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If your dog has had any illnesses or ailments, you can tell us about them at any time without having to complete the rest of the questionnaire. Simply login to your dog's profile by visiting www.dogslife.ac.uk and click on the link underneath your dog's graph.
Does your dog know what you’re thinking?
Food intolerances and food allergies in dogs
Your dog’s data and what we do with it
Your pet’s safety at Christmas
Does your dog know what you’re thinking?
Research has shown that dogs can understand our commands and read our behaviour better than other species. For example, a recent study has shown that dogs can understand the location of an odourless treat if it’s pointed to, where chimpanzees (our closest evolutionary relatives) or other companion animals such as cats do not. The study also showed that even at a distance, dogs understood to go to the location that was being pointed at (even when the person pointing was walking in the opposite direction!), and bowing or nodding in the direction worked too, as did just looking.
Another test showed that when presented with two people, one of whom had a bucket over their head, and one had seen where food had been hidden, dogs always begged for food from the person who could see, whereas chimps would randomly go to either person. This observation can also be confirmed by throwing a ball for a dog and turning away from where you have thrown it; the dog will always bring the ball back to you where you can see it. So not only can dogs read our body language and our gaze, but they also know how to get our attention.
We know dogs form strong emotional attachments to their owners, like children do with their parents. For example studies have shown that babies and dogs will react similarly when left in an unfamiliar environment; they explore the new environment for a while, but become upset if the owner/parent left. They were also wary of strangers and showed more distress the longer the owner/parent was not there.
There is also evidence that dogs listen to us, for example, they have the ability to select a particular toy out of many, even when they are out of sight. One dog has even shown it understands over a thousand different words! Dogs therefore comprehend us verbally, not just by our signals or reading our faces or body language. This may come as no surprise to dog owners, but to psychologists who are looking at how these skills have evolved it has been a surprise since dogs’ skills are more developed than those of humans’ closer genetic relatives. Genetic proximity therefore does not explain the acquisition of these skills.
The relationship that we have with our dogs shows that they are sensitive and receptive to us, which is why they have made ideal human companions for such a long time.
For more information on this research please click here.
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Food intolerances and food allergies in dogs
Just like us, dogs can have adverse reactions to certain types of food. Food intolerance and food allergies are relatively common but are often difficult to diagnose as symptoms can be similar to other conditions. Food allergies are caused by a reaction of the immune system to the food being eaten, whereas a food intolerance is a reaction to food which is caused by another reason (for example, the lack of an enzyme required to digest the food, such as seen in dogs and people who are lactose intolerant).
Symptoms of food intolerance and food allergies in dogs are similar to the symptoms humans experience if they eat a food that does not agree with them. Clinical signs can include those affecting the gut such as abdominal pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, excessive numbers of bowel movements each day and diarrhoea, and those affecting other organs such as skin irritations, excessive itching and scratching. In extremely rare cases, a dog may have a severe reaction and suffer anaphylactic shock (as a person who suffers from a severe nut allergy might).
Symptoms can vary dramatically from dog to dog; they can be mild or severe, and they can develop gradually or quickly. Dogs can develop allergies to a type of food even if they have been eating it for a long time. The clinical signs can worsen or improve over time, and new signs can occur, or they may get better in time.
To treat a food intolerance or allergy, dogs’ existing food is replaced with something new, and different types of food are rotated, eliminating one ingredient at a time until the symptoms disappear and the source of the intolerance/allergy becomes apparent. It can be challenging to find the specific ingredient that is causing the problem. Any ingredient can be the cause (for example, preservatives or colourings) but often carbohydrates (e.g. lactose or wheat) or proteins (e.g. such as those specific to milk or beef) are the trigger. Ingredients that often affect dogs include: chicken, beef, dairy, eggs, wheat, soy or corn.
Symptoms can stop within a few days if the intolerance is related to the digestive system, but most other disorders (i.e. those which involve the immune system) can take weeks to subside. Many pet foods are available that cater for specific diets and allergies. Once a food that does not contain the ingredient your dog is allergic to has been found, the symptoms should cease.
