Clifford the SMALL Red Dog??? That can’t be right! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. “My dog’s bigger than your dog…” But wait – how can itty-bitty chihuahuas and HUMONGOUS Saint Bernards BOTH be dogs? Hint – it’s not the Ken-L-Ration! Jocelyn Plassais from the
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Bilingual Dogs
Sit! Stay! Speak…in a foreign language? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Time for a WALK! Here’s your TREAT! Dogs perk right up when they hear familiar words. But if we spoke in another language, would they notice? Enter Laura Cuaya and team at Eötvös
Continue readingPurebred Pups
Being “Best in Show” may not be so glamorous! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Smushed faces, funny snorts – pugs are so cute! But like many purebred dog breeds, they have a lot of health problems. These include decreased puppy survival and increased risk
Continue readingSuper-Pack
It’s election season – time to get out the…sneeze? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For we humans, elections mean it’s time to go to the polls. But how do wild pack animals make their vote known? Ask Reena Walker from Brown University and colleagues.
Continue readingCranium-Cockin’ Canines
Is your dog giving you the side-eye? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s one of the cutest quirks in a dog’s repertoire: the head tilt. But what makes our canine comrades shoot us that irresistible angled look? Andrea Sommese and team at Eӧtvӧs Loránd
Continue readingWolf to Woof
Puppies are fast learners! But imagine training a WOLF PUP to sit! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Dogs started out with a wild streak, as wolves. But for fourteen thousand years, they’ve been our faithful companions. Hannah Salomons and colleagues at Duke University wondered
Continue readingWorking like a Dog
Is the phrase “working like a dog” scientifically accurate? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For ages, humans have bred mutts to hunt, herd and retrieve. Dogs SEEM to enjoy it – but are we actually stressing them out? Enter Amanda Höglin and team from Linköping
Continue readingDoggy Bags
Why do dogs WOLF down our leftovers? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Humans eat meat. Dogs’ ancestors – wolves — eat meat. So how did these competitors get friendly and… meet? Maria Lahtinen and colleagues at the Finnish Food Authority think the answer’s close
Continue readingDaunted Dingoes
You’ve heard of scarecrows – how about scare-DINGOES?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Australian wolves, known as DINGOES, prey on farmers’ livestock. When they’re caught having a farm-fresh meal, it becomes their LAST meal. Is there a…FRIENDLIER way to fend off predators? Enter Bradley
Continue readingCanine Brain
Your dog loves you, NOT because you’re beautiful! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Puppies — they’re adorable! But do they think WE’RE cute? Nora Bunford and her team from Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest also wondered. They used MRI scanners to measure the brain
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