunedun dogs over the past 15 months. These dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and breeds.

Some dogs have been shown images of babies laughing, crying, and babbling while others have been shown humans with happy or stern expressions while giving a command.

Indeed, dogs can differentiate a happy human from an angry or sad human. Professor Ruffman said. “We know dogs are very good at picking up on human gestures … and it seems they are very good at picking up on human emotions too.”

The dogs that were shown a crying and laughing baby have different responses. Some try to “find” the baby and showed signs of concern.

The studies were designed to find out whether dogs have an empathetic response to human emotions or are their reactions simply a result of the positive reinforcements that they receive.

Technorati Tags: dog, Emotion, Human, Psychology, Research, University of Otago

Flyball is a fun sport for you and your dog. This is a relay race where there are teams of 4 dogs, their humans, four jumps, and a box which tosses a ball. The dogs are then released one at a time. Then they race over the jumps, land on the box which triggers a ball and then race back over the jumps with the ball in their mouth.

Then the next dog is released to start running. There are two lanes of dogs that race side by side. The first team to complete the course wins. This is going to be definitely  fun for dogs, and human.

Hot Diggity Dogs flyball club started in 1999 by Natalie and Denny Cornell. After many years of hard work they now have an indoor training ring and has diverse members coming from all ages from all over the area.

For more information about the Hot Diggity Dogs Flyball Club call 1-613-398-0002.

Technorati Tags: dog, Flyball, Pets, Recreation, Sport

Six severed dog heads found in a trash bin behind a restaurant at Largo, Florida. However, they were said to have been used for legal veterinary studies.

According to Largo Police, Monday, these remains that were found were not result of animal cruelty.

The canine heads were obtained from dogs that had been euthanized. These were legally acquired and used by a licensed medical company for veterinary training.

Police say the investigation is continuing.

Technorati Tags: dog, Pets, Veterinary medicine

A family dog was able to save a Clearwater household from their burning home. The one year old Shih Tzu named Scooter kept on barking ealry Sunday morning which called the family’s attention. Thanks to Scooter, the family was able to escape from a fire which started in a car parked in the driveway of their home.

According to Roberto Segovia, the 18-year-old son of the homeowners, the dog usually barks but they usually don’t pay so much attention. But this time,Scooter kept on barking until they woke up to check what is going on.

The fire started in a 2001 Ford Expedition parked in the driveway about 4 feet from the house and it spread to the attic. It took about 40 minutes to put out the fire. The house is no longer fit to live in.

Technorati Tags: dog, Shih Tzu

AT&T has partnered with Apisphere, a location-tracking specialist to create a dog collar that has an embedded SIM card so that you will no longer lose your beloved pet ever again. Pet owners simply have to put on the collar to their dogs and set up a fence that will enable alert whenever your dog goes far. You can easily track your dog by using a software.

Since this is utilizing a SIM technology, there is a list of contacts that can be notified whenever your dog has gone away.

“There are few things as important to my daughter as knowing the whereabouts of our dog. The peace of mind that a wirelessly connected collar will bring my family and pet owners across the country is long overdue,” said president of AT&T’s Emerging Devices division, Glenn Lurie.

This smart dog collar will be available on the later part of the year.

Technorati Tags: dog, Dog collar

(photo credits: http://www.daily-times.com/ci_14682872)

At the emergency room of San Juan Regional Medical Center, a German Shepherd mix with blood on his nose and paw walked in. The dog also had a small puncture wound on one of his rear legs.

The source of blood cannot be determined but the dog did not seem to have been hit by a car. Animal control was called around 9PM Saturday. Animal control officer Robin Loev said, “The irony of the situation is the dog wasn’t doing well. He was drooling and appeared to be sick. The patients were giving him a cup of water when I showed up.”

The dog was taken to the Farmington Animal Shelter where he was vaccinated. Peter Jake, who works at the center said that the dog was doing fine and the injury was minor. He appears to have been bitten my another dog.

Loev said, “He seems very intelligent, very smart and calm and looking like he needed help. I guess he went to the right place.”

The owner saw the picture of Scottie and they are now reunited.

Technorati Tags: dog, german shepherd

Many people would rather stay at home when their beloved dog or cat is not feeling well. According to a new survey by M&S Pet Insurance, people will cancel their dates if their pet is not well.

According to the research, 52% of the respondents would choose their pet over their partner in cases where there is unexpected illness. Only 26% of men will choose relationship which shows that people love their pets so much.

David Wells, the head of the insurance said that he was not surprised with the results.

“Pet owners often have a close bond with their animals as they are often a predictable presence in our ever-changing lives, providing unconditional love, emotional support and companionship,” he pointed out.

“Therefore, when a new partner comes along it is not surprising that they need to love the pet as much as the person.”

There are also people who are willing to put their work at risk for the sake of a sick pet. It was found out that 11% of the owners stayed at home to nurse a sick pet and a similar proportion have taken time to grieve for a lost pet.

Technorati Tags: Animal, Cat, dog, Pet, Recreation

Hilary Duff found her dog DuBois who was previously thought to be missing. Duff asked the paparazzi outside her home to help her look for the missing dog last February14.

The next day, Hilary’s sister, Haylie let people know via Twitter that their pooch has turned up safe and sound. “Yes, DuBois was in the house the whole time,” she wrote. “Thank you for all the wishes and good lucks.”

Hilary was afraid that her dog might meet the same fate as Jessica Simpson’s dog which was said to be taken away by coyotes from her garden. Search was eventually given up after accepting that Daisy, the caramel-colored Maltipoo, was gone for good.

Technorati Tags: dog, Entertainment, Haylie Duff, Hilary Duff

There was a woman in New York who said that her doggy coat was stolen. Donna McPherson said that she tied up Lexie, her 10-year-old West Highland terrier outside a supermarket in Brooklyn for just 2 minutes as she bought milk.

She said that she heard a funny bark and when she checked, she found her little white dog shivering in the cold. The green wool coat that he was wearing together with the leather trim and belt was nowhere in sight.

McPherson said that the dog coat was $25. Good thing that Lexie was not wearing his Burberry.

Technorati Tags: dog, Pets, West Highland White Terrier

In Michigan, a man who was found to have hundreds of both live and dead Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes has been sentenced to 5 years of probation in a mental health program. He was ordered not to have any animals.

During his sentencing hearing in Wayne County Circuit Court, Tuesday, Kenneth Lang Jr. told Judge Timothy Kenny that he loved the dogs like his own children but that he had just so many of them.

Lang pleaded guilty to a single count of cruelty to 10 or more animals. It was in July when authorities found out about the dogs that Lang kept. They said that there are dead dogs in the freezer which may have been killed with an injection.

Technorati Tags: Chihuahua, dog, Michigan, Pets