A glimpse into the dog's mind: A new study reveals how dogs think of their toys

by Eötvös Loránd University

A picture of Gaia, one of the Gifted dogs (from Brazil) searching for her toy in the light (on 

the left) and in the dark (on the right). Credit: Shany Dror

Many dog lovers want to know what goes on in their furry friends' minds. Now scientists are finally getting closer to the answer. In a new study just published in the journal Animal Cognition, researchers from the Family Dog Project (Eötvös Loránd University University, Budapest) found that dogs have a multi-modal mental image of their familiar objects. This means that when thinking about an object, dogs imagine the object's different sensory features, for instance, the way it looks or the way its smells.

The group of scientists assumed that the senses dogs use to identify objects, such as their toys, reflect the way the objects are represented in their minds. "If we can understand which senses dogs use while searching for a toy, this may reveal how they think about it," explains Shany Dror, one of the leading researchers of this study. "When dogs use olfaction or sight while searching for a toy, this indicates that they know how that toy smells or looks like."

In previous studies, the researchers discovered that only a few uniquely gifted dogs can learn the names of objects. "These gifted word learner dogs give us a glimpse into their minds, and we can discover what they think about when we ask them 'where is your teddy bear?'" explains Dr. Andrea Sommese, the second leading researcher.

In the first experiment, they trained three gifted word learner dogs and 10 typical family dogs (i.e., dogs that do not know the name of toys), to fetch a toy associated with a reward. During the training, dogs received treats and were praised for choosing this toy over a few distractor toys.

The researchers then observed how the dogs searched for the targeted toy, always placed among four others, both when the lights were on and off. All dogs successfully selected the trained toys, both in the light and in the dark. However, it took them longer to find the toys in the dark. Only the gifted word learner dogs participated in the second experiment. Here, the researchers aimed to find out what these dogs think about when they hear the name of their toys.

Credit: Eötvös Loránd University

"Revealing the senses used by the dogs to search for the named toys gave us the possibility to infer what these dogs imagine when they hear, for example, 'teddy bear,'" explains Dr.. Claudia Fugazza, co-author of the study.

The gifted dogs were successful in selecting the toys named by their owners in the light and the dark. This reveals that, when they hear the name of a toy, they recall this object's different sensory features and they can use this "multisensory mental image" to identify it, also in the dark.

"Dogs have a good sense of smell, but we found that dogs preferred to rely on vision and used their noses only a few times, and almost only when the lights were off," clarifies Prof. Adam Miklósi, head of the Department of Ethology at ELTE University and co-author of the study. "Dogs sniffed more often and for longer in the dark. They spent 90% more time sniffing when the lights were off, but this was still only 20% of the searching time."

To conclude, the dogs' success in finding the toys and the different senses used while searching in the light and the dark reveals that, when dogs play with a toy, even just briefly, they pay attention to its different features and register the information using multiple senses.Exceptional learning capacities revealed in some gifted dogs

More information: Shany Dror et al, Multisensory mental representation of objects in typical and Gifted Word Learner dogs, Animal Cognition (2022). DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01639-z

Claudia Fugazza et al, Word learning dogs (Canis familiaris) provide an animal model for studying exceptional performance, Scientific Reports (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93581-2

Journal information: Animal Cognition , Scientific Reports 

Provided by Eötvös Loránd University 

A glimpse into the dog’s mind: A new study reveals how dogs think of their toys

Dogs have a “multi-modal mental image” of their familiar objects

Peer-Reviewed Publication

EÖTVÖS LORÁND UNIVERSITY (ELTE), FACULTY OF SCIENCE

 

IMAGE: DOGS IMAGINE THE OBJECT’S DIFFERENT SENSORY FEATURES view more 

CREDIT: CREDIT: COOPER PHOTO

Many dog lovers want to know what goes on in their furry friends’ minds. Now scientists are finally getting closer to the answer. In a new study just published in the journal of Animal Cognition, researchers from the Family Dog Project (Eötvös Loránd University University, Budapest) found out that dogs have a “multi-modal mental image” of their familiar objects. This means that, when thinking about an object, dogs imagine the object’s different sensory features. For instance, the way it looks or the way its smells.

The group of scientists assumed that the senses dogs use to identify objects, such as their toys, reflect the way the objects are represented in their minds. “If we can understand which senses dogs use while searching for a toy, this may reveal how they think about it” explains Shany Dror, one of the leading researchers of this study. “When dogs use olfaction or sight while searching for a toy, this indicates that they know how that toy smells or looks like”.

In previous studies, the researchers discovered that only a few uniquely gifted dogs can learn the names of objects. “These Gifted Word Learner dogs give us a glimpse into their minds, and we can discover what they think about when we ask them - Where is your Teddy Bear? –“ explains Dr. Andrea Sommese, the second leading researcher.

