Research Indicates Therapy Dog Interventions Reduce Loneliness
The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced results of a randomized clinical trial that indicate the presence of a therapy dog contributes to greater immediate improvement in loneliness for psychiatric inpatients than visits from another person, or standard care alone. This study, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, was conducted by Dr. Nancy Gee, Director for the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University, and colleagues.
Hearing angry or happy human voices is linked to changes in dogs’ balance
In a small study, dogs experienced both stabilization and destabilization of their balance upon hearing angry or happy human voices, but angry voices were linked to the biggest destabilizing effects. Nadja Affenzeller and colleagues at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on January 28, 2026.
Study finds that the majority of modern dogs have detectable wolf ancestry
New research led by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History reveals that the majority of dogs living today have low but detectable levels of post-domestication wolf ancestry that has likely shaped characteristics including body size, sense of smell, and personality traits.
Golden retriever and human behaviors are driven by same genes
The research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to show that specific genes linked to canine behaviour are also associated with traits like anxiety, depression, and intelligence in people.
The Talking Dog Question: What Evolution and Neuroscience Tell Us About the Limits of Canine Communication
A comprehensive review from Hungary's BARKS Lab explores why dogs haven't evolved speech despite 15,000+ years of human cohabitation—and what this reveals about comparative cognition, interspecies communication, and the clinical assessment of canine communicative abilities.
Does Exam Location Affect Stress in Dogs During Veterinary Exams? A Randomized Crossover Study
Veterinary visits can be stressful for dogs, with many exhibiting fear-related behaviors such as trembling, panting, yawning, low tail posture, and avoidance of interaction. Previous research suggests that examination tables may increase stress, particularly in dogs with prior negative veterinary experiences. However, until now, no studies had directly compared stress levels in dogs examined on a table versus the floor under standardized conditions.