20 h. ago Who’s a clever boy: the average dog has a mental age of about two. But what are they really thinking?

They can learn hundreds of words, count to five and read humans like a book, so why do we struggle to understand them? Scientists reveal the truth about our pets – and whether they ever feel guilty for eating our slippersThe thing that made me think my dog may be a genius was the word monkey. We’d developed a game where I’d hide her monkey toy – a sad, lifeless being, long lobotomised by my golden retriever puppy – and, when I asked her to find it, I realised she could differentiate the word monkey from other objects. A woman in the park had a similar story. On holiday in an unfamiliar cottage, she had misplaced the car keys. After hunting for them for over an hour, her dog, a border collie, overheard her and her husband talking about it, recognised the word “keys” and immediately went and found them.So maybe my dog, Rhubarb, isn’t a genius after all. Dogs, says Vanessa Woods, director of the Puppy Kindergarten project at Duke University in North Carolina, US, and writer of sev...

Politics

1 week ago 600 kinds of dogs? Pet illustrator Lili Chin aims to capture them all in whimsical drawings

Illustrator Lili Chin became fascinated with dog behavior in 2008 after her Boston terrier, Boogie, bit their landlord and they almost got evicted

Politics

2 w. ago How to raise kind children: lead by example, talk it over and get a dog

It is a simple and powerful way to help them feel calmer and happier, say the experts. So how do you teach kindness to kids?“In a hostile world, many parents might be anxious about how to raise a kinder generation – and if so, science backs you. Children who are more empathetic “tend to have more positive interactions and more satisfying relationships with friends and family,” says Jessica Rolph, co-founder of early childhood development company Lovevery. Studies show that kids who can form strong relationships do better in school, she adds. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Birmingham XL Bully attack victim's chilling final moments revealed as he tried to save himself

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Nicholas Glass, 33, was caring for four dogs, including two XL Bullies, for his brother who was in hospital when he was attacked and bled to death after he attempted to flee the home

Events

3 w. ago Birmingham XL Bully attack: Man mauled to death by pack of dogs after act of kindness

Nicholas Glass was savaged to death by four dogs in the Rubery area of Birmingham, with police only finding his body after the animals started roaming the streets

Events

4 w. ago Generous couple praised for donating entire wedding fund to save abandoned dog

Dylan McCay has been praised for his selfless act of kindness after saving the life of a dog that was left to die

Politics