People experiencing homelessness, victims of domestic violence and economically vulnerable people are at higher risk of social exclusion. For them, pets are an important source of emotional support.
A study by the Affinity Foundation Chair for Animals and Health of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the FAADA Foundation, published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal, highlights the importance of this support from a multidimensional perspective, drawing on the experiences of 100 individuals in vulnerable situations.
The study, conducted with a diverse group of people ages 19–80, concludes that pets play a crucial role in the support networks of vulnerable individuals, who view them as family members—primarily because they provide companionship and emotional well-being. In 90% of cases, dogs and cats serve as the respondents’ sole source of support, as well as their only opportunity for physical contact and care. Ninety-one percent of participants said that when they are angry or sad, their pet is the one they most want to be with, and for 90%, the animal provides a reason to get up every morning. Furthermore, 71% believe their pet is the one who would remain by their side if everyone else were to abandon them.
According to Jaume Fatjó, a researcher in the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, director of the UAB Affinity Foundation Chair in Animals and Health, and one of the study’s lead researchers, “cats and dogs play a central role in the lives of many vulnerable people.” Although they do not replace human relationships, “they provide forms of help, such as companionship and emotional comfort, that can be crucial when other sources of support are unavailable,” Fatjó said. “Protecting the bond between these individuals and their animals also means protecting their well-being.”
The study indicates that one of the most valued qualities of pets is their availability compared with that of people, as well as the fact that they offer unconditional, nonjudgmental love, something highly appreciated by vulnerable individuals, who often feel stigmatized.
Research shows that, rather than acting as substitutes for human relationships, companion animals serve as a complementary component of the social networks of vulnerable individuals. Noe Terrassa, head of the social department at FAADA—who was also involved in the research—said that “the study demonstrates that the bond between family animals and vulnerable people, far from replacing human ties, enriches them.”
This evidence “reinforces the need to promote comprehensive social support programs that prevent separating people from their animals. In this regard, collaboration between research and social action is key to providing more effective and inclusive solutions.”
Isabel Buil, director of the Affinity Foundation, said that “scientific knowledge takes on a particularly valuable dimension when it helps address social challenges.” This study “provides evidence that has already made it possible to improve social interventions and guide public policies that take into account the role of family pets in many people’s support networks.”
The research concludes that protecting the bond between vulnerable individuals and their pets is crucial because otherwise, a significant component of their already fragile social network would be lost.
Publication details
Mónica Boada et al, Dogs and cats as sources of companionship and emotional support in vulnerable animal caregivers, Frontiers in Psychology (2026). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1831814
There are two kinds of homebuyers: those with pets and those without. And for pet owners, a home purchase can hinge on whether a listing works as well for their pet as it does for them, according to new data.
Getty Images
A new survey from Realtor.com® finds that buyers with pets often evaluate homes through an animal-first lens, prioritizing features like a secure outdoor space, durable interiors, and communities where pets are allowed.
It’s not surprising to the agents who regularly see these trade-offs play out in real time.
“I’ve never seen a child influence a house decision no matter what they’ve thought of it,” says Jeff Lichtenstein, a broker with more than 25 years of experience. “A pet, however, has much more influence.”
“I see pet needs influence decisions all the time,” echoes Miltiadis Kastanis, executive director of sales at Compass. “A buyer might really like a home, but if it does not feel right for their pet, whether it is the lack of outdoor space or the overall environment, they will walk away.”
The new research from Realtor.com backs them up. For many buyers, pets were not a side consideration but a real force in the home search—one strong enough to shape decisions and even justify paying more for the right features.
For all that variety, their answers pointed to a strikingly consistent definition of what makes a home truly pet-friendly: secure outdoor space, durable and easy-to-clean interiors, and neighborhoods or developments where pets are clearly allowed.
Outdoor space came up repeatedly, especially when it was enclosed.
“Pet friendly means having a good-sized backyard that is secured well with a fence or wall,” said Katey, a millennial first-time homebuyer.
Rhonda, a repeat buyer of the baby boomer generation, emphasized the same priority in pet terms, saying the yard needed to be large enough that her pets could “do zoomies without destroying furniture.”
Inside the home, respondents focused on surfaces and layouts that could hold up to everyday wear and tear.
“We looked for homes with larger yards, scratch resistant floors, and neighbors who embraced pets,” said Kate, a Gen X repeat buyer. Others called out finishes that were easier to clean, safer for animals, or better suited to senior animals.
Some buyers had an even more detailed checklist.
“A pet friendly home would have scratch resistant flooring, wall finishes that are easy to clean, built in nooks or feeding stations, and a mudroom and bathing station,” said Chi, a Gen X repeat buyer.
