Dogs, Humans, & Rhesus Monkeys Read Human Faces Same Way

February 17, 2009February 17, 2009

Dogs, Humans, & Rhesus Monkeys Read Human Faces Same Way

Scientists have shown that dogs use the left gaze bias to look at human faces. Left gaze bias means the right side of an object is inspected first and for a longer period of time.

Adult humans show the bias only when looking at human faces that are right side up.
Infant humans show the left gaze bias when looking at objects, faces of any species, and faces in any orientation.
Rhesus monkeys show the bias towards upright faces of monkeys and humans.
Interestingly, dogs only show the left gaze bias when looking at human faces, whether the faces are upright or inverted. Dogs don’t show the bias towards objects or dog faces.

This suggests that left gaze bias may be an adaptive trait that aided dogs in developing their successful relationship with humans.

February 13, 2009February 13, 2009

Friday Fun: Horatio Hamster’s Hike

We’re pretty fond of Horatio the Hamster. This ambitious little guy is on a virtual hike of the UK from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. His wonderfully geeky people have hooked up his hamster wheel to a thingy (actually a reed switch) that converts the revolutions of his wheel to distance on his route. He averaged 4.07 miles per day last week!

You can track Horatio’s progress and read his travel diary. They’ve even analyzed and graphed his stats. Wonder what was going on on Jan. 17th? You can participate in his hike if you live along his route or through a contest to guess the day Horatio reaches the end of his hike.

Update: Matt from Horatio the Hamster has offered to help anyone who wants help setting up their own hamster wheel like this. Nice!

February 12, 2009December 17, 2012

DIY: Collapsible Travel Bowl From Oilcloth

Love this! We have a couple of very utilitarian, collapsible bowls for summer outings with Saffron. I’d much rather have the stylin’ oilcloth bowl in this great tutorial. It’s made following an origami pattern and then sewn in strategic places.

Depending on the patterns you use, these bowls could be really fun. You could even do a faux bois bowl.

You’ll need:

oilcloth, two colors recommended
ruler & pencil
scissors
low-tack painter’s tape, like the Scotch blue tape
bone folder or a spoon
sewing machine
thread
sewing machine needle for heavy fabric like denim

February 11, 2009

Australia’s Pets Affected By Fires

Australia is just finding out the scope of the devastation from the bushfires. In the coming days, pets are going to need medical care, housing, food, and reuniting with their people. You can help with a money donation to the RSPCA Victoria.

The RSPCA Victoria’s phone number is 03 9224 2222. They can help with emergency assistance, medical care, temporary shelter, and providing emergency food. If you’re in Australia, they are accepting donations of food, bedding, bowls, and leashes. They are especially seeking donations of temporary fencing. At this time, they have enough private foster homes.

If you’ve lost or found a pet, submit this form.

If you’re able to offer help, submit this form.

You can also donate to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) who is sending volunteers. You can see their updates on their blog.

February 10, 2009

Life With A Fearful Dog

It’s so encouraging to read about the happy outcome of one completely unsocialized dog named Ice who was rejected from a sled dog breeding operation and turned over to a shelter in Colorado.

Ice has come a long way from being terrified of doorways and ringing phones. His story shows that with some real effort, even terribly fearful dogs can be rehabilitated. What a fortunate boy that shelter workers and his adopted family committed themselves to helping him become a real dog.