A recent study suggests that women sleep better with a dog by their side. It also found that women get better sleep next to their dogs than they do with human partners.

So if you let your dog sleep in bed with you don’t be ashamed — according to this study it might actually be helping you get a good night’s sleep.

How The Study Was Conducted

The study was conducted by researchers at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. They collected survey data from 962 American women to investigate the relationship between pet ownership & sleep. 55% of the women in the study had at least one of their dogs sleep in their bed, 31% of the women shared their bed with a cat, and 57% shared their bed with a human partner.

Why The Study Was Conducted

Previous research revealed that sleeping with a human in bed has both positive and negative impacts on sleep, but little is known about the impacts that pets have on our sleep quality. Researchers wanted to look at what effects sharing a bed with pets has on sleep patterns and routines.

The Results of The Study

According to the study, dogs who slept in the owner’s bed were perceived to disturb sleep less and were associated with stronger feelings of comfort and security compared to human partners. Dog owners were also found to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier than cat owners.

Cats who slept in their owner’s bed were reported to be equally as disruptive as human partners, and were associated with weaker feelings of comfort and security than both human and dog bed partners.

This research aligns with a 2015 Mayo Clinic study that evaluated the sleep of humans and dogs occupying the same bedroom to determine whether this arrangement was conducive to sleep. They found that humans with a single dog in their bedroom maintained good sleep efficiency, but that the dog’s position on or off the bed made a difference.

What To Make of The Results

Why do women who sleep with a dog in their bed report better sleep quality? One suggestion is that dog ownership is associated with a strict routine, so that routine may account for those participants keeping to a strict sleep schedule.

It’s important to keep in mind that these are preliminary results. Follow up research is necessary to determine whether or not a pet owners’ perception of impacts on their sleep aligns with objective measures of sleep quality.

And while I’m no scientist I’m adding this to my “another reason why dogs are awesome” pile. Having my dog sleep in my bed makes me feel secure and comfortable, and I’m certainly not alone. According to a recent survey 42% of dog owners allow their dog to sleep in bed with them at night — and judging by this study I think we’re all onto something.

Resources & Recommended Reading

If you like reading about dog behavior and science be sure to check out the rest of our science & research articles.

An Examination of Adult Women’s Sleep Quality & Routines
Study: Women Sleep Better Next to Dogs Than Other People

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Researchers Used YouTube to Study Dog Bites

Understanding why and how dog bites occur is an important public health topic, but it’s always been a challenging one to study. Previous studies on the topic have relied on accounts from the victim after the bite occurred or hospital records.

But YouTube videos gave researchers a new way to study dog bites in real time. Researchers at the University of Liverpool used 143 videos that were uploaded to YouTube between January 2016 and March 2017 that were found by searching for the terms “dog bite” and “dog attack.”

After observing the videos they analyzed the context of the bites, the characteristics of both the victim and the dog, and the severity of the bite. They were also able to analyze the human and dog behavior leading up to the bite in 56 of the videos.

Results of the Dog Bite Study

The results of their study are similar to previous dog bite studies when it comes to demographics of the victims and the breed of dogs involved. Approximately 7 in 10 of the victims in the videos were male, and more than half of the bites were to infants and children. The most common dog breeds observed included Chihuahuas, German Shepherds, Pit Bulls and Labrador Retrievers.

In terms of bite severity only the age of the victim was predictive; adults were bitten more severely than infants, and infants more severely than children. When it comes to analyzing the circumstances leading up to the bites they observed that touching a dog increased approximately 20 seconds before a bite, as did standing or leaning over a dog.

The researchers do acknowledge that using YouTube videos is subject to bias. For example, people may have been more willing to upload videos with bites from small dogs that may be viewed as “comical.”

Conclusion

Although this study was relatively small, the method of using videos to study dog bites may offer valuable insights into developing new bite prevention strategies. Understanding the contexts in which dog bites occur is key to prevention, and watching YouTube videos may prove to be a new tool to help further that research.

