The Doggie Chronicles - Why Dogs Wag Their Tail

Jun 16

Why Dogs Wag their Tail & Bungee Puppee

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This week’s show features: Why Dogs Wag Their Tail / Bungee Pupee

Listen NOW…

Sandra Blakeslee, Science writer for NY Times, joins hosts Lisa Gorman and Scott Sheppard to talk about her recent article titled “If you want to Know if Spot Loves You So, It’s in His Tail“. In her article she reports that recent studies have indicated that just like in humans the right vs. left brain conveys a difference in perceptions.

The study showed that when observing a sample of dogs’ tail wagging it was obvious that in some circumstances the tail wagged more to one side or the other. The results indicated that when dogs feel fundamentally positive about something or someone, their tails wag more to the right side of their rumps. When they have negative feelings, their tail wagging is biased to the left.

The study was originally published in the March 20th issue of Current Biology, entitled, “Asymmetric tail-wagging responses by dogs to different emotive stimuli” The authors are Giorgio Vallortigara, a neuroscientist at the University of Trieste in Italy, and two veterinarians, Angelo Quaranta and Marcello Siniscalchi, at the University of Bari, also in Italy.

For more of Sandra Blakeslee’s articles visit: http://www.nytimes.com

Lisa and Scott review current dog news and story highlights of the week including a man who went to jail and received significant fines for starving his dog.

Lisa delivers the Doggie Chronicles Tip of the Week about sun protection for your dog. Recent studies show that dogs like humans are susceptible to skin cancer and should be kept out of direct sun or protected from the sun’s harmful rays. Light haired dogs or dogs with little or short hair should be especially careful.

Lawrence Kokonis, Bun-Gee Pup-EE joins the Doggie Chronicles to discuss their innovative expandable dog leash. Based on the weight of your dog, Bun-Gee Pup-EE has an appropriate level of resistance which ultimately trains your dog not to tug or pull while walking your pet.
The leash is incredibly durable and protects owners from sudden injuries while with their pet. The leash is especially great for dog owners who have arm, elbow, wrist or other injuries because the stretch in the leash provides a “give” that protects from sudden tugs and pulls. You’ll never have to worry about chasing your dog or losing your balance if your favorite canine decides to run after the neighbor’s cat or other animals.