Pet ownership can help us build social connections and a sense of community
Pet owners report stronger neighbourhood social connections than non-pet owners according to a newly published study. They were consistently more likely to report social benefits such as helpfulness, ...
Workplaces that don’t allow dogs could be barking up the wrong tree
There is growing evidence that taking your pet to the office can reduce stress and increase your productivity. Despite these gains, some employees remain unconvinced. Opponents cite fear of dogs, heal...
Human-animal interaction: the hormonal connection
Human Animal Interaction Human animal interaction (HAI) studies have traditionally relied on observed behaviour to gain insights into how people and animals engage with each other. But such appro...
Survey weighs up potential reasons behind the pet obesity crisis
A new international survey of pet owners has revealed that: Over half of cat and dog owners always or often give their pet food if they beg for it (54 percent) Almost a quarter (22 perce...
Coping with childhood stress: could a dog be the answer?
Nana is one of the great dogs of children’s fiction. As “nursemaid” to the Darling family in J M Barrie’s Peter Pan, she fulfils not just day to day housekeeping duties, but provides emotional support...
Walking the dog helps keep owners healthy and promotes community cohesion
The study carried out by Dr Hayley Christian from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in collaboration with the WALTHAM™ is the first to consistently examine the relationship between dog walking...
Do the microbes in a dog’s gut change with their waist line?
Ghent University early career researcher wins ESVCN-WALTHAM research grant in 2017As with people, obesity in pets is an increasing problem. The challenge is multi-faceted, but the more we can understa...
Grass length can affect muzzled grazing behaviour in ponies
Grazing muzzles can be an effective tool to help with equine weight management, according to new research, but longer grass can be more difficult for muzzled ponies to graze. This can cause frustratio...
