Posts tagged "psychology"

Is Your Dog Smarter than a Toddler?

by Kirsten Taylor (Subscribe to Kirsten Taylor's posts): Aug 12th 2009 9:00AM Filed Under: Dogs

How smart is your dog? Photo: TheGiantVermin/Flickr

Dogs are cuddly, playful, loyal -- and smart. But you totally already knew that. Now science tells us just how smart they really are.

The average dog has mental abilities akin to those of a two-year-old child, according to Stanley Coren, a dog expert and professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia. Coren presented an overview of dog-intelligence studies at the American Psychological Association's annual meeting this week.

In tests of language development, Coren said, the average dog can learn 165 words, including signals and gestures. That's comparable to the performance of a two-year-old toddler. The brainiest breeds can do even better, with some smarty-pants mastering a whopping 250 words (we're guessing half of these are synonyms for dinner).

Dogs are also impressive when it comes to crunching numbers. Pups can count to four or five -- a skill on par with a three- or four-year old child, reports Livescience.com.

Other studies have found that dogs have good spatial problem-solving skills, and can show basic emotions such as happiness, disgust and anger. One emotion man's best friend doesn't suffer from? Guilt. What may seem like a guilty look is actually a dog's fear, according to Coren.

Source

Is Your Cat Left-Handed?

by Kirsten Taylor (Subscribe to Kirsten Taylor's posts): Aug 5th 2009 9:00AM Filed Under: Cats

"Hey, Fluff, grab one for me!" Photo: StephenMitchell/Flickr

Is your cat a righty or a lefty? The question's not as kooky as it sounds. A new study reveals that domestic cats are right- or left-handed, just like us.

Psychologists at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland gave cats small jars with bits of tuna tucked inside. They found that female cats tend to be righties, while the boy cats fell to the left. The gender divide was clear: Among 21 lady kitties, 20 nabbed the fish with their right paws. On the flip side, 20 of 21 males proved left-handed. One nimble-fingered male turned out to be ambidextrous, reports New Scientist magazine.

Hormone levels might be responsible for the difference between the sexes, the researchers say. Other studies have linked testosterone to left-handedness in people; men are more likely to be left-handed than women, notes the Daily Mail. Similar gender differences have also shown up in dogs and horses.

Want to find out whether your cat is a lefty? You'll need to devise a tricky-fingered test to get to the truth. Cats' preferences for the left or right don't show up in less complicated tasks, like batting at a dangling toy. The true nature of cat handedness is only revealed during more complex manipulations -- like fishing tuna or treats from a jar too small for the kitty's head.

If setting up a feline experiment isn't your thing, it's probably a safe bet that your cat falls into the left or right camp depending on its gender. Just something to keep in mind if you're teaching your kitty to high five.

Source

Babies Understand Dog Barks

by Kirsten Taylor (Subscribe to Kirsten Taylor's posts): Jul 29th 2009 11:00AM Filed Under: Dogs

"So, what are you going to give me for this cup?" Photo: Lance McCord/Flickr

If you pride yourself on being able to interpret your pup's every whine and whimper, you might be disappointed to learn the cold, hard truth: Decoding different dog barks is little more than child's play, according to U.S. News & World Report. Researchers at Brigham Young University report that babies can understand the meanings of different dog barks well before they say their first word.

BYU psychology researchers showed six-month-old babies two photos of the same dog. In one shot, the dog had a playful, friendly stance, in the other, the dog assumed an aggressive pose. Then the researchers played sound clips of friendly-sounding dog barks and aggressive-sounding snarls.

The brainy babies spent most of their time looking at the friendly dog while listening to the welcoming yaps, and they stared at the mean-looking mutt while listening to the threatening snarls. Even babies who had never been around dogs before successfully matched the sound to the correct photo. The findings are reported in the journal Developmental Psychology.

"Emotion is one of the first things babies pick up on in their social world," BYU psychology professor Ross Flom said in a BYU press release. And now, evidence indicates those emotional signals aren't limited to humans. But if babies can understand dogs, count us doubly disappointed that six-month-olds can't talk. If only our babies could translate, maybe they could tell us why Rover keeps chewing on the remote?

Source

Follow Pawnation on Twitter Follow Pawnation on Facebook

Can't Miss Galleries

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=754150&pid=754149&uts=1269035019

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Poodle
Miniature Poodles, like all Poodles, are excellent swimmers who originated as a water retrievers. All Poodles, Standard, Miniature and Toy are actually one breed, just different sizes. Miniature Poodles, who can be white, black, apricot or gray, are usually 15 inches or under, according to the American Kennel Club.

David McKelvey/http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgmckelvey/3748491903/

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Dachshund
The Miniature Daschund, only 11 pounds or under, is not a separate classification of the Daschund -- it's just a smaller version of the Standard. The miniature dog, with its long bodies and strong sense of smell, are both hunters and lapdogs, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Schnauzer
The Miniature Schnauzer is of German descent and was originally bred to be a small farm dog. The most popular of the three Schnauzer breeds, the Miniature Schnauzer is a attentive, lively and a favorite among celebrities like Mary Tyler Moore and Bill Cosby. The strongly built miniature dog is between 12 to 14 inches, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Bull Terrier
Just like the playful Bull Terrier, the Miniature Bull Terrier, who originated in England, has a similar personality. Don't let its size fool you – the Miniature Bull Terrier is strong, energetic and audacious. Miniature Bull Terriers are between 10 to 15 inches and can be solid white or colored, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs

Miniature American Eskimo Dog
The American Eskimo Dog is one of three separate categories of the American Eskimo Dog. Between 12 to 15 inches, the bright white dog is loving, protecting and sociable. Now a great companion dog, the miniature dog was once a circus dog, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Pinscher
Also known as the "Min Pin," the Miniature Pinscher is a German Breed whose ancestry includes the Daschund, Italian Greyhound and the shorthaired German Pinscher. The quick, curious dog is the perfect apartment dog. Despite its small size, the compact pooch makes a wonderful watchdog. The spirited miniature dog, about 10 inches to 12 1/2 inches, can be red, black, or chocolate with tan, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs