Dog’s Tail Wag Communicated With Other Dog's

When dogs wag their tails, they can convey not just happiness but a wide array of emotions. As Italian researchers reported in 2007, a wag to the left indicates negative emotions; a wag to the right indicates positive ones.

Now the same team of scientists has found that no one knows this better than other dogs.

In a new study reported in the journal Current Biology, the researchers had dogs watch videos of other dogs wagging their tails. When watching a tail wag to the left, the dogs showed signs of anxiety, like a higher heart rate. When the tail went in the opposite direction, they remained calm.

Taken together, the Italian studies suggest that dogs, like humans, have asymmetrically organized brains, said Giorgio Vallortigara, a neuroscientist at the University of Trento and an author of the study. “The emotions are associated presumably with activation of either the right or left side of brain,” he said. Left-brain activation produces a wag to the right, and vice versa.

Still, it is unlikely that dogs are wagging their tails to communicate with one another. “This is something that could be explained in quite a mechanistic way,” Dr. Vallortigara said. “It’s simply a byproduct of the asymmetry of the brain,” and dogs learn to recognize the pattern over time.

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FREE Cat Neutering and Microchipping

 

The RSPCA London are offering a FREE Cat Neutering Scheme for pet owners who are in receipt of housing benefit, council tax benefit, income support, job seekers allowance and employment and support allowance or a low income. You must live in one of the following postcode areas to qualify: SE1, SE2, SE3, SE4, SE5, SE6, SE7, SE8, SE9, SE10, SE11, SE12, SE13, SE14, SE15, SE16, SE17, SE18, SE19, SE20, SE21, SE22, SE23, SE24, SE25, SE26, SE27, SE28.

The following Veterinary Practices will neuter your cat for free. Please mention the RSPCA London South East Branch when calling to book an appointment.

All animals are microchipped for free whilst under anaesthetic. Donations towards the cost are always appreciated.

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Smart Dogs: 21 Must Know Facts About Your Dog

Dog’s brains are specialised for scent, everyone knows that! Here are a few quirky and mind-blowing facts that you probably don’t know related to our beloved pups.

Fact #21: Dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures, can count up to five and can perform simple mathematical calculations. The average dog is as intelligent as a two-year-old child.

Fact #20: Some stray Russian dogs have figured out how to use the subway system in order to travel to more populated areas in search of food.

Fact #19: Dogs don’t enjoy being hugged as much as humans and other primates. Canines interpret putting a limb over another animal as a sign of dominance.

Fact #18: Two stray dogs in Afghanistan saved 50 American soldiers. A Facebook group raised $21,000 to bring the dogs back to the US and reunite them with the soldiers.

Fact #17: The Beatles song “A day in the Life” has an extra high-pitched whistle, audible only to dogs. It was recorded by Paul McCartney for the enjoyment of his Shetland sheepdog.

Fact #16: This pup, Nesbit, earned over one million Delta airline miles in his life and had his own frequent flier card.

Fact #15: One of Michael Vick’s former fighting dogs, Leo, went on to be a therapy dog who comforted dying children.

Fact #14: Service dogs are trained to know when they are on duty. When their harness is on, they know it’s business time. When you take it off, the pups immediately become playful and energetic.

Fact #13: Tiger Woods stuttered as a child and used to talk to his dog until he fell asleep in an effort to get rid of it.

Fact #12: Seeing eye dogs pee and poo on command so that their owners can clean up after them. Male dogs are also trained to do their business without lifting their leg.

Fact #11: In ancient China, an emperor’s last line of defence was a small Pekingese dog literally hidden up his sleeve.

Fact #10: When Lord Byron was informed that his dog was not allowed to come with him to Cambridge Trinity College, he retaliated by bringing a bear instead.

Fact #9: In 1860′s San Francisco, two stray dogs who were best friends became local celebrities. Their exploits were celebrated in local papers and they were granted immunity from the city’s dog catchers.

Fact #8: There is a dog-shaped building in New Zealand.

Fact #7: This dog, Naki’o, lost all of his legs to frostbite in Colorado, but now has four prosthetic legs and can run around like normal.

Fact #6: The wetness of a dog’s nose is essential for determining what direction a smell is coming from.

Fact #5: Hyenas aren’t actually dogs. They are more closely related to cats.

Fact #4: Spiked dog collars were invented in ancient Greece and were originally designed to protect dogs throats from wolf attacks.

Fact #3: Baks the blind boxer has a seeing eye goose named Buttons. Buttons the four-year-old goose leads her pup around everywhere either by hanging onto him with her neck, or by honking to tell him which way to go.

Fact #2: ‘Frito Feet’ is the name of the phenomenon in which the bacteria on a dog’s paws cause them to smell like corn chips. Because a pup’s feet are in constant contact with the ground, they pick up tons of microorganisms in their paws. When dogs cool off by sweating through the pads of their feet, the combo of moisture and bacteria releases a nutty, popcorn-like aroma. Basically it’s dog B.O.

 

Fact #1: Dogs drink water by using forming the back of their tongue into a mini cup.

Missing Moggie: Cat found 200 miles away from home

The Jedi within! A cat named Obi Wan Catobi that had been missing for nine weeks has been found more than 200 miles away from his home. He was found by builders in a unfinished hotel near Euston train station on Thursday.

After the RSPCA caught the wayward moggie they discovered his microchip, which revealed he had travelled all the way from Leeds.

When they got in touch with owner Adam Williams, 32, he told them that Obi went missing in April after he moved house within the Leeds area.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Adam said: ‘How he got himself down there I have no idea.