And for some, the issue was not the home itself but the rules around it. “Pet friendly to me means that pets are allowed in the development,” said Brigette, a baby boomer repeat buyer.
Pets actively influenced which home they chose
Their responses suggest that pet-friendly isn’t a throwaway listing term, but a concrete standard that shaped their home search. It’s something that Kastanis says he sees often, especially in the condo market.
“Pet policies are usually the first thing we look at before even setting up a showing, since restrictions can immediately rule out a property,” he says, adding that buyers are increasingly drawn to buildings that combine pet-friendly rules with practical conveniences, especially easy access to outdoor space.
One such example is Vestra, a luxury apartment complex in Las Vegas where developers prioritized communal dog runs, a resort-style dog park, and professional grooming facilities for its four-legged residents.
All residents at the Vestra complex have access to luxury grooming facilities for their furry friends. Photos courtesy of Matter Real Estate.
“You can walk out the front door and take your dog for a walk and run into neighbors or friends,” Jim Stuart, part of the team behind the project, told Realtor.com last year.
The survey responses suggest those considerations can be decisive features for pet owners.
“I definitely looked for outdoor space where my cat would be able to go outside but be protected by a fence or screen. Also windows he could sit in or see out. I was drawn to open loft space so he could look down,” said Tara, a Gen X first-time homebuyer.
Stacei, a Gen X repeat buyer, was even more explicit about how much her pets narrowed the field: “My pets had a large impact on the selection of my current home. I honestly wouldn’t have even looked at a place if it didn’t have a decent sized yard and enough space for my pets to run around comfortably.”
Buyers are willing to pay up for their pets
And when buyers find those features, some are willing to pay more for them, the research found—a reality that agents say mirrors what they see in home searches every day.
“Buyers are willing to pay more for homes that already work for their pets,” says Kastanis. “A house with a fenced yard or a layout that does not require changes can make a big difference, especially when inventory is tight and buyers want something that feels move-in ready.”
But the strongest premium appears to be attached to practical features that reduce friction from day one.
“I would pay more for a property that had a fenced in backyard and decent sized backyard,” said Paul, a Gen X repeat buyer.
In some ways, it echoes what’s long been known about buying and selling a home: Some features fetch you more than others.
Research from the National Association of Realtors® found that homeowners most valued remodeling outcomes tied to improved functionality and livability (28%) and durable, long-lasting materials and appliances (23%)—the same practical qualities many pet-friendly buyers were prioritizing here.
Luxury vinyl plank, or LVP, is one example. Designed to mimic the look of hardwood while holding up better to scratches, messes, and daily wear, it came up repeatedly in the survey as a pet-friendly flooring choice.
“The LVP has been a game changer. So easy to maintain and a nonnegotiable going forward,” said Lori, a Gen X repeat buyer.
And that demand didn’t stop at closing. The survey found that while many buyers didn’t make major pet-related changes after move-in, others invested in upgrades that made the home more durable, convenient, or comfortable for their animals.
“We had the entire home re-floored with scratch resistant flooring to keep our home beautiful and our dog out of trouble,” said Chi. Cory, a millennial first-time buyer said, “I put in a dog door so they can go outside at their convenience.”
Even then, some buyers were still imagining what else a truly pet-centered home could include—touches like a catio (a cat patio), pet-cleaning stations, and other spaces tailored to their animal’s needs. It’s a reminder that for some, a home isn’t only about function—it’s also about creating a little luxury for their pets, too.
…because the habit of narrating your inner life to a creature who can’t judge you turns out to be surprisingly good practice for the kind of honesty that actual relationships require
Talking to your pets like people isn’t just cute, it’s quietly training you to be more honest and emotionally available in your human relationships too
I’ll admit something that might sound ridiculous. Yesterday morning, while making my oat milk latte, I caught myself explaining to my neighbor’s cat why I was running late. Not in that quick, throwaway “hey buddy” kind of way. I mean a full, detailed account of how my alarm didn’t go off, how I’d stayed up too late reading about cognitive biases, and how the whole morning had spiraled from there.
The cat blinked at me. Slowly. Twice.
And somehow, that felt like enough.
If you’ve ever narrated your grocery list to a dog or debriefed your workday to a parrot, you already know what I’m talking about. There’s something about talking to an animal that feels different from talking to a person. Safer, maybe. Less performative. And as it turns out, that feeling isn’t just in your head. Research suggests that people who regularly talk to their pets like they’re human tend to develop communication habits that actually make them better at connecting with other humans too.
Here’s why that matters more than you think.