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The Signals Dog’s Give During Play

The first thing we look at when determining whether dog’s have morals is their natural behaviors, one of which we’re all familiar with — playtime. Dogs love play, both with us and other pets.

And because play isn’t just a simple survival skill it has proven invaluable when it comes to studying the complexity of dog psychology. Dogs aren’t playing to survive, they’re doing it to have fun, communicate and develop social bonds, making it a great way to analyze their interactions.

Researchers analyzed the behaviors dogs exhibit during play, and they found that dogs follow four general rules to prevent play from escalating into fighting. They communicate clearly, they mind their manners, they admit when they’re wrong and they stay honest.

When dogs are playing with one another they will handicap themselves. If a large dog is playing with a much smaller one the large one will roll over on his back to give the smaller one an advantage. A quick shift in the eyes that means you’re playing too rough, or a certain wag of the tail signals readiness to be approached.

Dogs won’t generally initiate play until they have each others attention; the dog who wants to initiate play will exhibit various behaviors until the other dog looks at him. This suggests that dog’s have the simple skill of knowing when they’re being paid attention to. Although it seems like a very small skill it has big implications for species. Without it we wouldn’t be able to interact or learn from the world around us.

Coyotes in the wild have been shown to shun pack members that don’t follow the rules. Dogs also exhibit similar behaviors at dog parks. If a group of dogs is playing at the park and one of them bites too hard the other dogs are likely to ignore him.

Do Dogs Have Morals?

Morality is a set of intentions, decisions and actions that can be seen as either proper or improper. Morals help cultivate and regulate social interactions, and they’re the beliefs that give us a sense of what’s right or wrong.

Dogs have a sense of rules and boundaries when it comes to interacting with one another, suggesting they can experience morality. They also seem to have a sense of knowing what’s right or wrong when it comes to social interactions. These observations suggest that dogs do operate with their own moral compass.

Decades of research suggest that beneath this apparently frivolous fun lies a hidden language of honesty and deceit, empathy and perhaps even a humanlike morality. – In Dog’s Play, Researchers See Honesty & Deceit, Perhaps Something Like Morality

If dogs have a sense of morals it begs the questions; what other complex decisions and emotions are they experiencing? A few studies on dog emotions have found evidence of jealousy, empathy and the ability to recognize generosity.

Researchers are just beginning to scratch the surface when it comes to understanding how cognitively complex our dogs are. But perhaps that emotional complexity, whether scientifically proven or not, explains why we bond so closely with our dogs.

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However, if you’re giving out treats freely you might want to consider having your dog a trick first. It sounds weird I know, who would want to work for something when you can just get it for free, but according to a study from Sweden dogs prefer to earn treats.

How the Study Was Conducted

The study was conducted by Dr Ragen Mcgowan and colleagues at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden.

12 Beagles were paired off into 6 groups. Each pair had one dog learn how to use 3 tools, while the other dog would learn 3 different tools – such as a lever to make a bell ring, pushing objects or playing a key on a piano.

After a week the researchers brought in one of the dogs, the experimental dog, and presented them with the three tasks they’d learned. If the dog successfully completed the three tasks within 5 minutes they were given the choice between three different rewards: a treat, human contact or another dog to play with.

They then had the other dog, the control dog, who had not been trained on those particular tasks enter the room. They didn’t have to successfully complete any of the tasks to receive their reward. They were given their reward after a few minutes, regardless of what they did.

Each dog played both roles several times. The researchers observed that the experimental dogs who had to complete their tasks seemed much more excited to return to the room than the dogs who did nothing before claiming their reward. They were wagging their tails and lining up to use the equipment again. Their counterpart on the other hand, the control dogs, were more reluctant to re-enter the room again.

The Results of the Study

The researchers said ‘animals may experience positive affective states in response to their own achievements.’ In other words dogs might enjoy problem solving just as humans do.

The dogs in the study were not only excited about the reward, they were excited about the fact that they themselves could control access to the reward. The study suggests that dogs enjoy solving problems and making decisions, and that those opportunities have a positive effect on our dogs overall well being.

