Woof Meow Pet Tip for August 17, 2026 at Star 977 with Don Hanson – New Science About Cats & Dogs
< Updated 2026-08-17 >
< The link to this page – https://www.forcefreepets.com/wfmwtip-2026-08-17/ >
MIKE DOW: – Welcome to Woof Meow with Don Hanson here on Star 977. When it comes to pets, how to best care for them, how to train them, and how to make that bond with your pet even stronger, do what so many people in Maine do: they go to Don Hanson at Green Acres Kennel Shop, 1653 Union Street in Bangor, and online at greenacreskennel.com, and at the ForceFreePets website at forcefreepets.com
DON: – At Green Acres Kennel Shop and Force Free Pets, it is our mission to provide humane, ethical, and empathetic pet care and education based on SCIENCE. We do that by attending webinars, conferences, and reading scientific journals. This week I’m going to discuss two papers that recently appeared in some of those journals. The first is about cats. We’ve all seen a cat grooming another cat by licking, which appears affectionate. However, a new study at Ghent University in Belgium found that such licking, known as allogrooming, is not always affectionate. It can also be a form of bullying where one cat licks another until the one being licked moves away. I’ll discuss the dog study after the break.
MIKE DOW: – Since 1995, Don has owned Green Acres Kennel Shop at 1653 Union Street in Bangor, offering pet food and supplies, boarding, daycare, and grooming. Learn more at greenacreskennel.com. Don also offers education for pets and their people at forcefreepets.com.
DON: – Scientists have been investigating a dog’s ability to recognize the emotional state of both other dogs and humans for several years. A paper published by iScience on August 10, 2026 revealed that by looking at our faces, dogs can determine whether we are happy or afraid. This is important because if you and your dog are both happy during training, you’ll be a better teacher, and your dog will learn faster. Your dog can also tell if you are angry or sad. You can read articles about both studies on my blog at ForceFreePets.com, where you will also find links to both studies.
MIKE DOW: – Animal lovers listen for Woof Meow with Don Hanson each Monday at 4:20, and at various times during the week, only on Star 977
Cats Grooming One Another Is NOT Always Affectionate – https://www.forcefreepets.com/shared-2026-08-03/
Dogs Understand Our Mood Based on Our Facial Expressions – https://www.forcefreepets.com/shared-2026-08-16/
I maintain two blogs, where I write about a variety of topics related to dogs and cats, or with a “Woof and Meow” theme. You can explore either by clicking on the links below. I also often share links to articles written by others that I believe you will find interesting. If you like what you see, please subscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you think friends and family members would like what I’m writing about, please share the link. – Don Hanson, PCBA-A.
ForceFreePets Blog –
https://forcefreepets.com/blog/
Green Acres Kennel Shop Blog –
https://www.greenacreskennel.com/blog/
©Donald J. Hanson, PCBC-A, All Rights Reserved
