Daily Dog Scoop

Cat fights of Afghanistan

2011-08-05T06:00:00.002-04:00

It would be a rare and interesting occasion for me to write about CATS, wouldn't it? Well, I couldn't resist this story.

The US Embassy compound in Kabul has become home to about 30 stray cats. Living in a war zone, who wouldn't want a some four legged fuzzballs to soften the atmosphere? Without attention and care, domestication falls by the wayside and a few employees have been scratched or bitten by the cats. Reminders about rabies vaccinations and other public health notifications went out. Then the calls for *gasp* "extermination." There has to be another way to deal with this, right?

Not surprisingly, a backlash has emerged, and the Cat Committee was born. The Washington Post interviewed Cat Committee members:

Working in Kabul is not easy. Staffers endure endless hours and monotonous food, walled off from the city where they work and a world away from their loved ones. Plus there’s the nagging threat that people want to kill them. The embassy bar is called the Duck and Cover.

“We basically can’t go out at all. We can’t walk across the street; we have to take a tunnel. There are no kids, no families, and basically what we have is the cats,” said one member of the committee. “It’s as close as we come to normality.”

A town hall resulted, and in response, diplomats were given 60 days to ship the cats out to new homes. The deadline passed and no cats were "exterminated" and many remain on the compound. Some have allowed the cats to take up shelter in the tin "boxes" they diplomats live in, and some have planned evacuations to places in the United States.

Now, of course, where there are humans, there are cats and dogs, right? Cats will continue to show up at the compound. And you could say there is a public health benefit to having them there: making the workers just a little less stressed, adding a little softness to the harsh environment. I hope that all parties can work together to make sure there is a balanced solution that will allow healthy cats to keep our diplomats company as they serve our country overseas.

Photo via

The girl and her dog, they were fine (wow). Until...

2011-07-07T07:00:00.008-04:00

Sure, picking up poop is gross, but you know what is more gross? NOT picking it up! No matter your day job, if you have a dog, this is just part of your duty. Check out superstar Pink pictured here doing her job at the beach, demonstrating that you can look good scooping. Even billionaire Mark Zuckerberg scoops poop.

I bet most of you are hip to the scooping, but some people make the rest of our owners look bad. Enter Puget Sound Starts Here, a partnership of regional governments dedicated to improving water quality of streams, lakes and rivers. The Doo Doogity campaign is working hard to curb irresponsible owners through innovative marketing--not by scolding them, but my making poop scooping cool!

They produced this fun video spoofing the Blackstreet & Dr. Dre "No Diggity" song with clever lyrics like "The girl and her dog, they were fine (wow). Until they left a doodie, that's a crime (bow wow)." Catchy, huh? Check out the whole video:

Your dog has you all figured out

2011-06-29T07:00:00.005-04:00

Hey people: You may not realize this, but your dog is always watching you. Research even says so! The New York Times points out that previous studies demonstrated that dogs would wait until they knew they were not being watched to exibit forbidden behavior like digging in the garden (duh). Yet, new research dives down to examine facial cues and dog behavior.

According to Dr. Monique Udell, assistant professor of psychology at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL and author of this new study, dogs "are quick learners, they can figure out when you are going to give them the next treat or whether you are going to give them a bath. Whether we know it or not, we are training them.”

She continues, “They are really good at knowing how to live the life they want inside the human home.” That is for sure! For example, I quickly figured out that the sound of my person's electric toothbrush meant that it was time for me to move into the bedroom for bed. Whether it is 8pm or 1am, I follow her lead on bedtime. And I figured this out just by watching her!

Pictured here is the internet's new favorite smiling dog. I think he is smiling because he has it all figured out!

The Dogs of Costa Rica

2011-06-20T06:00:00.010-04:00

On my recent visit Costa Rica, I came to discover that there are dogs everywhere! Some of the dogs had homes, some made their own homes on the street or restaurant/hotel patios, and some were working dogs. Surprisingly, nearly all seemed happy and healthy. It got me to thinking there must be a lot of good samaritans out there keeping an eye on these dogs.

