"Dogs are my favorite people." - Richard Dean Anderson

Happy Monday! Here's the scoop:

• The book that explores the modern day take on the idea of family

• Today’s DOTD is a very proper pup

• An app that can teach you to speak a new language in weeks (sorry, “dog” doesn’t appear to be one of the language options)

• Does your dog understand your smile?

Did you know?
The St. John's Water dog was the shared ancestor of two modern day dog breeds. Can you guess which ones?

(scroll to the bottom to find the answer!)

The new book that explores how pets transformed the idea of family
The way dog owners view their furry friends has evolved over time. Nowadays, it’s common to feel that our dogs are a part of the family. In her new book, Just Like Family: How Companion Animals Joined the Household, Andrea Laurent-Simpson examines how the modern, multispecies family came to be.

Laurent-Simpson is a sociologist who studies the impact pets have on people and their mental health. This new must-read book digs deeper into the influences of pets on the family structure.

“American pet-owners are transforming the cultural definition of family,” Laurent-Simpson says. “In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association found that 85 percent of dog-owners… think of their pets as family.”

We’re excited to add this book to our spring reading list!

Dog of the Day
Meet today's Dog of the Day - sitting in her favorite spot - Millie May!

Start speaking a new language in just three weeks with Babbel
Whether you’re embarking on a trip soon or have had ambitions of learning a new language for years, odds are you want to start speaking it confidently sooner than later.

Turn to Babbel, the top language-learning app that helps users start speaking a new tongue in just three weeks. That’s because Babbel goes far beyond just vocabulary; it’s about preparing to have real-life exchanges with locals through lessons (podcasts, games, articles and live online classes) built by expert language instructors (read: not AI).

Take up to 60% off when you start your language learning journey today.

Do dogs understand smiles?
Whether dogs are doing something silly, or simply cheering us up by keeping us company, we often find ourselves smiling at our dogs. But can dogs understand what a smile means?

The short answer is yes.

Dogs have lived side by side with humans for a very long time. Because of this long history of companionship, dogs evolved to be able to read people and predict what we want. Since most human communication is non-verbal, dogs figured out how to read non-verbal cues to understand human emotions.

Studies have shown that dogs understand a human’s tone of voice. When researchers put together a particular tone with a corresponding facial expression – for instance, a happy face with a happy tone – dogs can understand the correlation.

Research shows that while dogs aren’t born with a knowledge of what a smile means, it’s something they can learn over time through positive reinforcement. While dogs understand that a smile is a good thing, it’s unclear whether dogs understand that a smile is linked to a feeling of joy. While it’s not scientifically proven, we tend to think that our dogs know that they make us happy!

Did you know?
Answer: The Labrador Retriever and Newfoundland!

Share the puppy love
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