b'editor unleashedAnna Cooke, Editor in ChiefThe mere presence of a dog makes us more surprisingly scarce.aware, conscientious and kinder. Dogs natu- A better understanding of the variablesrally help boost our confidence, making us intheirbehaviorcouldhavepracticalmoresociallyoutgoing.Itsagiftthey importanceinunderstandingtheroleofunconditionallyofferus,andonethatwe social stimuli in a variety of settings. It hassometimes take for granted.the potential to help keep families togetherEveryoneenjoystheemotionaland and lower the number of owner-surrendersS A L TUDIOS LLEN AURA BY PHOTOGRAPHmentalstimulationofajobwelldone, in shelters due to behavioral issues. Likewise,including our dogs. Dopamine is a chemical it could have a profound impact on loweringneurotransmitter made by our brains. Dogs the number of healthy, adoptable dogs beingrelease dopamine when they expect a reward euthanized in shelters for lack of space.or the anticipation of a reward. This antici- Charles Darwin (1871) wrote extensivelypation leads to dogs seeking out events and aboutdogbehavior,intelligenceandAnna with Chloe, Dougie, Rita, and Ms. Zoe experiences that were rewarded in the past.emotions,oftenusinghisowndogsasToo much dopamine in a dog can lead examples.Hebelievedthatdogsfelttoagitation,repetitiveaction(compulsive emotions such as love, fear, shame, and rage,behaviors)andover-arousal.Toolittle aswellasexperiencingdreamsandthedopamineresultsinlethargy,depression, abilitytoimitateandreason.SirJohnsocial withdrawal and lack of focus or con- Lubbock(1889), aneighborofDarwins,centration. The same holds true for humans. was one of the first to carry out experimen-Themorescientistslearnaboutdogs, tal tests of the intelligence of dogs, using his the more we realize that we share many of own dog Van. And, of course, we cannot for-The moment you doubt the same unique qualities. The genetic dif- get the most famous early researcher to usewhether you can fly, ference between humans and dogs is quite dogs in behavioral research, Ivan Pavlov.you cease forever small, said Dr. Rodney Page, professor of Morerecentstudieshaverevealedto be able to do it. medical oncology and director of the Flint uniquebreed-specificbehaviors.KnowingAnimal Cancer Center. Humans and dogs moreaboutadogsbehaviorhelpspeople are 95 percent genetically identicaland matchittotheirownneeds,personalitiesJ.M. Barrie, author (18601937) thediseasesthataffecthumans,including and lifestyles. Thats a big deal in terms ofcancer, are almost identical.setting a dog up for success; again, keepingIn fact, cancer is so common in dogs, familiestogetherandloweringowner-sur-that doctors are studying them as a model renders to shelters.fortreatingthediseaseinhumans.The The Hovawart breed, for example, stoodUniversity of Florida College of Veterinary out in the study as one of the smartest,mostMedicine isoneoftheleadersinthis independentbreeds,asevidencedbytheresearch,andorganizationslikethe dogs attempt to solve an unsolvable task inGonzmartFamilyFoundation helpsup- the tests by himself, never seeking humanporttheseimportantendeavors.(Seepages assistance. On the flip side was the Golden68 and 89 in this issue of The New Barker). Retriever, a very human-oriented breed whoDoctorshaveestimatedthatthereare spent a lot of time asking humans for help in400 to 500 diseases that are genetically iden- the tests.tical among dogs and humans. Theres been Now, it doesnt take a genius scientist toatremendousincreasein[comparative know what most healthy dogs need, which isoncology] awareness to the extent that the prettymuchthesamethingwehumansNationalCancerInstitutehasreleaseda crave: a kind word, a reassuring touch, beingsignificantamountoffundingtostudy present in the moment and aware of bodycancer in dogs as a way to improve human language, and maybe a good walk outdoors.health, Page said. Were all going to hit some rough spotsDespite the omnipresence of dogs in our in life that will make us feel less perfect inlives, scientific study of the factors that have our own eyes. Sometimes, we will miss cuesalloweddogstothriveinhuman and feel like weve failed our dogs.environmentshas,untilrecently,been To our dogs, though, we are perfect. U6THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'