While at dinner at the Lava Lounge in La Fortuna, we learned that the restaurant owners take care of a number of dogs in the area and help them find homes. You can even become a fan of their facebok page to see the dogs that are currently available for adoption.

Now, I am sure it is not all fun and games for the dogs of Costa Rica, but there are lots of people there looking out for them. Having the chance to make some new four legged friends and see them having fun made the trip extra special. Let me tell you about a few of them....

In Puerto Viejo, the dogs to ruled the beach, and most seemed to be from happy homes.

In Tortuguero, the resident hotel dog jumped to attention when our tables were cleared, as he knew that was where his dinner came from. The dogs of the town seemed ready to pose for tourist pictures against the colorful backdrop.

On the El Trapiche coffee plantation in Monteverde, this working dog seemed to be on his own program.

The dogs of La Fortuna followed me everywhere, they even waited outside of stores and would trot along with me to the next stop. This playful guy stole my trail map right off my lap while I was waiting outside of the laundromat....

The cattle dogs at Arenal Volcano loved to ham it up for the camera.

In Manuel Antonio, we came across a beautiful big-eared blue-eyed stray that decided to live on the patio of a local bakery, as he was there every morning.

The puppies on the beach in Manuel Antonio made my heart melt.

There were cats too. They were ok.

The softer, fuzzier side of Mark Zuckerberg

2011-03-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

Let me say up front: I love Facebook. It has revolutionized the way we all think, communicate, and share our experiences and knowledge. While founder Mark Zuckerberg may have laid this golden egg, his reputation is less than golden. Whether this reputation is deserved or not, he is making an effort to repair his image.

First, Zuckerberg donated $100 million to Newark's struggling schools. This does not yet put him in the league of the sophisticated billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, but it is good to see he is giving back.

What is the latest move for Zuckerberg image rehab? He got a puppy! Thats right, everybody loves a puppy! And everyone looks nicer and friendlier when playing with one. The pup, named Beast, has his own Facebook fan page (of course). Beast has posted pictures of his furry self, and shows the softer side of his larger than life person.

So is this a shameless ploy for good publicity? I say no, but it still may be good for not only his image but also his ego. Having a pup in your life is a humbling experience for everyone regardless of wealth and fame. In fact, one of Beast's first Facebook posts let us know that even Mark Zuckerberg picks up poop:

So, what is cooler than a billion dollars? A billion dollars covered in dog hair and puppy kisses.

Beiber-fever benefits homeless pets

2011-03-04T07:00:00.005-05:00

Justin Beiber ("the kid with the hair") sure is a media darling, and his name is everywhere these days. I was excited to hear that this young star is putting some of his fame to use--helping homeless animals! Some of you may have been devastated when he chopped his trademark locks, but would it help to know that they went to a good cause for our furry friends?

With the help of Ellen Degeneres, Beiber's hair clippings fetched a cool $40,000 on Ebay, and the proceeds will benefit the California based charity The Gentle Barn. This unique organization rescues farm animals from circumstances of neglect and abuse and shows them a better life. This 6- acre sanctuary is home to about 120 animals, from cows to emus to dogs. What makes this place extra special is that they work with these animals to then help people in need too. They partner with groups serving inner city youth, group homes, mental health care facilities, foster homes, and schools to teach children and adults "that even though we are all different on the outside, on the inside we are all the same and are deserving of the same rights, respects and freedom."

Sounds like a worthy cause to me. I guess this Beiber kid is not so bad. On the right is a picture of Beiber, back when he was just a puppy, adopting his own puppy, Sam.

Now let's talk about the person who bought a teenage boy's hair online for $40,000....

The story behind the amazing OK Go video

2011-01-31T07:00:00.002-05:00

By now you may have seen the new Ok Go video for their latest hit White Knuckles. It seems like a cool video to begin with, and the folks at Gizmodo decided to check out how they made it all happen. Long story short, the meticulously choreographed un-cut single take video features 12 talented dogs with the help of 12 equally dedicated trainers.

