Do You Believe In Dog?

Visit Blog Website

42 posts · 10,455 views

What happens when two canine scientists decide to become pen pals in an era of digital media?

Cobb & Hecht
42 posts

Sort by: Latest Post, Most Popular

View by: Condensed, Full

  • May 9, 2013
  • 11:05 PM
  • 30 views

Stop to smell the flowers. Especially lavender.

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

(source)Hi Julie, WOW!Dogs in clothes.  Corgis in bikinis at the beach. Greyhounds in onesies.  We people do some weird things to our canine friends, no?! I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy being dressed up in a padded outfit all day long, so I think I'll pass on sharing that experience with my dogs. As you said, cultural perceptions, ethics and expectations add a whole layer of extra consideration. It's not always easy to work out what dogs want or need. That's why I like........ Read more »

Wells Deborah L. (2006) Aromatherapy for travel-induced excitement in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 229(6), 964-967. DOI: 10.2460/javma.229.6.964  

MOTOMURA NAOYASU, SAKURAI AKIHIRO, & YOTSUYA YUKIKO. (2001) REDUCTION OF MENTAL STRESS WITH LAVENDER ODORANT. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 93(3), 713-718. DOI: 10.2466/pms.2001.93.3.713  

  • April 25, 2013
  • 12:43 AM
  • 89 views

A room with a view: what do dogs want?

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Putting the woof in tweet! (source)Hi Julie,Wow! Thanks for sharing the amazing fun tweet-week we had posting for @realscientists on Twitter. It was great to engage with so many people about so many areas of dog (and other animal!) behaviour and research. And poo. So many questions about dog poo!  Some things can be relied upon in life; it’s good to know people are always curious about dog poo.If you want to revisit any of those posts or links we exchanged as part of the Real Scienti........ Read more »

  • April 12, 2013
  • 09:27 PM
  • 47 views

Real Scientists Tweet

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hi Julie,I hope you have an awesome time at Science Online Teen tomorrow! I hope you get asked lots of questions about your presentation, Dogs: Science in Your Living Room. It's so true that dogs make for a sensational gateway to scientific enquiry - and they're right there, in front of us!If anyone happens to ask you "What's it like being a scientific canine behavioural researcher?", be sure to tell them to tune in to the @realscientists Twitter project from Sunday (or Satur........ Read more »

Brossard Dominique, & Scheufele Dietram A. (2012) Social science. Science, new media, and the public. Science (New York, N.Y.), 339(6115), 40-41. PMID: 23288529  

  • March 28, 2013
  • 06:57 PM
  • 120 views

Throw another dog in the (data) pool

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hello Julie,My, oh my! What an exciting time it was last week, witnessing Dog Spies' migration to the Scientific American Blog Network. Such a great day for dogs, for science and for YOU!  Yah! for this recognition of your fabulous writing achievements, communicating the field of canine science to a broader audience. WELL DONE!As for your question about writing and how I do it, I have to admit I'm 'between systems' currently. By this, I mean that I sometimes map out ideas and plan........ Read more »

Liberati Alessandro, Altman Douglas G., Tetzlaff Jennifer, Mulrow Cynthia, Gøtzsche Peter C., Ioannidis John P.A., Clarke Mike, Devereaux P.J., Kleijnen Jos, & Moher David. (2009) The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: explanation and elaboration. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 62(10). DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.06.006  

Dorey Nicole R., Udell Monique A.R., & Wynne Clive D.L. (2009) Breed differences in dogs sensitivity to human points: A meta-analysis. Behavioural Processes, 81(3), 409-415. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2009.03.011  

Fratkin Jamie L, Sinn David L, Patall Erika A, & Gosling Samuel D. (2013) Personality consistency in dogs: a meta-analysis. PloS one. PMID: 23372787  

Nimer Janelle, & Lundahl Brad. (2007) Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Meta-Analysis. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 20(3), 225-238. DOI: 10.2752/089279307X224773  

  • March 15, 2013
  • 09:20 PM
  • 167 views

The heat(map) is on... The colours of canine welfare.

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hey Julie, All those conferences sound completely AMAZING! I love that both dog urine and poo are totally appropriate topics for us to discuss in our conversations. All the other scientists are so jealous right now!I hope you've been well since getting home again. We've just been through the longest heatwave ever recorded in Melbourne over the past fortnight (9 days over 30oC / 90oF in a row) and today it's finally cooled off, hooray! I haven't posted you the TimTams I promised you on Twitt........ Read more »

Seligman Martin E. P., Ernst Randal M., Gillham Jane, Reivich Karen, & Linkins Mark. (2009) Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35(3), 293-311. DOI: 10.1080/03054980902934563  

