Research hints children under 5 can easily confuse dog emotions, Melissa Starling finds. To most of us, a dog showing its teeth is a pretty clear signal of a threat. In 1872, Charles Darwin first suggested animals showed emotions similar to ours in their body language,...
The science says it’s even worse than you think! reports Melissa Starling What’s that smell? Is that what you think it is? You check your shoes and, sure enough, one is adorned with a sticky, foul-smelling patty of fresh wrongness. You have stepped in a landmine...
Dogs Australia is urging dog owners not to forget their pooches. The change in routine can cause many issues, including separation anxiety. As children go back to school, Dogs Australia is urging dog owners to prepare the family dog for the return-to-school routine changes. “The end of...
How cold is too cold for a walk? Here’s how to tell, writes Melissa Starling As winter sets in, you might be wondering: how do you know if your dog is warm enough? And how cold is too cold to take them for a walk? It’s a...
To pat or not to pat? asks Petra Edwards and Susan Hazel With dog attacks in the news over recent weeks, some parents may be wondering about how to keep interactions between kids and dogs safe – and how to keep everyone happy. A review of hospitalisations...
As little as three squares of chocolate can make dogs sick, warns Susan Hazel Most pet owners know chocolate and dogs don’t mix. Despite this, chocolate poisoning in dogs remains a problem, particularly at Easter and Christmas, as a study in the journal Vet Record showed. Chocolate...
A new TV series explores the journey of dogs, but science is giving us new insights into how we can help our canine friends thrive by Dr Mia Cobb Over the last twenty years, there has been a global explosion of science focused on our best four-legged...
Paul McGreevy and Melissa Starling look at ten common misconceptions about dog behaviour. It is difficult to refer to what dogs, as a collective, like and dislike and how they behave. Just as humans do, dogs all have their own personalities and learned preferences and so...
The concept of a dog as "man’s best friend" is nothing new. Sigmund Freud wrote about personal accounts with his pet dog, a red chow named Jofi, who became his late-life and therapy companion. On account of a series of mouth operations he endured, he said...
RSPCA Victoria has launched Animal Wellbeing: Awareness, Responsibility, and Education. 'AWARE', is a free online education program for students and teachers that improves animal welfare knowledge while supporting learning outcomes outlined in the Victorian Curriculum. The aim of AWARE is to help young people develop...