Experimental dogs showed signs of excitement (tail wagging) in response to their achievements, whereas controls showed signs of frustration (chewing on the devices) in response to the unpredictability of the situation. – Positive Affect & Learning: Exploring the “Eureka” Effect in Dogs

Next time you give your dog a treat have them dog a trick first or give it to them out of a food dispensing toy. Well all know dogs love treats, but research suggests that they love earning them even more.

My Own Unscientific Theory on Earning Treats

I am not a scientist by any means, but these results seem to support the importance of adding mental stimulation to our dogs routine. I know I’ve said this before (or 17 times, but whose counting), but it’s easy to forget how much of a difference a few mentally stimulating activities a day has on our dogs lives.

Being a pet dog is easy; they get free housing, lots of attention and all of their meals for free. It’s easy to forget that our dogs were domesticated to work alongside us; they helped us hunt, they kept us warm at night, and they altered us to danger.

Our dogs still keep up warm at night through cuddling, and they still alert us to danger (perceived danger at least) by barking at anything that enters the yard. But they don’t often get the chance to use their natural food related abilities such as scavenging or hunting.

That’s where food enrichment comes in. Giving your dog a chance to work for their food with a stuffed Kong or food puzzle is giving them the opportunity to solve a problem. It’s letting them use some of their natural scavenging abilities, and it’s giving them the opportunity to earn a reward.

Next time you give your dog a treat have them do a trick first. Give them a chance to earn that treat. Give them a chance to solve a problem and feel accomplished. Science says dogs prefer earning treats, and I certainly can’t argue with that.

via giphy

Recommended Reading

• 25 Simple Dog Treat Recipes: Made with 5 Ingredients or Less
• Do Dogs Get That Eureka! Feeling? – Companion Animal Psychology
• Researchers Confirm Dogs Like to Work For Their Treats – Dogtime

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The study was conducted by Marianne Heberlein of the Department of Evolutionary Biology & Experimental Studies at the University of Zurich. After observing her own dogs tricking one another (pretending to see something interesting outside to get the better lounging spot) she set out to find out if dogs used such tricky techniques to deceive humans as well.

How the Study Was Conducted

The study involved 27 dogs, each of which were paired their owner (who always gave treats) and two different partners – the generous one and the competitive one. To establish which partner was generous or competitive the dogs were taught to “find the food” by leading each of their partners to two boxes, both of which contained a treat. The generous partner would always give the dog the treat from the box, while the competitive partner kept it for herself.

After the dogs had established which partner was generous and which was greedy they were given a new task. The dogs watched as a sausage, a biscuit or nothing was placed under three new boxes. The dogs were then told to “find the food” witch each of their partners, choosing between the three boxes. As with the first test when the dogs led the generous partner to a box containing a treat the partner gave it to them, while the competitive partner kept the treat to herself.

After the dogs led their two partners to one of the three boxes they were reunited back with their owner. The owner would then take them back to the same boxes and ask them to choose one. If the box they chose had a treat the owner would always give it to them, but if they chose one of the boxes that they’d chosen before the owner would lift it up to show them that it was empty.

The Results of the Study

They continued this task for a two-day testing period. The dogs were trained to lead their partner to a box containing food, yet they started to understand that  the competitive partner would not let them have the treat. On the first day the dogs led the generous partner to the sausage box more often than you’d expect by chance. And on the second day the dogs began leading the competitive partner (the greedy one who kept the treats to herself) to the empty box more frequently.

The researchers were surprised at how quickly some of the dogs figured out how to get all the snacks for themselves. A few of the dogs were leading the competitive partner to the empty box on the very first trial, thus finding a way to get all the treats themselves.

The study finds that dogs are able to distinguish between cooperative and competitive partners, and that they’re able to use tactical deception to their own advantage. The research suggests that the dogs were weighing their options, and engaging in deliberate deception to maximize their chances of getting both treats.

This study is further indication of how sophisticated dog cognition is, and that our dogs are much smarter (and sneakier) than we give them credit for. And if you thought your dog was sneaky you can now cite this study as proof. And although this is just one study it does show how highly flexible dogs are in their own behavior, especially when it comes to getting extra treats.

