Science Confirms That Dogs Can Recognize a Bad Person

A cat or a dog? This is one question that has been debated for years. Here’s one more fact about dogs that may change your mind about which pet to get. You trust your dog, but does it trust you?
A recent study shows that dogs can analyze how reliable a person is and we want to share this information with our readers! Dogs, as real detectives, can explain to us whether or not to trust another person.
The study was conducted by Akiko Takaoka of Kyoto University in Japan. The scientist and his colleagues wanted to know if a dog would trust a person who lied to it. The researchers divided the experiment into 3 parts. They wanted to know if the dog could understand whether or not the person was untrustworthy.
The group of scientists claims that the research has a potential implication in dogs’ behavioral studies. The study tells us that dogs prefer this world to be certain, according to John Bradshaw with the University of Bristol.

In the experiment, dog owners would first point to a container with food. The dog would run to it. Then a container without food would be pointed at. The dogs were tricked and approached the container.

It’s been previously known that dogs would run to an object their owner would point at. Thus, dogs are believed to be able to understand human gestures. And if the gestures are inconsistent, the dog can become nervous and stressed.

The third time, the dogs would not follow the pointing hand. They did not believe the liars. 34 dogs took part in the experiment and they all showed the same results, according to the Animal Cognition Journal. Dogs would use their previous experience to know that a person was unreliable.

Mr. Takaoka plans to continue the experiment with wolves since they are the closest relatives to dogs. The current experiment also proves that dogs are curious about new things.

More research states that dogs also control how other people interact with their owners. In an experiment, dog owners asked people for help. Afterward, the people were trying to give the dogs a treat. And the pets surprised us!

The dogs wouldn’t take a treat from the people who behaved in a bad or rude way toward their owners. They preferred to be fed by those who helped. Even those who did nothing in response to the begging were welcomed. But the rude and aggressive people couldn’t earn the dogs’ trust.

One more study reported by Neuroscience and Biobehavioural Reviews, states that dogs clearly read the communication between their owners and strangers. In the experiment, dog owners asked 2 groups of strangers for a little help. The dogs showed a good understanding of social rules. They avoided the people who mistreated their owners.

Unsafe Toys

The wide range of pet toys on the market offer something for every pet and every budget. All choices are not equally appealing or safe for every pet though. The age, size/breed, and personality of each pet are important factors when choosing toys for a pet, whether as a gift for your own pets or for other pets in your life.



Dogs and Bones

I have heard "my dog does just fine with bones" too many times to count. And, some dogs are fine with bones. Many dogs are not. Most of the bones in pet supply stores are hard and brittle, some are filled with a "marrow" treat.
The size of the dog, the bone, and how enthusiastic the dog is about chewing and playing with the bone all come into play. Dogs that like to play catch or fetch do better with soft, sturdy toys -- with less damage to teeth and gums.



The Dangers of Bones - The top worries about bones are:

-Broken teeth
-Bone stuck on lower jaw or lodged in upper jaw.
-Bone swallowed or stuck in pharynx or throat.
-Bone ingested, causing gastrointestinal obstruction or rupture.

I am not a fan of bones as chew toys for dogs. The above scenarios often involve surgery or at least anesthesia or sedation to remedy the problem. The risks outweigh the fun.


Safe Chew Bone Alternatives

For the dogs who like to chew and/or play catch and fetch, I recommend a durable, non-destructible, rubber bone, ball, or flying disc.
Of course, "non-destructible" isn't an absolute, but my dogs have done well with the toys mentioned below. Some dogs chew/ingest any toy though, so as always, supervision is recommended.


A few brands I have used for my dogs over the years:

Kong toys - Large variety of dog toys. Be sure to read labels for weight of dog, age (puppies, seniors, etc.), and chew durability.

West Paw Zogoflex Toys - My review of these durable soft chew toys.

Kibble Nibble - Eager chewers can chip away at this toy, use with supervision.

Stuffed animal toys - various brands - This type of toy clearly isn't for every type of dog, but my Greyhounds love them and get lots of "chewing" play time in without shredding or eating the toy.


NOTE : Rawhides, bully sticks, hooves, ears, and similar treats may be ok for some dogs, but I don't offer them to my dogs. Possible problems include: ingesting too fast (getting lodged in throat, mouth), digestive problems, and risks of salmonella.

Puppy Mills 3/3

Let's examine the claims pet shops make:

1) The "breeders" are actually millers and other large-scale dog producers whose main concerns are merely to pump out as many dogs of different breeds in as short a period of time as possible. Responsible breeders would never wholesale their dogs to petshops. Responsible breeders cannot meet the demand of pet shops, who sell many different dogs and breeds and constantly need to replenish their stock. The dog producers that DO meet the pet shop's stock demands are the millers who pump out hundreds of puppies of many different breeds annually. The pet shop is also able to enjoy the convenience of purchasing all their animals from one source.

2) As already discussed, USDA licensing does not guarentee humane treatment of the dogs in mills. (Please see the Links section above to view the grounds of some USDA licensed establishments). Also, remember that the USDA licenses and oversees factory farming. What the USDA considers acceptable in factory farms outrage and horrify many people who are made aware of what exactly goes on behind the closed doors of the industry. The animals in these situations are treated as product, and are not given the consideration they deserve. Humane treatment and quality of life are not factors deemed worthy of attention. The situation at puppymills is very similar. The dogs are merely treated as money-making items.

3) The sales pitch, "AKC registered" has been used repeatedly by the puppymill/petshop industry and has duped the public into believing that if a dog bares the AKC registered title, it must be of quality. The fact of the matter is that the American Kennel Club (AKC) is merely a registering body. "Papers" on a dog mean that the animal is certifiably purebred. It does not guarentee anything else. There are no requirements necessary in order for a dog to be registered other than having AKC-registered parents. Health, temperment or where a dog came from have no bearing on the matter.