The real reason you talk to your cat like a roommate
Psychologists have a word for what we do when we chat with our pets as though they understand every syllable. It’s called anthropomorphism, and it’s the tendency to attribute human characteristics, emotions, and mental states to non-human entities. Your dog isn’t actually judging your outfit. Your cat doesn’t really have opinions about your ex. But your brain treats them as if they do.
Nicholas Epley, a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago and one of the leading researchers on anthropomorphism, has argued that this tendency isn’t a sign of immaturity or delusion. It’s actually a byproduct of the same cognitive machinery that makes us good at reading other people. The same mental tools we use to infer what a friend is thinking or what a colleague really meant by that email are the tools we activate when we imagine our dog is sulking because we left for work.
In other words, talking to your pet isn’t a weird quirk. It’s your social brain doing reps.
A rehearsal space with no stakes
Here’s what I find most interesting about this whole thing, and I’ve mentioned this before but it keeps proving true: the environments where we practice being honest matter just as much as the honesty itself.
Think about the last time you wanted to say something vulnerable to someone you care about. Maybe you needed to admit you were struggling, or that something they did hurt you, or that you didn’t have it all figured out. Chances are, you rehearsed it. In the shower. In the car. In your head while pretending to listen to a podcast.
Talking to a pet is a version of that rehearsal, except it happens out loud. And out loud matters.
When you tell your dog about your terrible day, you’re not just venting into the void. You’re practicing the act of putting internal experience into words. You’re narrating feelings that might otherwise stay tangled up in your chest. And you’re doing it in front of a living creature who won’t interrupt, won’t argue, and won’t make you feel stupid for saying it.
According to Psychology Today, people who anthropomorphize tend to show stronger social bonds and richer empathy. The habit of imagining an inner world for another being, even an animal, exercises the same perspective-taking muscles we rely on in human relationships.
What your pet can’t do is exactly the point
Your cat can’t validate you. Your dog can’t offer advice. Your goldfish isn’t going to text you back with a thoughtful response at 2 a.m.
And that’s precisely what makes these conversations so useful.
When I lived through my aggressive vegan phase years ago, I learned something painful about communication. I spent three years armed with statistics and moral arguments, convinced that if I just said the right thing in the right way, people would change. My friend Sarah’s birthday dinner became a lecture. Family gatherings turned into debates. I was so focused on being right that I forgot how to actually connect with anyone.
What finally broke the pattern wasn’t a better argument. It was learning to talk without needing a specific response. Learning to say things honestly, without controlling the outcome.
That’s what talking to a pet teaches you. You learn to express yourself for the sake of expression, not for the sake of winning. There’s no scoreboard. No defense mechanism on the other end. Just you, saying what’s true, and a creature who receives it without judgment.
Research on self-disclosure consistently shows that the act of sharing personal information, even when the listener can’t fully understand it, builds our capacity for vulnerability. It trains us to tolerate the discomfort of being seen. And that tolerance is one of the most important ingredients in any meaningful relationship.
The biology backing all of this up
It’s not just a psychological phenomenon either. There’s a biological layer to this that I find genuinely fascinating.
A comprehensive review published in Frontiers in Psychology examined dozens of studies on human-animal interaction and found that positive contact with pets is linked to the release of oxytocin, the same hormone involved in bonding between parents and children, and between romantic partners. The review also found evidence that these interactions can reduce cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, and even increase trust toward other people.
So when you’re sitting on the couch telling your dog about your annoying coworker, your body is doing more than just relaxing. It’s chemically priming you for better human connection. The oxytocin system doesn’t distinguish between species when it comes to bonding. A warm, safe interaction is a warm, safe interaction, whether it’s with your partner or your Labrador.
This is something I think about a lot during my photography walks around Venice Beach. You’ll see dozens of people on any given morning having full-blown conversations with their dogs. Asking them questions. Narrating the scenery. Explaining why they chose to walk left instead of right. From the outside, it looks eccentric. From the inside, it’s probably the most emotionally honest those people will be all day.
From pet talk to pillow talk
The real payoff of this habit isn’t in the conversations you have with your pet. It’s in how those conversations change the ones you have with people.
I’ve been with my partner for five years now. We have very different lifestyles in a lot of ways, including what we eat and how we think about food. Early on, I could have easily fallen into old patterns of trying to convince and convert. Instead, I’d learned (the hard way, through years of burned bridges) that real communication isn’t about persuasion. It’s about honesty without agenda.
And honestly? I think some of that skill got sharpened in the smallest, most ridiculous moments. Explaining my feelings to a stray cat on my balcony. Talking through a tough decision while a friend’s dog stared at me from across the room. Those moments taught me to hear my own voice saying difficult things without flinching.
