Admin, Author at Daily Dog Discoveries

Understanding the Chihuahua’s Molera

June 27, 2016January 15, 2016 by Admin

Today we thought it was quite interesting learning more about a Chihuahua’s “molera,” a unique trait of this pint-sized pet. While once it was considered a mark of purity in the breed, and at some point, even a defect, today a better understanding of this “soft spot” reveals that it’s simply a characteristic of the breed, perhaps just as unique as the spots on a Dalmatian or the ridge on a Rhodesian ridgeback. However, unlike spots or ridges, the molera is not seen on all Chihuahuas, and if it’s present, it’s often destined to shrink and possibly disappear within a certain time frame. OK, for those folks who have never heard about a molera and are dying to know, what is a molera in the first place? Read on to learn more.

What on Earth is a Molera?

In its simplest definition, the molera is a “hole” in the Chihuahua’s head. When Chihuahuas are still in the womb, the bones in their heads are not fused together as they should be, so when they’re born, they have this “hole” on the top of their heads between the ears which is called “molera.” The molera isn’t unique to Chihuahuas. Human babies have something similar too, but in human babies these soft spots on a baby’s head are known as “fontanelle.” The American Kennel Club mentions the molera in the Chihuahua’s breed standard when referring to the Chihuahuas’s head. According to the Chihuahua breed’s standard the head should have: “A well rounded “apple dome” skull, with or without molera.”

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What’s Its Purpose?

Why do some Chihuahua puppies have a soft spot on their head? Not all Chihuahuas have them, but many toy breeds are born with a palpable open fontanelle. The molera is there for an important purpose: it helps the puppy pass through mother dog’s birth canal safely. In small breeds, the mother dog’s birth canal is very narrow, yet, those puppy heads are quite big. The gap in the head therefore allows the puppy’s head to pass through without too much pressure being applied on the skull and brain. The molera therefore allows the pup’s bony plates of the skull to flex upping the chances for an uneventful birth. However, due to their conformation, it’s not unusual for Chihuahua mothers to require a C-section.

At the puppy grows, the bony plates of the skull gradually grow around the brain, becoming less soft and eventually ossifying. When do puppy soft spots close? Once the puppy is born, the molera should gradually close on its own generally by the age of 9 to 12 weeks. In certain breeds like the Chihuahua or miniature dachshund though, it may remain permanently open without any particular consequences, explains veterinarian William D. Fortney. However, it’s best to avoid pushing on the area as there is no protection for the brain, adds veterinarian Dr. Tammy. If the open fontanelle is large, some owners have found it helpful to protect these vulnerable spots with helmets.

Not as Bad as Thought

It was once thought that a domed head and the presence of a soft spot was associated with a medical condition known as “hydrocephalus,” where cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain making it swell and triggering neurological signs. However, according to a study conducted by Greene and Braund in 1989, “Many clinically normal toy breeds and brachycephalic (short faced) breeds also may have open fontanelle without associated hydrocephalus. There did not appear to be any relationship between the presence or size of the fontanelle and the concomitant presence of hydrocephalus.” The Canine Inherited Disorders Database web site seems to agree, according to the website, “an open fontanel is not diagnostic per se of hydrocephalus, as it may occur in a normal healthy dog. ”

References:

Chihuahua Club of America: Molera Statement

Chihuahua Club of America: Understanding Differences Between a Molera and Hydrocephalus

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The Neuroplasticity of a Dog’s Brain

July 23, 2016January 14, 2016 by Admin

What’s more talented than a dog’s brain that is always in a learning state? We often think of the puppy’s sensitive period as a window of time that permanently “shuts close” once the time frame has elapsed, but sometimes we forget that dogs are always learning. Saying that the window of opportunity for puppy socialization closes shut within a certain time frame ignores the beauty of the neuroplasticity of a dog’s brain. Rather than closing shut, a more accurate description may be that the opportunity to absorb and retain may be significantly diminished, as there is always space for new neural connections to be formed, things just become more challenging past a certain time frame, experts say.

Like Learning a New Language

Don't miss out the puppy socialization period! — Don’t miss out the puppy socialization period!

Nicholas Dodman in the book “Puppy’s First Steps” compares it to the uncanny ability children are blessed with in learning new languages. When a child is young, he’s very adept in grasping the accent, intonation and use of idiomatic expressions of a new language which explains the easiness of children to becoming multilingual, but over time, the brain loses its flexibility so the ability to learn a new language tends to fall dramatically with advancing years. Sure, you can make up for the lost ground once the pup is a 6 month-old teenager, but it will require much more effort, just as with learning a new language at a later age.

Plasticity of the brain is something that occurs over a lifetime, the brain never stops changing and adjusting, but the level of plasticity tends to change during certain periods of one’s life. It’s best to reap the benefits of this time and socialize puppies properly rather than enduring in “remedial socialization”. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s Position Statement on Puppy Socialization emphasizes the importance of providing ample of positive socialization opportunities during the puppy’s first three months of life.

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old dog learns tricks — Keep that brain stimulated!

Old Dogs Learn New Tricks!