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Your dog’s data and what we do with it
Thanks to the Dogslife members, we have now collected over 19,000 data entries. Here’s a bit about what we do with one part of the data that members provide…
If you take a look at the first graph below, you will see a plot of every height measurement submitted to Dogslife to date, and the age of the dog when the measurement was made. We appreciate how difficult it is to measure your dog’s height accurately. You will also see that four areas have been highlighted, encompassing measurements which are quite different from the majority presented. These are called “outliers”. We assume that those heights encircled in blue are not true, as obviously no dog is likely to be 2.5m tall. More common errors are highlighted by the red lines and are a group of measurements which are either 2.54 times too big or 2.54 times too small. These occur when the “inches” are selected as the measurement unit, rather than “centimetres”, and visa-versa. We can correct these automatically.
It is important to remember that these mistakes are very rare, and completely normal (and expected) in this type of study. If you think you have made a mistake when reporting one of your dog’s measurements, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@dogslife.ac.uk and we will correct it for you. By “cleaning” the data, we can produce the wonderful graph below, which shows the spread of heights in the Dogslife group, and how gender affects them (male in blue and female in red). The exciting part for the scientific team is not just looking at how big the “average” Labrador Retriever reaches, but also the factors which influence the final heights dogs reach, and whether they have any influence on the risk of dogs developing diseases in the future.
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Your pet’s safety at Christmas
We all know that dogs can try and eat or chew things they shouldn’t, especially when they are puppies; our previous article (click here to view) names but a few objects some of the dogs taking part in Dogslife have ingested. At this time of year there are many more items, such as Christmas decorations and festive foods, which are important to keep away from our dogs.
Foods such as chocolate (which contains the chemical theobromine), raisins, sultanas, grapes, liquorice and onions are unsuitable for dogs and can cause them to become unwell if they eat them. Many of us will have more foods containing these ingredients (e.g. boxes of chocolates, Christmas cake/mince pies) over the festive season so it's best to try and keep them out of your dog’s reach. Another peril is cooked turkey/chicken bones; dogs can easily choke on these so it’s worthwhile remembering to dispose of them safely so your dog can't get to them.
Dogs may try to play with Christmas decorations such as tinsel or fairy lights and could chew through wires, choke, get tangled up or even pull the Christmas tree down if they are left unattended. By keeping cables out of sight and out of reach wherever possible, keeping appliances switched off, and being sure your dog is not left alone with the Christmas decorations, any unwanted incidents can be avoided. It’s also a good idea to clear up any pine needles your Christmas tree sheds so they don’t become stuck in your dog’s paws.
Houseplants which are often in homes around Christmas time such as Poinsettias, Holly, and Mistletoe can be poisonous to dogs so it is better to display them where your dog cannot come into contact with them.
As the weather gets colder, we will be heating our houses more. Carbon monoxide is just as dangerous to our pets as it is to us so you may wish to check appliances so that any faults can be identified and fixed. Also, as the weather chills, it’s more likely that we will have antifreeze around. This has a sweet flavour so it can be attractive to dogs, but it is very poisonous if it is ingested so by ensuring that it is kept away from your dog they won't be tempted to taste it.
By keeping your dog entertained with dog friendly toys, they are less likely to eat something they shouldn’t, but if you think your dog has eaten any of the items outlined it this article, contact your vet right away.
For more information on keeping your pets safe please click here and then select the leaflet entitled ‘Pet Safety’.
Thanks to Bruce Macklin for posing for the photograph, and Victoria Macklin for taking it.
DOGSLIFE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT OVER THE PAST YEAR AND WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY FESTIVE SEASON!
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Don't forget to come back to www.dogslife.ac.uk to update your dog's record. If you have entered data since your dog turned ten months of age, the questionnaire should be quicker and easier to complete as some of the questions will be prepopulated with your previous answers.
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