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Studies have shown that babies as young as the age of one seem to have an ‘inate morality’ that allows them to judge adults. So a team from Kyoto University team wanted to test whether or not that’s true for other species as well. Can other species can make evaluations when it comes to how helpful people are to one another? To find out they decided to run a few tests on some capuchin monkeys & pet dogs.

In the study the dogs watched as their owners struggled to open a container. An actor would then come in and either help the dogs owner, stand by passively, or refuse to help. Afterwards all three of the actors offered a treat to the dog. The dogs did not show a clear preference between taking a treat from the helpful or passive actor. But when faced between the passive actor and the one who refused to help they clearly preferred the passive one.

The monkeys reacted the same way that the dogs did. They would shun the actors who refused to help in favor of the more helpful ones. The researchers say these results suggest that both monkeys & dogs have a sense of morality similar to that of human babies.

What’s most astounding to me is the clear ability that dogs & monkeys have when it comes to evaluating social interactions between humans. This study shows that they’re both pretty sensitive to picking up on social cues when it comes to human behaviors.

This research is further proof that dogs are adept at reading us, and that they’re more socially intelligent than we give them credit for.

A similar study a few years back found that dogs can tell when we’re lying, and that they evaluate us on whether we’re reliable or not. So next time you think about fake throwing that ball for Rover just remember – your dog is judging you for it.

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Research Finds Kids Report More Satisfaction With Pets Over Siblings

The study surveyed 12 year olds from 77 different families who had at least one pet and one sibling in the household. They used the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI) to evaluate the relationships between the children & their pets. When evaluating the scores the researchers noted a few differences in gender and among those with different kinds of pets.

The results showed that children put a lot of emphasis on how important their relationship with pets are. They reported having a strong relationship with their pets relative to their siblings. And female participants reported more disclosure, companionship & conflict with their pet than their male counterparts. In addition the dog owners reported greater satisfaction & companionship with their pets than owners of other kinds of pets.

“While previous research has often found that boys report stronger relationships with their pets than girls do, we actually found the opposite. While boys and girls were equally satisfied with their pets, girls reported more disclosure, companionship, and conflict with their pet than did boys, perhaps indicating that girls may interact with their pets in more nuanced ways.’’ – Pets Are a Child’s Best Friend, Not Their Siblings

While this study is far from conclusive that all kids prefer their pets over their siblings, it does highlight the importance they place on the relationships they have with their pets.

Previous Research Has Found Benefits of Growing Up With Pets

This new study adds to the mounting evidence that having a pet in the home has a positive influence on childhood development.

Years ago Oregon State University psychologists found that teaching children to care for a puppy enhances social skills. And more recently researchers from the Bassett Medical Center in New York reported that having a dog in the home is associated with a decreased probability of developing childhood anxiety.

Previous studies have also shown that dogs increase empathy in children, reduce the likelihood of developing allergies, can help prevent childhood diabetes, and that dogs reduce stress in families with autistic children.

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1. Your Dog Understands Words More Than You Think

A new study found that dogs respond not only to the tone in which we use, but that they understand many of the words we’re saying. Researchers used brain scans from 13 dogs and recorded their responses to their owner’s voice. The dogs heard both meaningful words (good boy) and meaningless ones. When analyzed the research found that dogs process meaningful words in the left hemisphere or their brain, just like humans do – yet they didn’t use the same process for meaningless words.

2. Study Finds That Dogs May Have Episodic Memories

Researchers studied 17 dogs and found that they were able to remember & imitate their owners actions up to an hour later. The dogs were trained to imitate their owners actions with the do as I do method. The results found that dogs could recall their owners actions when unexpectedly requested to imitate them up to an hour later.

3. Stress Can Make Dogs go Grey Just Like Humans

Earlier this year we found out that stress can make dogs go grey early. The study found that dogs who suffered from anxiety were more likely to show signs of premature greying. The study focused on 400 dogs, age 1-4, and the researchers found that a fear of noises & unfamiliar people were significant predicting factors in early greying. The researchers did not find any predictors of premature greying when looking at a dogs age, sex or spay/neuter status.

