a lady dog walker, walking three different dogs in an open field

Scientific Results: Social determinants of health and disease in companion dogs: A cohort study from the Dog Aging Project

Published on June 20, 2023

In this study, we explored how the social environment affects the health and well-being of companion dogs. We closely looked at data from over 21,000 dogs that are part of the Dog Aging Project and linked different components of the dog’s environment to their health. Dogs in lower-income houses or areas with more residential turnover had poorer health and less physical mobility. While these adverse environmental factors were linked to poorer health, things that capture positive social environments, like social support (e.g., living with other dogs), were associated with better health outcomes for the dogs, even after taking into account their age and weight. What’s interesting is that not all environmental components had the same impact: social support was 5x more predictive of dog health compared to financial factors. This suggests that having companionship and interaction with other dogs can greatly contribute to a dog’s overall well-being.

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a black dog lying its head on top of its owner's laptop while a set of hands is working on the laptop

Scientific Results: Development and Validation of a Novel Instrument to Capture Companion Dog Mortality Data: The Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey

Published on May 25, 2023

This manuscript details the creation, development, and validation of the End of Life Survey (EOLS), which is used to obtain information about Dog Aging Project participating dogs who have died by gathering the information directly from dog owners.

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Two women in lab coats and blue gloves smiling at the camera, one lady is sitting at the desk working on a laptop, and the other is standing next to a laboratory machine

Scientific Results: Purpose, Partnership, and Possibilities: The Implementation of the Dog Aging Project Biobank

Published on February 24, 2023

In this paper, we describe the partnership between the Dog Aging Project and the Cornell Veterinary Biobank (CVB) at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine to create the Dog Aging Project Biobank, a resource that stores and distributes biospecimens collected from Precision and TRIAD cohort participants.

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a person in a green sweater jogging outside with their dog in a park

Scientific Results: Associations between physical activity and cognitive dysfunction in older companion dogs

Published on October 12, 2022

[vc_message message_box_color=”violet” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-paw”]Posts in our Scientific Results series introduce recent papers published in the…

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A close-up of a blonde fluffy dog on its hind legs, smiling at the camera in an outdoor setting

Scientific Results: Demographic factors associated with joint supplement use in dogs from the Dog Aging Project

Published on September 12, 2022

[vc_message message_box_color=”violet” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-paw”]Posts in our Scientific Results series introduce recent papers published in the…

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A mix of four dogs running in a grassy field.

Scientific Results: Lifetime prevalence of malignant and benign tumors in companion dogs

Published on September 8, 2022

Cancer is a disease that affects both humans and our dogs. Many cancers share similar features in both species and the etiology (set of causes) and the treatment can be similar in our furry companions. The DAP Pack presents a unique opportunity for researchers to explore the reasons why cancers occur in order to help both species live longer, healthier lives together.

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a close-up of legs in jeans and sneakers walking a white little dog on a sidewalk

Scientific Results: Living in a Disadvantaged Neighborhood is Associated with Reduced Dog-Walking

Published on September 6, 2022

[vc_message message_box_color=”violet” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-paw”]Posts in our Scientific Results series introduce recent papers published in the…

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a black puppy with its paws on a laptop in an office setting

Scientific Results: Development and evaluation of a survey instrument to assess veterinary medical record suitability for multi-center research studies

Published on August 23, 2022

In this paper, we describe how the Dog Aging Project developed, assessed, and refined our veterinary electronic medical records (VEMR) evaluation process. Two sequential studies were completed to determine what screening criteria could be used to determine if an uploaded VEMR was both a true medical record and was suitable for research analysis.

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A lady in a purple blouse sitting on a bench is holding three puppies

Scientific Results: Once-daily feeding is associated with better health in companion dogs

Published on June 14, 2022

In this paper, we used data collected from the Dog Aging Project Pack to better understand the relationship between our dogs’ health and their diet—and specifically, how often they are fed each day. This work was motivated by data in laboratory rodents showing intermittent fasting can lead to better health and cognitive outcomes.

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a white dog sitting on a rock looking out into a lake with mountains

How Did the Dog Aging Project Begin?

Published on June 24, 2019

It was 2007. I had been working on the biology of aging for almost 20…

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