Animal talent manager Roland Sonnenburg helped to put it all together: "We ended up with stuffed animals, spreadsheets, flow-charts, and recorded audio instructions, and for many hours we tried various configurations until we finally found one that worked. And then we practiced and practiced."

It didn't end there--it was only at the 49th take that everyone seemed to get the hang of it. They hit an unexpected bump around take 72: the dogs got so good they started going faster than the music! At 124 takes they called it a wrap, and the video below is the result.

To keep things interesting, they also had a goat in the mix. Check it out:

Wild dogs are dogs too!

2011-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

What a treat at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois: 10 healthy pups of the African wild dog variety! These pups were born to Kim and Digger, and this is the largest litter ever born at the zoo.

Its a good thing too, because they are an endangered species. The veternarians and other staff at the zoo had the pups in for a check up recently to make sure these cuties can help reverse the tend.

Like us "non-wild" dogs, these little buggers get distemper vaccinations, booster shots. Apparently distemper is a big reason for their decline in the wild--so while shots are no fun, I am glad they are getting vaccinated so there can be more of my wild African cousins in the future. They even get microchips just like me!

L.A. Unleashed has the whole story, along with more adorable pictures and even a video of one of the surprisingly cooperative pups at her checkup.

Square dog, round hole

2010-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

They say that curiosity killed the cat, but in this case, curiosity landed this puppy in a tight spot. Rebel is a 8 month old German Shepherd puppy who just wanted to see what was on the onter side of the wall. He popped his head through the 18 inch cement wall, but getting out was not quite as easy.

Once animal control arrived, they decided that if Rebel fit in the hole, they could get out without having to destroy the wall.

They key: those big German Shepherd ears! With officers on either side of the wall, they tucked Rebel's ears back in and wiggled him back and forth for 30 minutes until he was free. They recommended that the owner keep the pup away from the hole until it was covered with chicken wire, but I bet Rebel won't be sticking his head back in that hole anytime soon.

Stuff chicks dig

2010-12-24T07:00:00.003-05:00

Last minute holiday shopping for your single lady friends? Instead of opting for candles or pajama pants this year, check out the 2011 Hot Men and Baby Animals Calendar! Your heard that right--two things women love in one calendar. This is not just for dog lovers either: puppies, kittens, bunnies, even baby goats! Something for everybody here.

But wait, IT GETS BETTER! 10% of every sale goes to support chariest that help animals, including the San Fransisco SPCA and the Milo Foundation. To put the whole thing over the top, everything is printed on all products on eco-friendly, post consumer recycled paper.

Take note guys: baby animals, supporting rescue groups, and eco-friendly products are all things that chicks dig. Also, hot guys.

Here is a preview:

Want more? Check out their behind the scenes video. Or, just buy the calendar. Support a good cause. Also, hot guys.

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post, but my person would gladly accept samples and cross promotional offers from the creative media savvy founders Audrey Khuner and Carolyn Newman.

Family Dogs: Something to be thankful for this holiday season!

2010-11-23T00:01:00.003-05:00

The holiday season can be a lot of fun, but it seems to cause a lot of stress for humans too. This is when the important work of dogs comes in. Sure, I do my part to help my person relax every day, but this work takes a little extra care during the hectic holiday season. You may be stressed about who is able to make it this year. You may worry if someone forgot the cranberry sauce or if the mac 'n cheese is not cheesy enough. All the while, you can count on your dog to remind you that there is a whole turkey in the oven. Whole. Freakin. Turkey.

There are lots of other things dogs can do to help remind you of the joys of the holiday season. Instead of just raking the leaves, spend a little time playing in them too. Curl up with a loved one by the fireplace. Sleep in. Eat leftovers for breakfast. Give lots of hugs. Chase deer (ok, maybe you won't like the last one).