4. Playtime After Training Can Improve a Dogs Memory

A recent study found that dogs who engage in play immediately after learning something new seems to enhance their memory. The dogs in the study were split into two groups; those that got to play after learning and those who rested after. When the dogs were tested on the same task the next day the dogs who had engaged in play performed much better when re-learning the task than those in the rest group.

5. Vocal Praise Means Just as Much to Dogs as a Food Reward

New research found that vocal praise means as much to dogs as food, if not more. The study analyzed dogs in groups of 15 who were trained to sit in MRI machines for three 10 minute sessions. After the first session the dogs were given a hotdog, verbal praise for the second, and nothing for the third. For 13 of the 15 dogs their brains lit up just as much for verbal praise as they did for food.

New research found that dogs love praise just as much as treats.

6. Your Dog Will Learn to Ignore Bad Directions

Earlier this year a study found that if you give your bad directions he’ll learn to ignore you pretty quick. The study involved 40 dogs who were given a puzzle with a treat inside. The puzzle itself only required one step to get the treat – lifting the lid of a box. But the researchers added in an unnecessary step – pulling a lever. The researchers showed the dogs how to get the treat by lifting the lid & pulling the lever, but it didn’t take long for the dogs to figure out the second step was unnecessary.

7. Dogs May Have Been Domesticated Twice in Eurasia

A new study found that dogs may have been domesticated twice, once in Asia and once in Europe. Researchers looked at genetics & archaeological records, including some partial DNA from 59 European dogs that lived 14,000 to 30,000 years ago. They compared those records with genetic data from over 600 modern dogs. Archaeologists previously found dog remains in Germany that may be 16,000 years old, suggesting that dogs had already been domesticated in Europe before the dogs from Asia arrived.

8. Dogs Reduce Stress in Families with Autistic Children

Research found that having a dog in the home can reduce stress in families with Autistic children. The study was a follow up to a previous study that looked at the short term benefits a dog can have on families with autistic children. 2.5 years later the researchers found that those short term last years beyond their initial findings, and that the stress levels of those families continues to decline.

9. Our Dogs Don’t Trust Us When We’re Angry

A recent study found that dogs have a delayed response when receiving instructions from someone whose angry. The study had dogs follow the lead of someone pointing to a hidden reward. The person pointing would either smile & talk in a happy voice or frown and speak in a negative tone. The study found no difference between the response time of the dogs when following gestures from a happy or neutral person, but when the person was angry the dogs showed a significant delay in response time.

10. Science Proves That You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

A new 3 year study found that not only can old dogs learn new tricks, but that they perform certain tricks even better. The study looked at 95 Border Collies that ranged in age from 5 months to 13 years old. The dogs were put in front of a touch screen and shown two photos at a time. There were 8 photos total, 4 of which would give a treat when touched and 4 that gave nothing. When the older dogs were shown one of the previous “bad” photos (one that didn’t reward a treat) next to a brand new photo they hadn’t seen they were able to determine which one was the “good” one better than their younger counterparts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9zyhdBAgZE

What Dog Research Did You Find Most Interesting?

Did I miss any cool science stories that came out this year? Which one of these studies was most surprising?

If you love stories like these be sure to check out all the cool things science taught us about dogs in 2015.

Like this post? Share it with your friends

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Instead of saying goodbye in the traditional way some dog owners are opting to clone their beloved companions. For $100,000 there’s a lab in South Korea that will clone your dog.

They claim to be able to prolong the companionship you’ve had with your dog by providing you with a cloned version. But after hearing about a bull named Chance and the difficulties his owners had with his clone I have my doubts.

The First Dog Was Cloned in 2005

In 2005 the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea gained international acclaim for cloning the world’s first dog – an Afghan Hound named Snuppy. Time Magazine named Snuppy the world’s most important invention of the year 2005.