In the first experiment, they trained 3 Gifted Word Learner dogs and 10 typical family dogs (i.e., dogs that do not know the name of toys), to fetch a toy associated with a reward. During the training, dogs received treats and were praised for choosing this toy over a few distractor toys.

VIDEOABSTRACT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVC1IzdLJP8 

The researchers then observed how the dogs searched for the targeted toy, always placed among 4 others, both when the lights were on and off. All dogs successfully selected the trained toys, both in the light and in the dark. However, it took them longer to find the toys in the dark. Only the Gifted Word Learner dogs participated in the second experiment. Here, the researchers aimed to find out what these dogs think about when they hear the name of their toys.

“Revealing the senses used by the dogs to search for the named toys gave us the possibility to infer what these dogs imagine when they hear, for example, Teddy Bear explains Dr. Claudia Fugazza, co-author of the study.

The Gifted dogs were successful in selecting the toys named by their owners in the light and the dark. This reveals that, when they hear the name of a toy, they recall this object’s different sensory features and they can use this “multisensory mental image” to identify it, also in the dark.

“Dogs have a good sense of smell, but we found that

dogs preferred to rely on vision and used their noses only a few times, and almost only when the lights were off”

clarifies Prof. Adam Miklósi, head of the Department of Ethology at ELTE University and co-author of the study. “Dogs sniffed more often and for longer in the dark. They spent 90% more time sniffing when the lights were off, but this was still only 20% of the searching time”.

To conclude, the dogs’ success in finding the toys and the different senses used while searching in the light and the dark reveals that, when dogs play with a toy, even just briefly, they pay attention to its different features and register the information using multiple senses.

---

This research is part of the Genius Dog Challenge research project that aims to understand the unique talent that Gifted Word Learner dogs have. The researchers encourage dog owners who believe their dogs know multiple toy names, to contact them on the Genius Dog Challenge website.

 

---

JOURNAL

Animal Cognition

DOI

10.1007/s10071-022-01639-z 

ARTICLE TITLE

Multisensory mental representation of objects in typical and Gifted Word Learner dogs

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

8-Jun-2022

Dogs were domesticated once from a lost population of wolves
Our history with dogs is complicated, according to a study of ancient dog DNA.

KIONA N. SMITH - 10/29/2020


Genomics researcher Anders Bergstrom and his colleagues recently sequenced the genomes of 27 dogs from archaeological sites scattered around Europe and Asia, ranging from 4,000 to 11,000 years old. Those genomes, along with those of modern dogs and wolves, show how dogs have moved around the world with people since their domestication.

All the dogs in the study descended from the same common ancestor, but that original dog population split into at least five branches as it expanded in different directions. As groups of people split apart, migrated, and met other groups, they brought their dogs along. Dog DNA suggests that their population history mirrors the story of human populations, for the most part.

“Understanding the history of dogs teaches us not just about their history, but also about our history,” said Bergstrom, of the Francis Crick Institute, in a statement.

We still don’t know who let the dogs out

We still don’t know exactly when or where dog domestication first happened; it already had a pretty complex history by 11,000 years ago. But it looks like it only happened once. The ancient genomes suggest that dogs all share a common ancestor, which they don’t share with modern wolves. According to Bergstrom and his colleagues, that probably means that dogs all descend from one group of wolves, and that group is now extinct.

Modern gray wolves don’t appear to be very closely related to any of the ancient or modern dogs in the study. That suggests that since domestication set them apart, wolves haven’t contributed much DNA to dog bloodlines.

The oldest dog in the study lived with Mesolithic hunter-gatherers about 10,900 years ago in what is now Sweden. Its DNA suggests that most of its ancestors were from an eastern branch of the dog family tree—the branch that gave rise to Siberian dogs, indigenous North American dogs, and even New Guinea singing dogs and Australian dingoes.

But some of the dog’s ancestry also came from the branch that had followed humans into the Levant and Southwest Asia. Those bits of DNA were probably picked up as souvenirs when the dog’s ancestors met dogs from another population. In other words, by 11,000 years ago, dogs had had time to become a species, divide into distinct populations as they moved apart, and then meet again and exchange DNA.

Have dogs, will travel

Bergstrom and his colleagues wanted to know how dogs’ population history lined up with that of humans. They compared their ancient dog data to what ancient human DNA tells us about how groups of people migrated and interacted during the last 12,000 years. Not too surprisingly, the timing of splits, mergers, and movements mostly matched up. That suggests that, as groups of people migrated, they brought their dogs with them, and the dogs got up to much the same things the humans got up to when they met new neighbors.

