[__ Science __ ] How Smart Is The Canine Brain?

[Tessa]

Really?? That is disgusting! But sort of funny too I have to confess. I thought you told me that never had any dogs before though.

No I've always had dogs. But not now. I can't manage all those walks now.

 

[Tessa]

My wife could bathe all her cats.she trained them since they were kittens. She used a wooden spoon for jake to latch on to.he liked it.

Cheyenne hated bathes,bella tolerates it.my first dog ferocious was all about bathes,swimming and getting wet.of there was any rain,water he would enjoy it.he would swim early in the morning and love to share his water with you

I had a dog that used to paddle along the edge of the sea. If a wave him, even a small one, he would run onto the sand. He didn't swim.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

No I've always had dogs. But not now. I can't manage all those walks now.

Oh okay,.. I could. I love going for walks.

 

[Barbarian]

Never, ever, ever, EVER punish your dog for growing. You'll only teach them not to give a warning. Growling is good, it means they're giving you a chance to back off

Sometime when you dog is relaxed and near you, just quietly make a low whispered "Wuff!" noise. They will immediately alert and check the entry way, to make sure no intruders are there. That quiet sound is the way canids let each other know of approaching strangers.

 

[Edward]

That's true! I've had dogs ,most my life, and you can pretty much talk to them if you try. (And if the dog is smart, lol)
My English mastiff, Thor communicated without jumping around, and get his point across.

When the kids were small, I could tell our Shepard Max, to go check on the kids. And he would every time. It's not hard to be a dog whisperer (talk to them). I always made it a point to, when the dog was in big trouble, to whisper to them instead of raising my voice. So I didn't have to yell at the fog when trying to control them. Looks bad, lol.

 

[Barbarian]

That's true! I've had dogs ,most my life, and you can pretty much talk to them if you try. (And if the dog is smart, lol)

My daugher, when she was 11, once introduced me to a friend, saying "he speaks fluent dog", because I had learned so much about the way they communicate. Did you know that they are apparently the only animals that can understand what we're doing when we point? Even apes learn that only with difficulty, and some of them never get it.

For most dogs, getting your attention and then staring at something is their way of pointing. And when they do it, they are trying to tell you something they think is important. (which admittedly can be "I haven't had a dog treat, lately."

My English mastiff, Thor communicated without jumping around, and get his point across.

What's fascinating is how adult dogs teach puppies manners and how to be a dog. A pup that bites too hard and too frequently in play often gets gently held down by a paw or has the adult dog use him for a headrest for a few seconds. The point gets made.

When the kids were small, I could tell our Shepard Max, to go check on the kids.

Shepherds are the security experts of the dog world. The safety of the family and a secure perimeter is a big deal for them.

And he would every time. It's not hard to be a dog whisperer (talk to them). I always made it a point to, when the dog was in big trouble, to whisper to them instead of raising my voice. So I didn't have to yell at the fog when trying to control them. Looks bad, lol.

I just look unhappy and say "what did you do?" when they get out of line. If you're consistent, it's as effective as yelling. And yes, they can read faces.

New research shows that dogs use different parts of their brains to process negative and positive emotions cued by human facial expressions
https://www.springer.com/gp/about-s...nd-what-s-written-all-over-your-face/15835462

 

[Edward]

For most dogs, getting your attention and then staring at something is their way of pointing. And when they do it, they are trying to tell you something they think is important. (which admittedly can be "I haven't had a dog treat, lately."

My last dog was a German Shorthaired Pointer. I never tried to teach him, point. I guess it was in his blood but when I pointed he looked. He did catch on to, rabbit, cat, squirrel, dog. He was smart. Hyper too. As he started getting a little older he stared pointing on his own. For me! He loved chasing rabbits most of all. He was fast too. He was the only dog I ever had that caught mice! He caught 5 that I know of, lol.

 

[Edward]

My Shepard Max would walk the perimeter. A lot and he looked like he was on duty patrolling.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

My last dog was a German Shorthaired Pointer. I never tried to teach him, point. I guess it was in his blood but when I pointed he looked. He did catch on to, rabbit, cat, squirrel, dog. He was smart. Hyper too. As he started getting a little older he stared pointing on his own. For me! He loved chasing rabbits most of all. He was fast too. He was the only dog I ever had that caught mice! He caught 5 that I know of, lol.

Ha! Have you ever seen Because of Winn-Dixie? Because that's exactly what you just reminded me of when you mentioned the fact that your dog captured mice before, except in Winn-Dixie it was a rat.

