News

This column from the website money.co.uk uses statistics gained from social media to rank dog breeds that are the most destructive. Studies like this use skewed statistics - because if the Labrador is the most popular breed of dog, chances are they are more likely to have a greater number of insurance claims.

Researchers call it "reciprocal altruism" but from this particular study, it doesn't look like dogs will return favours. I'm sure Lassie would disagree.

A day off is precious - to get things done and for spending quality time with Izzy

It may be the depths of winter now, but it is time to start planning for spring and the gardening season. This month's column in NZ Dog World provides dog-friendly gardening tips.

Those of us who have worked with shelter dogs will find this as no surprise - but now there's scientific data to show that dogs are stressed and restless when housed in the shelter environment.

The quote for the month of August is from Charles Darwin

Our dogs' ability to understand human gestures is a complex cognitive ability that is rare in the animal kingdom. Our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, can’t do it. And the dogs’ closest relative, the wolf, can’t either. Read about this new research from Duke University in my latest blog.

The book Buddhism for Pet Lovers uses the principles of Tibetan Buddhism to explain our relationship with companion animals and what we can do to enhance our bond. The chapter on end of life has been particularly useful since I have lost several dogs in my practice over the last 7 weeks.

In my July column for NZ Dog World, I discuss 'what's in a name' after researching geographical locations with dog-themed names - thanks to the role of dogs in their history.

Proteins from frozen canine faeces have been successfully extracted for the first time to reveal more about the diets of Arctic sled dogs.