  • March 11, 2013
  • 07:44 PM
  • 98 views

Why I conference

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

(Source)Hi Mia!Would you agree that you and I spend a lot of time researching and writing, two incredibly solitary activities?And given that we both have the social butterfly gene (I just got our DNA tests back, I’ll send you yours), conferences are incredibly important for our health and well-being; a time where we can run amok with people exuberant about the field of dog behavior, cognition and welfare.In some ways, conferences are akin to summer camp. Smores by the campfire become happy hou........ Read more »

  • March 1, 2013
  • 09:53 PM
  • 172 views

RSPCA Australia Scientific Seminar 2013: Recap

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hi Julie, what a week! Thanks for all that great information about The Sounds of Dogs, that was so interesting. I definitely recognise differences in the way my dogs bark. They have very different vocalisations for "strange person at the door", "someone familiar that I'm excited to see at the door" and "Oh my goodness, you just did something that we're not meant to do!" (that last one is ALWAYS Elke 'dobbing' on Caleb - she would have totally been the teacher's pet in a classroom envir........ Read more »

  • February 13, 2013
  • 04:32 PM
  • 262 views

Dog poo turning green – the power of science

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hey Julie,Thanks for the run down on ScienceOnline and ‘Lend a Paw’ month.  I completed the survey about my cat’s behaviour, it was quick and easy to do.  I also liked your stroking video, but I’ll get back to that later, right now I need to tell you how dog poo (I think you usually say ‘poop’ in the USA?) is turning green.Dog poo is turning greenIt’s turning green and it’s thanks to the power of science. Or perhaps it’s the science of power? It’s easy to ........ Read more »

Okoroigwe E.C., Ibeto C.N., & Okpara C.G. (2010) Comparative Study of the Potential of Dog Waste for Biogas Production. Trends in Applied Sciences Research, 5(1), 71-77. DOI: 10.3923/tasr.2010.71.77  

Nemiroff Leah. (2007) Design, Testing and Implementation of a Large-Scale Urban Dog Waste Composting Program. Compost Science , 15(4), 237-242. info:other/http://montrealndgdogrun.org/image/downloads/compost studies.pdf

  • February 6, 2013
  • 03:07 PM
  • 104 views

Dogs helping cats: February is ‘Lend A Paw’ month

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

(Source) Hi Mia! Cats chilling with working dogs? I’ve never heard of that, and it’s the best idea! It's possible working dog organizations here in the States do that, and I’m just out of the loop. Clearly that experience/exposure is important for dogs and cats alike! Yes, Josh had a bit of a run in with block of cheese and a tea kettle. Not to worry; he is healthy and happy, although the cheese felt violated and the tea kettle is out of commission. Science Online 2013 Conference (#sc........ Read more »

Boissy Alain, Manteuffel Gerhard, Jensen Margit Bak, Moe Randi Oppermann, Spruijt Berry, Keeling Linda J., Winckler Christoph, Forkman Björn, Dimitrov Ivan, & Langbein Jan. (2007) Assessment of positive emotions in animals to improve their welfare. Physiology , 92(3), 375-397. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.02.003  

Daniels Dawn Marie, Ritzi Rovane B. S., O’Neil Joseph, & “Tres Scherer L R. (2009) Analysis of Nonfatal Dog Bites in Children. The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 66(Supplement). DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181937925  

Horowitz Alexandra C., & Bekoff Marc. (2007) Naturalizing Anthropomorphism: Behavioral Prompts to Our Humanizing of Animals. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 20(1), 35. DOI: 10.2752/089279307780216650  

  • January 31, 2013
  • 06:46 PM
  • 258 views

Dogs & Cats, Cats & Working Dogs, Working Dogs & Emotions

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hi Julie!What a busy week I’ve found myself having! Very productive indeed, with a lot of this:and some more of that: Fuelled by a ton of this:But I did take time to notice that your cat Josh broke something new.  Oh Josh! Thanks for telling me about your ISHAR presentation about dogs and cats in the home.  I can definitely relate to the importance of early socialisation = best chance at harmony. Take my dog Elke, for example.As a pup, she met and spent time aroun........ Read more »

  • January 27, 2013
  • 06:25 PM
  • 104 views

When coping is not enough

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hi Julie,Snapshot from Project: Play with your Dog's 'Wall of Contributors'I’m so pleased to hear that Project: Play with Your Dog is going well. I’ve enjoyed watching the wall of contributors grow and it’s awesome that The Bark featured the research project – but then, why wouldn't they? It’s a fantastic project!As you mentioned, I’ve been keeping busy getting organised for my presentation at next month’s RSPCA Australia Scientific Seminar. This event is held annual........ Read more »

Yeates James. (2011) Is 'a life worth living' a concept worth having?. Animal Welfare, 20(3), 397-406. info:other/http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ufaw/aw/2011/00000020/00000003/art00009

  • January 25, 2013
  • 03:24 PM
  • 271 views

Dogs and Cats in the Home: Happiness for all?

