Across the developed world, populations are ageing. On one level this is great news: we are all living longer. But the downside is a growing raft of health and social problems that can make the later ...
Britain has long been thought of as a nation of pet lovers. Nearly half of UK households have at least one pet, but the last 40 years have seen many changes in attitudes to animals and their ownership...
Bringing a dog into a school classroom may delight students, but could it actually help them learn better? The question is increasingly pertinent, as many schools regularly introduce animals into clas...
Positive results from three new studies on human-animal interaction (HAI) were presented recently at the triennial conference of the IAHAIO in Chicago, IL. The studies, supported by funding from Mars ...
Researchers at major academic institutions in the United States have been awarded funding through the National Institutes of Health/Mars–WALTHAM™ Public-Private Partnership. These new studies will exa...
When you gaze into your dog’s face and he gazes back at you, do you ever wonder what is going on? The ‘mutual gaze’ between individuals is an important aspect of social communication and is essential ...
When it comes to pet ownership, emotions often run high. Those who share their lives with a pet can be passionate about the benefits they feel their animal companion brings. However, the scientific ev...
Barely a week passes without a media story claiming that pets benefit human health and well-being. Companion animals are increasingly used as ‘therapeutic tools’ in medical and mental health care. But...