Ancient human DNA tells us that early farmers from what is now Turkey moved north and west into Europe around 8,000 years ago, and it took just a few centuries for them to completely replace the populations of hunter-gatherers who were already there.

“It’s not clear how these movements happened—whether by disease, or by violence, or by some kind of biased intermarriage process—but what the genetics shows unambiguously is that these changes did happen, and much more dramatically than any archaeologists expected,” said Reich back in 2018.

And DNA from ancient European dogs tells us that very similar things were happening between the Neolithic newcomers’ dogs and the ones (like the 11,000-year-old Swedish dog mentioned above) that were already there. In general, dogs found at archaeological sites in north and western Europe have more eastern ancestry, and less Levantine ancestry, than dogs found in the south and east—and vice versa.

Some dogs were on a very long leash

Dogs’ and humans’ stories match up, at least in the broad strokes. But Bergstrom and his colleagues found a few points where the story of dogs seemed “decoupled” from ours. Those differences are probably the result of disease, trading, preferences for particular dog types, or people moving to a new place without taking the dogs (which sounds awful, honestly). These “decoupled” population histories can tell us about how dogs fit into ancient human societies.

A few thousand years after the Neolithic takeover of Europe, another group of people swept westward from Central Asia. They probably brought along dogs like the 3,800-year-old animal recovered from an archaeological site on the Russian Steppes.

But while the pastoralists from the steppes added their DNA to the mix that makes up modern European populations, their dogs didn’t seem to mingle much with local dogs. Meanwhile, in China, the reverse happened. Steppe pastoralists expanded eastward, but modern people in east Asia don’t carry much of their DNA. Modern East-Asian dogs, however, get quite a bit of their ancestry from dogs like the 3,800-year-old Srubnaya dog.

“Perhaps there is sometimes also an element of chance in these processes, such that if we could replay the tape of human history many times, the outcome for dogs might not always be the same,” Bergstrom told Ars.

Old dogs and new genomes

Part of the reason the earliest years of dogs’ domestication are so fuzzy (not sorry) is that ancient dog DNA has been pretty scarce. Until the recent study, scientists had published just six prehistoric dog and wolf genomes. In case you’re keeping score, we had sequenced more Neanderthal genomes than prehistoric dog genomes—until now, that is.

“Ancient DNA is still a young field, and for most animals there have not yet been many studies of whole genomes,” Bergstrom told Ars. For him and his colleagues to add 27 ancient dog genomes to that list, it took an international effort by archaeologists and museum curators. The collaborators found ancient dog remains in museum and university collections and on lists of material excavated at archaeological sites.

According to Bergstrom, more ancient dog genomes, along with more archaeological evidence about how dogs fit into ancient cultures and economies, could help us understand the origin of dogs and the parts of our shared history that don’t seem to line up.

Perhaps someday we’ll even learn the answer to the most pressing question of all: “Who’s a good dog?”

Science, 2020 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba9572 (About DOIs).

KIONA N. SMITH  is a freelance science journalist at Ars Technica.

8 things we do that really confuse our dogs

by Melissa Starling and Paul McGreevy, The Conversation

Credit: Shutterstock

Dog behaviour is extraordinarily flexible—this is why we can keep them in our homes and take them to cafes with us at the weekend.

Nevertheless, there are ways in which evolution has not equipped dogs for the challenges of living in our world, and puppies must learn how to cope.

These are some of the things we do they struggle to understand.

1. We leave them alone

As born socialites, dogs make friends easily. Puppies are intensely interested in spending time with other dogs, people, and any species willing to interact with them socially. They usually play, rest, explore and travel with company. Yet we often leave dogs alone: at home, in kennels or the vet clinic.

In these situations, naive dogs can't be sure we'll ever return to collect them. Only after experience are they likely to expect a reunion, and even then, their experience depends on the context.

At home, we may try to enforce dog-free zones. Naturally, many dogs protest. How can they stay with their (human) social group when they're separated behind impenetrable barriers (doors)? This explains why dogs so often demand to be let inside when their human family is there, and why those with separation-related distress frequently find some solace in being indoors.

2. We are visually driven

Dogs live in an olfactory world, while ours is chiefly visual. So, while TVs may offer a visual feast for humans, parks and beaches are an olfactory banquet for dogs.

An additional challenge is dogs move while investigating the world, whereas we often sit still. They may not relish the inertia we enjoy in front of a noisy, flashing light-box.

3. We change our shape and smell

Shoes, coats, wallets, briefcases, bags and suitcases: countless smells cling to these items after we take them into shops and workplaces, then back to our dogs. Cleaning products, soaps, deodorants and shampoos also change the scents our dogs are used to.

Towels, hats and bags change our shape when we're using them. And when we're pulling them on, jumpers and coats alter our visual outline and may catch dogs unaware.

