Fleece-Lined Whelping Pools Associated with Reduced Incidence of Canine Hip Dysplasia in a Guide Dog Program.

Using genetic selection, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has reduced the incidence rate of canine hip dysplasia (CHD). However, given that CHD is polygenic and multifactorial, environmental factors may impact the expression of this developmental condition. The objective of this original, correlational research was to investigate the relationship between the substrate in the whelping pool used from birth to 3 weeks of age and CHD diagnosis.

Domestic pet dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) do not show a preference to contrafreeload, but are willing.

Contrafreeloading is the behavior of working for food when also provided with identical food that does not require effort to obtain. This behavior has been observed in humans and non-human animals, including domesticated species. In the current investigation, we assessed whether companion animals, specifically domestic dogs, contrafreeload when presented with two feeders simultaneously, a snuffle mat (a work for food device) and a tray (a freely available food device).

Relational concept learning in domestic dogs: Performance on a two-choice size discrimination task generalises to novel stimuli.

One central issue in the study of animal cognition concerns conceptual behaviour, where an organism categorises objects, events, and relationships so as to transfer previously learned rules to novel contexts. In this study, we investigated whether or not dogs demonstrate conceptual behaviour in the form of simple relational class concept learning. A two-choice visual discrimination task was used to assess if dogs are capable of simple relational class concept learning by generalising the same rule (i.

Visual perception in domestic dogs: susceptibility to the Ebbinghaus-Titchener and Delboeuf illusions.

Susceptibility to geometrical visual illusions has been tested in a number of non-human animal species, providing important information about how these species perceive their environment. Considering their active role in human lives, visual illusion susceptibility was tested in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Using a two-choice simultaneous discrimination paradigm, eight dogs were trained to indicate which of two presented circles appeared largest.

Why do animals differ in their susceptibility to geometrical illusions?

In humans, geometrical illusions are thought to reflect mechanisms that are usually helpful for seeing the world in a predictable manner. These mechanisms deceive us given the right set of circumstances, correcting visual input where a correction is not necessary. Investigations of non-human animals' susceptibility to geometrical illusions have yielded contradictory results, suggesting that the underlying mechanisms with which animals see the world may differ across species.