WRITING 60
Animal Research- Giselle Gin
Welcome to my research agenda!
This is where I'll publish all my research findings from other scientists, researchers, and educators regarding topics relating to dogs. I will also publish my annotated bibliographies here!
What I learned!
While researching and writing about each bibliography, I learned the importance of utilizing different databases to help find evidence for my area of study. Specifically, for my sciccom article, I learned about different factors that are crucial to dog cognitions, one being their olfactory system responsible for their sense of smell and how they navigate the world. For the defining the problems section, I gathered research on why it's important to adopt from the shelters to avoid increasing the number of innocent lives that are being euthanized every year. This relates to my solution's problem as supporting shelters prevent puppy mills from continuing with their business, ultimately saving more dog lives.
Scicomm Article Research Studies
1
Bray, E.E., Gruen, M.E., Gnanadesikan, G.E. et al. Dog cognitive development: a longitudinal study across the first 2 years of life. Anim Cogn 24, 311–328 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01443-7
The article, “Dog Cognitive Development: A Longitude Study Across the First 2 Years of Life,” was mostly written by Emily Bray, a research associate for the Canine Companions for Independence, an original paper published on October 28th, 2020. To conduct this experiment, 160 candidate assistance dogs were studied at two time points in their life where the stability of cognitive traits was studied. As a result, it was found that certain traits that were seen in early development can predict certain cognitive behaviors in dogs when they are young adults. This article highlights the significance of understanding certain cognition traits in dogs and how they vary with individuals. This study is fairly similar to the other two as it focuses on cognition in dogs. Although the method used in this study was a longitudinal one, the primary focus of all three articles is the importance of understanding cognition in dogs.
2
Albuquerque N, Guo K, Wilkinson A, Savalli C, Otta E, Mills D. 2016 Dogs recognize dog and human emotions. Biol. Lett. 12: 20150883. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0883
The article, “Dogs Recognize Dog and Human Emotions,” written by Natalia Albuquerque, a researcher in the department of experimental psychology in Sao Paulo, was published on January 1st, 2016. To conduct this experiment, 70 healthy socialized family dogs were presented with two different sources of emotional information from visual and auditory inputs. As a result, it was discovered that dogs can discriminate between positive and negative emotions from both humans and dogs. This study emphasizes how dogs are capable of detecting emotions with humans and other dogs, highlighting the cognitive abilities dogs have. While the other two studies focus on the more broad cognitive abilities of dogs, this study is more focused on a particular aspect of dog cognition. Specifically, their ability to recognize other emotions in humans and dogs
3
Emily E. Bray, Margaret E. Gruen, Gitanjali E. Gnanadesikan, Daniel J. Horschler, Kerinne M. Levy, Brenda S. Kennedy, Brian A. Hare, Evan L. MacLean,
Cognitive characteristics of 8- to 10-week-old assistance dog puppies,
Animal Behaviour, Volume 166, 2020, Pages 193-206, ISSN 0003-3472,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.05.019
The article, “A Standardized Behavior Test for Potential Guide Puppies: Methods and Association with Subsequent Success in Guide Dog Training,” by Lucy Asher who works at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science in Nottingham, was published in 2020. To conduct this experiment 587 potential guide dogs were exposed to a series of stimuli at 6-8 weeks of age where the responses were recorded on a number scale. As a result, it was found that the standardized tests in young dogs do reflect success in guide dog training. This study highlights how testing dogs on early standardized tells could lead to better successful guide dog training in the future, overall being able to help those people in need of dog assistance. Regarding the other articles, this one is more similar to the first one as it focuses more on the cognitive processes in early-aged dogs. Although all three cover a certain aspect of cognition in dogs, this one has a specific study on cognition in dogs who have the potential to be guide dogs.
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1
Patronek, Gary J., Larry T. Glickman, and Michael R. Moyer. “Population Dynamics and the Risk of Euthanasia for Dogs in an Animal Shelter.” Anthrozoös 8, no. 1 (1995): 31–43. doi:10.2752/089279395787156455.
The article, “Population Dynamics and the Risk of Euthanasia for Dogs in an Animal Shelter,” written by Gary Patronek, who works for the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, was published in April 2027. To conduct this experiment, records from Chester County PA were analyzed over a 3-year period to gather information about the statistics of dogs who are getting euthanized. As a result, it was found that euthanasia increased with age, and was more likely when the dog was mix-bred than purebred. The article highlights the increased risks of unwanted dogs getting euthanized because they are unable to get adopted by people, emphasizing how important it is to adopt from the shelter to save innocent lives. Regarding the other two articles mentioned, this article differs because of the statistical data and further research analysis that is utilized. Although the study went more in-depth about euthanasia in dogs, it ultimately highlights the risk factors dogs are put at.