As Psych Central notes, anthropomorphism may help people better understand others and connect with the world around them. The same mental habit that lets you imagine your pet has feelings also sharpens your ability to consider what the humans in your life might be going through.
If you’ve ever had a partner tell you that you’re a good listener, or a friend say they feel safe talking to you, part of that might trace back to the hundreds of tiny, unwitnessed conversations you’ve had with animals who couldn’t talk back. You were building a muscle you didn’t even know you were training.
Why this isn’t just a quirky personality trait
It’s tempting to file “talks to pets” under the same category as “collects too many houseplants” or “names their car.” Harmless. Cute. A little weird.
But the research suggests it’s more than that.
People who regularly engage in anthropomorphic behavior tend to score higher in empathy. They’re more likely to consider perspectives beyond their own. They show patterns of emotional regulation, using a calm, gentle tone with their pet, that carry over into stressful human interactions. They practice repair quickly, softening after a raised voice, returning to warmth without being asked.
My grandmother, who raised four kids on a teacher’s salary and still volunteers at the food bank every Saturday, has always talked to animals like they’re old friends. I used to think it was just her personality. Now I think it might be part of why she’s one of the most emotionally intelligent people I know. She never needed a psychology textbook to understand that practicing kindness in small, invisible moments makes you better at kindness in the moments that count.
The bottom line
If you talk to your pets like they’re people, you’re not being silly. You’re rehearsing honesty in a space where it costs you nothing, and building emotional skills that pay off everywhere else.
The habit of narrating your inner life, out loud, to a creature who can’t judge you, turns out to be surprisingly good training for the kind of vulnerability that actual relationships require. It lowers your defenses. It teaches you to express without performing. And it keeps your empathy muscles in shape for when the stakes are real.
So the next time someone catches you explaining your day to a cat, don’t apologize.
NZ-owned pet company Pet Direct released its pet survey recently and this infographic was the one I found most interesting and relevant.
The results align well with what my clients tell me. They seek out my services for support in their dog’s care – so of course general health features.
Arthritis is a major concern (no one likes to see there dog growing old) and there is a lot of confusion about what management options are available and that arthritis is actually a disease of the young dog. I still see too many pet parents who think a supplement is going to be their 100% solution which is the farthest from the truth. A multi-modal management strategy is needed.
And then comes anxiety. Thanks to my Fear Free certification, a lot of the clients I see have dogs with multiple issues and one of those is anxiety. Imagine living your life in a constant state of stress, unable to communicate in people language what is wrong! I really feel for these dogs. Massage, acupressure and lifestyle changes are all part of the picture for these dogs.
A friend of mine said she noticed that many of the posts on my Facebook page mention weight loss. Weight adds stress to the joints – so no surprises that weight management and diet are on my assessment list, too.
It’s certainly worth looking at the Pet Direct survey and thinking of what you can do for your dog and how you fit within the ‘norms’ of pet ownership in NZ. My full assessments include a review of your dog’s veterinary history, an in-home visit with gait analysis, massage and exercise game plan recommendations. Easy, convenient and cost effective.
Kathleen Crisley is Fear-Free certified dog massage therapist and canine fitness trainer. She has a particular passion for working with dogs and their families to ensure injury prevention and quality of life. She specialises in working with anxious and emotionally damaged dogs. Her mobile practice, The Balanced Dog, is based in Christchurch, New Zealand
A new Japanese study of 377 adults suggests that owning a dog quietly strengthens how connected people feel to their neighborhood.
Residents in a suburb west of Tokyo who lived with dogs reported a richer sense of belonging than neighbors without pets.
The work was led by social psychologist Itaru Ishiguro, Ph.D., at Rikkyo University near Tokyo. His research focuses on everyday social ties and human-animal interaction, and he collaborated with colleagues at Azabu University in Sagamihara.
In the new study, the team compared dog owners and non-owners on three distinct kinds of neighborly contact.
They looked at brief chats with strangers, close neighborhood friendships, and anchored personal relationships, recurring ties rooted in specific shared places and activities.
The main question was whether people with dogs built more of these local ties and, through them, a stronger sense of community.
People, dogs, and neighborhoods
In practice, anchored personal relationships might be the familiar faces you greet in the park or at the corner shop every afternoon.
These ties feel friendly and predictable, yet people usually do not swap phone numbers or invite one another into their homes.
The study argues that this middle layer of connection sits between quick incidental encounters and deep friendships in terms of intimacy and continuity.
Because these acquaintances almost always live nearby and share the same streets, the authors expected them to matter most for neighborhood belonging.