What does neuroplasticity mean though exactly? The term “neuro” refers to nerves of the nervous system and the term plastic comes from the from Greek word “plastikos,” from “plassein” which means ‘to mold.’ And both our brains and the brains of our dogs are always in the the process of being “molded” in some sort of way. This occurs when we we learn something new or retain some new information that causes new neural connections which make our brains capable of neuroplasticity.

It was once thought that our brains had a lowered ability to create new neural pathways beyond the juvenile period, a time frame during which it’s particularly suited to neuroplastic adaptation, but new studies have shown that even the brain of the elderly is capable of being plastic. “Neuroplasticity never ends, you can in fact teach an old dog new tricks, it just might take a little longer,” claims Shelli R. Kesler a senior research scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine.”

“We used to think that the brain was completely formed by development and its basic structure didn’t change much in adults, but as research went on we discovered that wasn’t true. We now know that an underlying portion of the brain called the thalamus, which feeds the cortex information from our senses, is remarkably plastic. Using new research techniques on rats, our lab found that the neuronal connections bridging the thalamus to the cortex are massively plastic—they grow and retract rather rapidly in only a few days in response to different sensations we expose the rat to,” further explains Randy Bruno, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and member of the Kavli Institute for Brain Science at Columbia University.

Off the Beaten Path

To better understand the concept of neuroplasticity, Team Neuroplasticity compares the formation of new neural pathways to taking a walk in the woods. It’s as if we tend to walk the same paths during our daily activities each day. Then, one day, we’re attracted by something and decide to stray and go off the beaten path. We discover new intriguing trails, and as we start walking them every day, these fresh paths start to get worn and easily noticeable so we start navigating them with ease. With enough repetition, we can even travel them as if we are on autopilot. This is similar to what happens when we learn something new courtesy of the neuroplasticity of our brains. Same goes on with dogs. Teaching a new trick or a new skill and providing environmental enrichment is beneficial to our canine companions. “Enrichment is an essential component of care for all pets, including small mammals, reptiles, dogs, cats, and horses, and can have a positive effect on their welfare and well-being” claims veterinary behaviorist Lisa Radosta with Florida Veterinary Behavior Service Jupiter, Florida.

Did you know? It was English neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington the first to coin the term “synapse” the gap between two nerve cells, in 1897.

References:

Angeline S. Lillard, Old dogs learning new tricks: Neuroplasticity beyond the juvenile period,Developmental Review, Volume 31, Issue 4, December 2011, Pages 207–239

Nicholas Dodman “Puppy’s First Steps: Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Dog ” Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University Wilmington, Massachusetts, Houghton Mifflin, July 24, 2008

Sanjay Gupta, Chasing Life: New Discoveries in the Search for Immortality to Help You Age Less Today, Thorndike Press, 2007

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Dog Word of the Day: Dolicocephalic

June 27, 2016January 13, 2016 by Admin

It’s Wednesday Word Day! Today we randomly opened our Encyclopedia and stumbled on the word “dolicocephalic.” This word may sound a bit complicated, but once we break it into smaller components, it becomes easier to understand. Chances are, you might even own a dolicocephalic dog breed too! This term though isn’t restricted to the dog world only, there are also many dolicocephalic cats and some delicopehalic rabbits too! So let’s take a closer look into this word and discover some intriguing facts about the dog word of the day: “dolicocephalic.”

A Lesson in Etymology

What does the word dolicocephalic mean? Let’s take a look at the history of this word. Merriam Webster tells us that the word derives from the Greek word “dolichos” which means long and “kephalos,” which means head. If you put the two words together, you have “long head,” therefore, dolicocephalic in the dog world pertains to certain types of dogs where the length of the head is greater than its width. This is the total opposite of dogs who are brachycephalic, meaning short-headed.

Dolicocephalic: long-headed	Brachycephalic: short-headed

What Teeth You Have!

Dogs with long heads may share some interesting traits that makes them quite different than other dogs. If you look at their teeth, their longer jaws can make them appear as if they have gaps between one tooth and another. This is called “diastemata” which means “a space or gap between two teeth.” In some cases, the space may be so wide that to some people it may appear as if they are missing teeth, but they are not, explains Dr. Cedric Tutt, a Veterinary Specialist in Dentistry in South Africa in the book “Small Animal Dentistry: A Manual of Techniques.”

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What Eyes You Have!

Many dogs with dolicocephalic heads share some common traits: they may have a history of being selectively bred to have an exceptional eye sight and are very fast. Sight hound breeds like the saluki, borzoi, greyhound and Afghan hound, were selectively bred for catching fast prey, therefore it shouldn’t be surprising if their facial conformation allowed a wider field of vision so they could better spot prey. Their almond-shaped eyes are set wide apart. It has been noted that distribution of retinal ganglion cells is correlated with nose length, something particularly important in sight hounds as they needed to be scanning the horizon for prey over vast open landscapes.

