Dogs aren’t just man’s best friend, but rhinos’ too. Some animal conservancies in Africa and elsewhere have employed canine units to protect at-risk animals from poachers. The canines are highly trained to sniff out ammunition and detect and track suspects. Some attack potential poachers to detain them for arrest.

Why Dogs Are Great at Catching Poachers

Around the world, working dogs are invaluable in various facets of law enforcement, security, and first response. That’s partly because dogs’ incredible sense of smell – between 1,000 and 10,000 times stronger than humans’ – makes them unbeatable detectives. In wildlife conservation, dogs can get all the information they need to track a could-be-criminal by simply sniffing a footprint or discarded item belonging to the suspect. They can also detect illegal wildlife products.

As the Kenya Lewa Wildlife Conservancy website explains, the dogs can lead rangers and enforcement authorities to suspects and help them map out poachers’ routes. Canines can also sniff out rhino horns and ammunition at park gates and airports. The dogs can apprehend suspects as well. At the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the dogs’ presence has increased safety and led to four arrests. There have been no rhino poaching incidents since the canine unit’s arrival.

Why Rhinos Are in Danger

Places like the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya are safe havens for black and white rhinos. These animals are prime targets for poachers, who hunt them for their horns.

The horns contain keratin, the same substance that makes up turtle beaks and horse hooves. It is also in human hair, nails, and skin. Some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe rhino horns have medicinal properties and use them to treat conditions such as gout, fever, typhoid, rheumatism, and headaches. It is also a purported aphrodisiac.

There is no scientific evidence of any such claims. And the medicinal use of rhino horns has been illegal since 1993. Nonetheless, rhino horns are precious on the black market. According to a University of Copenhagen study, Asian rhino horns can sell for around $40,000 per kg, while African rhino horns can fetch about $20,0000 per kg.

The post Dogs Protect Rhinos From Poachers at African Wildlife Conservancies appeared first on DogTime.

The pandemic saw a surge in pet parentship. And, due largely to economic and environmental factors, more people are choosing to adopt pets instead of having human kids. These factors combined have created a booming demand for veterinary care, one the industry can’t currently meet.

Across the country, thousands of pet parents are scrambling, sometimes traveling hours to see a veterinarian, even for emergency care.

Why There Is a Shortage of Veterinarians

The increased demand has put significant pressure on pet health professionals, subjecting many to long, grueling hours and intense stress. As a result, many people are reporting burnout or leaving the profession altogether. According to CBS News, a 2021 survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that 44 percent of veterinarians have considered quitting. And 26 percent reported they’d like to work fewer hours.

But Mars Veterinary Health, an organization that provides veterinary care and employment, found there are barely enough veterinarians and vet techs to meet the current demand. The organization reported a 6.5 percent increase in veterinary appointments in 2021 and predicts pet healthcare spending will increase 33 percent between 2019 and 2029. The industry will need an additional 41,000 veterinarians to meet animal healthcare demands by 2030.

With about 2,000 veterinarians retiring each year, the organization predicts that, even with new graduates, there’s likely to be a shortage of nearly 15,000 veterinarians in the next decade.

What Pet Parents Can Do

As many pet health clinics and hospitals cut hours due to staff shortages, finding appointments can be challenging. But that doesn’t mean pet parents should put off routine care or wait until small problems become emergencies. Experts advise keeping your pet up-to-date on regular care and vaccinations to reduce the risk of serious issues. That may mean scheduling appointments several months in advance.

Establishing a relationship with a local veterinary clinic can also increase your chances of getting an appointment when slots are few and far between. If your pet ingests poison, call the ASPCA’s animal poison control hotline at (888) 426-4435.

The post The US Doesn’t Have Enough Veterinarians To Meet Increasing Needs appeared first on DogTime.

How people parent can significantly influence a child’s development; the same is true with dogs. Dog parenting styles run the gamut from permissive to authoritarian, not all of which produce positive results. And according to a new study, one is most likely to yield a happy, social, and well-adjusted pup. The research, published in the journal Animal Cognition, found dog parents with an “authoritative” approach had the best outcomes.

What the Study Revealed About Dog Parenting Techniques

The researchers evaluated 48 dog parents and their pups. They asked them to complete a survey, then participate in three behavioral tests. During the tests, the scientists examined how the pets acted when their humans left and returned. They also looked at how they responded to strangers and how they interacted with their humans while playing a game.

Ultimately, the researchers found authoritative pet parents had the most emotionally sound and friendly pups.

“Authoritarian pet parents are those who have high expectations of their dogs but may be less accustomed to adjusting their own behavior in response to the dog’s needs, whereas authoritative pet parents have both high expectations of their dog and a readiness to adjust their own behavior to help their dog feel comfortable, safe and supported,” Dr. Monique Udell, a professor at Oregon State University and the study’s corresponding author, told Salon.

