Dogs Are Smarter Than Most Of Us Think

Sometimes, we think our dogs are doing weird stuff just because they don’t know better, or they just don’t understand. Maybe your pet just rolled around in some bad smelling stuff while you were looking away for a few seconds. Why would he do that? But the truth is that most of the time, there is actually a reason behind our pets actions. The example that we mentioned above, could be due to the fact that your dog wanted to disguise his smell from other animals. This has not much real value in todays society, but if we look at it from an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense. Luckily, there are a lot more conveniences in todays society, like fancy dog beds for example, so these kind of instincts are not needed as much now.

We are firm believers that dogs are actually very intelligent, and often understand a lot more than we think they do. This article tells about a dog that decided to change his life circumstances himself:

Determined Stray Refuses To Be Homeless And Strolls Right Into A Rescue Clinic

In an act of loyalty, helplessness, or adoration for these humans (I haven’t decided), a tenacious “Meximutt,” as Santa Rosa rescue Compassion Without Borders calls him, absolutely refuses to be homeless anymore. The “neighborhood” stray was brought to the rescue’s veterinary clinic by a very generous woman to be neutered, and that’s really where his new story life begins.

After the woman took the little guy back to her neighborhood in Mexico, she couldn’t hang onto him for long. The very next day the dog found his way back to the clinic and nearly broke the doors down to get inside.

Read the full article…

It seems that sometimes dogs are able to understand the bigger picture of situations, by intuition rather than by analyzing it. And it is very common for them to be extremely loyal to their owners. One example of this is the guide dog that literally jumped in front of a moving vehicle in order to save his owner:

Woman and her guide dog are reunited

A legally blind woman and her guide dog have been reunited after recovering from injuries they received when they were hit by a school bus in New York.

“Oh, my good boy. You’re home, finally,” Audrey Stone exclaimed upon greeting her golden retriever, Figo, in the driveway of her home in Brewster, about 60 miles north of Manhattan.

Figo got in between Stone and an oncoming minibus in June as they crossed a street a block from her home.

Stone spent months in a rehabilitation hospital. Figo underwent surgery and went back to his trainers for a determination of whether he could work as a guide dog again.

Read the full article…

There has even been some talk lately about electing a dog-mayor in Austin. Of course, it would be difficult for him to voice his opinions on some topics himself, but he seems to be getting some help translating this:

What do you think? How much do our pets actually understand about what is happening in different situations? Leave us a comment below and tell us your thoughts about this subject!

Dogs Are Smarter Than Most Of Us Think was seen for the first time on The Little Windup Pup.

How To Keep Your Dogs Safe On Halloween

A few weeks ago, we did an early post about how dogs experience halloween. Now we think it’s time to bring up the security aspect of this holiday, and how to prevent our pets from becoming scared of the action, or from associating it with something negative. This kind of celebration is not something we see everyday, and can sometimes be a handful, even for us humans. But we know and understand why all these strange things are happening, while our pets probably doesn’t. In some cases, the best idea might be to not get our dogs involved in the festivities. The reasons and rationale can be found in this article:

Prevention on Halloween

Halloween offers a very specific opportunity to protect your dog with a commitment to preventing trouble. However dear trick-or-treaters may be to many humans, few dogs feel the same way. Having a tree, a storm trooper or a fully functioning traffic light at your door may prompt you to say, “My, how clever,” but most dogs react in a more, “Ye gads, what is that thing?!” kind of way. Between the doorbell and the monsters (literally!) at the door, the night is far more trick-y than treat-y for most of our beloved canines. Many of them react with fear, excessive exuberance or even aggression.

Since this holiday happens only once a year, it’s hard to give dogs practice with the situations unique to it. It’s true that handling the horrors of Halloween can be step 100 in a program to teach dogs to be able to cope with anything, but most dogs are somewhere between step 20 and step 50. Jumping up too far in the process can be damaging to dogs and actually set them back. I do hate to sound defeatist, but unless your dog is experienced all the way up through step 99, I’m in favor of avoidance for so many dogs who struggle with this holiday.

Read the full article…

So there’s the option of just avoiding the activities on Halloween with your dog. This alternative could be made cozy and relaxing by watching a movie together, dog steps for bed would let him join when he feels like it. But if you do want to include your pet in the celebrations, there are some things that should be taken into consideration, to make it easier for your little friend:

5 Ways To Keep Halloween From Getting Too Scary For Your Dog

Fall is quickly approaching. We can smell the pumpkin spice lattes already. With every new season, it’s time to evaluate safety concerns for your pooch, especially regarding the holidays. Howloween is meant to offer a fright, but not to unsuspecting Fido. If you’re celebrating the holiday by inviting trick-or-treaters to your door, follow these tips to train your dogs to be ready for the night.