A Nose For Problems

According to the book “The Dog and Its Genome,” dolicocephalic dog breeds are prone to problems related to the shape of their heads such as nasal tumors and mycotic rhinitis. Another potential problem dolicocephalic breeds may be predisposed to is aspergillosis, a respiratory infection that is typically localized to the dog’s nasal cavity and known for causing lethargy, pain and ulcerations on the nostrils, sneezing, nasal discharge and nose bleeds, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual.

Did you know? Because sight hounds have narrow heads, they can easily slip out of regular buckle collars. Many trainers suggest using martingale collars (also known as greyhound collars) for dolicocephelic dogs. When fitted correctly, these collars work well as they’re less likely to slip over the dog’s head, explained the late internationally-acclaimed veterinarian, animal behaviorist, Dr Sophia Yin.

References:

Miller P. E., Murphy C. J, 1995 Vision in dogs. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 207: 1623–1634.

McGreevy P, Grassi T. D, Harman A. M, 2004A strong correlation exists between the distribution of retinal ganglion cells and nose length in the dog. Brain Behav. Evol. 63: 13–22

The Genetics of Canine Skull Shape Variation, , GENETICS February 8 , 2013 vol. 193 no. 2 317-325 (Early Online February 1 , 2013).

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The Dog Version of Fingerprints!

June 27, 2016January 12, 2016 by Admin

It’s Tuesday Trivia, which means it’s time to test your canine knowledge! Today, we’ll be tackling a dog’s body part that is so unique it can be said that it’s capable of replicating the equivalent function of a human fingerprint. Indeed, its pattern can be used to identify dogs, distinguishing one dog from another. What body part are we talking about it?

A Dog paws

B Dog toes

C Dog noses

D Dog tongues

And the answer is:

Answer: if you answered A, nope, dog paws can have a unique smell of Frito feet, popcorn or tacos, but the paw prints they produce don’t have a pattern that allows them to be similar to producing our fingerprints. If you answered B, it makes sense to say toes as they’re as close as you can can get to the digits of our fingers, but no, it’s still not the correct answer. If you said D, dog tongues, sure our doggy’s tongues leave some unique patterns on our clean windows and glass sliding doors, but no, that’s not the answer we were looking for. So the correct answer is C, dog noses!

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If we take a close look to our dog’s noses, we will see that on their surface there are several ridges that form patterns. The moist texture of this surface is meant to attract odor molecules allowing the dog to smell them easier, explain D. Caroline Coile and Maragaret H. Bonham’s book “Why do dogs like balls?” Well, the intriguing part is that it has been discovered that these ridges on the dog’s nose are so unique that their appearance could be used as a way for identifying dogs.

According to a study, taking nose prints in dogs is a fairly easy process. All that’s needed is to dry the nose with a lint swab, impregnate the leather of the nose with China ink and a nose print is then printed on a white cardboard. Voila!

Did you know? The moist, naked part of the dog’s that we commonly refer to as “nose” has a technical name, it’s called “rhinarium.”

References:

D. Caroline Coile, Maragaret H. Bonham’s book “Why do dogs like balls? Sterling Publishing Co. Inc, New York, NY, 2008

N. Coldea (1994) Nose prints as a method of identification in dogs, Veterinary Quarterly, 16:sup1, 60-60, DOI: 10.1080/01652176.1994.9694497

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I am Your Dog’s Thymus

June 27, 2016January 11, 2016 by Admin

For Monday’s Marvels we would like to introduce the dog’s thymus. We don’t hear much about this organ of the lymphatic system, other than perhaps when there are problems associated with it. Simply because it’s an organ that’s not that popular, we thought that it would be interesting learning more about it and how it affects our dog’s bodies. Our references point to some intriguing tasks carried out by this organ that make our dog’s bodies so interesting to learn about. So here’s what our dog’s thymus has to say.

Let Me Introduce Myself!

Hello, it’s your dog’s thymus talking today! You may not know me well as I am not so popular as other organs such as the liver, heart or stomach, but don’t let my lack of popularity belittle my role in ensuring your dog stays healthy and happy. I play some quite important roles that help orchestrate the immune system so everything runs smoothly and your dog’s body is protected from the harm of any foreign invaders. As a lymphoid organ, I am responsible for the development and deployment of special types of white blood cells the help maintain your dog’s immune function. I am located just above your dog’s heart and right below the trachea. I am born relatively large, but as it happens in humans, I tend to shrink in size with age.

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I am an Instructor

My main function is to educate. My trainees are certain blood cells of your dog’s immune system which are known as “T cells.” T-cells are born in your dog’s bone marrow, but then are sent to me for their education, (hence their “T” name.) What do I teach these cells? I coach them on how to distinguish cells that are part of your dog’s body and those who aren’t supposed to be there. Just imagine your dog’s immune system as being protected by a fortress surrounded by walls and many troops. Sometimes, among the troops, there may be invading soldiers who dress up like the troops and try to infiltrate in hopes of gaining access to the fortress. My job is teaching my troops how to identify these invaders so they can be captured and removed before they do harm.