How to Be an Authoritative Dog Parent

The research indicates being nurturing and responsive while maintaining consistent, clear expectations is the best way to rear the best-behaved and most emotionally healthy pup.

Those who practice authoritative dog parenting are attuned to their pets’ needs and body language and respond in kind ways. For example, if a dog seems slightly anxious in a social setting, an authoritative pet parent might stroke them and offer reassurance.

Unlike passive pet parents, however, authoritative ones also address behavioral problems rather than letting things slide. Experts say positive reinforcement, not punishment and dominance, is the most effective way to do this.

The post Study Finds Authoritative Dog Parenting Produces Happy, Well-Adjusted Pets appeared first on DogTime.

Many consider dogs a part of the family, but some bonds are stronger than others. According to a new study, pet parents with insecure attachment style are more likely to forge robust relationships with four-legged friends.

How Dogs Can Affect Pet Parents’ Mental Health

There’s ample evidence that animals can do wonders for a person’s emotional and physical health. But research on how being a pet parent affects mental wellness has produced varied results. Some studies have found it decreases loneliness, stress, and depression. But others have shown people with stronger attachments to their pets were more likely to have less social support and more symptoms of loneliness or emotional distress. This discrepancy prompted a group of German researchers to investigate further.

In the study published in BMC Psychiatry, researchers examined the link between interpersonal attachment styles, relationships with pets, and mental health. To do so, they surveyed 610 German dog parents, primarily women. The respondents provided data including their demographics, relationship with their pets, interpersonal attachment styles, and mental health status.

The researchers found people with emotional challenges, including psychiatric disorders, were more likely to have strong emotional bonds with their dogs. The study authors posit that’s because people with such conditions are more likely to have insecure attachment styles.

Most people develop a secure or insecure attachment pattern in childhood, depending on their environment. There are three types of insecure attachment: avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized, each of which has distinct characteristics. Generally, insecure attachment is characterized by anxiety, fear, uncertainty, or avoidance.

How Attachment Styles Could Affect Pet Relationships

Researchers found people with stronger attachments to their dogs had more symptoms of mental disorders and distress. They were also less comfortable depending on and trusting others and feared rejection and being unloved.

According to the study authors, people’s stronger emotional bond with pets might reflect a “compensatory attachment strategy” to make up for the lack of secure interpersonal bonds during childhood. This makes sense, they added, because people might consider pets less threatening and more dependable than other people.

Because the study is correlational, it can’t establish a cause-and-effect. There were also limitations, including the fact most respondents were women. The authors say more research is needed to further examine the link between interpersonal relationships, person-pet relationships, and mental health.

The post People With Insecure Attachment Styles Form Stronger Bonds With Their Dogs appeared first on DogTime.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have been outspoken about their mental health struggles, rely on their four-legged friends for support. During a video conference with the winners of the WellChild Award on World Mental Health Day, the Duke of Sussex discussed how the couple’s three adopted “emotional support dogs” help them cope during difficult times.

“I’ll tell you what, we all need a dog that keeps us calm,” Harry said to 13-year-old Isabelle Delaney, one of the award recipients, according to Newsweek. Isabelle’s Labradoodle Hope, a service dog in training, had joined her on screen. Isabelle’s family said Hope helps Isabelle stay calm in potentially overwhelming environments.

Harry has supported WellChild, an organization celebrating the stories and achievements of very sick children and their families, since 2007. Typically, the award ceremony is held in person, but it was canceled this year due to Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

About the Royal Family’s Pets

Meghan and Harry and their two children, Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 1, have a black Labrador, Pula, and two rescue Beagles, Guy and Mia.

When they’re not chasing squirrels and causing mischief, Harry said the three pups “100%” provide the family with emotional support.

Meghan adopted Guy before meeting her husband, and the couple brought Pula into the fold in 2018. They then adopted Mia, short for Mamma Mia, in August from the Beagle Freedom Project in Los Angeles. The organization rescues Beagles bred for animal testing.

Shannon Keith, the non-profit’s founder, said Meghan specifically requested an older dog, not a “Christmas puppy,” according to Newsweek. Often, older dogs have a more difficult time finding homes.

How Pets Help With Mental Health

Numerous studies have shown that animals can have myriad positive effects on human well-being, including mental health. Pet parents are typically less susceptible to depression, chronic stress, and loneliness than people without pets. And having an emotional support or therapy dog can provide numerous benefits for people with emotional and cognitive challenges, including depression, anxiety, and autism. Even interacting with pets can instantly boost dopamine levels and decrease stress.

Emotional support dogs differ from service dogs because they are pets, not working animals. Mental health professionals can prescribe emotional support animals for numerous serious illnesses.

