Dogs

New York is now the sixth state to pass a law banning pet sales in stores, following California, Illinois, Maine, Maryland and Washington.

New York Bans Sale of Dogs, Cats and Rabbits in Pet Stores

The law, meant to combat abusive breeders, will take effect in 2024

The highly contagious virus is airborne and can spread through contaminated surfaces like kennels and leashes.

Dogs Are Impacted by an Intense Flu Season, Too

A surge in canine influenza cases has likely resulted from changes in human behavior due to relaxed Covid-19 guidelines

The federal government employs a total of 5,159 dogs, but only about 7 percent come from the United States.

U.S. Faces Bomb-Sniffing Dog Shortage

The pandemic has exacerbated an already short supply of specially-bred canines that detect explosives

Magic was just another tool in a medieval animal healer's toolbox.

The Veterinary Magic of the Middle Ages

Medieval healers treated animals' ailments with a mix of faith, tradition and science

A new study provides further evidence that dogs really are man's best friend.

Dogs Can Smell When You’re Stressed Out

A small study suggests that highly sensitive canine noses can pick up on the odors that frazzled humans emit

A new study suggests that dogs might produce tears of happiness when they're reunited with their owners after time apart. 

Do Dogs Really Cry Tears of Joy When Reunited With Their Owners?

Experts are divided about a new study suggesting dogs' tears are associated with emotion

A giant African land snail

Giant Snails Take Over Florida's Gulf Coast Again

The state has found more than 1,400 of the massive snails since June

Scientists are studying ancient wolves to better understand the domestication of dogs.

Dogs May Have Evolved From Two Different Wolf Populations

A massive new wolf family tree dating back 100,000 years could help researchers understand where dogs were first domesticated

The original doghouse at the Bergers’ home

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A Doghouse Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Is Now on Display

The architect sketched "Eddie’s House," named for a Labrador retriever, on the back of an envelope in the 1950s

Vets of the study say that if breeders and the public stop selecting the bulldog’s current characteristic features, the future English bulldog will have a longer face, trimmer head, and no skin folds.

The Selective Breeding of English Bulldogs Has Led to a Lot of Health Problems

Their deep facial folds, pronounced underbite and other distinctive features lead to issues

Each pup was rewarded with toys like tennis balls if they picked out the virus successfully in sweat samples.

Dogs Sniff Out Covid-19 With Surprising Accuracy

Canines were even able to detect asymptomatic cases

Archaeologists unearthed fossilized feces not far from Stonehenge.

What 4,500-Year-Old Poop Teaches Us About the People Who Built Stonehenge

Fossilized feces found near the Neolothic monument suggests its builders chowed down on undercooked animal organs

Researchers surveyed the owners of 18,385 dogs and sequenced the DNA of 2,155 dogs for a new study analyzing dog behavior and breed.   

Dog Breed Doesn't Affect Behavior, According to New Genetic Research

Personality is shaped by a combination of factors, including a pup’s environment

The muscles that allow for the "puppy-dog eyes" in domestic dogs is undeveloped in wolves, suggesting that the adorable look evolved to captivate humans. (Pictured: The author's dog, Smoky.)

The Science Behind Those Big Ol' Puppy-Dog Eyes

Our canine friends evolved extra muscle fibers around their eyes and mouths that allow them to make facial expressions humans find adorable

Murphy, an English Springer Spaniel, participated in the study.

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Therapy Dogs Help Reduce Pain in Emergency Room Patients

A new study shows canine companions can reduce anxiety, depression and discomfort in ER patients—and increase their overall well-being

Photographer Jeff Schultz and painter Jon Van Zyle have co-created a series of artworks capturing Alaska and the sled dog community.

Alaska

For 50 Years, Dogsled Teams Have Been Testing Their Mettle at the Iditarod

Three men who have lived and breathed the Alaskan race for much of its history recall how much has changed—and what has stayed the same

For the study, researchers surveyed 426 adults who had at least two dogs and had experienced the loss of one of their dogs.

Dogs May Mourn the Loss of Other Household Pets

Grieving canines ate less, slept more, and sought more attention from their human companions after the death of a furry friend, according to a survey

Top row (L to R): Bill Clinton's cat Socks (pictured twice), Amy Carter's cat Misty Malarky Ying Yang and George W. Bush's cat India. Bottom row (L to R): India, Calvin Coolidge's cats Blackie and Tiger, and the Bidens' cat Willow

History of Now

A Colorful History of Cats in the White House

Willow Biden isn’t the first feline to grace the presidential residence's halls

Researchers have located a genetic mutation associated with smaller dogs.

Mutation That Gave Us Tiny Dogs Found in Ancient Wolves

The genetic factor that plays a large role in determining canine body size was around thousands of years prior to domestication

Dogs may even be able to suss out which sounds are words and which are just nonsense.

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Dogs Can Tell the Difference Between Human Languages

Canines in the study could differentiate between Spanish, Hungarian and nonsense words

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