Hal Herzog
@halherzog.bsky.social
Psychologist...human-animal relationships, ethics, the impact of pets on human health, writer. Blogs for Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animals-and-us
Despite their genetic problems, French Bulldogs are now the most popular purebred dog breed in the US and the UK. A new study examines the causes of the growing popularity of "flat-faced" breeds and the consequences for animal welfare. @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...
Why Do Dog Breeds With Genetic Problems Become Popular?
Popular “flat-faced” dogs like French bulldogs suffer from a host of genetic disorders. New research shows the public and even owners prefer less extreme versions of these breeds.
www.psychologytoday.com
July 21, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Despite their genetic problems, French Bulldogs are now the most popular purebred dog breed in the US and the UK. A new study examines the causes of the growing popularity of "flat-faced" breeds and the consequences for animal welfare. @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...
Reposted by Hal Herzog
I really enjoyed reading @halherzog.bsky.social’s Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat. It’s a fascinating look about how we think about animals, with the only agenda being, yeah, none of us are rational. As a zookeeper, I felt like I had more I could contribute as well.
April 9, 2025 at 6:41 PM
I really enjoyed reading @halherzog.bsky.social’s Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat. It’s a fascinating look about how we think about animals, with the only agenda being, yeah, none of us are rational. As a zookeeper, I felt like I had more I could contribute as well.
Was George Orwell right when he wrote, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others?" Here's the evidence from behavioral economics. @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...
Why Do We Spend So Much Money on Our Pets?
"Pet speciesism" explains why Americans spend 20 times more on the care and feeding of their pets than they donate to the cause of animal protection.
www.psychologytoday.com
March 7, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Was George Orwell right when he wrote, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others?" Here's the evidence from behavioral economics. @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...
A nice overview of research on why children and adults think differently about the treatment of animals. @phair-society.bsky.social phairsociety.org/2025/02/10/w...
Why Childhood May Be the Ideal Period for Vegan Education
Jared considers recent findings from developmental psychology regarding children’s relationship with animals and animal products, and explores why childhood may make an ideal period for vegan educa…
phairsociety.org
February 11, 2025 at 5:27 PM
A nice overview of research on why children and adults think differently about the treatment of animals. @phair-society.bsky.social phairsociety.org/2025/02/10/w...
Surprise...Despite media claims, dog ownership in the United States has risen only slightly since 1950. @wellbeingintl.bsky.social wellbeingintl.org/dog-populati...
Dog Population in the USA
Dog population studies reveal that 60% of the world’s dogs live in homes, not on the streets. New research links dog populations to human density, offering insights for pet policies and urban planning...
wellbeingintl.org
February 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Surprise...Despite media claims, dog ownership in the United States has risen only slightly since 1950. @wellbeingintl.bsky.social wellbeingintl.org/dog-populati...
I have been critical of some of the studies on the impact of pets on the health and well-being of their owners. But this new study is a good one. @psychologytoday.bsky.social www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...
Will Spending Time with Your Dog Cheer You Up?
A rigorous new study finds that just 10 minutes of interacting with pet dogs improves the emotional well-being of distressed owners.
www.psychologytoday.com
December 31, 2024 at 3:16 PM
I have been critical of some of the studies on the impact of pets on the health and well-being of their owners. But this new study is a good one. @psychologytoday.bsky.social www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...
Ouch...large metanalysis finds no evidence of equity aversion in non-human animals. Thanks @stevestuwill.bsky.social royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
No evidence for inequity aversion in non-human animals: a meta-analysis of accept/reject paradigms | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Disadvantageous inequity aversion (IA), a negative response to receiving less than
others, is a key building block of the human sense of fairness. While some theorize
that IA is shared by species acro...
royalsocietypublishing.org
December 16, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Ouch...large metanalysis finds no evidence of equity aversion in non-human animals. Thanks @stevestuwill.bsky.social royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
I'm not sure what to make of this, but it looks interesting - using machine learning models to predict adult dogs' personalities from their behavior as puppies.
December 14, 2024 at 11:29 PM
I'm not sure what to make of this, but it looks interesting - using machine learning models to predict adult dogs' personalities from their behavior as puppies.
From the archives -- does giving up meat change your friendships? @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/an...
Does Becoming a Vegetarian or Vegan Affect Your Love Life?
A new study finds that becoming a vegetarian or vegan may change who you spend time with and restrict your pool of dating partners.
www.psychologytoday.com
December 14, 2024 at 11:08 PM
From the archives -- does giving up meat change your friendships? @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/an...
