Latest news with #AppliedAnimalBehaviorScience
Newsweek
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Woman Wonders Why Rescue Dog Struggles To Learn Commands—Then Realizes
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. An American woman living in Brazil is getting a boost in her language skills—thanks to her dog. Leigh Stephens, 26, a graphic designer from Kansas, USA, now lives in São Paulo, after meeting her now-husband, Gabriel Santos, and moving to be with him in 2023. Stephens is still getting to grips with learning a new language, but she found an unexpected help with her Portuguese skills—when the couple adopted a dog. "We'd been wanting a dog for a while, and one day we were walking past the park near our house when we stumbled on an adoption fair. We saw him and it just felt right, so we brought him home," Stephens told Newsweek. She described the dog, who they have named Billie, as "what Brazilians often call a 'caramelo,' which is a common street dog breed here, usually with that signature caramel color. Billie giving no reaction as his owner speaks to him in English. Billie giving no reaction as his owner speaks to him in English. TikTok @leighabroad "They're kind of a national symbol and beloved by a lot of people here." After bringing Billie, two, home, Stephens got to work on training him with basic commands, but "quickly noticed he just wasn't responding." A 2022 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science found that dog owners report their dogs responding to between 15 and 215 words, generally encompassing three distinct types: general words, commands, and nouns. A dog's breed, whether it was a working dog, and how quickly it picked up words, contributed to the number of words it responded to. For Stephens, she was initially baffled, but eventually had a lightbulb moment, and asked her husband how to say phrases like "sit," or "paw"—and "sure enough, when I said it in Portuguese, he'd get it right away. "It turns out he already knew some commands from life at the shelter and I've had to catch up!" In a video to Stephens' TikTok account, @leighabroad, and also shared to her Instagram @ Stephens showed off Billie's obedience skills-—and her own growing language skills. Posted on July 8, and already viewed close to one million times, it showed Stephens and Billie hanging out together in front of the camera, as she asked him to sit, shake the paw, if he was hungry and whether he wanted to go outside in English. Billie took no notice whatsoever, simply leaning against his owner for cuddles as she stroked his back. Then, however, she asked in Portuguese if he was hungry—and his reaction was immediate, as he jumped up at her while licking his lips. When she asked in Portuguese if he wanted to go outside, he leaped off her and ran towards the door, his tail wagging furiously. "I wonder if he is confused all day when I'm talking in English," she said with a laughing emoji in the caption. Billie has a big reaction when Stephens asks him questions in Portuguese. Billie has a big reaction when Stephens asks him questions in Portuguese. TikTok @leighabroad Stephens told Newsweek that she does most of the training exercises with Billie, "so I had to start learning the phrases in Portuguese just to communicate with him. "It's been a huge—and unexpected—help in my own language-learning journey because now I speak mostly Portuguese at home, thanks to him. "It's kind of hilarious that I learned dog commands before I learned basic future tense verbs or how to schedule a doctor's appointment!" TikTok users loved the clip, one writing: "The fact that we can learn so much just by giving them love," as another laughed at "his face when you talked in English." "It's crazy what they understand," another wrote. "My dogs are bilingual because we speak English and French on the regular. It's funny." And one said sweetly: "It just shows that all we need is a little understanding to be our true selves." 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.
Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Man Warns Girlfriend about Getting 'Attached' To Foster puppy—It Backfires
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 man who warned his girlfriend to not get too "attached" to their foster puppy was made to eat his words after what happened next. Michelle Hoffman and her boyfriend Lucas, from Cologne in Germany, had not planned on becoming foster carers to Rosa the French Bulldog puppy. "Lucas had a French Bulldog before, and because this breed often suffers from serious health issues, we had actually decided not to take in another one," Hoffman said. But that all changed the day they met Rosa. "We immediately felt for her," Hoffman said. "It was clear she hadn't received the care and attention she needed. She was also struggling to breathe, which really moved us." Rosa the puppy playing with Lucas her foster carer. Rosa the puppy playing with Lucas her foster carer. TikTok/ The couple already shared one dog, Abbey, another French Bulldog that Lucas had found as a puppy living in ill health with a breeder. "He couldn't bear to watch her getting painful antibiotic injections again and again. So despite everything, he bought her," Hoffman said. "He knew that if he didn't, she might not survive." The first few years of Abbey's life was fraught with health issues. Hoffman said Lucas spent around $23,000 on veterinary care and surgery to ensure she had the "best possible life." "She's now eight years old and healthy," Hoffman said. "That's also why we wanted to help Rosa. When we saw her, we just knew – she deserves a chance too. A safe home, proper care, and love – everything every dog should have." The couple agreed to foster Rosa with a view to finding her a loving new home to call her own. In the meantime, they set about making her feel as comfortable as possible in their home. "We even removed the door from our pantry to create a cozy little space just for Rosa – a quiet retreat where she can feel safe and comfortable," Hoffman said. A little TLC can go a long way with a shelter dog. In 2018 a study published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science found just 15 minutes of one-on-one petting was enough to provide a measurable boost to the wellbeing of a shelter dog. Rosa was finally starting to get the care and attention every dog deserves. It was something joyous and not just for her either. Lucas had told Hoffman on several occasions not to get too "attached." Hoffman soon realized she wasn't the one who needed telling though. Read more Dad slips up while talking to son, and doorbell cam captured every word Dad slips up while talking to son, and doorbell cam captured every word "I started to notice that Lucas was the one getting truly attached when he brought her into our bed for the first time," she said. "From that day on, she was with us everywhere – at restaurants, on walks, on day trips. She had clearly become part of our little family." If any further confirmation was needed, it came on the day Hoffman caught sight of Lucas and Rosa playing in their backyard. She couldn't help but laugh. "Lucas had just said we shouldn't get too attached – and then there he was, walking her so gently and lovingly," Hoffman said. "It was such a beautiful contradiction that showed how quickly animals can steal our hearts, even when we try to keep some distance." Eager to capture this perfect snapshot of how easy it is for a foster dog to become a foster fail, Hoffman took out her phone and hit record. The resulting footage was posted to her TikTok @ where it's been watched nearly 75,000 times since being shared last week. There are no prizes for guessing what happened next. "We ended up adopting her," Hoffman said. "She's staying with us for good." While Rosa's is a happy ending, Hoffman knows there are other dogs out there in need of help. She hopes her story inspires others to follow their example. "We hope people feel the love and warmth that can come from caring for an animal," she said. "Sometimes it's those quiet little moments that reveal just how deep the bond becomes."
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Couple Go to Shelter Looking for a Chihuahua—Realize 'Dog Picks the Family'
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 family who came to an animal rescue in search of a Chihuahua had a change of heart thanks to the efforts of a precocious shelter puppy named Fang. Shelter dogs have a small window of time in which to make an impression on a visitor. One 2014 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science estimated that shelter visitors interacted with just one pet per visit and that these interactions lasted an average of just eight minutes. Fang was different though. When his future family came to the Laurie P. Andrews Adoption Center in Edinburg, Texas, it took a matter of seconds for the pup to catch their attention. "Fang came in as a stray with his mama and eight siblings" Aileen Betancourt, an adoption specialist at the nonprofit shelter, told Newsweek. "Fang's mom gave birth outside the shelter, and Animal Control picked up the whole litter when he was just days old. He grew up here until his forever family walked in." There was something special about Fang's adoption though. His family had come with the intention of taking home an entirely different breed of dog. "They initially came in looking to adopt a small-breed Chihuahua and didn't even realize we were an adoption center," Betancourt said. In truth, finding a Chihuahua at the adoption center was a long shot. "Since most of our dogs are strays, small breeds are rare here," Betancourt added. Some visitors might have simply gone home at that point. However, Fang had other ideas. "The moment they saw Fang in his kennel, they felt something special," Betancourt said. "After taking him out for an interaction, they knew he was the one." It was a reminder to Betancourt of something she has seen time-and-time again—"sometimes the dog picks the family." Fang and his siblings were rescued as puppies. Fang and his siblings were rescued as puppies. TikTok/lifesavingpixie Betancourt chronicled this old adage and Fang's heartwarming journey in a video posted to her TikTok account @lifesavingpixie. She hopes it will inspire others to take a chance on dogs like Fang if they feel a connection. "I believe many adoptions happen just like that," she said. "More often than not, it's the dog that chooses the the ones who get adopted." Though it's still early days, Betancourt is pleased to report that Fang is settling in well with his new family and has already undergone one major change since his shelter days. "Now that he's found his forever home, his new family renamed him Bruno, and it suits him perfectly," she said. "He's still just a big baby, only about 4 and a half months old." The pup's story is a happy one and a reminder of the kind of unexpected joy that can be found simply by visiting your local animal shelter. As Betancourt says: "Sometimes people come in just to visit or look around, and they end up leaving with a furry friend they didn't expect to fall in love with."
