According to studies done at the Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, a new software can classify barks according to different situations. It can even connect individual barks to individual dogs. I think I can distinguish Stranger’s bark from the neighborhood dogs, but with a greater pool of unknown dogs, I don’t know if I would be able to pinpoint his unique set of woofs.
The software analyzed over 6000 barks from 14 willingly vocal Hungarian sheepdogs in six different situations: “stranger,” “fight,” “walk,” “alone,” “ball,” and “play.” The barks were taped and then transferred to a computer, where they were digitized and individual barks were coded, classified, and evaluated.
The software correctly classified the barks 43 percent of the time, with recognition rates being highest for “fight” and “stranger.”
The software’s algorithm was 52 % accurate in matching up the individual barks of the Hungarian sheepdogs.
The scientists conclude, “The use of advanced machine learning algorithms to classify and analyze animal sounds opens new perspectives for the understanding of animal communication… The promising results obtained strongly suggest that advanced machine learning approaches deserve to be considered as a new relevant tool for ethology*.”
* Ethology: the study of animal behavior, with a focus on behavioral patterns in natural environments.
Hopefully the pictures will stay this time! Ran into this while searching Google for Tibetan Terriers dog (my mom’s falling in love with the sweet breed) I think these would make great gifts.
Health care is expensive, whether you’re two legged or four, furry or skinny, fat or funny. Health insurance is a necessary expense, one difficult to afford for yourself, much less your dog. An unexpected emergency can launch anyone into deep deep debt.
This knowledge is why I was so glad to run into an organization online today that specifically fund raises to help care for the pets of low income families. It is called the RIVMA Animal Companion Foundation and was established in 2004 by the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association. The organization holds golf tournaments and sets up donation boxes in many vet offices. It is still in its beginning phases, but the idea is so exciting! Pet owners who may qualify for the foundation’s funds just apply for a grant at their local vet.
I know this question’s been around the block, but I wondered if I could dig up some damning evidence to end speculation. After much research, I am happy to say….
its debatable.
Sorry guys. It seems that there are as many answers to that question as there are theories on why dogs do the things they do, as many answers as there are theories on why people do the things they do. Is it a single expression in the intricate play of dominance and submission? Is it a result of operant conditioning, the dog repeating a motion clearly enjoyed and rewarded by he/she who feeds him?
I don’t know. I do know that Stranger smiles when i bring out the leash, when i unexpectedly give him a treat, when i scratch his ears, and mostly when i roll down the back window for him. I smile too, wondering if the phrase ” as the wind rushed through my fur” is running through his puppy head.
Ps: send me pictures of your dog smiling! Im hoping to do a sunday smiling dog segment.
It seems that almost every time I go to the dog park, someone shares a story that makes me think, often of something I’ve never given much thought to before. Today it was dogs with sunburns. A man I spoke to told me that one of his dogs had died of skin cancer, and now he was always careful to put sunscreen on his dogs before spending any serious time in the sun. I had always thought of dogs as immune to the minor irritations that plague us, shopping addictions and sunburns included.
Dogs as young as four years old can develop skin cancer, and prevention efforts range from solar protective t-shits, children’s sunscreen to just plain limiting long term exposure.
Animals with the highest risk of skin cancer are those with short, white coats, light skin, and thin tummy fur. They breeds, exposed, include dalmatians, bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, whippets, Italian greyhounds, and greyhounds.