My person is a little stressed about sitting in traffic on I-95 all day today, but I keep reminding her that on the other side of that trip, we will get to spend some quality time playing with my cousin Lily (and the rest of the human family of course). We are pictured above posing as two warm croissants snoozing in front of the fireplace last holiday season. We are pictured below with the great family that we are lucky to be a part of. How could you be stressed out about something like that?

Your dog, who perhaps once knew life on the street or in a shelter like me, will be quick to remind people that most of us will be spending the holiday, and every day, in a place of abundance, peace, and love. Now, that is something to be thankful for.

[This post is a part of the Pet 'Net Family Event, hosted by the good folks at Petside.com. Be sure to check them out to read other stories from across the blogosphere about the important role that pets play in families! In case you missed it, here is last year's Pet 'Net Safety event, where my snow covered cousin Lucy was featured in a post about winter hiking safety.]

A case of the Mondays...

2010-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else feel like crawling back into bed this morning?

Friday Fun Post! OMG there is a MOUSE on your HEAD

2010-11-05T07:00:00.004-04:00

Wow, I do NOT know how this dog is staying still! I am about to jump out of my skin if I just SEE a mouse, or a leaf that might LOOK like a mouse. This dog is letting the mouse CRAWL ON HIS HEAD! I am ready to explode just from watching it.....See for yourself:

178 Dog years!

2010-11-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

Glenice Bagley would like to clear something up: Sheba, is the worlds oldest dog. That is right, Sheba is over 25 in human years, or 178 in dog years! Glenice is preparing the papers to submit her entry to the Guiness Book of World Records. She was a full grown dog of three years when she was adopted in 1987. That would make Sheba three years older than the current record holder, Piccolo, a Tricolour Mongrel in Farra d'Alpago, Italy.

Regardless of her status as a record holder, it sounds like Sheba is still living a good life these days. Glenice tells The Sun, "Now she's 25 and she thinks she's still five. She jumps on the roof of the greenhouse when she sees a cat on the fence. It's a bit of a dangerous trick for an old dog. She walks like a youngster - always at my side with her tail wagging. People stop to say how lovely she is then ask her age. I tell them she's 25 and their mouths fall wide open. They can't believe it because she's so lively."

In addition to a good mix of mutt genes, Sheba has benefitted from a loving and caring home since she was rescued over two decades ago. Check out the whole story and video of Sheba with a little spring in her step.

Now a Million+1 reasons to get a dog

2010-11-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

There are lots of benefits to owning a family dog, but did you know that your four legged buddy could also help keep your child from worsening or developing eczema. Who knew?!

Dr. Tolly G. Epstein told Reuters that "14 percent of the children had eczema at the age of 4. But that rate was lower -- 9 percent -- among the 184 children who'd had a dog in the home during infancy." That is not an insignificant drop--so it is very promising. Researchers caution that the work is too preliminary for a general recommendation of whether a child prone to allergies should have a dog in the house, but the possibility of preventing eczema is just one of the millions of perks of growing up with a dog. So, if you and you family think you are ready for a dog--no need to hold out for more definitive research.

Posted here is a picture of my person with the first dog she ever met--Charlie Brown. For what it is worth, she does not have eczema. But more importantly, she knows how to have fun with a dog, relax with a dog, and has a general sense of compassion for animals, all thanks to growing up with dogs in the house.

Friday Fun Post! Intelligence contest: Great Dane v. 2 year old

2010-10-29T07:00:00.004-04:00

Last year I wrote about how Scientist Stanley Coren had determined that dogs are about as smart as toddlers aged 2-2 1/2. This week I found this fun youtube video that backs up the science:

(Warning: you may want to lower your speakers to medium. There is a very, um, vocal baby in the video)

Don't forget to read my whole story about Coren's research!