‘Some people suggested a train, because the hotel was near Euston train station, but that would have meant him changing several times.’
Adam, who has since been reunited with Obi, said it would be unlikely that he hitched a ride in a vehicle, as the adventurous cat ‘hates getting in cars’.

RSPCA Central & North East London Branch, which is a separate organisation and funded entirely from collection boxes, say this incident highlights how important it is to microchip animals.

Even if Obi did use the train to get to London, he would have had to have Jedi-like powers to try and navigate the Tube.

At 200 miles, Obi Wan Catobi’s epic journey was almost twice the distance of the first stage of the Tour de France

Pet Parents: How we care for our pets more than ourselves

A third of us Brits are better to our pets than we are to ourselves. We arrange play dates for our dogs and 70% allow them to sleep in their in bed. They are loved just like we love our kids.

• One in six owners spend more on pets than their partners
• On average, pets have seven or more toys to play with
• 90% of people buy a Christmas present and 66% a birthday gift
• One in six owners take their pet to the groomers on a monthly basis

When you think about it, it's not much of a surprise.  As a dog owner of 2 Jack Russell Terriers, I can admit to treating both them as much as I would my kids. Both of them do sleep in a dog bed but in the cold winter nights they will sleekly make their way under the covers.

Gone are the days when a biscuit and a bone were considered a treat for our pets. Nowadays, we lavish our four-legged friends with toys, feed them expensive organic delicacies, allow them to share our beds and even take them on play dates.

That's according to a new survey of more than 1,000 owners of dogs, cats and small furry friends such as rabbits and guinea pigs by recently launched online pet boutique, Astar Pets.

The findings reveal pet owners spend on average £70 a month on their treasured friends, which is more than Brits spend on cake, cosmetics and even holidays.

With 65 million pets in the UK and 45 per cent of UK households owning a pet, Britain is certainly a nation of pet lovers.

But the survey found a staggering 88 per cent of owners admitted giving their pets as much care as they give their own children.

CEO Chris Webster, who co-founded Astar Pets with Quentin Griffiths (founder of both Achica and ASOS), said: 'The UK has transformed from being a nation of pet owners to being a nation of pet parents who enjoy spending time with and treating their pet.'

In their role as 'pet parents', 90 per cent of owners buy a Christmas present for their furry friend, 66 per cent give them a birthday present, 84 per cent allow their pet on the sofa and 66 per cent extend the privilege to their bed.

And that's not where the parental similarities end. As many as 30 per cent of pets are taken on play dates with other animals.

On average, our nation's much-loved animals own seven toys and 60 per cent of pets receive a treat each week.

In fact, one in six pet owners revealed they spend more on presents for their pet than for their partner. Almost half spend over £50 a month on their pet, while a generous 5 per cent spend over £250.

Our passion also extends to their health and well-being. Close to half buy their pets specialist or organic food brands, 28% include vitamin supplements in their pet’s daily meals and all 1,000 owners surveyed said they visited the vet at least once a year for an annual check-up.

When it comes to primping and preening, one in six take their pet to the groomers on a monthly basis

The survey also revealed that 'pet parents' feel guilty when leaving their beloved surrogate child for extended periods with a third organising pet-sitters or walkers when they are out during the day and 58% buying a present for their pet if they have been away on holiday.

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Andy Murray Rescues a Dog on his way to Wimbledon

Andy Murray's dog Maggie May

2013 Wimbledon Tennis Champion, Andy Murray saved a spotted labradoodle pup that was heading toward oncoming traffic. The Scottish tennis player was on his way to Wimbledon on Sunday when he spotted the dog in danger, Murray pulled over to try and retrieve the lost canine.

Andy Murray said:
"There was a danger that I might not make it to practice at all on Sunday morning when I found myself in the middle of a busy road trying to stop the traffic on the way into Wimbledon," Murray wrote in a blog post.

The current Wimbledon champion described the experience to BBC Radio after a viewer called in and reported that they had seen the tennis star chasing a runaway dog down a busy road. Murray told BBC:

"It wasn’t my dog. I was driving to practice and there was a dog running along the road. So I parked the car at the traffic lights and basically got out of the car and tried to stop the traffic because the dog was running towards the oncoming traffic. So I ran in front of the road, stopped the traffic and then I managed to get the dog."

After rescuing the pup he drove to a local park and called the number the on the pet tag

Brazil World Cup: Dog Style

Belgian Eric, a photographer has found a new way to spice up this year’s World Cup by combining the countries football strips with their national dog.

The series include the American Stafford Terrier, the German Shepherd and unsurprisingly the English Bulldog.

Less iconic breeds include the Argentine Gogo, Italy’s Cane Corso and the Dutch Kooiker Hound.

Belgian Eric pulled together his skill photographing animals and his love of the beautiful game to create these hilarious images.

Eric, 47, usually uses his talents for the Life On White project photographing animals both domestic and wild on white backgrounds.

 He said: ‘A colleague of mine has this great idea to combine our skills and the World Cup in Brazil.

‘We have been collecting animal photos for just under 10 years and we had practically all the dogs needed - just adding the ones we didn't afterwards.'

‘All the breeds are iconic of each country, for example the Bulldog for England and the Alsatian for Germany.

'Some were very easy to match others were a little bit less well known.’

‘Life on White just had its 8th birthday. We are specialised in the photography of domestic and wild animals in front of a white background. We have around 32,000 photos of over 1,000 species.’