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Dog-Speak Understood By Babies, BYU Study Finds

Source:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158266.php

New research shows babies have a handle on the meaning of different dog barks - despite little or no previous exposure to dogs.

Infants just 6 months old can match the sounds of an angry snarl and a friendly yap to photos of dogs displaying threatening and welcoming body language.

The new findings come on the heels of a study from the same Brigham Young University lab showing that infants can detect mood swings in Beethoven's music.

Though the mix of dogs and babies sounds silly, experiments of this kind help us understand how babies learn so rapidly. Long before they master speech, babies recognize and respond to the tone of what's going on around them.

"Emotion is one of the first things babies pick up on in their social world," said BYU psychology professor Ross Flom, lead author of the study.

Flom and two BYU students report their latest "amazing baby" findings in the journal Developmental Psychology.

"We chose dogs because they are highly communicative creatures both in their posture and the nature of their bark," Flom said.

In the experiment, the babies first saw two different pictures of the same dog, one in an aggressive posture and the other in a friendly stance. Then the researchers played - in random order - sound clips of a friendly and an aggressive dog bark.

"They only had one trial because we didn't want them to learn it on the fly and figure it out," Flom said.

While the recordings played, the 6-month-old babies spent most of their time staring at the appropriate picture. Older babies usually made the connection instantly with their very first glance.

Study co-authors Dan Hyde and Heather Whipple Stephenson conducted the experiments as undergrads and don't recall any babies getting upset.

"Many of them enjoyed it," said Hyde. "Others just looked."

"Infants are pretty cooperative subjects," Stephenson added.

The mentored research experience helped Hyde and Stephenson secure spots at prestigious grad schools. Hyde is currently at Harvard working toward a Ph.D. in developmental psychology. Fellow co-author Heather Whipple Stephenson recently completed a master's degree in educational psychology at the University of Minnesota.

"With this study, my favorite part was watching a somewhat zany idea grow into a legitimate research project," Stephenson said.

Source:
Joe Hadfield
Brigham Young University

Dog-Speak Understood By Babies, BYU Study Finds

Source:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158266.php

New research shows babies have a handle on the meaning of different dog barks - despite little or no previous exposure to dogs.

Infants just 6 months old can match the sounds of an angry snarl and a friendly yap to photos of dogs displaying threatening and welcoming body language.

The new findings come on the heels of a study from the same Brigham Young University lab showing that infants can detect mood swings in Beethoven's music.

Though the mix of dogs and babies sounds silly, experiments of this kind help us understand how babies learn so rapidly. Long before they master speech, babies recognize and respond to the tone of what's going on around them.

"Emotion is one of the first things babies pick up on in their social world," said BYU psychology professor Ross Flom, lead author of the study.

Flom and two BYU students report their latest "amazing baby" findings in the journal Developmental Psychology.

"We chose dogs because they are highly communicative creatures both in their posture and the nature of their bark," Flom said.

In the experiment, the babies first saw two different pictures of the same dog, one in an aggressive posture and the other in a friendly stance. Then the researchers played - in random order - sound clips of a friendly and an aggressive dog bark.

"They only had one trial because we didn't want them to learn it on the fly and figure it out," Flom said.

While the recordings played, the 6-month-old babies spent most of their time staring at the appropriate picture. Older babies usually made the connection instantly with their very first glance.

Study co-authors Dan Hyde and Heather Whipple Stephenson conducted the experiments as undergrads and don't recall any babies getting upset.

"Many of them enjoyed it," said Hyde. "Others just looked."

"Infants are pretty cooperative subjects," Stephenson added.

The mentored research experience helped Hyde and Stephenson secure spots at prestigious grad schools. Hyde is currently at Harvard working toward a Ph.D. in developmental psychology. Fellow co-author Heather Whipple Stephenson recently completed a master's degree in educational psychology at the University of Minnesota.

"With this study, my favorite part was watching a somewhat zany idea grow into a legitimate research project," Stephenson said.

Source:
Joe Hadfield
Brigham Young University

Help Jude get his dog!

SOURCE: http://4pawsforjude.com/default.aspx

Missouri Family Needs Your Help Raising $13000 For Non-Profit Organization

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Meet Jude Bell.

He's an amazing 6-year-old boy who loves to laugh and to make other's laugh. He's smart, handsome, funny, loving, lovable, clever, and honest. He tries harder than most anyone you'll meet. He makes us proud every single day. He also has Autism.

Autism is a neurological disorder that is more and more heard of, yet still widely misunderstood. Autism affects the areas of the brain controlling language, social interaction, and creative and abstract thinking. He actually has a very large vocabulary, but does not always use it properly. He often has difficulty communicating his wants and needs.

In addition, his brain has difficulty processing the sensory information that he perceives. Many times sights, sounds, smells, and touch can overwhelm him. This usually leads to outbursts and a desire to flee the situation. Other times, he has trouble focusing because he can’t fight the desire to seek out sensory input. This leads to sensory seeking activities that alienate him from those around him.

Every moment of every day Jude fights against his natural tendencies to be afraid, anxious, or overwhelmed. He strives to communicate and be understood. His greatest challenge though, may be in trying to make friends.

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We have one goal for Jude's life -

his happiness!

You can help us reach this goal!

You can support our fundraising efforts!

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Be sure to check out our "Thank You" page to see where we're at on our fundraising journey & the wonderful people and companies that have helped us get there!

You'll also find some links to some great blogs that are near and dear to our hearts!