Dogs change their coats at least once a year. In contrast, we change our external cladding every day. This means the odours we carry are changing far more than dogs have evolved to expect.

In their olfactory world, it must be puzzling for dogs to encounter our constantly changing smells, especially for a species that uses scent to identify familiar individuals and intruders.

4. We like to hug

How humans use their forelimbs contrasts sharply with how dogs do. We may use them to carry large objects a dog would have to drag, but also to grasp each other and express affection.

Dogs grasp each other loosely when play-wrestling, and also when mating and fighting. Being pinned by another dog hinders a quick escape. How are puppies to know what a hug from a human means, when that behaviour from a dog might be threatening?

5. We don't like to be bitten

Play-fighting is fun for many puppies and helps them bond with other dogs. But they must monitor the behaviour of other dogs in play-fights and know when they've used their tiny, razor-sharp teeth excessively.

Humans are much more susceptible to pain from playful puppy jaws than other dogs are, and so we can react negatively to their attempts to play-fight with us.

Dogs interact with objects almost entirely with their muzzle. And to feed, they use their jaws, teeth and tongue.

Dogs also "mouth" other dogs when playing, expressing affection and communicating everything from "more" to "please don't" to "Back off!". So, naturally, they try to use their mouths when communicating with us, and must be puzzled by how often we take offence.

6. We don't eat food from the bin

Dogs are opportunists who naturally acquire food anywhere they find it. In contrast, we present them with food in dishes of their own.

Puppies must be puzzled by our reaction when we find them snacking from benches and tables, in lunchboxes and kitchen bins. We should not be surprised when dogs unearth food we left somewhere accessible to them.

7. We share territories

We visit the territories of other dogs, bringing back their odours, and allow unfamiliar human and canine visitors to enter our dogs' home. Dogs have not evolved to accept such intrusions and threats to their safety and resources.

We shouldn't be surprised when our dogs treat visitors with suspicion, or when our dogs are treated with hostility when we bring them to the homes of others.

8. We use our hands a lot

Sometimes our hands deliver food, scratches, massages and toys. Other times, they restrain dogs, trim nails, administer ointments or tablets, and groom with brushes and combs that may pull hair.

No wonder some dogs grow to fear the human hand as it moves about them. We can make it easier for dogs to accept many types of hand-related activities if we train them to cooperate with rewards.

But humans often misread their fear and may even greet it with violence which compounds the problem. Hand-shy dogs can easily become defensive and find their way into pounds and shelters, where life expectancy for nippers and biters is poor.

On the whole, dogs show a remarkable ability to adapt to the puzzles we throw at them. Their behavioural flexibility offers us lessons in resilience and how to live simply and socially. Our challenge is to understand the absence of guile and malice in everything they do.

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National Dog Day: Celebrating all the ways that dogs make life better

ByChrissy Sexton

Earth.com staff writer

08-26-2023

National Dog Day is celebrated on August 26th every year in the United States. It is a day to celebrate all breeds of dogs and to recognize the irreplaceable roles they play in our lives. 

It is a day to show appreciation for working dogs that protect us and provide invaluable services, such as guide dogs, therapy dogs, search and rescue dogs, and police dogs.

It’s also a day to raise awareness about the number of dogs that need to be rescued and adopted. Many people celebrate by spending extra time with their dogs, posting pictures on social media, or even adopting a new pet.

History 

National Dog Day was founded in 2004 by animal welfare advocate and pet lifestyle expert, Colleen Paige. 

The date of August 26th was chosen because it’s the date that Paige’s family adopted her first dog “Sheltie” from the local animal shelter when she was 10 years old.

How dogs help humans

Dogs are known for their loyalty and faithfulness and have been companions to humans for centuries. They play many roles in our society as helpers, protectors, and companions.

Dogs offer unconditional love and can improve mental well-being. Additionally, they encourage physical activity through walks and play. Some breeds assist in tasks like hunting, herding, or policing, while service dogs can help individuals with disabilities. 

Companionship

Dogs are loyal and loving companions, providing emotional support and reducing feelings of loneliness.

Physical activity

Taking care of a dog involves regular walks and playtime, which helps in keeping the owners physically active.

Mental health

Spending time with dogs has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

Security

Dogs are often protective of their owners and can provide a sense of security.

Assistance

Some dogs are trained to assist people with disabilities, such as guide dogs for the visually impaired or service dogs for people with other physical or mental challenges.

Work

Dogs are used in various professional capacities, such as search and rescue, police work, and herding animals.

Bond between humans and dogs

The bond between humans and dogs is one of the most mutually beneficial relationships in the animal kingdom. It is thought to have existed for thousands of years, dating back to when humans first domesticated wolves. Over time, this relationship has evolved and strengthened, leading to the domestic dog species we know today.

Emotional Bond

Dogs are known for their loyalty and affection. They often form strong emotional bonds with their human owners, providing companionship and reducing feelings of loneliness. Humans often view dogs as members of their family. 

Communication

Both humans and dogs have developed ways to communicate with each other, both verbally and non-verbally. Dogs have learned to understand human gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice, while humans have learned to interpret a dog’s barks, growls, and body language.

Mutual benefits

The relationship between humans and dogs is mutually beneficial. Dogs provide companionship, emotional support, and security, while humans provide food, shelter, and care. 

Trust and dependence

Over time, a sense of trust and dependence develops between a dog and its owner. Dogs often look to their owners for guidance and support, while owners often rely on their dogs for companionship and protection.

Ways to celebrate:

• Adopt a dog: Many people choose this day to adopt a new furry friend from a shelter.

• Volunteer: Some people spend their day volunteering at a local animal shelter.

• Pamper your dog: Many dog owners pamper their pets with special treats, new toys, or a long walk in the park.

• Social media: Share photos and stories of your dog on social media using the hashtag #NationalDogDay.

National Dog Day is not only a day to celebrate and appreciate the love and joy that dogs bring into our lives, but also a day to raise awareness about the thousands of dogs that are in shelters waiting for a loving home.

It is a time to celebrate and honor the various ways dogs make our lives better, and to encourage responsible dog ownership and care.

—-

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India's stray dogs are being locked out by a US ban on adoptions

By Anagha Subhash Nair, CNN 


When Jill Trail first met Pihu, a frail 6-week old puppy, in India she knew she needed her care. Living on the streets, Pihu had suffered spinal injuries and infections so bad that both hind legs had to be amputated.

© Kannan Animal Welfare Pihu in her wheelchair.

There was one problem: Trail lived in the United States.

She decided that didn't matter. So, last year she worked with non-government organizations to bring the puppy to the US and ultimately adopted her. Today, Pihu is a healthy, wheelchair-bound puppy with a loving home.

"People say to me all the time, 'God bless you for taking a dog like that,'" says Trail. "But I'm the lucky one. There's no sacrifice on my part. Pihu is just so inspirational and packed with personality."

But since July 14 this year, similar rescue tales are no longer possible. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a temporary suspension, with no set duration, on importing dogs from over 100 countries -- including India.

The CDC says the ban is necessary to reduce the risk of rabies following a spate of falsified rabies vaccination certificates. But the move is a problem for charities across India like Kannan Animal Welfare (KAW), which often helps find overseas homes for India's stray dogs -- including Pihu.

It can be hard to find a suitable home for stray dogs in India. Many are physically and mentally disabled after suffering trauma and abuse and need a carer committed to their rehabilitation.

KAW's founder, Vandana Anchalia, says in India stray dogs are perceived to be dirty, unattractive and difficult to train -- and most Indians prefer to adopt pedigrees.

NGOs worry the restrictions could mean fewer dogs make it to safety -- and many more will be left languishing on India's streets.

Sending dogs abroad

Anchalia founded KAW in 2015 after learning more about the cruelties faced by India's estimated 60 million street dogs.

KAW was started as a rehabilitation center for stray dogs that were offered for local adoption after treatment. Soon, Anchalia and her team discovered that these dogs, many of whom were physically disfigured or disabled, had a better chance of finding a home abroad

.

© Ashley Nicole Patterson Jill Trail with her dog, Pihu, a double amputee whom KAW rescued from the streets.

In the past six years, KAW has sent about 115 rescued street dogs to the US, in partnership with US-based NGOs Operation Paws for Homes and Twenty Paws Rescue. These US-based organizations determine which dogs are the right fit, then KAW sends the dogs by cargo or with a flight volunteer to the shelters, where they are adopted.

"We have to (send dogs abroad) to maintain (lower) numbers at the shelter ... if we don't ... we can't admit new dogs. We can't overcrowd our shelter," says Anchalia.

Peedu's People, an NGO registered in Texas and Punjab, has sent close to 90 dogs with special needs to the US over the past five years. Most dogs are included in its "street foster" program where dogs are vaccinated, sterilized and monitored by a resident who feeds them

.

© Kannan Animal Welfare An employee at KAW interacts with rescued strays at the KAW shelter.

When dogs are injured too badly to survive independently on the streets, Peedu's People tries to rehome them abroad -- something they can't do under the new CDC rules.

The organization already has a "backlog of puppies who need to go overseas, because they have no chance of surviving on the roads in India," says founder Inder Sandhu.

Deb Jarrett, founder of Dharamsala Animal Rescue (DAR), based in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, says it costs around $3,000 to send a dog to the US for adoption, paid for by the charity or the adopter.

