Doggy Times

Everything for Dogs

How to Introduce Dogs

Roldan Perez
Two dogs playing with each other in a field

Acquainting Dogs

Have you ever thought about a dog meet and greet? In order for unknown dogs to have a successful first meeting, there has to be coordination. There are several ways that dog owners can make sure that their pups have a positive interaction. Read on to find out some tips to acquaint dogs to new dogs and people.

Tips to Introduce Your Dog

Just like people, every dog is unique. Some dogs have a more social personality than others. But just like people, dogs can learn how to be more social and get along with other pets and people. Some of the best ways to socialize a dog are:

  • Begin as soon as possible
  • Set up a safe environment
  • Consider it a priority
  • Be mindful for signs that your dog is in distress
  • Be on the lookout for social activities for your dog

how to introduce your dog to other dogs

Even if your dog is older, it’s not too late to teach your dog to be more social. Purina shares a few ideas to get you started:

  • Play games with your dog like “fetch” to teach your dog body language and sharing.
  • Interact with other dogs to help your dog interact appropriately.
  • Observe your dog’s emotional state. (Behaviors like cowering and tail-tucking indicate he’s overwhelmed.)
  • Reward good behavior. Progress deserves praise your dog will recognize.
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Dogs Hang out in Luxury at Amazon’s Headquarters

Roldan Perez
Two dog-friendly canines sitting on a couch with champagne and a bottle of wine.

June 24th is a day many dog owners look forward to because the holiday means they can bring their pooch to work. June 24th is officially “Take Your Dog to Work Day.” However, at Amazon, it seems like every day is a dog holiday because of their dog friendly policies!

dog luxury coworking at Amazon

The Seattle based e-commerce powerhouse stated that dogs and people share workspaces. According to a blog on the company’s website, it said that about 6,000 dogs were taking part in this dog-friendly arrangement.

 

This dog culture was started by one, Rufus, a Welsh Corgi that a husband and wife team brought to work one day. Very quickly Rufus made friends with the human teammates.

 

Ready to hear the super projects Rufus and his canine companions got to be a part of? Just go to page 2.

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Dog or Sheep? Hard to tell!

Roldan Perez
A group of grey poodles with their tongues out

Have you ever seen a dog groomed to look like a sheep? It’s the cutest thing ever!

is this a wolf, dog or sheep
This may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing but I bet you look twice at the other photos!

There’s a very special salon in Japan named Yorikokoro. They have a special way to groom dogs to make their fur extra poofy!

Photocredit @yorikokoro
via Instagram

 

We know that dogs are as unique as people. They come in all sizes, shapes, and abilities just like their owners.

 

See more cute dog poofs on the next page.

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Mailman so Nice I bet Dogs Even Love Him

Roldan Perez
A man is holding a box in front of a door

This hardworking USPS worker is just doing his job, but is caught on camera and has gone viral! The internet has fallen in love with him. It’s clear that he goes above and beyond and takes his job seriously!

I’m sure even the dogs love this great guy!

Next up on Doggy Times: when to take your dog to the ER, cute dog breed mugs, the cutest dance partners ever!

Just like People, Dog’s faces change when People Pay Attention

Roldan Perez
A brown and white dog's face resting on the carpet.

dog makes different faces for people

Did you know that dogs can change faces when they know you are looking at them? It could be a try at communicating with you!

 

During the study, it was observed that when a dog looked into a human’s eyes they would lift their inner eyebrows which made their eyes look bigger and more innocent. This face is also known as a “sad puppy dog face.”

 

This interesting trait adds to researchers level of understanding of canines. Dogs have been human’s best friend for a very long time. Probably some 30,000 years give or take that dogs have lived next to us as companions.

 

Dogs are always monitoring people according to research. They watch how we move, the gestures we make and look at our faces. Domesticated dogs do this more than even wolf puppies that have been raised by hand by people.

 

“Dogs read human gestures and communicative signals in ways other animals can’t,” investigator Juliane Kaminski, a psychologist at the U.K.’s University of Portsmouth stated.

Sad puppy

Read the rest of the fascinating research on the next page.

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Do Therapy Dogs Enjoy their Jobs?

Roldan Perez
A therapy dog with a bandage on its leg.

If you own a dog, you already know that hanging out with your dog makes you feel better.

therapy dog loves his job

To dog lovers, it’s not a surprise to hear that dogs are being used therapeutically for people with health problems like PTSD, cancer and even dementia.

 

Therapy dogs are growing in popularity. Over 50,000 therapy dogs are in the USA and they are growing popularity in many other countries. Therapy dogs are trained and certified by an organization so they can help people in hospitals and other health care facilities.

 

Studies show that people benefit from these animals, but do the dogs? Research has been studying what these dogs might be thinking about and the studies are helpful.

 

Applied Animal Behaviour Science published a study that showed that therapy dogs working in the pediatric cancer world did not show stress and actually seemed to like it.

 

This study was interesting in that it took a look at five different hospitals. Over 100 patients and twenty-six therapy dogs were included in this research. This is one of the largest studies of this type according to Amy McCullough, National Director of Research and Therapy at American Humane and principal investigator of the study.

A working dog

Cortisol, a stress hormone, was measured in the dog’s saliva. A sample was taken at the canine’s home and also during actual therapy sessions “at work” at the hospital.

 

The trouble with cortisol is that it is not specific to “bad stress.” A dog that loves chasing a ball may also elevate their cortisol levels.

 

As part of the study, the dogs were captured on tape and then later analyzed. Twenty-six separate dog behaviors were studied and put into three major categories. These categories were 1) friendly actions like coming up to a person 2) moderate stress actions like shaking and 3) high-stress actions such as whimpering.

Continue reading “Do Therapy Dogs Enjoy their Jobs?”