Meet My Troops

Interested in getting more acquainted with my troops? I have different types of soldiers that help protect my fortress and engage in different tasks. My “helper T cells” work hard cooperating with other types of white blood cells so to develop a strong immune response. My “killer T cells” are specifically trained to detect those foreign invaders such as harmful bacteria. While I try to do my best in training these latter soldiers, not all of them excel in their tasks. In this unfortunate instance, they aren’t given a second chance to make up for their mistakes. I must promptly take action because their mistake can be costly to your dog’s body. So I fire them on the spot and they are gone once and for all. Finally, I have a team of “suppressor T-cells” meant to keep things under control. You see, when invaders arrive, they stir up quite a conflict and things can get out of hand. Their job is to keep things under control.

Puppy’s Best Friend

We love puppies as much as you do. Remember how I mentioned that I am born relatively large and then shrink in size with age? Well, there’s a good reason for this. My role is most important during puppy hood, when puppies need to rely on the immune system the most. When puppies are born, they really don’t have much immunity, so my role is to help kick start the immune system to help these vulnerable beings.

I also play a role in what is known as “adaptive immunity“, also known as “acquired immunity.” I help make sure that those vaccinations protect your puppy as they should. You see, certain memory t-cells have the uncanny ability to remember exposure to certain foreign invaders. So let’s say the puppy is given a vaccination against distemper. The soldiers with the good memory will remember the distemper antigens so that should these antigens show up in the system, they can fight them promptly and efficiently so your dog can survive and thrive for as long as there is protection (something to obviously discuss with your vet!)

Disclaimer: The article is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your dog is sick, please see your vet.

References:

Merck Veterinary Manual, Immune System Responses in Dogs

Pet Education, Lymphatic System Anatomy and Function

Pet Education: The Immune System

The Canine Immune System and Disease Resistance, Dr. Jean Dodds,

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The Physiology Behind Puppy Accidents

June 27, 2016January 10, 2016 by Admin

Puppy accidents: no matter what your breeder and that promising book you have purchased have told you, they will occur in your home sooner than later. Potty training puppies as with potty training children, takes patience and time, so unless you won a stuffed puppy at some carnival game, those bladder and bowels will empty no matter how assiduously you stick to a puppy potty training program. As with many things in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it likely isn’t true at all, and new puppy owners often learn this the hard (and often frustrating) way.

Housebroken Puppies Ready for New Homes!

Yes, it’s true that many breeders implement some preliminary potty training basics when the puppies are in their care, but don’t expect to have all the homework done when your puppy comes home. Puppies have a hard time generalizing what they have learned in the breeder’s home. Just because a puppy was housetrained in the breeder’s place doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be able to transfer the skill into a totally new context without help, explains Nicholas Dodman, in the book Puppy’s First Steps. It would be more realistic if certain breeders would explain that their puppies were introduced to potty training and that the new puppy owners must continue the training from day one, and that yes,they should expect some accidents along the way!

Potty Train Your Puppy in Under One Week!

Also, misleading is a new trend of books, e-books and videos making promising statements such as “How to potty-train a puppy under 7 days.” Sure, this is an effective sales pitch, who wouldn’t dream of a puppy who learned how to potty outside in just under a week? So new puppy owners purchase the book, try to adhere to the program and then get upset when they notice it isn’t working its magic. We can almost hear them say something in the terms of “What? It’s day 8 and the puppy had an accident?” Turns out, titles like these will only lead to frustration.

Use this Formula for Success!

Another common misleading statement that can lead to problems is suggesting the “puppy month’s plus one rule.” This is something we hear trainers often repeat “ad nauseam” to their clients. The rule dictates the frequency a puppy should be taken out by calculating the puppy’s age in months and then adding one. So if say the puppy was 3 months, you would add 1 and therefore the puppy should be taken out every four hours. This leads to frustrated puppy owners when they discover that their puppies are unable to make it for the whole four hours. Unfortunately, potty training is not math, and equations as such will not work thier magic. For instance, if the puppy had some rough play time, he’ll likely guzzle down a lot of water, and then in an hour or two, the Niagara falls will open, leading to “unexpected messes.” Also, young pups need to be taken out after they wake up from a nap or after playing. Last time we checked, puppy bladders didn’t have a counter, so it’s not like the puppy’s bladder is counting down the minutes with the predictability of a kitchen timer.

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Aunt Mary’s Training Was Easy as Pie!

Last but not least, be wary of aunt Mary who says her puppy was so smart she was potty trained in under 10 days. She may not truly recall how long it really took (things from the past often seem far easier than they really were) or she may have missed some piddles. It’s not uncommon to hear some people say “Oh, our Betsy was potty trained in what, 2 weeks?” and then the daughter remarks: ” but mommy, did you forget all those accidents we found later when we moved the couch?” It’s quite easy to miss little sprinkles from pint-sized dogs like Chihuahuas and toy breeds, versus the Lake Michigan-like puddles of a mastiff or great dane!

The Physiology Behind Puppy Accidents

Potty training puppies is not something that will happen overnight. Puppy owners need to be patient, understanding and learn effective methods to help their puppies succeed. Understanding better the physiology behind puppy accidents, can help new puppy owners understand why it’s so unrealistic to expect puppies to be potty trained in under a week and why certain mathematical formulas should be restricted to fixed variables that are constant versus things that are unpredictable and so variable such as puppy bladders and bowels!

