We all know dogs we describe as amusing, entertaining, or downright hilarious. Dogs can make us laugh. But do the dogs, themselves, have a sense of humour? Do they know they’re being funny? Do canines find things amusing? Do dogs laugh, and if so, what makes them laugh? Do dogs act silly to make us humans laugh? Since animals must look after their own needs to survive, it’s possible silly or humorous behaviour is a way to get attention. Consider positive reinforcement: your dog does something you want her to do, she gets rewarded. She rolls on the floor, with her tongue hanging out and a goofy expression on her face and you laugh and give her an affectionate rub....
John Rucker was a high school English teacher in North Carolina when he stumbled upon something interesting: Whenever he took his two dogs hiking, they would run into the tall grass and bring him back box turtles. Like a gift, his Boykin spaniels would gently lay them at his feet, unharmed. He mentioned it to a few people, and soon, biology teachers from the University of North Carolina started reaching out to him and asking whether he would take their students out so they could put transmitters on the turtles to study them. Several years later, the outings were so successful, Rucker was fielding calls from wildlife veterinarians and zoologists who were studying turtle populations. “Because turtles aren’t easily detected...
Studies indicate that owning a companion animal, such as a dog or cat, has benefits for good mental health. Interactions with animals may help with depression and anxiety, particularly under stress prone conditions. Human-animal interactions may even improve peer to peer social relationships, as well as enhance feelings of respect trust and empathy between people.
fetched from nature.com
video from @goodnewsdog
