American Physical Society

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks, But You Can’t Clean Up Their Drinking Habits

Medicine & Technology Nov 26, 2014

Any pet lover knows that it comes as no surprise to discover that dogs aren’t quite as graceful as their feline friends, the cat. While a kitten will take a hundred little sips to lap up a saucer of milk, a puppy will likely splatter the milk all over the floor before drooling out half of the contents – and we love them for that. But while you may chalk up the messy behavior to a carefree disposition or a hasty nature, behavioral ethologists who study the exquisite techniques of getting a drink have recently discovered that cats and dogs have distinct strategies of their own. And each one benefits the species in its own unique way.