Comments on: Do Pets Have Tickle Spots? http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:25:38 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: shari Weller http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/comment-page-1/#comment-3623 shari Weller Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:38:29 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/#comment-3623 hi. I like the story here about tickle spots on cats. I thought that they usually roll around whenever they play. I lvoe to watch that. thats really cute.atre they ticklish in the stomach as well? shari hi. I like the story here about tickle spots on cats. I thought that they usually roll around whenever they play. I lvoe to watch that. thats really cute.atre they ticklish in the stomach as well? shari

]]> By: Aaron http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/comment-page-1/#comment-3326 Aaron Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:16:50 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/#comment-3326 oops, I sent that last one before I was done typing it. But the main point was made, I think. I'd love your thoughts on the matter oops, I sent that last one before I was done typing it. But the main point was made, I think. I’d love your thoughts on the matter

]]> By: Aaron http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/comment-page-1/#comment-3325 Aaron Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:13:27 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/#comment-3325 I always imagined that the neurological mechanism is a simple feedback loop, like how we cry when we're sad but we're also sad when we cry, or like we smile when we're happy but are happier when we smile. There seem to be a lot of two-way links in the nervous system of all animals, where a once causal link (I move my leg and THEN feel scratching) becomes more of a general link (I move my leg and I feel scratching, or I feel scratching and I move my leg). The reverse association is usually much weaker than the direct one, but it almost always exists. I doubt it's something that dogs or cats are born with, but more something that they develop over time (a good test would be to see if little puppies have such "tickle spots"... I might be surprised by the outcome). Either way, I always knew from a very young age that the best way to get my Rottweiler to thump his leg is to scratch with my hand areas that he frequently scratches with that leg. As a more recent example, I've been able to get a cat to lick me by rubbing areas of her fur in ways that simulate the feeling of her tongue licking it. It's harder to pull off though, and best done soon after she has recently stopped licking the area... or not. As I'm sure most of us know, being licked by a cat isn't a very pleasant experience :-) I always figured that when I scratch my dog on those areas I'm just sending I always imagined that the neurological mechanism is a simple feedback loop, like how we cry when we’re sad but we’re also sad when we cry, or like we smile when we’re happy but are happier when we smile. There seem to be a lot of two-way links in the nervous system of all animals, where a once causal link (I move my leg and THEN feel scratching) becomes more of a general link (I move my leg and I feel scratching, or I feel scratching and I move my leg). The reverse association is usually much weaker than the direct one, but it almost always exists.

I doubt it’s something that dogs or cats are born with, but more something that they develop over time (a good test would be to see if little puppies have such “tickle spots”… I might be surprised by the outcome). Either way, I always knew from a very young age that the best way to get my Rottweiler to thump his leg is to scratch with my hand areas that he frequently scratches with that leg.

As a more recent example, I’ve been able to get a cat to lick me by rubbing areas of her fur in ways that simulate the feeling of her tongue licking it. It’s harder to pull off though, and best done soon after she has recently stopped licking the area… or not. As I’m sure most of us know, being licked by a cat isn’t a very pleasant experience :-)

I always figured that when I scratch my dog on those areas I’m just sending

]]> By: storm http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/comment-page-1/#comment-3302 storm Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:57:18 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/#comment-3302 Can the parvo virus in dogs travel? I was told that parvo can't travel from one yard to another. Can the parvo virus in dogs travel? I was told that parvo can’t travel from one yard to another.

]]> By: » Friday Link Round-Up: 10/17/08 http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/comment-page-1/#comment-3252 » Friday Link Round-Up: 10/17/08 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:41:18 +0000 http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/do-pets-have-tickle-spots/#comment-3252 [...] Vital information: are animals ticklish? [Dogster] [...] [...] Vital information: are animals ticklish? [Dogster] [...]

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