Kitty

Dogs Can Classify Objects by Function, Not Just Appearance - Neuroscience News A new study demonstrates that some highly gifted dogs can categorize objects not just by appearance, but by how they are used.

"This shows that dogs can form mental representations of objects based on their function rather than physical features, highlighting the depth of canine cognition."

neurosciencenews.com/dog-cognitio...

Dogs extend verbal labels for functional classification of objects The relationship between language and human thought is an ongoing debate,1 and it has been proposed that language shapes object categorization.2 Words…

Excited to share the latest (but still not the last!) study I had the chance to work on with the Family Dog Project 🐶🇭🇺

We found that Gifted Word Learner dogs' talent goes beyond what we expected; they can generalise words based on function, not just looks.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

#AllDogs #Dogs #DogsofBluesky #DogsofBSky

RPG tip from the archive: Puzzles and riddles are like tapping out songs with your finger. They're totally obvious to you and no one else has any idea what you're talking about.

#dnd #ttrpg

Look, the perfect job. What do you do for a living, I hold the dog's head. You What.
I hold the dog's head above water whenever it wants to float in the pool.
#AllDogs #Dogs #DogsofBluesky #DogsofBSky

the text is foolish.

Remains from an 18,000 y/o puppy. Neither wolf nor dog. Top picture the pup lays on its belly as if it is asleep Bottom picture someone showing its teath and nose.

This is Dogor an 18,000-year-old permafrost-puppy from near Yakutsk, Russia.
Dogor means friend in Yakutsk.
It's DNA didn't match modern wolf or dog.
He might be the missing link between ancient wolves and domestic dogs.
#AllDogs #Dogs #DogsofBluesky #DogsofBSky

Veterinary Social Work: A Lifeline for Animal Caregivers Behind every rescued animal is a caregiver at risk. Veterinary social workers are stepping in to save the lives of those who save animals.

What are veterinary social workers and how can they help? @kcompitus.bsky.social explains www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/zooe...

#AllDogs #Dogs #DogsofBluesky #DogsofBSky

Cool! Would you like a few fluorite crystals?

YouTube video by Get To Know Nature Marsh Turtles Out & About

It's turtle nesting time!!

Diamondback Terrapins live in water but come ashore to dig nests and lay eggs. Here are some along the New Jersey coast, doing their thing.

#herps 🌿 🧪

Our local pooch friendly restaurant now has a doggy menu! Thanx Beertown. 🥰

Oh, pictures, please!

April 2 is Ferret Day. Animal Cognition Fun Facts by Animal Cognition Network, illustrations by Grok 3.

Did you know that domestic ferrets (but not the wild ones) can maintain eye contact with humans they know and follow their gestures almost as well as dogs can? Pretty impressive socio-cognitive skills! 👀 #AnimalCognitionFunFacts

Today, April 2, is Ferret Day #FerretDay #ferrets

The Secret to Understanding Animal Consciousness May Be Joy Animal emotions—including joy—may be key markers of conscious beings

Animal emotions—like joy—could be key indicators of consciousness. For @sciam.bsky.social Jacek Krywko interviews @jeffsebo.bsky.social on animal consciousness.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...

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Promotional poster for a 2025 seminar series on April 16 titled '25 Years of Animal Welfare Science - Reflections, Progress, and the Road Ahead.' The event runs from 9am-11:30am at Melbourne Connect with Zoom option. Features three speakers with their photos: Dr Mia Cobb from University of Melbourne, Dr Sally Sherwen from Zoos Victoria, and Suzanne Truong from University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. The poster includes QR code, University of Melbourne logo, and Animal Welfare Science Centre logo, with decorative animal silhouettes of a dog, elephant and pig are next to each speaker photo in orange.

Inviting you to join us (in person or online) for our first Animal Welfare Science Centre Seminar for 2025. This year offers the perfect opportunity to reflect on 25 years of progress and where we want to be in 2050. Details and registration: bit.ly/AWSC25

Spring is just around the corner for many of us. Your kiddo might want to hold your dog’s leash. We discouraged this. It can be dangerous. Even gentle dogs can get distracted and knocked down a child unintentionally.
Getting your kiddo a pull toy they can drag around on walks is fun!

Happy Spring Equinox!

Not all dogs are talented swimmers. Good swimmers are not always safe. Environmental factors can affect their behaviour. Some are unable to turn around in the water. Always be prepared to save them.
#Wetnessday #AllDogs #Dogs #DogsofBluesky #DogsofBSky
All credit goes to the original owners.

The Dog Aging Project is #hiring a Senior Administrative Coordinator in College Station at Texas A&M University!

If you or someone you know is interested in joining the most ambitious canine study of its kind, #ApplyToday!

➡️Learn more & #JoinOurTeam: dogagingproject.org/careers

Beautiful picture!

Interested in Neuroethology? Then, join us at the 1-day Meeting of the French Club of Neuroethology, in the beautiful city of Montpellier, on May 13th. NO FEES REQUIRED. Just register and submit your abstract in: www.zebrain.bio.ens.psl.eu/neuroetholog... .
And enjoy our guest speakers!

The coolest thing I’ve seen today is that a bunch of volunteer public health professionals and developers have restored the CDC website from before January 20th 2025.

This differs from an archive in that they want to rebuild the links between pages and replicate the full website.

The fatality rate for bird flu in cats is staggeringly high (up to 90% depending on the study).

Outdoor cats are at highest risk.

Keep your cats inside. Don’t feed them raw food. Keep them away from birds (especially water birds). Wash your hands thoroughly if you’ve been in contact with livestock

A Deep Dive Into the Mysterious Diverse Lives of Octopuses There is no prototypical octopus, just as there is no prototypical dog. A new book explains how these alien, blue-blooded, deeply sentient beings live and what they need from us.

"Octopus intelligence is on another level because octopuses aren’t taught by parents or families. They just pop out of their eggs with their world wired." Marc Bekoff interviewed Mark Leiren-Young about his new book, Octopus Ocean www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...

Tandem running in 🐜 is a fascinating communication behaviour & is often considered a case of animal teaching.

But what do follower ants actually learn?👇
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Great work by @ainacolovila.bsky.social, Tara Williams and Simone Glaser 👏👏

DST is less than 2 weeks away. I hate that every year we do this bizarre 'let's pretend the Earth's rotation has stuttered' rather than just embracing the idea of seasonal hours. But... Since we know it's coming, now's a good time to set your morning alarm half an hour earlier than normal.

Our team is conducting research on the spinal health in Frenchies and Dachshunds.
We are interested in hearing from you whether you have experienced spinal problems or not in any dog(s) you own/have owned.
Follow the link/QR to take part in a 10-minute survey.

www.surveymonkey.com/r/spines

A lot of people recommend 30+ minutes of vigorous exercise. I like an hour long walk out in nature, longer when it's not so cold. I also know a lot of people find that doing spiritual rituals help- it's like meditation but with arts and crafts to keep your hands and mind occupied.