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Promising research for parents of autistic childen

2010-10-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

Dogs are emerging as a great treatment option for autistic children. Earlier this year, I wrote about Kaleb, and the autistic twins that he is helping. And now a study has been released by Université de Montreal and published in Psychoeuroendicrinology that found that dogs "had a clear impact on the children's stress hormone levels." They tested he cortisol levels in the saliva of 42 autistic children before a service dog was introduced, during a visit with the dog, and after the dog was removed. They found a dramatic impact for the time which the dog was present.

This was the first study of its kind, and according to the lead scientist, Sonia Lupien, "Our results lend support to the potential behavioural benefits of service dogs for autistic children." Let's hope so!

Image courtesy of PhotoBucket

Baxter's Forever Home

2010-10-25T07:00:00.002-04:00

Over a year ago I wrote about my buddy Baxter, who was in need of a special home. Baxter was in the custody of Homeward Trails Animal Rescue--the same folks that took me in when I was down on my luck. Not only that, but Baxter's adoption coordinator was Lisa Milot, who also helped me navigate the foster care and adoption process! I was in foster care for six months, and was even returned once. For Baxter, it was well over a year. But Lisa and the team at Homeward Trails worked with him to get help for his anxiety and energy, and much to my delight, I received a comment on my original story to share the news that she adopted Baxter over the summer and he is doing great!

I checked in with Lisa, and she told me that the Maryland couple met Baxter at a local adoption event and seemed like a great fit--especially since they had experience with other cattle dogs. Since Baxter had a some trouble finding a fit in the past, they did a "trial adoption"--which went so well that Baxter found his forever home. The couple recently updated Lisa, telling her that Baxter "has just been the sweetest, most loyal, not to mention the most playful dog I could have ever asked for." To give you an idea of how much progress this is for Baxter--he used to have to wear an e-collar all the time because he would get anxious and chew his tail until it was bloody. But look at him now--happy and relaxed in his new home!

Sure, Baxter had some trouble finding a home for a while, but like many homeless dogs, he just needed the right fit. I want to thank the dedicated folks at Homeward Trails Animal Rescue who have stood by dogs like me and Baxter while we looked for the perfect forever home for our high energy needs.

Most dogs aren't perfect, and some are even difficult. But you give those most difficult dogs a chance and help them through their issues, they might just be the most loyal dogs around. It is also very rewarding for the people, or so my person tells me.

My most important job

2010-09-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

Hello friends! Sorry I have not posted recently. My number one job--taking care of my person--has been pretty hectic lately. You see, she started a very busy new job, so I have to work extra hard to make sure she eats on time, gets her exercise, and takes a few moments for herself to relax with me. This is not an easy job, but it is very important! She thanks me for my hard work every day, and it is exciting to see her enjoying this new opportunity. Many thanks to my readers for your patience while I balance my new responsibilities!

By the way--That is yours truly pictured here on the right! I had taken my person out for a fun day of relaxing and I was lucky enough to find an old dirty tennis ball in the park! I was so happy about it that I carried it all the way home. That's just part of the everyday work of reminding my person to appreciate the simple things in life.

As far as my attire goes--I am sporting a Comfort Trainer head harness, which is a great alternative to the gentle leader, as it doesn't leave a mark on my nose yet is exceptionally durable and well constructed. Did you notice my HomeAgain Tag that reminds people that I am microchipped? You can't see it well, but I am also sporting a fashionable, yet durable Bella Bean collar. No disclosure is necessary, as we purchased all of these items with our own money and have not been contacted by any of these companies--but can say with certainty they are all great products!

Friday Fun Post: Puppy Ambush

2010-08-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

This male Airedale is babysitting some Scottie pups. He seems interested in playing with one or two, but he is quickly overwhelmed. He says, "Oh my god, they are all over me!"

Did you know this is part of my new feature, The Friday Fun Post!? I get nearly as many funny videos sent to me as I get news tips, so I guess my audience wants to see the lighter side of the dog world too. I will still stick to the serious business of dog news on most days, but check back here on Fridays for something fun! If you have a fun or adorable video to share, email it to Scoop@DailyDogScoop.com

From New Guinea to New Jersey

2010-08-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

How rare is the rarest dog on earth? Apparently there are just 200 New Guinea Singing Dogs in the world, most of of which are in captivity. Two of these very special dogs, Lexie and Marley, were living in Illinois, but have since been moved to a shared habitat at the Cohanzick Zoo in Vineland New Jersey.