Reposted by Hal Herzog
We are just beginning to see the deadly spillover effects of the COVID pandemic as Republican support for childhood vaccinations has plummeted to 26%!
We explain how we got here, where it's going, and what we can do to help stop it: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-polari...
We explain how we got here, where it's going, and what we can do to help stop it: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-polari...
December 12, 2024 at 4:42 PM
We are just beginning to see the deadly spillover effects of the COVID pandemic as Republican support for childhood vaccinations has plummeted to 26%!
We explain how we got here, where it's going, and what we can do to help stop it: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-polari...
We explain how we got here, where it's going, and what we can do to help stop it: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/why-polari...
Reposted by Hal Herzog
Quite a long article, but very interesting.
And hitting close to home too,having 2 #autoimmune diseases and taking one of the drugs mentionned 😔 #autoimmunelife #disabledvegan #chronicallyill #immunosuppressed
And hitting close to home too,having 2 #autoimmune diseases and taking one of the drugs mentionned 😔 #autoimmunelife #disabledvegan #chronicallyill #immunosuppressed
#Horses bled for antivenom, #crabs drained for endotoxin tests, silkworms boiled for silk, snails harvested for Tyrian purple....
Advancements in recombinant DNA, cloning, and biomanufacturing reduce our reliance on using other #animals as chemical factories.
worksinprogress.co/issue/animal...
Advancements in recombinant DNA, cloning, and biomanufacturing reduce our reliance on using other #animals as chemical factories.
worksinprogress.co/issue/animal...
Animals as chemical factories - Works in Progress
Horses bled for antivenom, crabs drained for endotoxin tests, and silkworms boiled for silk. Science can now replace these practices with synthetic alternatives — but we need to find ways to scale the...
worksinprogress.co
December 14, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Quite a long article, but very interesting.
And hitting close to home too,having 2 #autoimmune diseases and taking one of the drugs mentionned 😔 #autoimmunelife #disabledvegan #chronicallyill #immunosuppressed
And hitting close to home too,having 2 #autoimmune diseases and taking one of the drugs mentionned 😔 #autoimmunelife #disabledvegan #chronicallyill #immunosuppressed
Reposted by Hal Herzog
I've got a new post at Psychology Today
December 12, 2024 at 12:44 AM
I've got a new post at Psychology Today
Reposted by Hal Herzog
A new study looked at the relationship between cats' social behavior toward humans and their ability to solve a puzzle feeder! Read about what the researchers found on my blog!!
Link in bio/linktree or
whatyourcatwants.com/do-social-ca...
Link in bio/linktree or
whatyourcatwants.com/do-social-ca...
Do social cats have better problem-solving skills? -
A new study looked at how cats' social behavior toward humans was related to their problem-solving abilities!
whatyourcatwants.com
December 11, 2024 at 10:47 PM
A new study looked at the relationship between cats' social behavior toward humans and their ability to solve a puzzle feeder! Read about what the researchers found on my blog!!
Link in bio/linktree or
whatyourcatwants.com/do-social-ca...
Link in bio/linktree or
whatyourcatwants.com/do-social-ca...
Yet another epidemiological study supports "the pet effect paradox." Pet ownership was not linked to better mental health. Cat ownership was associated with increased loneliness in men, and women with dogs had lower life satisfaction. www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14...
Pet Ownership and Psychosocial Factors in Adults Aged 40 Years and Over: Results of a Large Nationally Representative Longitudinal Survey
Thus far, few cross-sectional studies have investigated the association between pet ownership and psychosocial factors. As longitudinal studies on this topic are mostly lacking, this study aimed to an...
www.mdpi.com
December 3, 2024 at 7:51 PM
Yet another epidemiological study supports "the pet effect paradox." Pet ownership was not linked to better mental health. Cat ownership was associated with increased loneliness in men, and women with dogs had lower life satisfaction. www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14...
Surprise! "The current study indicates human–pet play does not contribute to the ‘pet effect’ nor social buffering, thus raising questions for future research regarding the exact purpose of play within the human–pet relationship."
www.mdpi.com/2813-9372/1/...
www.mdpi.com/2813-9372/1/...
Exploring the ‘Pet Effect’: Does Playing with Pets Contribute to Owner Wellbeing?