2
Menor-Campos DJ. Ethical Concerns about Fashionable Dog Breeding. Animals (Basel). 2024 Feb 28;14(5):756. doi: 10.3390/ani14050756. PMID: 38473141; PMCID: PMC10930939.
The article, “Ethical Concerns about Fashionable Dog Breeding,” written by David Campos, a professor who works for the Department of Medicine and Animals, was published on February 29th, 2024. This article raises concerns about the potential health risks of dogs who are bred by people by encouraging breeders to not breed based on looks but rather on a dog's health. Furthermore, the main focus of this article promotes that a dog's health is more important than their looks, raising awareness of the potential risk breeders put them in. As a result, more shelter dogs are not getting adopted causing innocent lives to be taken away as more people are buying from breeders instead. This article relates to the other two and goes into depth about the ethical concerns of dogs in the shelter. While adopting for breeders comes with risks, it ultimately prevents more shelter dogs from being adopted, causing even more innocent lives to be taken away.
3
Sutter, N., Ostrander, E. Dog star rising: the canine genetic system. Nat Rev Genet 5, 900–910 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg1492
The article, “Dog Star Rising: The Canine Genetic System,” by Nathan Stutter, who works for the Genome Research Institute, studies purebred dogs and how they are more likely to develop genetic defects causing health problems The article goes in-depth into the genetic tools and how to understand the diseases purebred dogs are more at risk with. By understanding purebred dog-prone diseases, scientists can get a better understanding of what kinds of treatment would be best for these dogs so that they can live a longer healthier life. Regarding the other two articles, this one is similar because it highlights the potential risk of purebred dogs. Specifically, it goes in-depth about the kinds of diseases they are prone to and how understanding their genomes would help scientists put an end to them. Overall, all three of these articles bring awareness to the risk of shelter dogs with the purebred dog crisis.
Defining the Problems
Solutions to the Puppy Mill Crisis
1
Burger, Kailey A. "Solving the Problem of Puppy Mills: Why the Animal Welfare Movement's Bark Is Stronger than Its Bite." Washington University Journal of Law & Policy, 43, 2013, pp. 259-284. HeinOnline. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1789&context=law_journal_law_policy
The journal article, "Solving the Problem of Puppy Mills: Why the Animal Welfare Movement's Bark Is Stronger than Its Bite," by Kailey Burger who works for the Washington Journal of Law and Policy, was published in 2013. This journal explores the inhuman conditions dogs are put through in puppy mills. Specifically, it brings awareness to unsanitary conditions, overbreeding, and the economic factors associated with those working in puppy mills. As a solution to this problem, Burger brings more awareness to this problem by suggesting that we should work with more human-focused interest groups and utilize the media to help advocate to put an end to these conditions. By bringing more awareness to the media and collaborating with others, more people will stop supporting puppy mills shifting more towards shelters. This article differs from the others in terms of the extent of the issue. For instance, this article focuses more on what we can do and the other ones focus on the issues within the government that would be a solution to the problem.
2
Gormley, Karen, and Jim Berry. “Animal welfare position papers, puppy mills, and you.” The Canadian veterinary journal La revue veterinaire canadienne vol. 50,11 (2009): 1166-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2764466/
The article, “Animal Welfare Position Papers, Puppy Mills, and You,” was written by Karen Gormley, a veterinary medicine doctor who published this in November 2009. To conduct this paper, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) issued statements on animal welfare and how often the federal government overlooks these documents. It brings awareness to the inhumane conditions dogs in puppy mills are treated and overlooked at the government level. This paper aimed to highlight the ongoing problems of puppy mills to bring awareness of the government issues that align with animal welfare. As a solution to this problem, veterinarians need to include information in their offices about puppy mills to spread awareness of the issues that surround this cruel treatment of dogs. By veterinarians doing this, more dog owners will become aware of these conditions of the puppy mill and spread the news to others. This study is similar to the other two as it focuses on solutions to combating puppy mills but on a government level
3
Towsey, Melissa. "Something stinks: The need for environmental regulation of puppy mills." Villanova Environmental Law Journal 21.1 (2010): 159. https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=elj
The journal article, “Something Stinks: The Need for Environmental Regulation of Puppy Mills”, by Melissa Towesy, who works in the Law of the digital repository in Villanova, was published in 2010. This journal aims to bring awareness of the unsanitary conditions of puppy mills that further lead to disease in dogs. As dogs in puppy mills are constantly under unsanitary conditions, this is leading to harm to the dogs and the environment. It recognizes it under federal law and the cruel conditions these dogs are put through even though there are laws against this treatment. As a solution, she suggests that AFO operates in a way to embraces agricultural sustainability and stewardship ethics. By recognizing this, these puppy mills can be out to an end. This journal is similar to the other ones as it recognizes this problem on a federal level and what important things should be done by them. Specifically, this is being recognized on a more environmental safety level than more federal like the other article mentioned.