How do domestic animals influence our behaviour?

Early humans did not understand the mechanisms of inheritance, of DNA, or of the translation of genetic information into morphology, physiology, or behavior. But they intuitively understood that inheritance shapes behavior. By controlling mating, herds and flocks of animals useful to humans were domesticated. read more

Her background is in ethology, and she has studied a range of topics in cat and dog behavior for many years, including aspects of temperament, social behavior, feeding behavior, cognition, and age-related changes in behavior. read more

Domestic dogs are nonseasonal breeders and have on average two heat cycles/yr (range one to four). If the female does not get pregnant, she will go through hormonal changes as if she were pregnant, known as false pregnancy or pseudocyesis, which can be associated with overt physiologic and behavioral changes, including lactation, nesting, and protective aggression of objects such as toys. read more