Sandhu says the ubiquity of these street dogs had desensitized many Indians to their plight.

"It's easy for people in the US to find a dog, but they connect to the story of an Indian dog," he says. "It's not that Indians are not compassionate, it's just that we've seen so much of it that there's an apathy we have towards these animals."


The difficulty of adopting a street dog

Life on the street comes with health risks -- and that's exactly what US authorities are worried about.

Abi T. Vanak, an ecologist at India-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) says in addition to human-related dangers, such as being run over by a car or abuse, these dogs are at risk of catching many diseases, including canine distemper, worms, mange and scabies.

 Dharamsala Animal Rescue A stray dog afflicted with maggot wounds, rescued from the streets by Dharamsala Animal Rescue.

Dave Daigle, associate director for communication from CDC's Center for Global Health, says the temporary ban is due to a 50% increase in the number of dogs denied entry into the United States in 2020, compared to previous years. A significant number of these entry denials were for dogs with falsified rabies vaccination certificates, which "puts the US at risk of importing a dog that is not adequately protected against rabies."

© The Voice of Stray Dogs Rakesh Shukla at the VOSD sanctuary with a few of his dogs.

That comes with a huge potential price tag for the US. Daigle estimates that for each rabid dog imported, it could cost over half a million US dollars to contain the spread of canine rabies among the public.

Rabies is spread by dog bites and causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. The disease kills around 20,000 people in India each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), accounting for 36% of all global rabies deaths.

The WHO says a number of rabies cases go unreported, so the figures could be higher.

DAR's Jarrett says misinformation surrounding rabies, especially in rural parts of India, makes it difficult to contain the disease. She has come across a plethora of "cures" for dog bites, ranging from "applying turmeric and chilli on the bite to drinking holy water to performing a few good deeds."

Under the new rules, some dogs are allowed into the US -- but not for adoption or the transfer of ownership. Owners must apply for a permit, and individuals can only import three dogs at a time. Dogs must be microchipped and have a rabies test a minimum of 30 days after being vaccinated against rabies, and 90 days before their arrival to the US.


What is India doing at home?

With a temporary ban on sending dogs to India, addressing the country's street dog problem needs to happen at home.

After two people requested police protection for feeding stray dogs because they were being threatened by other locals for doing so, the Delhi High Court ruled on July 1 that street dogs have a right to be fed -- and that citizens have a right to feed them.

Some animal lovers welcomed the ruling, as it would prevent dogs from starving. Others expressed concern that feeding these dogs could encourage them to gather at food sources, where they could become territorial and aggressive.

Anchalia believes that while the High Court ruling was a step in the right direction, it is also important for citizens to take responsibility for the dogs they feed.

"People may feel good about feeding many dogs, but if the dog population is increasing, and puppies are just dying on the street, it is not a solution," she says. "The way to help is to feed the dog, vaccinate it and sterilize it."

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), set up by the Indian government as an advisory body, has undertaken animal birth control (ABC) programs to sterilize street dogs, as well as campaigns to vaccinate dogs against rabies. There are no official statistics on the number of dogs that have been sterilized as part of ABC, and the AWBI did not respond to requests for comment.

But Vanak says current programs don't match up to the scale of the stray dog problem in India. He believes a more permanent solution would be to redirect the resources invested in ABC programs to expanding animal shelters for dogs.

"Dogs on the streets have very poor welfare outcomes. Proper welfare of animals, especially domestic animals, is best guaranteed under human supervision or under human care," he says.

Voice of Stray Dogs (VOSD) is an animal welfare organization that has rehabilitated over 8,000 stray dogs since its inauguration in 2013. Its crown jewel is a dog sanctuary in Bangalore that is home to over 800 dogs.

"It may not make sense financially, but it makes sense to me, and it always makes sense to us (VOSD)," says Rakesh Shukla, founder of VOSD, about taking in dogs with severe physical injuries. "We have a clear policy of not saying no to any dog, and we will never refuse a dog and we will never put down a dog because we don't have enough space or money."

Vanak, however, believes that India needs fewer quick fixes and more systemic solutions.

"The dog problem requires a reimagination of our relationship with dogs," he says. "You need better education for people to take good care of their dogs, and to view them as a valuable part of the landscape."

Prior to the onset of Covid-19, DAR ran an education program in schools in Dharamsala, where children were taught how to be kind to street dogs and avoid conflict with them.

Anchalia believes the ban on the export of Indian dogs to the US may be the push needed to help change Indian attitudes and encourage local adoptions. She says the slow-paced life associated with the Covid-19 lockdown in India has opened people's eyes to the rampancy of animal cruelty and the problems associated with stray dogs.

Anchalia believes this newfound awareness, coupled with measures to change the younger generation's perception of free-roaming dogs, may offer some redemption for India's neglected canines.

