When a dog shakes water off its fur, the action is not just a random flurry of movements — nor a deliberate effort to drench anyone standing nearby.
This instinctive reflex is shared by many furry mammals including mice, cats, squirrels, lions, tigers and bears. The move helps animals to remove water, insects or other irritants from hard-to-reach places. But underlying the shakes is a complex — and previously mysterious — neurological mechanism.
Now, researchers have identified the neural circuit that triggers characteristic ‘wet dog’ shaking behaviour in mice — which involves a specific class of touch receptors, and neurons that connect the spinal cord to the brain. Their findings were published in Science on 7 November.
“The touch system is so complex and rich that [it] can distinguish a water droplet from a crawling insect from the gentle touch of a loved one,” says Kara Marshall, a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. “It’s really remarkable to be able to link a very specific subset of touch receptors to this familiar and understandable behaviour.”
Research article was featured on the cover of this issue of Science, with a glorious picture of a brown bear doing the “wet dog shake” (https://www.science.org/toc/science/current)
Research article: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adq8834
Please let me know if there is paywall
Why dog no shakey when in water?
Did you read it? Because of the high sensitivity. Their skin can tell between a bug and a drop of water. Submersion would feel even more different, not triggering the response
Am I really being shamed for making an obvious joke comment. Like fr this topic is niche I’m not gonna pay to read an article so I can more accurately shitpost on the internet.
He clearly didn’t read it.
After Trump won again, I’m sort of fed up with morons like that guy. If he wants to be an illiterate idiot while tve answer is right in front of him; let him.
No more covering for stupidity that stems from laziness and willfull ignorance
I share your frustration with the election result. I’d like to point out that venting it on strangers and making others more miserable is not the healthy way to go about it.
I would willingly trade all of my health for an effective way to engage these willfully ignorant dipshits.
This is the core problem humanity faces.
It’s what allowed a child raping demented toddler to become the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military the universe has ever known. For the second time.
https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/one-crucial-word/
I would like to take the time to point out that I am not an American, am a socialist and am quite astounded by the meltdown this throwaway garbage comment of mine caused 😂
It’s not you I’m mad with. It’s just with what your comment represents.
I’m really glad you released all your pent up political anger towards media illiteracy at me, for asking a question… About dogs… And why they shakey…
If you don’t want people pointing at you and talking about stupid questions, don’t ask them.
Yes, yes, such funny answer, no articles so seem like babby language, haahaa
The answer was in the post. I’m sick and tired of people considering politeness more important than common sense.
“But wyy doggo shako wyyyy wyyy”
Climate change isn’t our biggest problem. Ignorance is.
Ahahahahaha yeah sorry man next time I promise I’ll read the article and not make a joke comment so that carmilla of styria wins 😭😭
Who the fuck wants Carmilla of Styria to win. She’ll never be satisfied, always clawing for more. There is no winning with her, only not having lost so far.
They didn’t have the funding to find that out. My theory is that they actually do, but it is slowed down because of the water resistance. This action slowed down appears to us as doggy paddle.