The dog blog

Drinks and Dogs Connecting dog trainers and perspective on training from across the world.

Dogs News -- ScienceDaily Veterinary research and news on dogs as companions, canine health, wolf pack behavior and more. If it is news about dogs, you will find it here!

  • This flower smells like dying ants, and flies can’t resist it
    on September 25, 2025 at 8:07 am

    Vincetoxicum nakaianum tricks flies into pollinating it by imitating the smell of ants attacked by spiders. Ko Mochizuki stumbled upon this finding when he noticed flies clustering around the flowers and later confirmed their unusual preference. The study reveals the first known case of ant odor mimicry in plants, expanding our understanding of how diverse floral deception can be.

  • Dogs can tell how toys work without any training
    on September 24, 2025 at 3:20 am

    Gifted dogs can categorize toys by function, not just appearance. In playful at-home tests, they linked labels like “fetch” and “pull” to toys—even ones they’d never seen before. The findings hint that dogs form mental concepts of objects, much like humans, pointing to deeper cognitive abilities.

  • Bumble bees balance their diets with surprising precision
    on August 27, 2025 at 5:07 am

    Bumble bees aren’t random foragers – they’re master nutritionists. Over an eight-year field study in the Colorado Rockies, scientists uncovered that different bee species strategically balance their intake of protein, fats, and carbs by choosing pollen from specific flowers. Larger, long-tongued bees seek protein-rich pollen, while smaller, short-tongued species prefer carb- and fat-heavy sources. These dietary preferences shift with the seasons and colony life cycles, helping bees reduce competition, thrive together, and maintain strong colonies.

  • Scientists unlock the gene that lets bearded dragons switch sex
    on August 20, 2025 at 8:07 am

    Two independent research teams have unveiled near-complete reference genomes of the central bearded dragon, a reptile with the rare ability to change sex depending on both chromosomes and nest temperature. Using next-generation sequencing technologies from China and Australia, the projects uncovered the long-sought genetic basis of sex determination in this lizard.

  • Trojan horse bacteria sneak cancer-killing viruses into tumors
    on August 17, 2025 at 2:28 pm

    Scientists have engineered a groundbreaking cancer treatment that uses bacteria to smuggle viruses directly into tumors, bypassing the immune system and delivering a powerful one-two punch against cancer cells. The bacteria act like Trojan horses, carrying viral payloads to cancer’s core, where the virus can spread and destroy malignant cells. Built-in safety features ensure the virus can’t multiply outside the tumor, offering a promising pathway for safe, targeted therapy.