These dogs are so special because they have unique genetic differences, which means they evolved separately from all other dogs in the world. They also have a very special howl--which earns them them the appropriate name. Some still do exist in the wild in New Guinea, but the folks at the Cohanzick Zoo are not leaving the survival of this rare breed up to nature.

Read more about the Cohanzick Zoo program here. If you are interested in learning more about this breed, also check out this 4 minute Animal Planet's Dogs 101 video on the New Guinea Singing dog--where you can see Lexie and Marley in action, hear the singing, and even see a few in the wild.

Aussie pig-pup duo

2010-08-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Police recently picked up an unlikely pair or Aussies: a dog and a pig! This pair was found wandering the streets of Whittlesea, Australia. Authorities were pretty sure they must have come from the same home. According to Leading Senior Constable Mick Hall "They act like a pair of pork chops when you try to separate them...They're lying all cuddled up together on the front lawn waiting for their owners." Thats right--they need to find the home that these two came from! It seems like it should be easy enough to figure out who is missing a dog AND a pig. But if they don't, I hope this adorable duo can find a new home together.

You can check out the whole story, including contact info for the authorities holding the pair at News.com.au, and thanks to Life With Dogs for the image.

Friday Fun Post: Corgi Belly Flop!

2010-08-20T07:00:00.004-04:00

This one has been making the rounds in the dogosphere, but it is perfect for this summer heat!

Such grace:

Did you know this is part of my new feature, The Friday Fun Post!? I get nearly as many funny videos sent to me as I get news tips, so I guess my audience wants to see the lighter side of the dog world too. I will still stick to the serious business of dog news on most days, but check back here on Fridays for something fun! If you have a fun or adorable video to share, email it to Scoop@DailyDogScoop.com

Heroic dogs: old news!

2010-08-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

If you think search and rescue is a new thing for dogs, think again! Smart dogs have been working on search and rescue missions for a long time, but didn't always get the recognition they deserved. In Britain, they are trying to make right on the contribution of heroic dogs in their history.

Seven dogs, known as the "Magnificent Seven" played a critical role in search and rescue missions during the London Blitz in 1940. 70 years later, these brave dogs are getting the recognition they deserve. Each will be named as an awardee of the Dicken Medal by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), which is regarded as the canine version of the Victoria Cross.

Rip, pictured here was originally a stray but proved to be a natural search and rescue dog. He helped rescue more than 100 people in just two years. Irma, another heroic dog of the era was convinced that she located a living person in a collapsed house, and she stood by the rubble for an entire day before rescuers pulled two young girls out. You should check out the whole article in the Daily Mail to see pictures and read more about these amazing dogs.

Wags to my buddy Shep for this extra special historic tip!

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Imitating humans, missing out on treats

2010-08-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

Dogs have evolved alongside humans in a way that no other animal can really match. In fact, it has been hardwired into our genes to imitate humans even when it is against our own self interest. Even when it means we are less likely to get treats! Scientists at the University of Vienna Department of Cognitive Biology tested this theory with 10 dogs.

Discovery News provided this synopsis: "All of the dogs received preliminary training to open a sliding door using their head or a paw. The dogs then watched their owners open the door by hand or by head. For the latter, the owner would get down on the floor and use his or her head to push up or down on the sliding door. The dogs were next divided into two groups. Dogs in the first group received a food reward whenever they copied what the owner did. Dogs in the second group received a food reward when they did the opposite. All of the dogs were inclined to copy what the owner did, even if it meant receiving no food reward."

Last year, I wrote about a similar story where researchers demonstrated that domesticated dogs were more likely to be mislead by humans than wolves in the classic Piaget "A not B" experiment because we have just evolved to trust humans so much.

