Researchers also found that the same exposure to dogs and cats can make people more risk-averse if that's what the advertiser is trying to accomplish.

They were all asked to report their levels of pain, depression, anxiety and wellbeing before and after a 10-minute visit from a St. John’s Ambulance dog and their handler.The patients reported a significant reduction in pain, symptoms of depression and anxiety and overall wellbeing.

The dogs could detect their owner in 82 percent of cases (Image: Getty)The dogs were required to differentiate between their owners’ voices and those of 14 strangers, with varying levels of similarity to how their owners sound.Including when the voices were swapped, the dogs could detect their owner in 82 percent of cases, the results showed.

‘Owners of small animals such as rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs may need to review their pet’s housing and take steps to keep their pets cool in the warmer months to reduce the risk of heatstroke,’ she said.

The researchers say their findings highlight the need for better public awareness of heatstroke and the risk to all animals, and that cases will continue to rise with warmer weather because of the climate emergency.

Dogs will test their memories to the limits in a live-streamed competition on Wednesday night to determine the smartest canine.The Genius Dog Challenge includes six of the planet’s brainiest dogs, set to go head-to-head in a virtual stream test.

Lead author Anders Bergstrom, a post-doctoral researcher in the Ancient Genomics laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, said: ‘The dog is the oldest domesticated animal and has a very long relationship with humans.

Photograph: Phil Crowder/Alamy This created a messy, intertwined relationship between different dog types, with the details of a breed’s origin sometimes recorded only in oral history.The German shepherd shares DNA with Italian dog breeds, including the cane paratore, according to researchers.

But there’s a dog in Norway who knows not only the names of her toys but also the names of different categories of toys, and she learnt all this just by hanging out with her owners and playing her favourite game.

Some cats have even become famous like Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub. Aside from being one of the internet’s most well known pastimes, the new research shows that watching cute and funny cat videos not only boosts your energy and positive emotions, it also decreases your negative emotions.

The findings, published in the journal PeerJ , indicate that short-term fostering temporarily reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increases rest in shelter dogs. Md: Do This Immediately if You Have Diabetes (Watch). Md: Do This Immediately if You Have Diabetes (Watch).

Maybe your cat is scratching up that couch for a good reason: New research suggests that chemicals found in upholstery and carpeting may harm feline thyroids. That's in keeping with recent declines in blood levels among humans, the researchers said, as more companies phase out use of these chemicals.

The owner of Ukutula Game Reserve & Conservation Centre Willi Jacobs, 60, said: “They are both absolutely perfect cubs in every way."They are happy, healthy and playful – and leading us a merry dance."We decided to honour the researcher Isabella by naming the female cub after her and the male after her fiance Victor.”

Through the power of genomics, scientists at the University of Michigan compared the DNA of a dog and wolf to identify the genes involved in domestication. The researchers used statistical methods to tease out genetic changes of ancient dogs and wolves, found at burial sites from around 5,000 years ago.