Sometime here in a galaxy far, far away and an eon ago,
there was a thread here, (or in breeds,) about dogs scratching
or, "kickstarting " when they were scratched on their backs or
chests.
Most of the folks participating in that thread are no longer
here and I cannot find it on google, but it had to do with
some muscle reactions; (insertion points and what-not).
Does anyone remember this thread besides me?
Mary?
Diane?
Anyone?

Terri

Terri wrote:

Thanks, guys.
But, I was after the scientific reasons,
not mentioned so far.

There was a real scientific reason
mentioned that I was looking for and
that was discussed. Again, it had to do
with nerve endings, or muscle
insertions, etc...


I googled dog "scratch reflex" and came up with this:
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/...rington/1.html

"In 1906 Sherrington investigated the scratch reflex of a dog, using an
electric 'flea', and found that the reflex stimulated 19 muscles to beat
rhythmically five times a second, and brought into action a further 17
muscles which kept the dog upright. The exteroceptive sensors initiated
the order to scratch, and the proprioceptors initiated the muscles to
keep the animal upright."

And this one:
http://members.aol.com/doder1/tickle1.htm

"The scratch reflex produces rhythmic movements of the limbs, designed
to remove the irritating sources of itch stimulated, for instance, by
mosquitoes and flies. Tickling a dog's abdomen produces repeated
movements of the hind limb to rid the body of imagined fleas. The
withdrawal response, an innate escape motion designed to remove a body
part from danger, produces an involuntary movement away from a tickler's
annoying fingertips."


Hopefuly these will help point you closer to what you are looking for..
there were many good/maybe better sites but they required a pc to view
them..and I'm playing on webby right now g

~misty N~Zelda
http://www.wtv-zone.com/momisty/More...ZeldieSig.html

(misty) wrote in
:


snip

I googled dog "scratch reflex" and came up with this:
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/...ies/S/Sherring
ton/1.html

http://members.aol.com/doder1/tickle1.htm


Hopefuly these will help point you closer to what you are looking for..
there were many good/maybe better sites but they required a pc to view
them..and I'm playing on webby right now g

Thank you, misty!
Very interesting and exactly_ what I was looking for!

Terri