No Sphincter Control

In dogs, and any living being equipped with a bladder, urine is constantly accumulating. At a certain point, when the bladder is full and reaches its threshold, special stretch receptors in the bladder wall activate. This triggers the contraction of muscles of the bladder wall (detrusor muscles) which give the dog the sensation of having to urinate. When dogs acknowledge this sensation, they may go to the door and bark to ask their owners to be let out. Control of the muscular sphincter found around the neck of the bladder allows them to hold the urine. Then, once out, they can can relax the sphincter and urinate.

In young puppies, when the bladder wall contractions take place, they are unable to control their muscles of their sphincter so emptying of the bladder occurs at this point. So the moment they realize they need to go, their bladders are already emptying. At what age do puppies attain sufficient muscle tone to allow them to control things a bit more? Stanley Coren, in his book “Born to Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog” claims that full control isn’t reached until the puppy is 5 to 6 months. So let’s do some real math here. If most puppies are 8 weeks when they go to their new homes, how can they be already house trained? And how can they be possibly be house trained in under one week?

The Gastrocolic Reflex

One main reason why the month plus one rule is faulty is the way a pup’s gastrocolic reflex works. Right after a meal, a dog’s gastrocolic reflex will increase the motility of the colon. This causes the rectum to fill up which stimulates the smooth muscle of the internal anal sphincter and the striated muscle of the external anal sphincter, explains Katherine A. Houpt in the book “Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists.”

This means that shortly after eating, most puppies will have a need to defecate, which can set a puppy (whose owner adheres to the puppy moth plus one rule) to failure. You can almost hear frustrated new puppy owners make statements as such: “I just sent my puppy out at 5PM, my puppy had the opportunity to defecate, but he didn’t. I then served him dinner when we came back in, and just an hour later, he had an accident on the carpet! Arrgh.. wasn’t he supposed to be able to hold it for 4 hours?” Being aware of the gastrocolic reflex can help new puppy owners attain success because they’ll send their pups out after their pup’s schedule meal times, which is when they’re more likely to defecate. Other times pups should be taken out is after a nap, Soon, puppies will learn to associate going outside with the act of eliminating, a win-win situation for all!

Did you know? The veterinary term for the excretion of urine is “micturition.”

References:

Katherine A. Houpt, Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists

Thomas Colville DVM MSc, Joanna M. Bassert, VMD Clinical Anatomy & Physiology for Veterinary Technicians, Mosby 2002

Nicholas Dodman, Puppy’s First Steps, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston New York, 2007

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The Surprising Features of the Norwegian Lundehund Dog

June 27, 2016January 9, 2016 by Admin

What’s more surprising than a dog breed that sports six toes, the ability to close his ears and an amazing flexibility which allows him to bend his head backwards to touch the spine?

No, we are not talking about some science fiction creature or some odd being popping out of a Steven Spielberg’s film, we’re talking about a real dog breed originating from the remote islands of Norway that was selectively bred to perform some quite interesting tasks! So let’s take a closer look into how this fellow turned out being the amazing creature he is, shall we?

Norwegian lundenhund — Norwegian lundehund

Nice to Meet You!

The Norwegian lundehund is categorized as a spitz-type dog, basically a dog boasting a thick, long coat with a pointed muzzle and often blessed with a tail that curls over the back. If we take a look at the meaning of this breed’s name we can find some clues as to what he was selectively bred for. In Norway, the word “lunde” means puffin, a species of bird found on coastal cliffs or offshore islands. The word “hunde” instead means dog. From these elements we can therefore deduce that this breed was bred to hunt for puffins and their eggs, a line of work that goes as far back as 1600. This bird’s meat was used for food and their feathers were used to make feather beds that were often exported to nearby locations.

A Flexible Body

Amazed by the acts of contortionists you have seen at Cirque du Soleil? Norwegian lundehunds are the contortionists of the canine world. Since puffins live on rocky coasts and narrow passages in the island of Værøy, Norway, the lundehund’s body had to adapt to be capable of accessing these areas where man could not reach. Their superior range of motion allowed them to fit and turn around in narrow spaces. Here are some amazing capabilities: their head can bend backwards along their spine, a quality known only to reindeer, their shoulders allow a peculiar rotary movement and their front legs can extend flat to the side allowing them to hug the cliffs. Don’t expect judges though to ask for proof of flexibility in the show ring; these dogs won’t be able to do a demo as they would need to be sufficiently relaxed!

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Shut Those Ears!

Another interesting feature is this breed’s ability to shut their ears by folding them forwards or backwards. This feature allowed the lundehund to protect his ears from dirt and debris when walking through narrow cliff passages. According to the American Kennel Club standard, the ear leather should be capable of being folded and turned up, backward or at right angles, allowing the lundehund’s ear openings to be clamped shut.

