What Treat is Your Favorite? Most of us pay close attention to the types and flavors of treats that our dogs enjoy. This is of interest because many trainers and owners use food treats as a primary positive reinforcer and often rank treats from those that appear to be relished (high value) to those that … Continue reading Asking Our Dogs
Complete and Balanced
(The Fallout) Free Science Dog Webinar Learn how the term "Complete and Balanced Nutrition" first found its way onto pet food labels, what it (actually) signifies, and what it does not....... (and how to avoid confusion between the two). Join us for this complimentary offering! Learn More! Take a Look at this Popular Science Dog … Continue reading Complete and Balanced
Be the (Type of) Support Your Dog Needs
Having owners present or absent during routine veterinary visits and procedures continues to be a controversial issue. While many owners (myself included) maintain that it is imperative that we remain with our dogs during veterinary examinations, some veterinary professionals feel that dogs benefit if separated from their owner during routine examinations and procedures. We already … Continue reading Be the (Type of) Support Your Dog Needs
The Scent of Happiness
Can Dogs Detect the Smell of Human Emotions? A few years ago, I wrote about our neighbor Joe, his new dog, and Joe's (somewhat ubiquitous) theory that dogs can "smell fear." At that time, a team of researchers, led by Dr. Daniel Anielo, had just published a study of dogs' ability to detect human emotions … Continue reading The Scent of Happiness
Can We Feed Dogs a Healthful Vegan Diet?
Dog owners who choose to feed a vegetarian or vegan diet may do so for a variety of reasons. These include animal welfare concerns, a desire to reduce the environmental impact of the foods that they select, or beliefs about what constitutes a healthful diet. Some may also prefer foods that are less highly processed … Continue reading Can We Feed Dogs a Healthful Vegan Diet?
What IS the Canine Gut Microbiome, Anyway?
A New Science Dog Courses Webinar Presented by Dr. Stephanie Clark An on-demand webinar for veterinary health professionals, trainers, nutritionists, pet industry professionals and dog owners. Enjoy the opportunity to chat with the presenter and ask questions. Learn about the importance of the gut microbiome for long-term health and how diet may influence gut health. … Continue reading What IS the Canine Gut Microbiome, Anyway?
Can We Make Raw Dog Foods Safe?
Minimally-Processed Dog Foods Minimally-processed pet foods are increasing in popularity among dog owners. One sub-category of these foods is raw meat-based diets (aka RMBDs). I have reviewed the current science regarding the safety of these products in previous Science Dog essays (see The Raw Deal and Freeze-dried). In a nutshell, evidence from multiple studies supports … Continue reading Can We Make Raw Dog Foods Safe?
Fresh-Cooked Dog Foods
Commercial Hype or Superior Nutrition? By now, I would venture that almost every dog person on the planet has seen the 2023 Superbowl commercial "Forever", produced by The Farmer's Dog pet food company. (For the three people who have not yet seen it, here you go. Tip: Have a tissue box handy). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjlnjOMBCok This commercial … Continue reading Fresh-Cooked Dog Foods
What Do You Know……
About Canine Communication Signals? Do Dogs Enjoy Hugs? The question of whether or not dogs enjoy being hugged by humans tends to spark a great deal of discussion and controversy. While there are some who state that dogs do not naturally enjoy the intense physical closeness of a hug (and may even perceive hugs as … Continue reading What Do You Know……
Do Human-Grade Dog Foods Improve Dogs’ Skin Health?
Human-grade pet foods are becoming increasingly popular. I have written about this category of foods on several occasions and have reviewed recent studies of how these food tend to perform when fed to dogs. MILDLY- COOKED, HUMAN-GRADE DOG FOOD What do we currently know? To date, we know a few things about human-grade dog foods: … Continue reading Do Human-Grade Dog Foods Improve Dogs’ Skin Health?
Are You Interested in Cats?
New Cat-Centered Offerings from The Science Dog Courses! Feeding Felines: An Evidence-Based Feline Nutrition Course A Science Dog CORE course that focuses on our other best friend, the domestic cat. Learn why cats cannot be treated or fed as if they are "small dogs'! Students who complete the course receive a personalized Science Dog Courses … Continue reading Are You Interested in Cats?
What Dog Owners Think about Lead-Pulling
(And why it is such a common problem.....) One of the many joys of living with dogs is going for walks. In our family, all of our dogs have loved to hike and run, and Mike and I spend time together almost every morning with our dogs at our local forest preserve. The dogs enjoy … Continue reading What Dog Owners Think about Lead-Pulling
Are There Benefits of Insect-Based Dog Foods?
Insect-based dog treats and foods were first introduced into the commercial pet food market quite recently - about 6 years ago. While early products were primarily offered as treats, complete and balanced dog foods that contain various types of insect meals are increasingly available. I have written about the insect species that have been studied … Continue reading Are There Benefits of Insect-Based Dog Foods?
A New Scoop for Citizen Scientists
In recent years, the expansion of citizen scientist experiments to include owners and their dogs has been instrumental in furthering our understanding of canine behavior, social cognition, emotional responses and training. Not only are these studies of great practical importance, they also provide information about the complexities of dogs lives in ways that laboratory experiments … Continue reading A New Scoop for Citizen Scientists
Does Your Dog Love You More than He Loves Food?
(Do you want to know?) Our Dogs Love Us Of this, we are pretty certain. Of course, this is the science dog, so we like evidence. One of the ways in which researchers study dogs' relationships with owners is to measure dogs' preferences - called differential responses - in a variety of situations. In many … Continue reading Does Your Dog Love You More than He Loves Food?
The Science Dog 