Latest news with #Australianshepherds
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Climate
- Newsweek
Owners Can't Find Husky Post-Thunderstorm—Then Make Heartbreaking Discovery
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A couple from Palm Beach, Florida, couldn't find their Siberian husky after a violent thunderstorm. Where they found him has melted hearts all over social media. His owner, Corey Moriarty, told Newsweek that he had never shown fear of storms before, but when this particularly intense thunderstorm hit recently, it spooked him. After a short search, they found him curled up inside the bathtub, waiting for the storm to pass. A viral TikTok video shared in May under the username @imbluethesiberiann, shows the moment the pup starts to feel secure again. "We wanted him to know he's safe so I got in the tub with him and brought in his favorite blanket and stuffed animal so he knew he was in a safe place," Moriarty said. Screenshots of the viral video show Moriarty comforting Titan in the bathtub. Screenshots of the viral video show Moriarty comforting Titan in the bathtub. @imbluethesiberiann "We're always told not to coddle them when they're scared, but it's really hard not to in these situations so we just try to hang out with him and just make him feel more comfortable. Hopefully he won't freak out like that again, but it's Florida in the summer so thunderstorms are pretty common!" Dogs often fear thunderstorms due to a combination of canine noise aversion, separation anxiety, and static electricity, usually triggered by barometric pressure changes, wind, thunder, lightning, and low-frequency rumbles that come ahead of a storm. Noise-sensitive dogs, particularly breeds like border collies and Australian shepherds, may have a genetic predisposition to noise phobias. Some dogs may also experience separation anxiety during storms. They will feel safer when their owner is nearby. If storm anxiety becomes severe, you should contact your veterinarian to discuss anti-anxiety treatment and specialized training to help them deal with it, Veterinary Specialists of the Rockies suggest. The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 710,500 views and 96,500 likes on the platform. One user, Kal Peritus, said: "They all are just a big babies and it's our responsibility to care for them and love them unconditionally. Because they do this for us too." Shay wrote: "It breaks my heart to see animals afraid of storms/loud noises. Thanks for comforting him." Another user, WeezieH6665 added: "I sat with my husky last week for an hour and a half of thunder and lighting. I felt so bad for her." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
BBC News
12-02-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Does your dog follow instructions? Scientists might know why.
Is your dog good at following instructions? Scientists believe they have discovered been researching the best tactics to get dogs to pay attention and follow instructions you give them and it's simpler than you might point and stare! Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna in Austria used eye-tracking helmets on 20 dogs to determine how they responded to different cues from humans. The dogs in the study were different breeds including Staffordshire terriers, Australian shepherds, poodles and some mongrels. Using two bowls, only one of which contained a treat, the dogs were tested in different scenarios - scientists pointing at a bowl, looking at the bowl, or doing both at the same time. They also used the classic dog owner prank of pretended to throw a ball in the direction of the bowl, while really keeping it in their hand. After the signal was given, cameras on the dogs helmets tracked where the dogs looked. The scientists then studied the results. They found that dogs seemed to understand instructions best when the scientist both pointed and stared at the bowl that contained the maybe unsurprisingly dogs understood least when the scientists pretended to throw the ball. Researchers believe that these findings begin to show that dogs follow human cues beyond simple instructions . However, there is still more research to be done before scientists can draw complete conclusions. More understanding is needed on exactly how much dogs can understand and how this compares to the way humans learn.