The six toes of the lundenhund — The six toes of the lundehund

The Extra Toes

Ernest Hemingway had an obsession with polydactyl cats, but if he liked dogs, the lundehund would have made a good conversation piece at his place. The term polydactyl simply means ” having extra toes.” While several dogs have four toes on their front feet and four on the rear, this breed has a minimum of six toes on each foot and elongated rear foot pads, meant to grasp steep vertical cliffs, as he hunted for puffins in their rugged and inaccessible nesting locations. According to breed standard, the extra toes consist of one three-jointed toe and one two-jointed toe which gives the foot an overall strong appearance.

On the Brink of Extinction

While lundehunds were used for many centuries to hunt puffins, their numbers declined dramatically as nets for hunting the birds were crafted in 1850 and puffin birds became a protected species. To make matters worse, several outbreaks of canine distemper taking place during World War II, and then again, in 1963, further decreased their numbers to only 6 specimens. Nowadays, their numbers have risen and there were an estimated 1400 lundehunds in 2010 with about 600 found in Norway and about 350 in the United States.

A new interest in this breed has revamped in the airport of Tromsø where they are being considered by Norwegian Air Traffic and Airport Management as a possible solution to fight airplane bird strikes by allowing them to search for bird eggs around the airport. Pretty amazing fellows, aren’t they?

References:

American Kennel Club, Official Standard of the Norwegian Lundehund, retrieved from the World Wide Web on Jan 9th, 2016
Norwegian Lundehund Club of America, Homepage, retrieved from the World Wide Web on Jan 9th, 2016

Images:

-Wikipedia, Picture of a Norwegian Lundehund, N UCH Ålvisheims Hårek, by Karen Elise Dahlmo, CC BY-SA 3.0

-Wikipedia, Foot of a Norwegian Lundehund. Picture taken by myself, User:ZorroIII, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
-Flickr, Kissing lundies! by Lundtola CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, Changes made: size adjustment for proper display

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A Look into Dog Hackles

June 27, 2016January 8, 2016 by Admin

A black cat with raised hackles is a staple of Halloween decorations, but did you know that dogs have the ability to raise their hackles too? The action of raising hackles is known as piloerection, literally meaning raising of hairs. Cats are known to raise their hackles, but so do porcupines with their thick hairs when they’re frightened by predators. In some sort of way, the action is similar to when we get goosebumps, and as the popular expression goes, our “hairs stand on end. ” So in this Fascinating Friday, we’ll be taking a look as to why dogs raise their hackles.

Skin anatomy and skin follicle, Wikipedia Commons Public Domain

A Lesson in Anatomy

Dogs are equipped with hair follicles that are attached to special muscles called the “arrector pili” which are confined to the dog’s neck, back and tail. When the dog is in a normal, relaxed state, the hair follicles stay at a 30 to 60 degree angle compared to the skin.

Let the muscles contract though and those hair shafts will literally stand up, explains Karen L. Campbell, a board-certified veterinarian specializing in internal medicine and dermatology in the book “The Pet Lover’s Guide to Cat and Dog Skin Diseases.”

Getting Worked Up

dog raised hackles — Raised hackles in dog

The arrector pili muscles are innervated by the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. In our canine companions, contraction of these muscles is elicited by the release of epinephrine as it occurs when the animal feels afraid or excited, further adds Dr. Campbell. The contraction is involuntary, and thus, not under the dog’s conscious control as it’s part of the dog’s fight-or-flight reaction. It can also be seen in animals that are aroused, anxious, uncertain or surprised by the sudden appearance of an unexpected stimulus. An overstimulating play session may also cause raised hackles in dogs while playing.

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There are chances that based on the area of raised hairs, one may deduce information pertaining the dog’s emotional state. Raised hackles by the shoulder area may denote fear, while hackles raised by the tail area may suggest confidence, and in both shoulder and base of tail, they may suggest an ambivalent emotional state and conflict, (Karen London, 2012). Most likely, just as in the cat and in the porcupine, the action of raising those hackles has some adaptive function meant to make the dog appear larger than he really is. But wait there’s more! Alexandra Horowitz in her book “Inside of a Dog, What Dogs See, Smell and Know ” on page 110, explains that those hairs may also release the odor of skin glands located at the base of the hairs.

Not Necessarily Aggression

It’s not correct to make unfounded claims that dogs who raise their hackles are aggressive. First of all, it’s wrong to label dogs as aggressive from the get-go, as dogs aren’t always in a constant state of aggression. It’s more correct to say that dogs may act aggressively in certain scenarios versus “dogs are aggressive.” Also, one must identify the stimulus that triggered the hackles to rise in the first place and take note of the accompanying body language before drawing conclusions. The fallacy of stating that dogs who raise hackles are aggressive is counterproductive, as it labels dogs through mere speculation and assumptions. If you are uncertain as to why your dog may raise his hackles, consult with a veterinary behaviorist.

Getting Warmed Up

Jackets have replaced our fur. — Warm coats have replaced our fur.

The sensation of cold has been associated in several animals with the activation of the sympathetic nervous system causing the contraction of the arrector pili muscles. The piloerection in this case is meant to trap air and create a layer of insulation. As the hairs thicken, the amount of subcutaneous fat also increases. In us humans, cold still triggers goose bumps, causing the characteristic bumps and the rising of the hair shafts. Charles Darwin in the book “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals ” classified the appearance of goose bumps as a vestigial reflex though, considering that it has lost its original function since we’re no longer covered in hairs.

