Do dogs have feelings too?

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If you're a dog owner or spend lots of time with dog owners, you may hear things like "Oh, little Skeeter loves his new bone!" or "Scrappy's so excited when mommy comes home!". Some dog owners tend to interpret a dog's actions as love ("Aww, Rex is licking me; he loves me"), jealousy ("Peebles, you're such a jealous girl; let mommy say 'hello' to Bosco"), or guilt ("Buster! WHAT did you do?!"). Why? Because, well, we're humans and humans relate best to human emotions. Think about it: anytime animals are used in the media talking, dancing or laughing, it tends to tickle our fancy, no? Well, there's actually a name for this phenomenon called anthropomorphism (say that five times fast!), which is essentially the projection of human emotions on to anything non-human.

There has never been proof... downright scientific proof, of canine happiness. Now, Dr. Gregory Berns, an American neuroscientist (and a dog lover) wanted to know more about his own dog, Callie. So, he and his colleagues decided to dig deeper into canine emotions and set about studying the part of the canine brain that registers enjoyment. If you want to know more about this interesting study, check it out here: www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/opinion/sunday/dogs-are-people-too.html.

Either way, proof or no proof, dog owners will most likely continue to believe dogs do have feelings. Now, what about them cats?

Completely Unrelated Tips

• Need to remember a person's name? Associate it with a physical attribute of that person, like "Fit Fred" or "Short Samantha". (Bonus points for alliteration.)
• Practice one act of random kindness a day!
• If you eat something too spicy, drink some milk!
• Peel your bananas from the top for no more dangling "banana strings". (Monkey approved.) 

Break? Board? 30% Off? Why not! 

From 1 November to 15 December 2013, you'll get a 30% discount on all new boarding bookings. We've got a few unoccupied rooms at the "Inn" at this time of year and you've got gorgeous cooler weather, so here's a mutually satisfying snouty nudge. So go on, take that break! Tell us you saw our 30% offer in 7 Days and just go man, GO!