Richard Gere: Dog is hero in film about Japan tale

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-erZjuZI2S3-9fETwnn7JUw06dwD99A34R80

By YURI KAGEYAMA

TOKYO (AP) — Richard Gere stars in a Hollywood remake of Japan's long-cherished story of Hachiko, a faithful dog that died at a train station waiting for its master. But "Hachi: A Dog's Story" is more about the dog than about Gere, the 59-year-old actor said Wednesday.

"On this movie, I was definitely second-class," he told reporters at a Tokyo hotel.

The movie premiered in the U.S. at the Seattle International Film Festival in June, and opens in Japan in August.

The story of Hachiko is a legend among Japanese, a pet-loving nation that honors self-sacrificing loyalty.

Hachiko, the story goes, always used to wait at Shibuya train station for its master, a professor at the University of Tokyo.

Even after the professor died, the dog waited every day at the station for a decade, until it died in 1935.

People were so moved they built a statue of Hachiko at the station, which remains a popular rendezvous spot for Japanese today.

The story of Hachiko was made into a 1987 Japanese movie. Gere's version transports that story to a station in Rhode Island.

Gere said the Japanese breed of dogs called Akita used in the movie are close to wild dogs and very difficult to train. In the beginning, Gere was instructed not to even look at the three dogs that played Hachi.

"They only do something because they want to. You can't really buy them with food," said Gere, last in Japan four years ago for another remake of a Japanese story, "Shall We Dance?"

Gere said the new film evokes the artistry of silent movies.

Often, the crew would film the dog for 12 hours, and take just 10 minutes to shoot Gere's segments, he said.

"We were capturing something that was organic and real that was happening between me and the dogs," he said.

thank your vet for a healthy pet®

SOURCE: http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/thank-your-vet/

Honoring America's Best Veterinarians

When you love your pets, it is good to know you have a partner in safeguarding their health: your veterinarian. Now you can honor your favorite veterinarian through the “Thank Your Vet for a Healthy Pet®” contest, sponsored by Morris Animal Foundation (MAF), Hill's Pet Nutrition and BowTie Inc., publishers of Veterinary Practice News, DOG FANCY and CAT FANCY magazines. The nationwide short-essay contest honors America’s veterinarians for their skill, dedication and commitment to ensuring that pets are healthier, happier and living longer.

The essay contest runs from July 1, 2009 to August 31, 2009.

Click here to nominate your vet

Please see below for FAQs.

Q. When will winners be announced?
A. Winners will be notified by September 22, 2009. The national and regional winners will be featured in the January 2010 issues of Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy and also on DogChannel.com and CatChannel.com. The winners will also be officially recognized at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Fla., on January 16, 2010.

Q. I nominated my veterinarian. When will he or she receive a certificate?
A. Certificates will be sent to all veterinarians who were nominated by September 15, 2009.

Q. Will I receive notification that my nomination was received?
A. All nominators will receive a letter from Morris Animal Foundation notifying them that the essay was received. Letters will be sent by September 15, 2009.

Q. I sent my nomination in time, but it was returned in the mail. Do I still have a chance?
A. Nominations and entries that are incomplete, inaccurate, lost, late, misdirected, postage due, damaged, illegible, or garbled for any reason—including by reason of hardware, software, browser or network failure, malfunction, congestion or incompatibility at any of the sponsors servers or elsewhere—will not be eligible unless received by August 31, 2009.

Fourth of July Tips

Below are some simple suggestions to help ensure the safety of your pets during the Fourth of July.

• Do not bring your pet to a fireworks display.
• Keep them inside. Bring indoor/outdoor cats and dogs inside. Set up a nice quiet spot in a windowless room, if possible, or keep them in a carrier or kennel. A frightened dog will find a way to escape and a tied up dog may strangle itself trying to get away.
  
• Leave the TV or radio on to distract them ; soothing noise may help keep pets calm.
• Walk Fido before the fireworks start. If you must take your dog out during the fireworks, keep him on a leash, and avoid ground fireworks to prevent injury or fright.
• If your dog or cat is especially noise sensitive , consider having someone stay home with them, taking them to a boarding facility or discussing tranquilizers with your vet.
• License and tag your pets with your current address and phone number.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

A pets 10 commandments

A Pet's Ten Commandments..........
1. My Life Is Likely To Last 10-15 Years. Any Separation From You Is Likely To Be Painful.
2. Give Me Time To Understand What You Want Of Me
3. Place Your Trust In Me. It Is Crucial For My Well-Being.
4. Don't Be Angry With Me For Long And Don't Lock Me Up As Punishment. You Have Your Work, Your Friends, Your Entertainment, But I Have Only You.
5. Talk To Me. Even If I Don't Understand Your Words, I Do Understand Your Voice When Speaking To Me.
6. Be Aware That However You Treat Me, I Will Never Forget It.
7. Before You Hit Me, Before You Strike Me, Remember That I Could Hurt You, And Yet, I Choose Not To Bite You.
8. Before You Scold Me For Being Lazy Or Uncooperative, Ask Yourself If Something Might Be Bothering Me.
Perhaps I'm Not Getting The Right Food, I Have Been In The Sun Too Long, Or My Heart Might Be Getting Old Or Weak.
9. Please Take Care Of Me When I Grow Old. You Too, Will Grow Old.
10. On The Ultimate Difficult Journey, Go With Me Please. Never Say You Can't Bear To Watch. Don't Make Me Face This Alone. Everything Is Easier For Me If You Are There, Because I Love You So.
~Take A Moment Today To Thank God For Your Pets. Enjoy And Take Good Care Of Them. Life Would Be A Much Duller, Less Joyful Experience Without God's Critters.