Dogs

Scientists in Finland have conducted a study investigating the root causes of fearfulness in dogs, uncovering a previously unknown link between urban living environments and social fearfulness in dogs.

There is a long line of research projects aimed at leveraging the famous sensitivity of canine noses to detect risks to human health. But could they be trained to sniff out the scent of COVID-19 and offer a non-invasive way to detect the disease.

It is well known that dogs boast an incredible sense of smell, but new research has uncovered another way our four-legged friends use their famous noses to find their way around, detecting radiant heat much like a thermal infrared sensor.

Scientists have been left dumbfounded after wolf puppies raised in their care exhibited a totally unexpected ability to retrieve a ball much like a domesticated dog, shedding light on how the early stages of dog domestication may have played out.

Sparking new dogs versus cats arguments, a study is suggesting exposure to a pet dog over a child’s first years can be linked to a lower risk of developing schizophrenia as an adult. The same correlation was not seen in children raised with cats.

Military personnel are often exposed to loud noises, such as when they're in helicopters. And while human soldiers wear hearing protection, the same can't be said for their "working" dogs. A new garment has been designed to address that problem.

​Yes, you're right. GoPro does already make an actioncam harness-mount for dogs (as does Sony, for that matter). The currently-crowdfunding PetNow system, however, offers a few additional features for people wishing to see the world from their canine's perspective.

​We've already seen several dog-like quadruped robots, which move by walking with their four backward-bending legs. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University are now getting in on the act, with their artificially-intelligent (and dog-headed) Astro robot.

Among other things, trained dogs are capable of sniffing out bombs, locating buried survivors at disaster sites, or assisting the physically challenged. They can't, however, always see or hear their handler's commands. A new vest is designed to help, as it relays gentle vibrational cues.

A new study examining the anatomical differences between dogs and wolves revealed dogs recently evolved a very small facial muscle allowing them to raise their inner eyebrow. This muscle was not found in wolves, suggesting dogs rapidly evolved this extra tissue to better communicate with humans.

​​The collagen-rich properties of fish skin have seen it gain some serious utility as a tool for treating burns. Veterinarians have now used a new form of this approach to bring a severely burned Rottweiler back from the brink of death.

​If you're like most dog- or cat-owners, you don't like leaving your critter at home alone all day. As a result, we've seen several robotic pet-entertaining devices recently hit the crowdfunding platforms. While some feature cameras or treat-dispensers, GomiBall keeps things simple.