Dogs vs other neighborhood pets
When the team separated dog owners from people who kept cats or other animals, dog ownership alone showed a link with neighborhood relationships.
One likely reason is simply that dogs need daily walks in shared spaces, while many other pets stay almost entirely indoors.
In the survey data, ownership of cats and other pets did not relate to any relationship type or to sense of community.
That pattern suggests it is the shared walking routine, not pet ownership in general, that connects dog owners strongly to neighborhood social life.
What the survey captured
Researchers recruited several hundred adults living in Sagamihara City and nearby areas through posters, flyers, community events, and local government channels.
Participants completed an online or paper questionnaire about pet ownership, social contact around their homes, and how attached they felt to their area.
The sense of community questions drew on a standard place attachment scale that measures how strongly people feel rooted in specific locations.
To untangle links between variables, the analysts used generalized structural equation modeling, a statistical technique that handles chains of cause and association.
How ties strengthen
Dog owners were more likely than non-owners to report having people they regularly recognized in spots and frequent incidental conversations with passersby.
However, once factors like age, income, education, gender, and housing were taken into account, owning a dog did not predict having neighborhood friends.
All relationship types related to a stronger sense of community, yet only anchored personal relationships linked dog ownership directly to feeling locally rooted.
“Anchored personal relationships should be considered alongside incidental interactions and friendships,” wrote Ishiguro.
Global research links
Earlier work in Australian cities found that pet owners scored higher than non-owners on neighborhood social capital, trust, and civic engagement.
Those studies also noted that dogs, more than other pets, seemed especially effective at sparking conversations during walks and visits to public spaces.
The Japanese survey adds nuance by showing that chats and friendships are part of the picture, with anchored personal relationships carrying weight.
Taken together, this growing body of work hints that the social benefits of living with animals extend well beyond companionship inside the home.
Who picks dogs
Because the survey was cross-sectional rather than experimental, the authors cannot rule out the possibility that outgoing people choose to own dogs.
Personality traits such as extraversion, a tendency to seek stimulation, can predict both the size of someone’s network and their interest in pets.
Japan has relatively low relational mobility, a cultural pattern where new relationships are relatively hard to start.
In that context, it is not surprising that dog ownership did not translate into more close neighborhood friends, even when casual contact increased.
What this means for wellbeing
Many studies have explored whether living with pets improves health, with varied results but hints that dogs may support physical and mental wellbeing.
A Swedish cohort that followed more than three million adults found lower overall mortality among dog owners than among people without dogs.
This community-focused work does not claim that dogs extend life, yet it suggests one social pathway through which health effects might emerge.
Feeling more rooted in a neighborhood might support mental health, reduce loneliness, and make it easier to seek help during stressful times.
Dogs strengthen neighborhood life
For people who already live with dogs, the findings highlight the quiet value of regular routes, familiar faces, and friendly short conversations.
Stopping briefly to chat while following local rules about leashes and cleanup may be enough to build anchored personal relationships over time.
Neighbors who do not own dogs can benefit by greeting walkers, since the study suggests those small interactions contribute meaningfully to community feeling.
Put simply, the research suggests that every small, repeated meeting around a dog walk can add up to a welcoming neighborhood for everyone.
The study, Dog ownership enhances anchored personal relationships and sense of community: A comparison with incidental interactions and friendships is published in PLOS One.
In Christchurch, where I live and practice, we’re known for our flat landscape in most parts of the city and suburbs. However, we do have some hilly suburbs which are considered prime real estate for those wanting a view and a different level of privacy.
With those hilly sections come challenges.
Homes in these areas tend to require stairs or steep drives and a walk in the neighbourhood demands hill-walking; much different to the single story traditional housing on the flats. That said, new infill developments are building upwards. Usually, these take the form of multi-unit dwellings that are two or three stories high. All have staircases, most are steep to make the most of the available space.
As a mobile practitioner, I work with dogs in a range of settings. One fact that is universal, however, is that an aging dog is more likely to slip on floors and to have difficulty walking up/down stairs and hills. A dog of any age that has an injury is also going to have the same problems.
Owners of smaller breeds can carry them; for larger breeds, this is not an option.
So, if you are relocating to a new home, please think of your dog before signing on the dotted line. Your dog will age must faster than you do. A bit of planning can help you make a good choice so your dog can enjoy your home and neighbourhood for the rest of their life.