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

(Source)Hi Mia! Looking forward to hearing more about your upcoming conference, ‘When coping is not enough - Promoting positive welfare states in animals’. I was recently thinking about positive welfare in animals, sort of by accident. This past Monday, I was part of a Cats In Context conference at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. The conference was put together by ISHAR, the Institute for the Study of Human Animal Relations. Last year’s conference covered The Future of Zoos -- and a........ Read more »

Boissy Alain, Manteuffel Gerhard, Jensen Margit Bak, Moe Randi Oppermann, Spruijt Berry, Keeling Linda J., Winckler Christoph, Forkman Björn, Dimitrov Ivan, & Langbein Jan. (2007) Assessment of positive emotions in animals to improve their welfare. Physiology , 92(3), 375-397. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.02.003  

Daniels Dawn Marie, Ritzi Rovane B. S., O’Neil Joseph, & “Tres Scherer L R. (2009) Analysis of Nonfatal Dog Bites in Children. The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 66(Supplement). DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181937925  

Horowitz Alexandra C., & Bekoff Marc. (2007) Naturalizing Anthropomorphism: Behavioral Prompts to Our Humanizing of Animals. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 20(1), 35. DOI: 10.2752/089279307780216650  

  • January 16, 2013
  • 12:00 PM
  • 242 views

The feeling of play

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

(Source)Hi there Mia,2013 is looking pretty good! I loved your recent post on motor, sensory and structural aspects of laterality in dogs. This is the type of research that gets me going. Who would think any information could come from this, and then... Tada!!!Dogs with clockwise chest whorls were more likely 'right-pawed'Feels like play Project: Play with Your Dog is going well! We’re getting loads of submissions from people across the globe, and we'll be collecting submissions through Spring........ Read more »

Boissy Alain, Manteuffel Gerhard, Jensen Margit Bak, Moe Randi Oppermann, Spruijt Berry, Keeling Linda J., Winckler Christoph, Forkman Björn, Dimitrov Ivan, & Langbein Jan. (2007) Assessment of positive emotions in animals to improve their welfare. Physiology , 92(3), 375-397. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.02.003  

Daniels Dawn Marie, Ritzi Rovane B. S., O’Neil Joseph, & “Tres Scherer L R. (2009) Analysis of Nonfatal Dog Bites in Children. The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 66(Supplement). DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181937925  

Horowitz Alexandra C., & Bekoff Marc. (2007) Naturalizing Anthropomorphism: Behavioral Prompts to Our Humanizing of Animals. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 20(1), 35. DOI: 10.2752/089279307780216650  

  • January 3, 2013
  • 05:04 PM
  • 172 views

Thinking laterality: steps, jumps and wonder-whorls

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Happy New Year Julie! Thank you for all that great info about canine noise sensitivity and what can be done. I'm very happy to report my two dogs got through the fireworks without any obvious anxiety this year. I'm so pleased you raised the topic of laterality in dogs. Left paw preference - right paw preference - welcome to laterality! (source)Dr Lisa TomkinsYou mentioned the work of Dr Nick Branson, who I have been fortunate to work with in our Australian........ Read more »

  • December 30, 2012
  • 03:13 PM
  • 206 views

What kinds of dogs are troubled by fireworks, and what to do about it

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hi Mia, I agree with you. As much as I enjoy New Years celebrations, it breaks my heart to see so many dogs distressed over our reverie. (Source) Which dogs are troubled by noises? As you say, some dogs are la-di-da about fireworks and others act as if it’s Judgment Day times ten. What could be behind those differences? Early FireworksYou shared a really interesting finding that dogs who heard fireworks when they were puppies were less likely to show a fear response to noises later in life. Th........ Read more »

Daniels Dawn Marie, Ritzi Rovane B. S., O’Neil Joseph, & “Tres Scherer L R. (2009) Analysis of Nonfatal Dog Bites in Children. The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 66(Supplement). DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181937925  

Horowitz Alexandra C., & Bekoff Marc. (2007) Naturalizing Anthropomorphism: Behavioral Prompts to Our Humanizing of Animals. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 20(1), 35. DOI: 10.2752/089279307780216650  

  • December 27, 2012
  • 05:29 AM
  • 143 views

Fireworks: not fun for everyone (or every dog)

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

(source)Hi Julie,I hope you have had a lovely Christmas, we certainly did! The sun has been shining and we’ve enjoyed seeing our friends and family over the past few days.I’ve got my eye on New Year’s Eve now that Christmas has passed, but not because I’m planning a big night out. It’s all to do with fireworks. My two dogs demonstrate very different reactions to fireworks. One used to default into a shaking ball and tuck herself away into a corner somewhere (usually unde........ Read more »

Blackwell Emily, Casey Rachel, & Bradshaw John. (2005) Firework fears and phobias in the domestic dog. RSPCA / University of Bristol. http://www.rspca.org.uk/ImageLocator/LocateAsset?asset

Bolster Christine. (2012) Fireworks are no fun for pets. Veterinary Nursing Journal, 27(10), 387-390. DOI: 10.1111/j.2045-0648.2012.00224.x  

  • December 18, 2012
  • 05:37 AM
  • 274 views

'Tis the season to be Doggy, fa la la la laaaa...