"The bigger responsibility lies on us," she says. "The solution lies in all of us coming together and working for these dogs."

Discovery of an ancient dog species may teach us about human vocalization

by NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute

Photograph taken of a Highland Wild Dog in Indonesia. Credit: New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation

In a study published in PNAS, researchers used conservation biology and genomics to discover that the New Guinea singing dog, thought to be extinct for 50 years, still thrives. Scientists found that the ancestral dog population still stealthily wanders in the Highlands of New Guinea. This finding opens new doors for protecting a remarkable creature that can teach biologists about human vocal learning. The New Guinea singing dog can also be utilized as a valuable and unique animal model for studying how human vocal disorders arise and finding potential treatment opportunities. The study was performed by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, Cenderawasih University in Indonesia, and other academic centers.

The New Guinea singing dog was first studied in 1897, and became known for their unique and characteristic vocalization, able to make pleasing and harmonic sounds with tonal quality. Only 200-300 captive New Guinea singing dogs exist in conservation centers, with none seen in the wild since the 1970s.

"The New Guinea singing dog that we know of today is a breed that was basically created by people," said Elaine Ostrander, Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator and senior author of the paper. "Eight were brought to the United States from the Highlands of New Guinea and bred with each other to create this group."

According to Dr. Ostrander, a large amount of inbreeding within captive New Guinea singing dogs changed their genomic makeup by reducing the variation in the group's DNA. Such inbreeding is why the captive New Guinea singing dogs have most likely lost a large number of genomic variants that existed in their wild counterparts. This lack of genomic variation threatens the survival of captive New Guinea singing dogs. Their origins, until recently, had remained a mystery.

Another New Guinea dog breed found in the wild, called the Highland Wild Dog, has a strikingly similar physical appearance to the New Guinea singing dogs. Considered to be the rarest and most ancient dog-like animal in existence, Highland Wild Dogs are even older than the New Guinea singing dogs.

Researchers previously hypothesized that the Highland Wild Dog might be the predecessor to captive New Guinea singing dogs, but the reclusive nature of the Highland Wild Dog and lack of genomic information made it difficult to test the theory.

In 2016, in collaboration with the University of Papua, the New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation led an expedition to Puncak Jaya, a mountain summit in Papua, Indonesia. They reported 15 Highland Wild Dogs near the Grasberg Mine, the largest gold mine in the world.

A follow-up field study in 2018 allowed researchers to collect blood samples from three Highland Wild Dogs in their natural environment as well as demographic, physiological and behavioral data.

NHGRI staff scientist Heidi Parker, Ph.D., led the genomic analyses, comparing the DNA from captive New Guinea singing dogs and Highland Wild Dogs.

"We found that New Guinea singing dogs and the Highland Wild Dogs have very similar genome sequences, much closer to each other than to any other canid known. In the tree of life, this makes them much more related to each other than modern breeds such as German shepherd or bassett hound," Dr. Parker said.

According to the researchers, the New Guinea singing dogs and the Highland Wild Dogs do not have identical genomes because of their physical separation for several decades and due to the inbreeding among captive New Guinea singing dogs—not because they are different breeds.

In fact, the researchers suggest that the vast genomic similarities between the New Guinea singing dogs and the Highland Wild Dogs indicate that Highland Wild Dogs are the wild and original New Guinea singing dog population. Hence, despite different names, they are, in essence, the same breed, proving that the original New Guinea singing dog population are not extinct in the wild.

The researchers believe that because the Highland Wild Dogs contain genome sequences that were lost in the captive New Guinea singing dogs, breeding some of the Highland Wild Dogs with the New Guinea singing dogs in conservation centers will help generate a true New Guinea singing dogs population. In doing so, conservation biologists may be able to help preserve the original breed by expanding the numbers of New Guinea singing dogs.

"This kind of work is only possible because of NHGRI's commitment to promoting comparative genomics, which allows researchers to compare the genome sequences of the Highland Wild Dog to that of a dozen other canid species," Dr. Ostrander said.

Although New Guinea singing dogs and Highland Wild Dogs are a part of the dog species Canis lupus familiaris, researchers found that each contain genomic variants across their genomes that do not exist in other dogs that we know today.

"By getting to know these ancient, proto-dogs more, we will learn new facts about modern dog breeds and the history of dog domestication," Dr. Ostrander said. "After all, so much of what we learn about dogs reflects back on humans."