P.S. Not every family has the capacity to build a stair lift like Eddie’s family did. (RIP, Eddie)
Kathleen Crisley is Fear-Free certified dog massage therapist and canine fitness trainer. She has a particular passion for working with dogs and their families to ensure injury prevention and quality of life. She specialises in working with anxious and emotionally damaged dogs. Her mobile practice, The Balanced Dog, is based in Christchurch, New Zealand
A new study demonstrates that some highly gifted dogs can categorize objects not just by appearance, but by how they are used. When taught words like “pull” or “fetch,” these dogs later applied the concepts to brand-new toys through natural play, without training or explicit labeling.
This shows that dogs can form mental representations of objects based on their function rather than physical features. The findings highlight the depth of canine cognition and suggest links to the evolution of human language and memory.
Key Facts
Functional Categorization: Dogs grouped toys by use (tugging vs. fetching) instead of looks.
No Training Needed: Skills emerged from natural play with owners, not formal instruction.
Language Insight: Results hint at shared cognitive roots between dogs and humans in learning words.
As infants, humans naturally learn new words and their associations—like the fact that forks are related to bowls because both are used to consume food.
In a study publishing in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on September 18, a team of animal behavior experts demonstrate that dogs can categorize objects by function, too.
In a series of playful interactions with their owners, a group of Gifted Word Learner (GWL) dogs were able to distinguish between toys used for tugging versus fetching, even when the toys in question didn’t share any obvious physical similarities—and then could remember those categorizations for long periods of time, all with no prior training.
“We discovered that these Gifted Word Learner dogs can extend labels to items that have the same function or that are used in the same way,” says author Claudia Fugazza of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
It’s like a person calling both a traditional hammer and a rock by the same name, says Fugazza.
“The rock and the hammer look physically different, but they can be used for the same function,” she says. “So now it turns out that these dogs can do the same.”
The studies took place in the dogs’ natural home environments with their human owners. At the beginning, the dogs spent time getting familiar with verbal labels for two functional groups of objects: pull and fetch. Their owners used these words with specific toys and played with them accordingly even though the toys didn’t share any similar physical features.
Next, the dogs were tested to see if they had learned to connect the functional labels to the correct group of toys before playing with more novel toys in the two distinct categories. However, this time, their owners didn’t use the “pull” and “fetch” labels for the dogs.
The team found that the dogs were able to extend the functional labels they’d learned previously to the new toys based on their experience playing with them. In the final test, the dogs showed that they could successfully apply the verbal labels to the toys by either pulling or fetching accordingly, even when their owners hadn’t named them.
“For these new toys, they’ve never heard the name, but they have played either pull or fetch, and so the dog has to choose which toy was used to play which game,” Fugazza says. “This was done in a natural setup, with no extensive training. It’s just owners playing for a week with the toys. So, it’s a natural type of interaction.”
The authors note that the dogs’ ability to connect verbal labels to objects based on their functional classifications and apart from the toys’ physical attributes suggests that they form a mental representation of the objects based on their experience with their functions, which they can later recall.
These findings provide insight into the evolution of basic skills related to language and their relationship to other cognitive abilities, including memory, the researchers say.
More research is needed to understand the scope and flexibility of dogs’ language categorization abilities. The researchers suggest future studies to explore whether dogs that don’t learn object labels may nevertheless have an ability to classify objects based on their functions.
“We have shown that dogs learn object labels really fast, and they remember them for a long period, even without rehearsing,” Fugazza says. “And I think the way they extend labels also beyond perceptual similarities gives an idea of the breadth of what these labels could be for dogs.”
I’ve just read this piece by Dr Mia Cobb of the University of Melbourne and had to share it. Thankfully, it was published under a Creative Commons license to enable re-publication with citation.
But something has changed globally over the last year, and it has big implications for dogs worldwide.
This rapid cascade of bans signals something much bigger. Picture: Getty Images
But what does this mean for the other dogs in our lives? The detection dogs in our airports, the dogs assisting people with disabilities, those supporting students in our schools or even the dog asleep on your couch?
We may donate to assistance dog charities, watch border detection programs on TV and admire search-and-rescue teams helping in disaster zones without considering what daily life looks like for these canine workers.
As people become increasingly conscious about animal treatment, from farm animals to those in entertainment, this awareness is expanding to include all the ways we ‘use’ dogs.
Our expanding awareness of animal treatment now includes all the ways we ‘use’ dogs. Picture: Getty Images
The recent greyhound racing collapse demonstrates how quickly public support can evaporate when welfare concerns aren’t adequately addressed.
Consider the contrast between those who embrace scrutiny versus those that resist it.
Some organisations or operators working with dogs proactively demonstrate their welfare standards, welcome independent oversight and engage openly with concerns. Others operate behind closed doors or respond defensively when questions arise about how their animals are bred, reared, housed, trained and rehomed.
