When you smile at your dog you set off a chain reaction in their body fueled by the so-called ‘love hormone’ oxytocin. A new study has found that smiling directly at your dog makes the dog feel warm and fuzzy,…
To evaluate the effects of aversive (punishment) and reward-based training methods on companion dog welfare, a study has shown that dogs with no previous training were more affected by the avoidance based cues of rewarding methods and had greater distress…
It’s a troubling thought, if you’ve ever wondered – is my dog bored? Is my dog getting enough out of the life I provide for them? Is my dog bored of me? A terrifying thought for our ego to cope…
Readers of the K9 Magazine Dogosaurus may well be benefiting from being able to label the odd behaviours that our dogs present. We like to apply names to the often funny and sometimes strange behaviours our dog’s exhibit. It certainly…
Each year, thousands of people around the world ask; why does a dog attack unprovoked? Even more terrifying, the number of people who want to know why my dog attacked me for no reason, suggests people are not only worried…
As a dog owner it can be seriously frustrating when your dog doesn’t listen. You find yourself calling your dog to no avail, training your dog produces sketchy results depending on the level of distraction. Training classes come and go…
An unusual encounter with a middle aged Terrier back in the Summer of 1998 gave me an interesting insight into the dog body language of shaking / or shivering dogs. I set my gaze on this small, but friendly dog…
“Gross! Why’s he rolling around in the mud like that?” “I don’t know son, maybe he thinks he’s bathing.” Interestingly, wolves and other wild dogs rolled in mud and other fowl substances to disguise their scent from prey. While its…
What Makes A Dog Tilt Its Head To The Side? In our ongoing series on dog body language and, quite frankly, because our dogs just do some things that make us ask why? We take a look at the curious…
Man’s best friend eh? The number of people who would have you believe that there is a generation (or group) of dogs intent on biting people for fun is quite alarming. Why do dogs bite? Well, let’s be clear on…
At the San Diego Zoo, there’s a sign near the rhinoceros enclosure that reads, “Stay back at least 20 feet and beware when I turn my back to you.” The reason for the warning is that rhinos like to mark…