The post Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have Three Emotional Support Dogs appeared first on DogTime.

Most fine dining establishments don’t even allow dogs indoors. But a new San Francisco restaurant exclusively caters to canines. Dogue, which opened Sept. 25 in the Mission District, may be the first restaurant in the U.S. to serve an upscale tasting menu just for dogs.

About Dogue

Rahmi Massarweh, a professional chef trained in classic French cuisine, and his wife, Alejandra, own and operate Dogue. The couple’s four picky pups, who’ve eaten freshly prepared meals since they were small, inspired the venture.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the couple serves cuisine tailored to each patron’s needs and tastes, considering age, weight, activity level, food sensitivities, and allergies. Menu items are made with locally sourced, fresh, organic ingredients.

During the week, Dogue serves seasonal meat-based pastries made in its on-site “pawtisserie.” They also offer “dogguccinos.” On Sundays, Dogue becomes Bone Appetit Café, where dogs can dine on a $75, three-course tasting menu. Options include items like chicken-mushroom soup, green-lipped mussels with fermented carrots and wheatgrass, or squid tentacles and ink.

The eatery also provides take-home meals, with the same raw, locally sourced ingredients.

More Dogs Are Eating Gourmet

Dogue is part of a broader trend toward feeding pets higher-quality food. Besides top-shelf store-bought products, it’s also becoming more common to find professional chefs personally catering to canines. Daniel Tomas, an Australian gourmet chef, went viral on social media last year for making Michelin-worthy creations for his dog. And Bill Ngo of the famous Kru sushi restaurant has ventured into pet cuisine.

Dog-centered gourmet is especially popular in places like San Francisco, The San Francisco Chronicle reports, where pets outnumber children.

Raw diets are also becoming more popular. However, while most pups can benefit from eating whole foods with plenty of protein, these types of plans aren’t suitable for every pet.

If you are considering changing your pet’s diet, whether switching up kibble brands or trying paleo, talk to your veterinarian first.

The post New Fine Dining Restaurant Is Just for Dogs appeared first on DogTime.

Just as Queen Victoria popularized the white wedding dress, Queen Elizabeth II has brought Corgis back into fashion. Since her death, The Guardian reports, Internet searches for the breed have increased tenfold and the price for Corgi pups has skyrocketed from around £1,500 to £6,000.

The Queen’s Effect 

Queen Elizabeth was extremely popular throughout her reign. Corgis – despite their adorably big ears and sausage waddles – were not, at least not in the United Kingdom. According to The Guardian, just 274 new Welsh Corgi pups were registered with the UK’s Kennel Club in 2014. This made them a “vulnerable native breed.”

The late monarch had at least 30 Corgis in her lifetime. The first was Susan, a Pembroke Corgi born in 1944. At that time, The Kennel Club reports, the breed’s popularity increased 56 percent in the UK and climbed consistently until 1960. According to the non-profit, this coincided with the royal family’s increased visibility on broadcast television.

But for several years afterward, the breed’s popularity troughed. The premiere of Netflix’s series The Crown brought it back. That year, 2018, was the first since 1994 that more than 1,000 Corgi puppies were born, according to The Kennel Club. Once back in the limelight, the canines continued gaining traction. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee brought about another noticeable uptick.

About the Corgi Breed

Of course, Corgis aren’t only popular in the late Queen’s realm. They’re also widely beloved in continental Europe and the US, favored for their intelligence and personality.

Kevin Egan, the editor of the newsletter for The Welsh Corgi League, told The Guardian they’re also generally healthy and obedient when well-trained. As herding dogs by nature, they do tend to nip. But that’s easy enough to discourage with proper training.

“It is great to see that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is firmly back in the hearts of the British public. However, with the breed growing in popularity, it is more important than ever that anyone looking to buy a Corgi puppy takes the time to research their decision,” Diana King, a vice president for the Welsh Corgi League, told The Kennel Club. King encourages prospective pet parents to speak to breed experts and choose responsible breeders who will prioritize the dogs’ health and wellbeing. Adoption, whether through a local shelter or non-profit like the Welsh Corgi League, is also an option.

The post Corgis’ Popularity Surges Following Queen Elizabeth’s Death appeared first on DogTime.

Katie Couric Media and Mars Incorporated have launched a new digital series featuring celebrities and their rescue dogs. The show, called “Unleashed,” is hosted by Katie Couric, broadcast journalist and former “Today” anchor. In each episode, Couric tours New York City to interview famous friends about their animals and the adoption experience.

“I am a lifelong dog-lover and a long-time New Yorker, so it only made sense to tour my favorite city with some of my friends and their pups,” Couric said in a statement to PEOPLE.

About ‘Unleashed’

The first episode features Couric spending a day in the West Village with Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen, and their rescue pup, Gina Marie. The couple gushes about their 15-year-old companion, who they described as a “Jersey Girl.”

