Canine Brain Scans, Ancient Uses for Dog Hair, and More!
Pups at play at Point Isabel Dog Park, where off-leash has been allowed since June. photo © Penny Green
Unleashed At Last: East Bay Parks Embrace Pre-Pandemic Pup Rules
After months of curtailed canine activity, the East Bay Regional Park District is finally back to pre-pandemic pup rules. As before, dogs must be leashed in picnic areas, on paved interpark trails and other developed areas, as well as on swim beaches per state law and the Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley. Otherwise, off-leash is fine as long as your dog will reliably come when called. As always, chasing wildlife or other humans is a no-no, and of course, leash up if you encounter cattle or horses on your rambles. For details, visit ebparks.org/PupPro
Source: eastbaytimes.com
The dogs are trained to stay motionless during the scans. Photo by Borbala Ferenczy
You Light Up My Brain! But Not As Much As That Cute Dachshund Down the Street
A recent study of brain scans found dogs respond more to images of other dogs than to those of humans. Similarly, humans had a greater response to images of other humans as opposed to those of dogs. Researchers said dogs do pay attention to human faces but are apt to use additional clues, such as body language or voice cues, to understand what we’re thinking, while humans rely more on facial expressions. Most impressive scientific feat? Getting canine volunteers to lie still in that noisy MRI scanner.
Source: nbcnews.com
Sniffing for Science: Canines, Cones, and Covid
The effort to train dogs to detect the coronavirus continues around the globe. One Australian study participant, a springer spaniel named Floki, earned Nature magazine’s science-image-of-the-month award by posing with his head inside a large pedestal-mounted laboratory cone (at least it wasn’t a cone of shame). By sniffing human sweat samples, dogs in some preliminary studies have been able to identify people infected with COVID-19 before they displayed obvious symptoms.
Source: nature.com
A blanket dated to about 1850, believed to be made from the wool of a dog bred by Coast Salish people for its fleece. Photo by Tessa Campbell
Woof Weavers: Archeologists Find Ancient Use for Dog Hair
A study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology suggests indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest may have bred wooly-haired dogs, which they sheared like sheep, weaving their fur into blankets or other warm garments. After colonization brought imported textiles, the dog hair market apparently faltered and the breed is believed to no longer exist. No problem – there’s still enough hair for a good size blanket under our couch right now.
Source: nytimes.com