In dogs, Steven R. Lindsay in his book “Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Procedures and Protocols” discusses about a possible interesting relationship between reactive emotional states and the process of heat production. The findings of several studies conducted on rats found a correlation between psychological stressors and temperature elevations. These increases in temperature may therefore turn out being a useful, non-invasive tool for evaluating the presence of psychological distress in dogs, he suggests.

Did you know? You’re not imagining things when you notice more hair loss in your dog during stressful situations. What happens is that hairs that are in the telogen phase (the resting phase) are more likely to fall out when the arrector pili muscles contract as it happens in stressful situations such as being at the vet, explains board-certified veterinary dermatologist Karen L. Campbell in the book “The Pet Lover’s Guide to Cat and Dog Skin Diseases.”

References:

Alexandra Horowitz in her book “Inside of a Dog, What Dogs See, Smell and Know”, Simon &Shuster, Inc, New York, Ny

Darwin, Charles. (1872) The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals John Murray, London

Karen L. Campbell “The Pet Lover’s Guide to Cat and Dog Skin Diseases” Elsevier Health Sciences, 2006

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Dogs Learn Words Courtesy of Fast Mapping

June 27, 2016January 7, 2016 by Admin

It’s Talent Thursday, and learning to associate words with certain items is certainly an impressive talent, especially when it comes to dogs! How many words can a dog learn? Rico, the border collie, has shown the ability to learn over 200. Juliane Kaminski from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology along with colleagues, has studied this remarkable border collie. The results of the study clearly demonstrated that Rico was capable of getting 37 out of 40 items correctly! In order to properly study this dog, a scientific approach was needed to rule out other phenomena which could have explained this dog’s ability to discriminate words from one another.

Ruling Out the Clever Hans Effect

One phenomenon to rule out included the dog’s reliance on subtle cues sent from the owner. Dogs are very attentive to our body language, so it’s easy for them to select certain items simply because we are moving our heads in that direction or looking at the item. We may do this unintentionally, but dogs feed into these cues.

Many years ago, a horse going by the name of Clever Hans, was found to be capable of resolving arithmetic calculations. The horse was asked to solve a math problem and he would tap his hoof to give the answer. After an investigation conducted in 1907, psychologist Oskar Pfungst proved that the horse wasn’t actually counting, but was actually responding to involuntary, subtle cues sent out by his trainer! Turns out the horse was quite sensitive to the building tension of his trainer when he was asked to solve a math problem and the release of tension when he got to the correct number. This release of tension therefore informed the horse that it was time to stop tapping his hoof. Because of this phenomenon, now, people studying animal cognition refer to it as “The Clever Hans effect.”

Out of Sight

So in the study of Rico, the border collie who knew 200 words, it was important to rule out the Clever Hans effect. This was done by asking the dog to fetch the toy by its name with the owner in another room. This prevented the dog from reading the owner’s cues (such as looking at a particular item) and would have proven that this dog was actually capable of fetching the correct toy because he really associated the word with that particular toy. The results revealed that Rico was actually, capable of understanding words and his vocabulary proved to be quite broad when compared to the vocabulary of parrots, apes, sea lions and dolphins!

Proof of Fast Mapping

So if Rico wasn’t relying on any subtle cues sent by his owner, how was he capable of learning so many words? Turns out, he was utilizing the same mechanism humans use known as “fast mapping.” Fast mapping is a mental process where concepts are learned based on a single exposure. Children during the language acquisition phase, learn many words each day by relying on this mechanism.

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To prove that Rico was capable of learning based on a single exposure, a novel item was introduced among familiar ones in a single exposure. Rico was then asked to retrieve the new object by using the novel word. So Rico went off to select the toy, and possibly, through a process of elimination, determined that the novel word must have been used to refer to the novel toy.

Referent Selection and Retention

In order to learn through fast mapping, two conditions needs met: referent selection and referent retention. In referent selection, the dog must associate a word with a particular item; whereas, in referent retention, the dog must be able to store the word in his memory for later use. After learning a new word after only one exposure, Rico was tested a month later to see if he retained the understanding of that word. Surprisingly, Rico was able to correctly retrieve the item as much as 50 percent of the time, a success rate that matches that of a 3-year-old child!

Rico’s behavior was quite remarkable indeed. Further proof of understanding words was proved by other dogs with an even more vast knowledge of words. Betsy, another border collie, showed she was capable of understanding over 340 words, but as of 2010, Chaser, another border collie beats all with a vocabulary of an astounding 1022 words! Yes, you read right, that’s 1022 words!

This can make us wonder if border collies have superior cognitive abilities when it comes to understanding the meaning of words. If we think of it, this breed was selectively bred to herd and throughout the years has shown a remarkable ability to understand voice commands and whistles, so perhaps, there may be a genetic predisposition at play. Yet, with the right training, any dog regardless of breed can learn the meaning of words if you know how to teach them.