In the 10-minute premiere, which aired September 22, the couple also discusses their animal rescue work with organizations like Animal Haven. Other topics of conversation include former pets and songs they sing to their cuddly companions.

“I loved learning about their pet adoption experience and hope that it motivates people to consider rescuing a pet in need of a loving home,” Couric said of the episode.

More episodes will air soon on Katie Couric Media’s website or Youtube page.

How the Show Supports Rescue Dogs

According to the ASPCA, about 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters annually. Of those, around 3.1 million are dogs. Most are adoptable, but only about 1.6 million find homes each year. Moreover, some return to shelters multiple times.

Couric and “Unleashed” aim to help animals find forever homes by encouraging people to adopt, not shop. Katie Couric Media and Mars Incorporated have also partnered with PEDIGREE Foundation. The non-profit provides funding to various animal welfare organizations nationwide.

According to the foundation website, the organization has donated more than $10 million since its founding in 2008. In 2021 alone, they helped about 118,000 dogs.

The post Katie Couric Launches New Series Featuring Celebs and Their Rescue Dogs appeared first on DogTime.

Few bonds are stronger than that of people and dogs. But until recently, scientists assumed dogs’ wild relative, the wolf, wasn’t so keen on humankind. A new report from Stockholm University in Sweden suggests that’s incorrect. Domesticated wolves bond with humans, expressing affection and attachment like their domesticated counterparts.

Observing Behaviors in Dogs and Wolf Puppies

Dogs often form emotionally dependent bonds with their humans. Previously, researchers assumed canines developed the ability to form such attachments after they’d been domesticated. In the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal “Ecology and Evolution,” lead study author Christina Hansen Wheat and her team put the theory to the test.

The researchers hand-raised raised 12 dog and 10 wolf puppies from 10 days old under identical, standardized conditions. Over several months, they conducted a series of behavioral tests. One of the tests, the Strange Situation test, involves a stranger and a familiar person taking turns entering and exiting the room. The unstable situation is meant to stimulate the animals’ attachment behaviors.

The scientists found both dogs and wolves behaved differently with the stranger and familiar person. This proved the ability to form an emotional bond with a familiar person isn’t unique to dogs. The wolves also showed higher stress levels around the stranger. When the familiar person returned, their stress decreased. On the other hand, the dogs were mostly unaffected by the stranger’s presence.

What This Says About Dog Evolution

The findings suggest the ability to form bonds is inherent in Canidaes — the family of dog-like carnivores, and not just domestic dogs or wolf puppies. Wheat and her colleagues think early dog domesticators might have selectively bred this trait, creating today’s affectionate, loyal canines.

“Together, the collective evidence from these wolf studies strongly suggests that this behavioral phenotype exists as standing variation in ancestral populations of the domestic dog; hence the narrative that the ability to express attachment behavior toward humans is exclusive to dogs is no longer tenable,” Wheat wrote.

The post Study Finds Wolves Can Bond With Humans Like Dogs appeared first on DogTime.

Two of dogs’ greatest attributes are their acute sense of smell – about 10,000 times that of humans – and their incredible empathy. A new study published in PLOS One shows canines can utilize both these abilities to sniff out stress.

Stress Has a Smell That Dogs Can Detect

Stress causes physiological changes, including alterations in breath and sweat compounds, which produce distinct odors. Stress-induced sweat also primarily secretes from apocrine glands, which tend to create more aroma than eccrine glands, which secrete most heat-induced sweat.

Researchers from Queen’s University in Belfast, United Kingdom, set out to see if dogs could tell the difference. They collected sweat and breath samples from participants before and after they completed stressful tasks. Then, they tasked dogs trained in scent identification with distinguishing between the two. The canines did so accurately in 675 of 720 trials – or about 94 percent of the time.

“While it is likely that in a real-life context, dogs are picking up on our stress from a variety of context cues, we have shown using a laboratory study that there is a confirmed odor component that is likely contributing to dogs’ ability to sense when we are stressed,” Clara Wilson, an animal psychologist, and the study’s lead author wrote, per NBC News.

Why It Matters That Dogs Can Sense Stress

Previous research has shown how dogs perceive and often mirror human emotions, particularly their parents’. Scientists also know dogs can smell disease, including COVID-19 and cancer, by detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, this is the first study illustrating how dogs can detect stress through scent.

Wilson said that we need more research to determine how significant dogs’ sense of smell is in deciphering human emotions. But Wilson and her colleagues wrote their findings could be valuable in training anxiety and PTSD service dogs, whose instructors presently train them to respond to primarily visual cues.

The post Dogs Can Sniff Out Stress With Incredible Accuracy: Study appeared first on DogTime.