The Indispensable Human-Canine Bond
The remarkable bond between humans and dogs spans millennia, crossing cultural and geographical boundaries. Nearly every scientific discipline, including biology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and linguistics, has something to tell us about the value of the bond between our two species. At the National Canine Research Council we examine the myriad ways the human-canine bond enriches people’s lives.
What Do You Expect of Your Companions?
Is your partner less than perfect? Does your sibling sometimes annoy you? Do your kids? How about your parents, or your friends? If you’re like pretty much everybody, the answers are probably, yes, all the way around. A new study confirms that our relationships with our pet dogs are the same. Sometimes they do stuff […]
National Canine Research Council Appoints Cynthia Bathurst, Ph.D. as Managing Director
National Canine Research Council (NCRC) is pleased to announce that Cynthia Bathurst, Ph.D. has been named its Managing Director. Cynthia has been an advisor to NCRC since 2010 and is the Animal Farm Foundation Secretary of the Board. She brings her experience and perspective as founder and CEO of the nonprofit Safe Humane and her […]
Hoping to increase the odds of choosing a healthy doggy companion? THINK MIX
Looking to prioritize your canine companions well-being from the get-go? Consider embracing the charm and health benefits of mixed-breed companionship. Renowned cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz recently shed light on the alarming consequences of closed gene pools in purebred dogs. In her thought-provoking piece for The New York Times, she unveils the startling truth: many pedigreed dogs suffer […]
Looking for safety in all the wrong places: India’s new ban on 23 dog breeds cannot succeed
Thankfully, banning dogs of certain breeds is increasingly rare. But when this choice is made, as with the recent national BSL legislation in India, we are reminded of some of the reasons that it simply cannot help prevent dog bite injuries: Behavioral genetic science shows conclusively that a dog’s breed simply cannot predict anything about […]
Introducing “The Relevance of Breeding in Choosing a Pet Dog”
We are thrilled to announce the release of our latest version of the publication, “The Relevance of Breeding in Choosing a Pet Dog” This booklet, part of our NCRC Vision Series, delves into the important topic of how “breed” plays a role in choosing a companion dog. As a non-profit canine behavior science and policy […]
The Truth Behind Dog Impulses: What They Mean and How They Shape Behavior
You cry. I feel weepy. We all have impulses that just pop up naturally, and unless we have learned to inhibit them for some reason, we tend to act them out whenever the trigger events for them happen. They don’t need to make sense in a “thinking about it” way. https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Chimpy-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4 In people, these can […]
Two Myths about Behavior Evaluations for Shelter Dogs
You might think behavior evaluations make placing shelter dogs safer. But, research shows that some of the most common beliefs about shelter dogs and evaluations are actually just myths. Myth #1 Dogs living in shelters are behaviorally different from dogs living with families There is a prevailing myth that shelter dogs are “damaged” or “have […]
Embracing Dogs as Individuals at the Latest Insurance Conference
Legislators want to focus more on responsible dog ownership than breed restrictions in home insurance.
Does Your Dog’s Breed Make Them Smarter Than Other Dogs?
A viral study about canine cognition doesn’t reveal as much as you might think about how much your dog thinks.