1. Doorbells or knocks

Your dog is probably used to the doorbell ringing or guests coming over, but probably not to the degree it will happen on Halloween. Have someone ring your doorbell and practice sit and stay while you answer it. Increase the amount of times you do this a day leading up to Halloween.

Read the full article…

Training your dog to better handle the events on Halloween can definitely be time well spent. But just like us humans, pets also have their own personalities, and some might actually enjoy celebrations like this, some others accept it, and some doesn’t like it at all. Sometimes we can relate to how they feel, like in this article by Patricia McConnell:

Halloween Costumes for Dogs?

I have to be honest about dressing up our pets: I’m not a fan. Perhaps my feelings are influenced by my own experience being dressed up as at the age of five as a housefly, complete with huge wings that made it impossible to move and a mask that I couldn’t see through. My mother spent weeks creating it (it was brilliantly done if I remember correctly, she was a great seamstress). I was, however, frightened and claustrophobic. It is one of my worst and earliest memories.

Okay, granted, I’m a wuss. But what about the family Labrador dressed up like Batman? Or the Persian house cat dressed up as a mouse? Are they having as much fun as their owners? I suspect that many are not. On the other hand, I have to admit, after a brief period of time, Willie ignored his costume and was perfectly happy to play ball while wearing it. Here he is looking quite perky. Relatives of mine have one cat that seems to enjoy being dressed up, and one who clearly goes into shock about it. So, I’m trying to have a open mind about it here… help me out. What do you think? Have you ever dressed up your dog or cat? If so, how did your pet behave? Did you pay careful attention to their response? Any good dog or cat costume stories?

Read the full article…

You should now have some ideas about how to help your dog through Halloween and how to make this celebration as enjoyable as possible for your four legged friend. Even though the theme of the evening is scary, the feelings associated with it can be completely different.

How To Keep Your Dogs Safe On Halloween was seen for the first time on The Little Windup Pup.

Unexpecting pet owners

Most of the time, adopting a dog is something that we plan for a relatively long time. Maybe we need to take some time off from work in order to take care of our new puppy as best we can. Another preparation could be to get some toys, and maybe even one of the fancy dog beds that are available.  All the things that are organized beforehand helps us prepare, so that we’re finally ready when the day comes, and the dog is old enough for us to bring home. But this is not always the case, become a dog owner can sometimes be a sudden event which has not been planned at all. One example of this is described in the following article by Heather Marcoux:

Found in a Dumpster and Saved From Blindness, Baby Becomes a Mascot

When Dawn Malvasio’s fiancé came home from his job at a Staten Island construction site with a puppy in his pocket, he had an interesting story to tell. It all started when he’d gone to throw some debris into a dumpster and heard something that sounded like crying.

“He didn’t know what it was. At first he thought it was a rat. He didn’t know what to think. He moved a mattress that was in there over, and there was Baby, at 6 weeks old.”

The couple already had an 8-month-old Pit Bull named Scrappy, so Malvasio’s fiancé suggested they try to find a home for this little puppy he had saved. As the evening progressed, it was clear that Scrappy was in full big-brother mode, doting over this unexpected guest — and he wasn’t the only one falling in love. Malvasio quickly realized Baby had already found her home.

 

Click here to read the full article…

It’s great to see that people are willing to step up and help when there is an animal in need. They need food and shelter, just as much as we do, and pets need the support of a human in order to survive. The article below shows another example of a person that is willing to give a helping hand:

EMS Worker Adopts Dog that Lost Human in Truck Accident

When a truck driver tried to avoid hitting a vehicle driven by someone that fell asleep at the wheel, the truck driver was in an accident and lost his life. One of the EMS workers that responded has adopted the special needs dog that was with the driver of the truck that had lost his life.

 

Click here to read the full article…

But interacting with a dog we’ve never met before can be scary for some people, and it’s important to be cautious. So how should we act when meeting a dog for the first time? This article provides some basic things to think about:

How to Safely Meet (and Pet!) a Strange Dog

If you’re like us, you probably have the overwhelming urge to pet any cute dog you see walking your way. There are a few things you should keep in mind before you approach new furry friends. We’ve put together some simple guidelines to help both you and the new dog have a positive first encounter.

Ask the Owner

Don’t be shy! It’s always a good idea to check with a dog’s owner before saying hello. And asking for permission is more than polite—it gives the owner a chance to tell you if their pup is in training, nervous around strangers, or otherwise not prepped for snuggles.

Think Like a Dog

Dogs greet each other by sniffing, so take a page from their (likely drool-covered) book and slowly offer the back of your hand for the dog to smell. Don’t worry, you don’t need to return the favor.

 

Click here to read the full article…

Here’s a video that can be another good resource, with advice on how to greet a dog we’ve never seen before:

Hopefully, reading about dogs that received the help they needed was motivating for you, and perhaps you have a better understanding of how to interact with new dogs, from reading the advice and watching the video. But every dog is unique, and it’s always important to be cautious, because we can never be completely sure how they will react.