 

[Edward]

Ha! Have you ever seen Because of Winn-Dixie? Because that's exactly what you just reminded me of when you mentioned the fact that your dog captured mice before, except in Winn-Dixie it was a rat.

No I never seen that movie. He would bring me the mice and lay them in front of me. Dead of course. That was all in one winter. I got invaded by mice one year. A lot of mice.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

No I never seen that movie. He would bring me the mice and lay them in front of me. Dead of course. That was all in one winter. I got invaded by mice one year. A lot of mice.

So basically you had a dog that thought he was a cat lol!

 

[chessman]

He was fast too. He was the only dog I ever had that caught mice!

I’ve caught mice. But then again, does a mousetrap count???

 

[Tessa]

I’ve caught mice. But then again, does a mousetrap count???

No, not unless you trained it

 

[Barbarian]

Ha! Have you ever seen Because of Winn-Dixie? Because that's exactly what you just reminded me of when you mentioned the fact that your dog captured mice before, except in Winn-Dixie it was a rat.

Bagle, my slow and old beagle/bassett, found a rat foraging in my garden. Somehow, she got it and killed it. Brought it to me for my approval. She went around with her tail high for the day. "I'm a predator!"

 

[Tessa]

Clever Bagley. And she gave it to you for a present "Look what I did for you!"

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Clever Bagley. And she gave it to you for a present "Look what I did for you!"

Yeah,.. but if Edward tells me that he had a litterbox as well then I would really have seen everything!

 

[Barbarian]

People love dogs. Turns out, dogs love people more:
...Research has consistently shown that animals, particularly dogs, provide psychological benefits for humans—although the exact reasons are not known. “It’s a popular topic right now,” says Lori Kogan, a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University and editor of The Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, the journal of the American Psychological Association’s group dedicated to that topic.

“People are trying to validate what people already know: that animals make us feel better.” As researchers attempt to parse out why and how animal-assisted therapy works on the human brain, debate continues about if pets should be considered a valid healthcare treatment or disability issue.

One lab result has been consistent: When interacting, humans and their pet dogs both experience increased levels of oxytocin, a “love hormone” that is also triggered by hugging, orgasm, and lactation. Oxytocin helps the brain modulate social concepts, such as empathy, trust, and in-group preference and memory of social cues. The chemical lets you know when you should take comfort in others. It surges when people see their parent or child—sometimes doubling in a parent when reunited with a young child.

It also works cross-species: Dog owners experienced an average oxytocin boost of 6.6 percent after scratching and petting their canine companions, in a 2014 Swedish study that measured the effect in real-time. Canine contact also causes a decrease in levels of cortisol, a hormonal alarm system for stress, in humans.

If spikes in oxytocin reveal how much humans love dogs, they really show how much dogs love humans. Dogs experience a 57-percent increase over baseline levels of oxytocin when playing with their humans...

Oxytocin levels also increase the chances a dog will turn to their human for help. Another Swedish study gave a set of golden retrievers the impossible task of getting a treat in a tightly sealed jar. Some of the dogs got a hit of oxytocin via a nasal spray beforehand. Those dogs tended to approach their owner for help more often, compared to a control group that inhaled a neutral salt water solution. Other dogs given an infusion of oxytocin were more likely to make eye contact with friendly faces in photos and ignore threatening ones, a Finnish study documented. These studies show the brain chemical plays a role in the interplay of affection and receptivity between the two species.
https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/ywkeqv/pet-health-benefits-brain

 

[Tessa]

Who can't like dogs after reading that Barbarian? It's easy to see how they lower human stress levels. We must be able to sense their love.
Some nursing homes allow 'care dogs' to visit on a regular basis. They have found it benefits most patients.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Who can't like dogs after reading that Barbarian? It's easy to see how they lower human stress levels. We must be able to sense their love.
Some nursing homes allow 'care dogs' to visit on a regular basis. They have found it benefits most patients.

I completely agree with you Tessie even if I am more of a cat person.

 

[jasonc]

darn, I wasn't planning on thinking of Cheyenne like that today. I wish I had videos of her antics.

on the other hand , bella, will know what the word dog park is and whine and get happy and whimper until we take her to the park. we use to take Cheyenne there,. Cheyenne loved a ride and got excited to go anywhere. even if around the block. she would bark and make noise once we hit the east end of the barber bridge and the marina was in sight. she figured out from the trip where we would turn and how close it was. either the sail boat masts, or the traffic light in the distance was the cue. in either case she would make a bunch of happy sounds of lets go and run as fast she could to the gates. bella doesn't do any of that. she will get there and run around and mark territory.