The researchers also aim to study New Guinea singing dogs in greater detail to learn more about the genomics underlying vocalization (a field that, to date, heavily relies on birdsong data). Since humans are biologically closer to dogs than birds, researchers hope to study New Guinea singing dogs to gain a more accurate insight into how vocalization and its deficits occur, and the genomic underpinnings that could lead to future treatments for human patien

They were once domestic pets, then natural selection made dingoes wild

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More information: Suriani Surbakti el al., "New Guinea highland wild dogs are the original New Guinea singing dogs," PNAS (2020). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2007242117

Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 

Provided by NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute 

Exceptional learning capacities revealed in some gifted dogs

All dogs are smart but some are uniquely talented in learning words.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

EÖTVÖS LORÁND UNIVERSITY (ELTE), FACULTY OF SCIENCE

 

IMAGE: MAX IS A TALENTED DOG, WHO PARTICIPATES IN EXPERIMENT AT ETHOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT EÖTVÖS LORÁND UNIVERSITY view more 

CREDIT: CREDIT TO COOPER PHOTO

Does your dog understand you? All dogs are smart but some are uniquely talented in learning words. According to a new study, just published in Royal Society Opens Science these gifted dogs can learn up to 12 new toy names in one week. Not only that, but they also can remember the new toy names for at least two months. The dogs presented their exceptional skills as part of the Genius Dog Challenge, a series of live broadcasted experiments, which became viral over social media.

“We know that dogs can easily learn words that are linked to actions, such as “sit” or “down”. But very few dogs can learn names of objects” explains Shany Dror, leading researcher, from the Family Dog Project, Eötvös Loránd University. “For more than two years we searched around the world for dogs that had learnt the names of their toys, and we managed to find 6”.

The dogs: Max (Hungary), Gaia (Brazil), Nalani (Nederland), Squall (Florida), Whisky (Norway), and Rico (Spain), all qualified to participate in the challenge by proving to know the names of more than 28 toys, with some knowing more than 100!

“These gifted dogs can learn new names of toys in a remarkable speed” says Dr. Claudia Fugazza, head of the research team. “In our previous study we found that they could learn a new toy name after hearing it only 4 times. But, with such short exposure, they did not form a long-term memory of it”.

Watch the video abstract of the study by clicking here.

In this new study, the researchers wanted to push the limits of the dogs’ talent, so they challenged the owners to teach their dogs the names of, first, 6 and then 12 new toys in only one week. The researchers were amazed by the dogs’ performance. “It turned out that, for these talented dogs, this was not much of a challenge. They easily learned between 11 to 12 toys” discloses Shany Dror. The researchers also tested the dogs one, and two months after they had learned the names of the new toys and found that they still remembered those.

The study not only reveals that some gifted dogs can learn new words in an astonishing rate but it also standardizes a new way of conducting science.

The researchers explained that they collected data during COVID-19 lockdowns, which meant that they needed to take the laboratory to the owner’s home. To do this, they asked the owners to set up two video cameras and connect to a livestream, which meant that they could fully monitor the dogs’ and the owners’ behavior. “Once we realized we can remotely test the dogs, we decided to bring the experiment to the homes of people all around the world by broadcasting the tests live on YouTube” says Shany Dror.

All of the dogs in this research are Border Collies, is this the smartest dog breed?

“Originally Border Collies were breed to work as herding dogs, so most of them are very sensitive and responsive to the behavior of their owners. However, although the ability to learn names of toys appears to be more common among Border Collies, in a recently published study we found that even among this breed it is very rare” emphasizes Shany Dror. “Moreover, this talent is not unique to this breed. We are constantly searching for more gifted dogs. Thanks to the Genius Dog Challenge we have managed until now to find also dogs from other breeds including a German Shepherd, a Pekingese, a Mini Australian Shepherd and a few dogs of mixed breeds”. Previous research has documented this talent also in Yorkshire Terriers.

CAPTION

Talented dogs learn easily the names of new toys. Max chose the toy asked. Experiment at Eötvös Loránd University

CREDIT

credit to Cooper Photo

Why study gifted dogs?

“Dogs are good models for studying human behavior as they evolved and develop in the human environment” explains Prof. Adam Miklósi, head of the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University and coauthor of the study. “With these talented dogs

we have a unique opportunity to study how another species understands the human language and how learning words influences the way we think about the world.

Moreover, gifted dogs are especially interesting because they show that also among other species there are individuals that are uniquely talented. With the help of these dogs, we hope to better understand the factors that contribute to the development of talent”.

The skill to learn object names is very rare and dogs with this capacity are important for research. By studying these dogs, we can not only better understand dogs, but also better understand ourselves. So, the researchers encourage dog owners that believe their dogs know multiple toy names to contact them through the Genius Dog Challenge.

CAPTION

Whiskey is one of the talented dogs who participate in experiments at Eötvös Loránd University

CREDIT

credit to Helge O. Savela

JOURNAL

Royal Society Open Science

DOI

10.1098/rsos.210976‎ 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

News article

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

6-Oct-2021