Tag: Dog’s

Curious Kids: is it true dogs don’t like to travel?

Loknath Das

Curious Kids is a series for children. Send your question to [email protected] You might also like the podcast Imagine This, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids. Most dogs don’t like to travel, and those that do have usually had to learn to like it. In the wild, being too adventurous could get a dog killed, so dogs may have mostly evolved to be cautious and remain close to what is familiar. That said, dogs may see some kinds of travel as a chance to find…

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India by train — with dogs? One couple shares their story

Loknath Das

(CNN) — It’s a cool November morning, and my husband and I are waiting at a crowded railway station in New Delhi, India, about to set off on yet another journey with our furry travel companions, Marco-polo and Tigress. Now accustomed to train travel, the dogs are eager to board the first car they see. A sea of people stares at us, some asking why we are traveling with them, laughing at us. Others question us about the dogs’ breeds — a mixed coonhound and an Indie. More people come over to join the…

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Why dogs are friendly – it’s written in their genes

Loknath Das

Dogs evolved from wolves tens of thousands of years ago. During this time, certain genes that make dogs particularly gregarious have been selected for, according to research. This may give dogs their distinctive personalities, including a craving for human company. “Our finding of genetic variation in both dogs and wolves provides a possible insight into animal personality, and may even suggest similar genes may have roles in other domestic species (maybe cats even),” said Dr Bridgett vonHoldt of Princeton University. The researchers studied the behaviour of domestic dogs, and grey…

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Drug Treatment Could Add Years To A Dog’s Life

subhadip

A trial to extend the lifespan of pet dogs has shown promise – with marked improvement in heart health. Anti-rejection medicine rapamycin was given to dogs in phase one trials by evolutionary geneticists at the University of Washington, the Daily Telegraph reports. It is usually given to humans who’ve had a kidney transplant, but was found to extend the life of mice by more than 25%. A similar impact on dogs would give our canine companions up to an extra four years of life. Trials on 24 middle-aged golden retrievers,…

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