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Browsing articles in JoAnna Lou
Blog: JoAnna Lou
Study looks at canine and robotic behavior
Several studies have shown that dogs can understand human gestures better than other primates, thought to be the result of evolving alongside people for so long. But what if it were a robot doing the pointing?
Researchers at the Hungarian Academy of Science and Eötvös Loránd University set out to see how dogs would react to robots that exhibited social behavior, but didn't look like a human....
Blog: JoAnna Lou
App developers create a game to raise money for animal shelters
Mobile app games are addicting, but what if you could help homeless pets while feeding your guilty pleasure? Two brothers are hoping to do just that with their company Bugbyte.
The mobile app company was started in 2012 by Allan and Aksel Junkkila, two Finnish brothers with a passion for gaming and a love of animals. Last year they released their first game, Daredogs, which donates 10-20 percent...
Blog: JoAnna Lou
Airport movie set doubles as a training ground for jet setting pups
Flying isn't a fun activity for most people, so you can only imagine how an animal feels who has no idea what's going on. After seeing a stressed dog go through airport security, Talaat Captan, owner of Air Hollywood, decided to use his aviation themed movie studio to help dogs become comfortable flying. In addition to film work, Air Hollywood also offers training for people with a fear of flying...
Blog: JoAnna Lou
Alliance scrutinizes trafficking pets for food
Asian countries and their canine delicacies are often the target of many jokes. While I can't judge anyone for their dietary preferences (I still can't give up hamburgers despite the inhumane beef industry we have in our country), I was horrified to learn about the Trade of Shame, smugglers that steal pets in Thailand to supply a black market for dog meat in Vietnam.
Pets are targeted because...
Blog: JoAnna Lou
13-year old invents a video treat dispenser to interact with your dogs when you're away
13-year old Brooke Martin's Golden Retriever, Kayla, hated to be left alone. Brooke wished there was a way she could talk to Kayla and give her a treat to soothe her anxiety while away from home. Determined to come up with a solution, Brooke created a prototype that combines video chatting with a machine that dispenses dog treats remotely.
Brooke isn't the only one who thought it was a good idea...
Blog: JoAnna Lou
Animal and government organizations team up to put an end to a dog-fighting ring
Cracking down on dog-fighting is difficult due to the secretive nature of the "sport" and the money at stake. Since it's usually tied to other criminal activity, people are often reluctant to pass on information to authorities.
Given the challenges, I'm happy to report that after a three year investigation, a power team of animal and government organizations came together to successfully pull...
Blog: JoAnna Lou
Finding Rover uses facial-recognition technology to reunite lost dogs
Imagine being able to take a photo of a stray dog and instantly finding the person looking for him--without even leaving the spot where you took the picture.
A new free app called Finding Rover promises to do just that through facial-recognition technology and a growing profile database. John Polimento was inspired to create Finding Rover after a lost dog poster brought back memories of how...
Blog: JoAnna Lou
Livestock guardian pups protect endangered cats by driving them away
Livestock guardian dogs have long been used to protect farm animals--and even penguins!-- from dangerous predators. In Namibia, Africa, Anatolian Shepherd Dogs and Kangals watch over flocks of goats and sheep, but also indirectly help the endangered cheetah.
Over 95 percent of Namibia's cheetahs live on livestock farmland due to environmental pressures. Although the big cats are a...
Dog Culture: DogPatch
During my late-summer visit to the Montreal Botanical Gardens’ Mosaïcultures Internationales “Land of Hope” exhibition, I was greeted by two delightful canine sculptures crafted entirely from plants: Japan’s Hachiko faithfully waiting on a train station platform, and from Canada, shepherd Elzéard Bouffi er planting a tree alongside his sheepdog and flock. The show features 48 living masterpieces...
Blog: JoAnna Lou
New research works on communication between working pups and their handlers
Most days I feel like I have a good idea of what my dogs are thinking (and it usually involves food and tennis balls!). After living with an animal for so long, you develop ways of communicating, even if you don't speak the same language. But there are also many times when I wish my dogs could tell me exactly what they want or how they're feeling, and vice versa.
What animal lover didn't watch...
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