Those thriving under increased public attention share common approaches: they treat welfare as a core priority rather than a compliance exercise, even when it means making major changes to the way in which they operate (for example, their training methods or the equipment used).
They also understand that genuine transparency builds public trust in ways that defensive responses never can.
But there’s an important distinction between real change and ‘welfare washing’ surface-level improvements designed more for public relations than to genuinely assure animal wellbeing.
The public is becoming increasingly sophisticated at spotting the difference.
The speed of recent racing bans – three jurisdictions in around 18 months – shows how rapidly momentum can build once public opinion shifts.
What earning trust looks like
The organisations embracing increased welfare scrutiny share common characteristics.
They proactively demonstrate care standards rather than waiting for pressure. They welcome independent monitoring and engage genuinely with concerns rather than dismissing them.
There’s a reframing from dogs as tools we use to co-workers we partner with. Picture: Getty Images
Most importantly, they recognise that working with dogs comes with profound responsibilities.
This reframing, from dogs as tools we use to co-workers we partner with, means ensuring dogs have agency in their daily lives – the ability to make choices about when to rest, opportunities to be dogs rather than just workers and environments that offer them positive social and physical experiences.
It means transparency about career length, retirement plans, injury rates and living conditions. It means treating welfare as a core business priority, not a public relations exercise.
The dogs supporting our lives
International Dog Day provides an annual opportunity to shine a spotlight on all the dogs we rely on in our lives, not just our pets at home.
t’s a chance to ask: are we caring for these animals as well as we can?
The greyhound racing industry’s decline shows what happens when the answer is unclear or unconvincing.
Public trust, once lost, is extraordinarily difficult to rebuild, especially when alternatives exist that don’t rely on the use of real animals.
Everyone relying on dogs should be asking themselves: if public attention suddenly focused on our operation tomorrow, would we welcome that scrutiny? Can we demonstrate genuine care for our animals’ wellbeing, not just their productivity?
The dogs supporting our lives – whether working at airports, guiding people safely across roads or living as companions in our homes – deserve nothing less than our full consideration of their wellbeing.
Are we caring for these animals as well as we can? Picture: Getty Images
And as the racing industry is discovering, the public increasingly expects to see proof of that care, not just promises.
They’ll be part of building a sustainable future where our partnerships with dogs are genuinely rewarding for both species. Those who can’t may find themselves wondering how something that seemed so permanent could disappear so quickly.
The choice is theirs to make – but the window for making it may be narrower than they think.
A new study has found that having a pet dog or cat can slow down cognitive decline.
Stock image of a puppy looking at its owner. Credit : Getty
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A new study has found that having a cat or a dog may have a “protective factor” over cognitive abilities as you age, helping to “slow down” mental decline
The study looked at 18 years of data in adults over 50 and found a “slower decline in multiple cognitive domains” for dog and cat owners
Having a fish or a bird didn’t have an impact on cognitive abilities, the study found
The type of pet you have can impact how your brain ages — and dogs and cats have a “protective factor” that can “slow down cognitive decline.”
Dog and cat owners saw improved brain health — more than those who had birds or fish, or no pets — according to a new study, published in Scientific Reports, that used 18 years of data on cognitive decline in adults over 50.
“Both cat and dog owners experienced slower decline in multiple cognitive domains — dog owners in immediate and delayed recall, cat owners in verbal fluency and delayed recall,” the study found. “Fish and bird ownership had no significant association with cognitive decline.”
“Several explanations may help explain the absence of this association in fish and bird owners, despite the reports of their ownership’ positive influence on wellbeing in ways that are usually associated with cognitive benefits,” study author Adriana Rostekova, from the University of Geneva’s lifespan developmental psychology research group said, per The Guardian.
The study theorized that the shorter lifespan of a bird or fish impacts “the level of emotional connection,” due to “frequently having to deal with the pet’s death.” The study also pointed out that birds can be incredibly loud: “Bird ownership may negatively affect the owner’s sleep quality due to the increased noise levels, which has been shown to be associated with cognitive decline.”
But the very nature of owning a cat or a dog may help the brain stay healthy, Rostekova explained: “There is also a possibility of increased social stimulation facilitated by cats and dogs, which may be linked to the slower cognitive decline experienced by their owners: an increased frequency of social interactions when accompanied by a dog – or for cats, a substitute for a social network.”
The study says that, since “dog and cat ownership might act as a protective factor aiding to slow down cognitive decline, thus contributing to healthy cognitive [aging],” these findings could help inform policies on healthy aging, specifically to make veterinary care or pet insurance “more accessible to older adults” — as well as advocate for “animal-friendly senior housing options, such as assisted living facilities or nursing homes.”