Although many people strongly believe in wellbeing benefits of having pets (the ‘pet effect’), research on the ‘pet effect’ in actuality is highly mixed. Surprisingly, little research has explored the...
www.mdpi.com
December 2, 2024 at 8:47 PM
Surprise! "The current study indicates human–pet play does not contribute to the ‘pet effect’ nor social buffering, thus raising questions for future research regarding the exact purpose of play within the human–pet relationship."
www.mdpi.com/2813-9372/1/...
www.mdpi.com/2813-9372/1/...
“Natural selection isn't something that just happens to organisms,” she says. “They have capacity in that process. So, it’s a bit of a reframing of what we think to be true about nature.” gsas.harvard.edu/news/new-tak...
A New Take on Natural Selection
Through a mix of fieldwork and laboratory experimentation, Yale Professor—and newly minted MacArthur Fellow—Martha Muñoz, PhD ’14, is gaining insight into how species’ behavior and physical traits sha...
gsas.harvard.edu
December 2, 2024 at 7:26 PM
“Natural selection isn't something that just happens to organisms,” she says. “They have capacity in that process. So, it’s a bit of a reframing of what we think to be true about nature.” gsas.harvard.edu/news/new-tak...
Reposted by Hal Herzog
Why do humans have language? 🗣️
@mcgill.ca PhD student Gabriel Blanco Gomez explores how #genetics, #neuroscience & #culture shape human communication. Discover what makes our #language unique—and why it's one of science's greatest mysteries! 🧪🌟
Watch now: youtu.be/0hnktq_VH1s?...
#AcademicSky
@mcgill.ca PhD student Gabriel Blanco Gomez explores how #genetics, #neuroscience & #culture shape human communication. Discover what makes our #language unique—and why it's one of science's greatest mysteries! 🧪🌟
Watch now: youtu.be/0hnktq_VH1s?...
#AcademicSky
Why Do Humans Have Language? | Gabriel Blanco Gomez
YouTube video by Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives
youtu.be
December 2, 2024 at 4:26 PM
Why do humans have language? 🗣️
@mcgill.ca PhD student Gabriel Blanco Gomez explores how #genetics, #neuroscience & #culture shape human communication. Discover what makes our #language unique—and why it's one of science's greatest mysteries! 🧪🌟
Watch now: youtu.be/0hnktq_VH1s?...
#AcademicSky
@mcgill.ca PhD student Gabriel Blanco Gomez explores how #genetics, #neuroscience & #culture shape human communication. Discover what makes our #language unique—and why it's one of science's greatest mysteries! 🧪🌟
Watch now: youtu.be/0hnktq_VH1s?...
#AcademicSky
Reposted by Hal Herzog
New paper on using talking buttons w/dogs (but cats too): "although well intentioned and playful, this approach...runs the risk of replacing the ways that dogs truly communicate with people, such as barking and whining, with an infantile form of human communication" mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/22/3272
Talking Dogs: The Paradoxes Inherent in the Cultural Phenomenon of Soundboard Use by Dogs
In recent years, dogs that appear to communicate with people by pressing buttons on soundboards that replay pre-recorded English words have become very popular on social media online. We explore how t...
mdpi.com
November 15, 2024 at 1:53 AM
New paper on using talking buttons w/dogs (but cats too): "although well intentioned and playful, this approach...runs the risk of replacing the ways that dogs truly communicate with people, such as barking and whining, with an infantile form of human communication" mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/22/3272
Reposted by Hal Herzog
Very excited to share new research out in Anthrozoös looking at how pet ownership may impact family involvement in sports and other activities using the #ABCD Dataset.
Free ePrint here for anyone interested:
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/K7KN7...
#HAI #Pets
Free ePrint here for anyone interested:
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/K7KN7...
#HAI #Pets
Pet Ownership and Family Involvement in Sports and Other Activities
The impact that companion animals may have on adolescent engagement in sports and other activities is currently unclear. This study included participant data gathered from the Adolescent Brain Cogn...
www.tandfonline.com
November 18, 2024 at 2:11 AM
Very excited to share new research out in Anthrozoös looking at how pet ownership may impact family involvement in sports and other activities using the #ABCD Dataset.
Free ePrint here for anyone interested:
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/K7KN7...
#HAI #Pets
Free ePrint here for anyone interested:
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/K7KN7...
#HAI #Pets
A study of 15,000 students suggests recent increases in vegetarianism have been limited to women. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...
November 26, 2024 at 9:51 PM
A study of 15,000 students suggests recent increases in vegetarianism have been limited to women. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anim...