Dogs have some complicated reproductive traits which makes the species difficult to clone. Their ovulation cycles are irregular and the eggs are in the mature state optimal for cloning for only a few hours. Snuppy was cloned with a Labrador surrogate after 123 attempts.

The researchers at Sooam used the same technique, nuclear transfer cloning, that was used to clone the world’s first adult mammal – Dolly the sheep in 1996. First they remove cells from the dog they’re cloning and extract the nucleus of those cells. Then they take donor cells and replace their nucleus with the extracted nucleus from the dog they’re cloning. The cells are then given an electric shock to wake them back up and promote cell division. The developing embryo is then placed inside a surrogate mother.

It took 434 attempts before researchers were able to clone Dolly the sheep – and she only lived 6 years. She was euthanized on February 14 2003 because she was suffering from progressive lung disease and severe arthritis.

In 1996 the success rate of cloning a developed organism to full term after being placed inside the uterus of a female mammal were roughly 2%. Over the past decade Sooam has increased the rate to 30%. Despite the advances in the nuclear transfer cloning technique many scientists have abandoned the practice due to it’s low success rate.

In 2005 Snuppy became the world’s first cloned dog. Skin cells were taken from Tai (on the far left) to clone Snuppy (right). On the far right is Snuppy’s surrogate mother, a yellow Labrador Retriever. photo via National Geographic

Risks of Nuclear Transfer Cloning

Sooam started offering their nuclear transfer cloning service for US pet owners a few years back; in 2012 they delivered 12 cloned puppies to US clients. They’re now expanding their services to the United Kingdom. In February the first British couple picked up their cloned puppies from Sooam labs.

Insung Hwang, one of the researchers at Sooam, admits the procedure does come with a fair share of risks. Some dogs are born unhealthy but the lab will recreate the whole process until they produce a healthy pup for the client.

Things can go wrong. In 2005, when Snuppy, our first cloned dog, was born, we had a 2% pregnancy rate. Now it is about 30%. Some traits go wrong. Dogs can be born unhealthy. For example, they can be born with thickened necks or tongues, and experience breathing difficulties. But we guarantee a healthy puppy for our clients, so we will try again. Often the client will take both puppies in this situation. We never put a dog down. – Insung Hwang

For $100,000 you can pay to have the team at Sooam clone your dog. Although you’re not getting your old dog back you will get a dog that should look just like your old dog. Hwang says the dog will likely have the same temperament as well, though some experts disagree.

Researchers at the National Veterinary Institute at the Technical University of Denmark aren’t convinced that cloning is producing identical mammals. They’ve found that cloned pigs are just as genetically varied as normally bred pigs.

It is extremely unlikely that a puppy cloned from a favourite pet will grow up to behave the same way. – Robin Lovell-Badge – geneticist at National Institute for Medical Research in London

Sooam is expanding their cloning research beyond dogs – in 2012 they signed a deal with Russian scientists to try and clone a wooly mammoth.

Public Controversy Over the Sooam Lab

The founder of the Sooam facility Woo Suk Hwang (no relation to Insung Hwang) has been accused of falsifying documents on his research into human embryo cloning. He was found to have falsely claimed he created stem cells from a patients skin cells. It was later discovered that he had collected human eggs from the female members of his research team. Despite public outcry he was able to raise $3.5 million to start Sooam in 2006.

He was expelled from Seoul National University where he had been conducting the research and is still facing criminal charges. He’s currently on a suspended prison sentence for the charges related to faked research.

15 Dogs a Month Are Cloned For $100,000

Sooam has cloned over 400 pets since since they opened in 2006. They offer their dog cloning service to anyone whose willing to pay $100,000.

The dog will not be 100 percent the same – the spots on a Dalmatian clone will be different, for example – but for breeds without such characteristics it will be very hard to tell them apart. – Insung Hwang

Currently cloning at Sooam can only be performed by live cells which means the cells must be taken from a living dog or from a dog within 5 days of it’s death. Cells are collected from the donor dog through a biopsy and they’re sent off to the lab where they’ll create a cloned pup for you.