 

Unexpecting pet owners was seen for the first time on The Little Windup Pup.

How Dogs Experience Halloween

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Halloween is often the costumes and everyone dressing up, but what about the dogs? Chances are that they think all the fuzz and people dressing up is fun, but it’s not many dogs that actually enjoy having to put on a costume themselves. Even so, a lot of money is spent every year on dog-related articles for Halloween. The experience a dog gets from Halloween celebrations, depends a great deal on how we humans choose to handle it. One option would be to create a party game for our dog as a part of the festivity, like the one mentioned in this article:

Halloween Party Games For Dogs

Don’t wait too long to throw your parade. Costumes are for the human’s benefit. It’s the rare dog who truly enjoys wearing antlers or a spider pillow. So shortly after your guests have a chance to sniff noses and get acquainted, switch on some upbeat music–not so loudly it’ll hurt your guests’ sensitive ears–and start the parade.

This can mean anything you want it to–walking around in a circle. Dancing with each other. The idea is to give your (human) guests a chance to show off a bit and have some fun.

You can make it more of an event by handing out prizes in the hand. Maybe dog biscuits inscribed (in non-toxic ink) with “Scariest costume,” “Funniest costume,” “Most embarrassing costume,” and so on.

Click here to read the full article…

For those having a difficult time coming up with costumes for their pet could have a look at the new trend of dressing up dogs with pope-looking apparel:

Do You Have a Pup Francis?

A pope who shares his name with the patron saint of animals, St. Francis de Assisi, is unlikely to be offended by seeing dogs in papal wear. In fact, we can dare to hope that he would find it flattering to see dogs dressed in such costumes. Pope Francis, after all, has thrilled many members of the animal community by discussing an afterlife for many species, including dogs. He has also addressed the importance of kindness towards all living beings. Naturally, many people are dressing their dogs like him as a way to celebrate and honor the pontiff.

Click here to read the full article…

There is an infinite amount of different dog-costumes that can be created, limited only by our imagination. We don’t even have to buy them, although it takes a bit more work and effort to create a costume ourselves. But one that we thought was both cute and funny is this one:

It’s important to remember however, that events like Halloween when there are lots of activity going on, can also make your dog very tired. So it’s important to prepare a place for them where they are able to rest undisturbed. One alternative could be to use luxury dog beds like those described here and put it in another room where it’s quiet, and the door is open. Then your dog can choose for himself when he needs to take a break and rest for a while.

How Dogs Experience Halloween was seen for the first time on The Little Windup Pup.

The Bright Future Of Biology

There has been some exciting discoveries this past time, but we still have not solved the matter of computers versus humans. On one hand, there are these amazing people, like the person described in this article:

Biology student breaks highest grade record in post-war UP

The summa cum laude leading this year’s batch of University of the Philippines graduates in Diliman will have the highest general weighted average (GWA) in the history of UP after World War II.

BS Biology student Tiffany Grace Uy will graduate with a GWA of 1.004. She will lead the 29 students who will graduate summa cum laude at the flagship campus of the country’s national university.

Uy’s 1.004 bested the grade obtained by BS Mathematics graduate John Gabriel Pelias in 2011. Pelias obtained the then highest post-war grade in UP with a GWA of 1.016.
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In 1927, BS Business Administration graduate Exequiel Sevilla graduated with a GWA of 1.00, the highest grade a UP student can receive.

Uy received a grade of 1.00 in all subjects except Art Studies where she obtained a grade of 1.25.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/700770/biology-student-breaks-highest-grade-record-in-post-war-up#ixzz3nGCTv5Xb

That's just incredible. But then on the other side, computers have their own areas that us humans are unable to be as proficient in. One example is the speed with which they are able to calculate complex problems, and the amount of data that can be used. Just look at this:

Computer solves 120-year-old biology problem that had scientists stumped

Can computer software invent scientific theories and ideas as well as crunch numbers? That's the suggestion being put forward by Michael Levin and Daniel Lobo, two computer scientists at Tufts University, Massachusetts in the US, who have programmed a computer to come up with its own scientific hypothesis on one of biology's most well-known mysteries.

The mystery in question: how the genes of a sliced-up flatworm regenerate into new organisms. It's one that's baffled the brightest human minds over the last century or so, and the two researchers picked it because it was "incredibly interesting", as William Herkewitz reports for Popular Mechanics. "These worms are basically immortal, you can cut them up and they continuously form new organisms," Levin told Herkewitz. "And why that happens could be key to developing everything from regenerative medicines to designing self-repairing robots."

Read more at: http://www.sciencealert.com/computer-solves-120-year-old-biology-problem-that-had-scientists-stumped

Whether it's us humans or the machines that will be contributing to new discoveries in the future, it seems like we are going the right way.

Related reading: http://compscigail.blogspot.com/