Losing pets is always difficult, especially for children. We get so attached to our animals that they become an important member of the family that needs to be fed, watered, entertained, kept comfortable and kept happy. They play valuable roles in our lives and we know from experience that when they’re suddenly not there anymore, there is a startling void in their place. Like people, they can’t just be replaced. They have their own personality with their own fears, quirks and habits, likes and dislikes. Cliche as it may sound, losing one is like losing a friend that offered a lifetime of unconditional love. That’s the beauty of animals. They don’t expect anything, they don’t get angry with you, yet they can always seem to cheer you up whenever you’re down. They are always there for you, no matter what. They don’t have much to say, of course, but their presence is comfort enough.

There isn’t much we can say to make you feel better about the loss of a beloved pet, but know that you’re not the only person to ever experience this. Everyone – with a heart – understands how painful it is. It’s only human to mourn, whether it’s for a day, or for weeks or maybe even months. Anyone would be distraught when something important is snatched out of their lives by old age or illness so don’t feel bad about it. The most important thing to do is to keep yourself busy; work, family, friends, errands, trips out, maybe even a holiday. Try not to think too much about it, as impossible as it sounds. The longer you do this, the less apparent your grief will seem and sooner or later you won’t feel quite so terrible. That’s not to say you won’t still desperately miss your pet, but eventually you will be able to deal with it a whole lot easier. Try to always think of the fondest memories. Put a photo up. Regal your friends with stories of their antics and, most importantly, remember that they aren’t suffering anymore.

Body language obviously isn’t exclusive to humans. Animals don’t have the luxury of being able to communicate so thoroughly using words. You may think you know your pet pretty well, but there might be one or two hints of NVC (non-verbal communication) that you weren’t aware meant anything at all. You may even recognise a few; cats kneading, dogs cocking their heads, rabbits stomping. If you’ve ever owned any of these three pets, you’re bound to have seen this behaviour at least once. They’re not the only ones that do it, too – every animal on the planet has a unique way of communication, including rats, ferrets and reptiles!

Over the new few weeks, we want to clear up some mysteries and help you to understand your pets needs and emotions a little bit better with a breakdown of some common and uncommon bits of behaviour from a few of our furry friends.

This week is the turn of man’s best friend, the canis (or simply ‘dog’ to you and I).

Dogs

1. Tail between its legs – everyone should know this one, but just in case you don’t, a dog holding its tail between its legs is usually frightened or nervous. It may also arch its back, bend its legs and its ears will likely lie flatter. A dog that shows these signs is likely to snap at someone or something it’s are afraid of. Its pupils also tend to dilate.

2. Wagging tail, panting, erect ears – these indicate the dog is a very happy, relaxed and confident pooch that is probably having fun.

3. Lifted paw and flattened ears – this often suggests fear and submission.

4. Twitching or pricked ears, tail low – the dog is likely to be listening for something so is attentive, but not necessarily frightened. Dogs tend to be curious about every little sound they hear, especially if it’s new to them.

5. Tail erect or curled – this is a sign the dog is confident, happy and relaxed. Its ears will probably also be erect or pricked, though it is difficult to tell with some dogs.

6. Rear end in the air, upper body to the floor – this is called ‘baying’ and dogs normally exhibit this behaviour when feeling playful and happy.

7. Rolling over - a dog that exposes its belly is often being submissive to either another dog, or to you. It doesn’t  want to show any aggression.

8. Maintains eye contact, ruffles fur, stands tall, growls – this behaviour suggests a show of dominance either directed towards another dog, or to a person. It can be dangerous for both if not handled with care. Any dog exhibiting this behaviour towards a person should be dealt with cautiously. The dog may also start to bear its teeth and lunge. Experts suggest you maintain eye contact and calmly back away.

Stay tuned for next time when we’ll tell you all about cat communication!

According to research carried about out by Nicholas Christenfeld and Michael Roy from the University of California, dogs and their owners often have a tendency to look alike (minus the furry muzzle and walking on all fours – as far as we know, at least. There are always exceptions).The full study appears in ‘Do Dogs Resemble Their Owners’ in the journal Psychological Science. The catch here is that it is only purebred dogs that seem to resemble their owners.

Now, after a quick whip around the adflyer office for desired breed of dog to own, we’ve heard ‘husky‘, ‘belgian shepherd‘ and ‘daschund‘. Does that give you a decent picture of the type of people we have working here? Do you think any of us would share the looks and personality of each of those dogs? Does ‘husky’ bring to mind a silver haired individual with bright blue eyes and an excitable personality? Does ‘Belgian shepherd’ make you think about striking locks and a loyal, calm temperament? Does ‘daschund’ conjure the image of a short, stout person with black hair and chocolate brown eyes, always walking quickly?

Christenfeld and Roy’s study involved a number of volunteers being shown a selection of photographs; half of dogs, the other half of their owners. There was a mixture of purebred pedigrees and cross breeds amongst the dog photographs. 16 of the 25 purebred photos were correctly matched purely based on physical resemblance. This was theorised to be due to the owner subconsciously choosing a puppy that closely resembles themselves, rather than the dog eventually growing to look similar to their owner. The look of a pedigree puppy is much easier to determine than that of a cross-bred dog, eliminating the possibility of cross breeds resembling their owners and explaining why they don’t share this unusual symmetry.

Safe to say, the study didn’t go into great levels of details and no conclusion was reached about whether people naturally prefer a dog that shares their personality traits or looks. Either way, from now on we’re probably going to be closely observing owners and pets from now on just to determine how true the study results are.

Is it only dogs that resemble their owners though? Maybe you have a pet cat, pet rabbit or pet rat-like friend or relative… We wouldn’t mind seeing pictures!