At this point, cloning a pet is straightforward for Sooam. Given fresh cells, Hwang says, “we have never failed cloning a specific dog, regardless of its size or breed.” In turn, that part of the business is fairly mature. Orders are healthy. There’s a waiting list.- Businessweek

Further Reading on Cloning

If you’re considering cloning your dog I suggest researching the topic further. The process itself will be handled by the Lab, but the results might not be what you were expecting.

If By Chance We Meet Again – This is the amazing story of one families experience with cloning their bull. They decided to clone their bull Chance because he had such a great personality – the clone they ended up with, second Chance, didn’t quite live up to his predecessor’s legacy.

My Friend Again – This is a website ran by a man whose had 2 dogs cloned by the Sooam research lab. He started the site to share his experience with the whole process. They offer advice and information including how to save your dogs cells now if you’re thinking about cloning in the future.

For $100,000 You Can Clone Your Dog – Bloomberg Business week takes an inside look at Sooam lab in South Korea – the world’s first animal cloning factory.

Would You Clone Your Dog?

Would you clone your dog? There’s a lab in South Korea will clone yours for $100,000. If money weren’t an issue would you clone your dog? Do you think it helps ease the loss of a beloved companion?

I don’t see myself cloning Laika, I love her dearly but I don’t think cloning her would help the feeling of loss. I might end up with a dog that looks just like her, with the same tongue spots and all, but I’d know it wasn’t her, and she wouldn’t have any clue who I am. I’d have my memories of Laika but my new cloned pup would hold none. There’s only one Laika – and she can never be replaced.

This post was originally published in December, 2014. It’s been updated to include further details into the cloning process & resources for people considering cloning their pet.

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Dogs Have Their Own Poop Compass?

When you go outside with your dog does it sometimes take them a ridiculous amount of time to find that perfect spot? Turns out our dogs aren’t just being picky to annoy us — there’s a scientific explanation for it.

Research suggests that dogs poop according to the Earth’s magnetic field. German & Czech researchers looked into how & where dogs defecate, and they’re suggesting they seem to be doing it with a certain poop compass in mind.

This phenomenon isn’t unique to dogs; it’s been suggested that cattle and foxes line up preferentially on Earth’s magnetic field lines when defecating. Scientists are reasoning that dogs use a similar magnetic sense when it comes to deciding when, where & how they poop.

via Barkpost

How The Research Was Conducted

The researchers took 37 different breeds of dogs (70 dogs total) on a variety of outings over a two year period and watched how and where the dogs did their business. They analyzed 1,893 poop stops and 5,582 pee breaks during those two years.

After spending two years gathering data—observing 5,582 urinations and 1,893 defecations—and ruling out things like the influence of wind, time of day, and sun angle, the researchers found that the only factor that determined how and where the dogs popped a squat was Earth’s magnetic field. – Why is My Dog Such a Picky Pooper?

The Results of the Study

The study found that dogs seem to favor facing north or south when pooping. When peeing they found that males prefer to face northwest, and the female dogs seemed to stick with facing north or south.

It is for the first time that (a) magnetic sensitivity was proved in dogs, (b) a measurable, predictable behavioral reaction upon natural magnetic field fluctuations could be unambiguously proven in a mammal, and (c) high sensitivity to small changes in polarity, rather than in intensity, of magnetic field was identified as biologically meaningful. – Dogs Are Sensitive to Small Variations of the Earth’s Magnetic Field

Although the study is intriguing it’s far from being a concrete answer as to whether dogs are doing this consciously or why they align at all.

This study opens up a new set of questions into whether or not dogs are sensitive to magnetic fields like bees and whales. Scientists have long been working to figure out exactly how animals use magnetic fields for navigation, with homing pigeons being the most well known example.

via Dogtime

If Your Dog Takes a Long Time to Poop

Do dogs possess all the same sorts of sensitivities to magnetic fields that other animals have? Unfortunately we don’t have all the answers yet, but there is enough evidence to help explain why they take so long to defecate.

So remember — if your dog is taking a long time to poop don’t don’t get mad. They’re not doing it to spite you, there is a perfectly good scientific explanation for it.

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