Words From Rover’s Perspective

As much as the behaviors of Rico, Betsy and Chaser are impressive, they are still a far cry from the way humans perceive words. Humans have the cognitive ability to perceive abstract concepts such as the words love, friendship and sincerity. Dogs on the other other hand, are more down to earth, and mainly learn words that are under the form of objects or actions.

Even though your dog may seem to understand a sentence such as ” do you want to go out?” and gets all excited when he hears that as it’s always followed by you walking by the door and opening it, he may not understand more complex concepts or phrases such “you can’t have the cookie now” as the word “now” or “can’t” isn’t understood, but since the word cookie may be, likely your dog may get all excited and then feel frustrated when he doesn’t get the cookie.

Your dog may not know an impressive number of words compared to Rico, Betsy or Chaser, yet consider that many dogs respond to cues present in their environment which often speak for themselves. For instance, the noise of the leash becomes synonymous with walk, the noise of the food bag becomes synonymous with dinner, when you wear your shoes, your dog knows that means you’re heading out, when you grab the car keys it likely (and hopefully!) means car ride and when your dog hears your keys making contact with the key hole it means you are returning home. So now that you know that dogs respond best to concrete concepts such as the names of objects or action words, it’s time to put your dog to test and enroll him in a program that extends his vocabulary!

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Dog Word of the Day: Crabbing

January 7, 2017January 6, 2016 by Admin

Today we decided that the dog word of the day is “crabbing.” What is crabbing and how does it relate to dogs? According to the American Kennel Clubs glossary it’s a dog’s movement with the body kept at an angle to the line of travel. As the word implies, the movement is likely inspired by the way crabs move in a sideways fashion. The term is also used in aviation to refer to the maneuvering action of aircraft when dealing with crosswinds so to compensate for drift. Also known as sidewinding (in this case likely inspired by the movement of the sidewinder rattlesnake), this type of movement is frowned upon in the show ring because it interferes with a dog’s ability to trot in an efficient manner with little effort.

The Correct Trot

In order to better understand crabbing, one must first better understand how a dog trots.

When a dog trots, the legs move diagonally in two beats with legs working as a pair. First, two legs diagonal to each other (right front, left rear) are lifted, while the other two are touching the ground, and then, the other opposite two legs diagonal to each other ( left front, right rear) are lifted while the other two are on the ground.

To trot effectively, it’s important that the legs land without touching each other. To avoid this, the dog must have enough reach in the front to move the front legs out of the way so there’s enough space for the rear to legs to move forward, without the dog risking stepping on himself.

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A Matter of Alignment

In an ideal situation, dogs should be moving in parallel planes. This means that as a judge looks at a dog moving towards him/her, the front leg as it’s lifted should block the view of the rear leg on the same side.

When this happens, it’s said that dog is “moving in the same planes.” In a normal trotting situation, the paw prints of the hind feet follow along the track left by the front feet.

A great example of this comes from Dr. Carmen Battaglia. She claims that when cars move in the snow, the front and back tires leave only two trails in the snow despite the fact that cars have four wheels. This is because the car’s front and rear wheels are moving on the same plane.

Moving Like a Crab

When legs end up touching each other, this interference causes the dog to adjust his gait, swinging the rear legs to one side, thus, causing the crabbing gait. By crabbing, dogs avoid kicking their front legs with their rear legs.

When this happens though the dog’s spinal column is not pointing in the direction of travel; rather, it deviates at an angle, explains Robert Cole in the book “You be the Judge – the Brussels Griffon.”

Affected dogs will therefore not move on a parallel plane but in an oblique line, and the judges notice it as the front leg doesn’t block the view of the rear leg on the same side. Dogs who are crabbing or sidewinding therefore have difficulty moving in a straight line.

What Causes Crabbing in Dogs?

It’s often a matter of some structural deficiency or other proportional discrepancy, according to GrendsLori Kennels, a kennel specializing in breeding Great Pyrenees in Michigan.

Over or under angulation, short backs, sway backs are a few examples. It can also sometimes be seen in dogs with congenital orthopedic problems, nutritional deficiencies, some type of injury or a neurological disorder (such as lack of proprioception), so it’s worthy to see a vet for a thorough assessment.

Holistic veterinarian Dr Cathy Alinovi suggests seeking chiropractic care. In the show ring, crabbing is frowned upon because this interference leads to inefficient movement that wastes energy and is tiring to the dog.

“Crabbing” may be temporarily seen in young dogs, mostly when they go through the lanky phase of development and their back legs are slightly longer than the front or it can stem from lack of coordination. These youngsters may temporary move in a diagonal fashion to avoid stepping on themselves, but as they further develop, this movement may correct itself with early intervention.

If your puppy is running sideways or your dog is crabbing, consult with a vet for an assessment. For dogs who walk crooked only occasionally, it may be worth it to record the behavior as it occurs and show it to a vet.

A video is often worth a thousand words! Below is a video of a dog crabbing.

References:

Peak Performance EBook: Coaching the Canine Athlete By Canine Sports Production

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