Both cats and dogs often enjoy playing fetch with their owners
Although more common in dogs, 4 in 10 pet cats also choose to play fetch with their owners, researchers report.
Do coyotes have puppy dog eyes? New study reveals wild canines share dog’s famous expression
A new study challenges the hypothesis that ‘puppy dog eyes’ evolved exclusively in dogs as a result of domestication.
‘Who’s a good boy?’ Humans use dog-specific voices for better canine comprehension
Humans slow their own speech when talking to their dogs, and this slower tempo matches their pets’ receptive abilities, allowing the dogs to better understand their commands, according to a…
New tool can assess elderly dogs’ frailty
Researchers have developed a tool that can aid owners and veterinarians in assessing an elderly dog’s frailty. The tool — when coupled with simple assessments of body and muscle condition…
Recording the cats in the hats
Researchers have found a way to scan the brains of cats while they’re awake, using electrodes concealed under specially knitted wool caps.
Bacterial ‘flipping’ allows genes to assume different forms
Imagine being one cartwheel away from changing your appearance. One flip, and your brunette locks are platinum blond. That’s not too far from what happens in some prokaryotes, or single-cell…
Genetic tracing at the Huanan Seafood market further supports COVID animal origins
A new study provides a list of the wildlife species present at the market from which SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely arose in late 2019.…
Early dingoes are related to dogs from New Guinea and East Asia
New archaeological research has discovered for the first time clear links between fossils of the iconic Australian dingo, and dogs from East Asia and New Guinea.
Therapy dog program works as needed mood-booster for health care workers, study shows
A new study shows the mood-boosting benefits of Buckeye Paws, a therapy dog program that many health care workers say helps reduce emotional exhaustion and improve work engagement.
Genomics reveals sled dogs’ Siberian lineage
New research examines thousands of years of Arctic sled dog ancestry and reveals when and how Siberian and Alaskan sled dogs’ DNA mixed.