Thursday, December 15, 2005

stress A quality dog/owner relationship no help to storm-phobic canines. Having a sympathetic owner did not lower the stress reaction of dogs that become anxious or fearful during noisy thunderstorms but living in a multi-dog household did, a Penn State study has found. The study is among the first to measure, non-invasively, the production of a specific stress hormone produced by both the dog and its owner in response to stress in their home. The technique offers a new tool to assess animal welfare in a wide variety of non-laboratory settings, including high stress environments such as search and rescue and police-related pursuit. [Science Blog -] 10:00:27 AM    comment

eWeather 2005 warmest ever year in north. 2005 has been the warmest year in the northern hemisphere on record, and the second warmest globally. [BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition] 9:57:03 AM    comment