Issue #33
Did you know…dogs prefer baby talk… or do they? A study out of the U.K. set out to investigate if so-called dog-speak improves bonding between pets and humans, and specifically, whether it is useful for the dogs. For the study, the researchers designed two experiments in which humans interacted with dogs. In the first, the researchers tested adult-directed speech versus dog-directed speech (dog-directed speech is what we usually refer to as baby-talk: high pitched rhythmic speech). This first experiment revealed that the dogs strongly preferred humans who had addressed them using dog-directed speech. However, there was the possibility that it was simply the emotional tone that appealed to the dogs and that the content didn't have anything to do with their preference. So, in the second experiment, “the content from experiment one was reproduced but with reversed intonation such that the dog-related content was spoken with the intonation of adult-directed speech and vice versa. They “found that adult dogs were more likely to want to interact and spend time with the speaker that used dog-directed speech with dog-related content than they did those that used adult-directed speech with no dog-related content."
It is, however, also possible that dogs kept as pets are conditioned over their individual lifetimes to respond positively to baby-talk as this type of speech is often paired with positive events like treats, a toy, walk or affection.
The future of livestock without antibiotics. The world's biggest animal health company, Zoetis, is focusing on genetic screening and biotech breakthroughs as it considers a future without antibiotic use in livestock. The issue of antibiotic use in livestock came to a head late last year when the World Health Organisation issued new guidelines recommending that farmers and the food industry stop using antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals. The issue is that diseases that are not prevented by antibiotics can be passed on to humans -- but so can health issues that result from the overuse of antibiotics. Zoetis is starting its research in Australia, with genetic selection rather than modification high on the list of priorities along with prediction, prevention, detection and new treatments as part of a more integrated approach.
April is right around the corner and so is the next box! Here’s the line up we’ve got in mind (subject to change) for the next box, available until April 23, 2018: 🐖 Pork Loin 🐄 Beef Spleen 🐟 Salmon 🐑 Lamb Weasand 🐣 Duck Wing 🐖 Pig Ear 🔥 Super Chew: Spiral Pizzle! [Click here to order!
](https://my.realpetfood.com/checkout/dogAdd)
Cultured protein NOT MEAT enters the pet food market. Wild Earth, Inc., a biotech startup, announced today it is using cultured proteins to develop "clean, high-quality pet foods”. Much like biotech companies creating cultured meats for human consumption, the difference is that this is actually a vegan kibble that is made from the protein produced by a fungus known as koji. The benefits of a vegan diet for pets is debatable—though Wild Earth says its kibble contains more protein than other meat-free pet foods. But Neo.Life says that the firm really has an ulterior motive. It plans to use the pet food to normalize the technology—a kind of “Trojan horse to introduce lab-grown meat for humans.”
Mars unit launches $100M fund for pet care startup organization. In an effort to keep up with growing number of startups in the dog food ecosystem, Mars Inc.’s pet food and pet products arm said it will launch a $100 million venture capital fund as part of a recently announced program for pet-care products, tech, and services exclusively.
Wag! accidentally leaked pet owner’s addresses and lockbox codes. A popular app that connects dog owners and dog walkers accidentally revealed the lock box codes of at least 50 users, and the home addresses of at least 100. Wag told The Wall Street Journal the posts were due to a technical glitch in the software that had exposed “certain limited personal information belonging to a small subset of Wag users,” and was reaching out to those who had been impacted. So far, no evidence the information has been “misused” and that no customers’ homes have been burglarized.
Smart toys accurately predict whether a guide dog will make it through training. In a new project coming out of the Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers have used artificial intelligence to predict which canines have the potential to successfully complete guide dog training. The team developed a sensor-filled ball and tug toy to analyze metrics such as the force, frequency, and duration of bites the toy had undergone — the team claims the smart toy can tell them which dogs will complete their training with 87.5% accuracy. For nonprofits that dedicate their resources to training service dogs, of which less than 40% actually make it through training, this could save a lot of time and money.
Mimicking a dog’s nose for gas sensors. For years, researchers have been trying to develop an artificial detector that is just as good as a canine’s nose. Now, one group reports in ACS Nano that they were able to mimic a dog’s sniffer with graphene-based nanoscrolls. The group prepared graphene-based nanoscrolls to create a uniform, unaggregated structures. The researchers then incorporated the nanoscrolls into a gas sensor, which was highly selective and sensitive, just like your pup’s nose. The team notes that this method has the potential for large-scale production.
Google's 'Dog View' feature. Say wha? Google Japan has made it possible for would-be travelers to take a dog-led tour through places such as Odate City, of Japan's Akita prefecture, also importantly known as the birthplace of the adorable Akita Inu dog. The feature — which is viewed through Google's Street View and is appropriately referred to as "dog view" — straps cameras attached to dog-friendly harnesses onto the backs of very good boys (and girls). In fact, each glimpse on Google Maps not only gives you a dog’s-eye view of the locations but since the cameras are affixed to the Akitas’ backs, frames filled with their adorable poofy heads. Turn around and you’ll see their floofy tails.
Celebrate National Raw Feeding Week April 1-7! Our friend, Kimberly Gauthier of KeeptheTailWagging.com has round up your favorite fresh food feeders and put together a series of videos and interviews to celebrate our biologically appropriate diets. During this week, raw feeders around the world will unite to share the benefits of raw feeding while clearing up the myths promoted by opponents of feeding biologically appropriate diets to pets, sharing their experiences through social media posts, blog posts, videos, and more. [Read more here.
](https://keepthetailwagging.com/national-raw-feeding-week/)
Are you a raw feeder? Join the #feedreal movement and celebrate with us!