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hey Julie, I absolutely LOVE Project: Play with your Dog study and how the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab are crowd sourcing using citizen science! I don't think a better way of contributing to scientific understanding can possibly exist! I look forward to hearing updates about how the research goes. I will certainly participate - next time we head to the river to play, we'll take our camera to get some video! So you might have noticed the silly season of festivity has landed upon us... Assumi........ Read more »

  • December 14, 2012
  • 11:22 AM
  • 156 views

Play with your dog, for science

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Project: Play With Your Dog (our latest study)Hi Mia,Wow. Very heavy stuff. I’m really happy you put this all out there. It's a great resource, especially when people tend to think, "That won't happen to me." An uncomfortable and upsetting situation hopefully becomes more real and understandable. Hopefully, an eye of caution will be extended to those circumstances more often associated with bites. Show us how you playYou’re right, my mind has been 100% on things not related to dog bites........ Read more »

Daniels Dawn Marie, Ritzi Rovane B. S., O’Neil Joseph, & “Tres Scherer L R. (2009) Analysis of Nonfatal Dog Bites in Children. The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 66(Supplement). DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181937925  

Horowitz Alexandra C., & Bekoff Marc. (2007) Naturalizing Anthropomorphism: Behavioral Prompts to Our Humanizing of Animals. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 20(1), 35. DOI: 10.2752/089279307780216650  

  • December 11, 2012
  • 05:36 AM
  • 312 views

The Science Surrounding Children & Dogs: Part 3 (The Ugly)

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Cute or feeding an unrealistic fantasy? (source)Hey Julie,You raise such an important point! In the same way that popular culture can influence our perceptions and interpretations of ‘cute’ in domains like body image and kawaii, photos of babies with dogs can set us up with unrealistic expectations that might lead to ugly situations and devastating outcomes. And it’s some of The Ugly side of the science surrounding children and dogs that I want to share with you today. Dogs can hurt c........ Read more »

Shewell P C, & Nancarrow J D. (1991) Dogs that bite. BMJ, 303(6816), 1512-1513. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.303.6816.1512  

Reisner I. R, Shofer F. S, & Nance M. L. (2007) Behavioral assessment of child-directed canine aggression. Injury Prevention, 13(5), 348-351. DOI: 10.1136/ip.2007.015396  

Ozanne-Smith J, Ashby K, & Stathakis V Z. (2001) Dog bite and injury prevention--analysis, critical review, and research agenda. Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention, 321-326. PMID: 11770660  

Avner J R, & Baker M D. (1991) Dog bites in urban children. Pediatrics, 88(1), 55-57. PMID: 2057274  

Zasloff Lee R., Hart Lynette A., & Weiss Joan Melrod. (2003) Dog training as a violence prevention tool for at-risk adolescents. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 16(4), 352-359. DOI: 10.2752/089279303786992044  

  • December 3, 2012
  • 11:07 PM
  • 296 views

Dogs and babies: Not always cute

by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?

Hi Mia, Oh, Arf! Based on the way I treated him, it's a good thing he was stuffed. I remember dragging him around by his leg (or maybe it was his ear) so we could "spend time" together. Given he was a stuffed animal, I have to admit it's pretty cute. Nowadays, it seems like one of the functions of social media is sharing cute stuff. You can't go a day without seeing something posted, tweeted or shared that elicits an, "Aww cute" response. Some photos mix and match baby animals: Baby animal........ Read more »

Daniels Dawn Marie, Ritzi Rovane B. S., O’Neil Joseph, & “Tres Scherer L R. (2009) Analysis of Nonfatal Dog Bites in Children. The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 66(Supplement). DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181937925  

Horowitz Alexandra C., & Bekoff Marc. (2007) Naturalizing Anthropomorphism: Behavioral Prompts to Our Humanizing of Animals. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 20(1), 35. DOI: 10.2752/089279307780216650  

join us!

Do you write about peer-reviewed research in your blog? Use ResearchBlogging.org to make it easy for your readers — and others from around the world — to find your serious posts about academic research.

If you don't have a blog, you can still use our site to learn about fascinating developments in cutting-edge research from around the world.

Register Now

Research Blogging is powered by SMG Technology.

To learn more, visit seedmediagroup.com.