I exercise each week with the help of a nifty fitness app (Ladder—it’s great) that offers workout plans from a personal trainer and encouragement from other users. The instructors are knowledgeable and the community encouraging. But neither is my favorite thing about the app.
My favorite thing is when other users share pictures of their pets.
Photo: Getty Images
Now, seeing a border collie doing downward dog right along with their owner is, of course, super-adorable. And I am not going to lie. I am a pet lover through and through. Animal pictures make me irrationally happy.
But my giddiness at seeing someone’s golden retriever running buddy isn’t just about the universal appeal of cute animals or my over-the-top animal obsession. According to recent research, it reveals a useful truth that can help you build relationships not just at the gym, but at work too.
If you want to connect with people more deeply, the Wharton School at the University of Pennyslyvania study indicates, sharing a picture of your pet is an ideal way to do it.
Sharing personal information at work is a minefield
The study was born out of a common modern conundrum. Should you connect with colleagues on social media, and if so, what should you share?
Like the rest of us, the research team realized that social media offered both promise and peril for workers. It can help you feel closer to teammates, which just might make you happier and more successful.
“One of the things that we found in the study is that people will be much more comfortable connecting to other people who disclose personal information,” Wharton’s Nancy Rothbard, who was involved in the research, explained in one podcast interview.
But then again, seeing your boss downing a beer with his bros or joking about her colonoscopy (or your boss seeing you doing the same) blurs boundaries that make a lot of us uncomfortable.
As another Wharton professor, Adam Grant, once observed: “Authenticity without empathy is selfish. Of course we should be true to our values, but one of those values should probably be caring about others.” Your sharing shouldn’t cause others discomfort.
How are office workers navigating this charged landscape? To find out, the researchers conducted a series of in-depth interviews and also reviewed data on actual social media use.
Different people, different dangers
To no one’s surprise, the interviews confirmed that the question of social media use and how much personal information to disclose at work is fraught.
As Rothbard memorially puts it, interviewees “would equate connecting with a boss on Facebook or Instagram as equivalent to connecting with their mother. It was sort of the same horror.”
The team also found that the calculation of what kind of personal information to share was different for different types of people. Women who disclosed more personal information were generally assessed more positively, for instance. This is likely because of stereotypes that suggest women should be warm and friendly. Male bosses who shared a lot, on the other hand, were quickly seen as creepy.
To reap the benefits and avoid the potential pitfalls of social media at the office, workers employed various strategies, from being an open book to carefully curating their audience or content. (You can read more about these strategies here if you’re interested).
But whatever strategy they employed, nearly everyone was attempting to hit the same target. They wanted to come across as warm and human so they could connect on a deeper human level. But they didn’t want to embarrass themselves or anyone else by oversharing or prying.
A pet strategy for connection that works for everyone
Handily, Rothbard and her colleagues uncovered a secret weapon that anyone can use to hit that elusive sweet spot — your dog.
“Cute dog pics are a very, very hot commodity,” Rothbard correctly observes.
“If you have a cute dog and you want to post pictures of them, that’s a very good strategy, because people always love them, and they feel like they know you, and they feel connected to you. It gives them a sense of warmth that you’re displaying and a feeling that they know something about you that’s important, and that’s not fake or surface level. So, that personal disclosure really helps to create a bond between you and your fellow co-workers,” she goes on to explain.
This tallies with a large body of social science research that shows people tend to evaluate others on two basic qualities, warmth and competence. When we meet someone our first instinct is to ask: are they nice? Do they wish me harm? And, are they any good at their job? Can they do the things they say they can do?
Sharing pics of your weekend keg stand might get you tagged as warm, but it’s not going to do anything for perceptions of your competence. On the other hand, nailing every assignment but never saying a peep about your personal life is great for competence but lousy for warmth. Research suggests those that go furthest project both qualities.
You know what also allows you to project warmth without undermining your air of professional competence? Your dog doing yoga with you.
The bottom line here for everyone is a research-backed permission slip to let loose and pepper your team’s Slack channel with your cat’s wacky antics or dog’s doofy smile. You always knew your pets were super cute. Now you have data to prove they are also a secret weapon for connecting with others.
But there’s also another takeaway here for entrepreneurs and other business leaders, illustrated by my love of my fitness app’s pet picture days. If you want your team or your users to bond without crossing boundaries that make anyone uncomfortable, pets are a go-to move.
Create that dedicated chat for sharing animal pics. Show off your pooch at the beginning of the Zoom call. Organize a cutest pet pic contest among your team or your customers.
Getting people to talk about their animals is a science-backed way to help them truly connect without oversharing or awkwardness.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
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