Friday Fun Post: Dog attacks dandelion (dog wins)

2010-08-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Announcing a new semi-regular feature: The Friday Fun Post! I get nearly as many funny videos sent to me as I get news tips, so I guess my audience wants to see the lighter side of the dog world too. I will still stick to the serious business of dog news on most days, but if you need a daily dose of cute animal videos, be sure to bookmark YourDailyCute.com! Otherwise, check back here on Fridays for something fun!

If you have a fun or adorable video to share, email it to Scoop@DailyDogScoop.com

In an emergency, run to the neighbor's house

2010-08-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

Missy knows how to look after her people. After her owner Charlie Burdon collapsed, this 11-year-old dachshund's short little legs took her to all the way across the street to their neighbor's house. There, she found Charles Mitchell working in his yard. Mitchell tried to shoo her home, but she would not leave without him. Mitchell quickly realized that Missy was trying to tell him something, so decided to follow her home.

Once home, they found Charlie on the ground. He had had a heart attack last year, so Missy was right to be scared. Mitchell was able to get the paramedics there and Charlie made it to the hospital and was released the same day. Turns our he had a bad bout of vertigo, but Missy still did the right thing.

The Yambill Valley News Register in Missy's Oregon hometown recognized Missy as the "new hero in the neighborhood." Mitchell told the newspaper "She did her good deed...I'd put her on the angel list if I could."

The news article did not have a picture of Missy, but here is another dachshund image courtesy of PhotoBucket. Do you remember these diplomatic dachshunds at the United Nations?

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Another heroic pair of pit bulls

2010-08-10T13:45:00.000-04:00

Buster, the four year old chihuahua was enjoying some free playtime in his suburban backyard in Littleton, CO. It seemed like a perfectly care-free day. Until it wasn't. A coyote came into the yard and snatched up Buster and was dragging him away! Two pit bulls that lived in the neighborhood heard the commotion and did not waste any time coin to the rescue. They stared down the coyote until he realized he was outnumbered and left the injured chihuahua. These protectors laid down in the brush with Buster and licked his until his owner, Jodi Robinette arrived a few moments later.

Buster did suffer severe injuries, but is expected to recover. His vet, Dr. Bregitzer told PeoplePets.com They were "guardian angels for her dog, disguised as pit bulls."

Did you know that heroic Coloradan pit bulls could not move to Denver in their own home state? Yep. Pit bulls--regardless of past behavior--are victims of a blanket breed ban in the Denver jurisdiction. Maggie Marton over at OhMyDogBlog wants you to do something about it. Check out her site to learn more about the campaign to End Breed Specific Legislation, and follow the #endBSL conversation on Twitter. Maggie's precious bully Emmet, the inspiration behind the campaign, is pictured here.

Lucky teaches humans a lesson on littering

2010-08-04T07:00:00.004-04:00

Sit.
Stay.
Shake.
Roll over.
Pick up that garbage and put it in the trash.

Ok, that last one is new. William Keating trained his dog lucky to pick up all kinds of trash on command and place it in the proper receptacle. William only had to show Lucky a few times, and he caught right on. You may ask--"But what if he finds a broken glass bottle? It wouldn't be safe for him to pick it up!" Well, Lucky has been trained for just that situation: if he locates glass, he barks twice, and William inspects it to make sure there are no sharp edges, then lets lucky go on to finish the job.

Lucky and William are out around Gloucester, England for several hours a day doing more than their part to keep the neighborhood clean. Lucky is now quite popular for his work in the area. William is humble about their contribution, as he tells SWNS.com: "There’s so much litter in the world that maybe it doesn’t make a huge difference but it cheers people up to see Lucky doing his bit in the local area."

I think that Lucky is doing a lot more than just picking up trash. He is showing all the onlookers that it is easy to do and you can feel good just for doing the right thing--so maybe they will think twice about littering next time. But seriously, do they even need to think once about it?!

Check out more pictures of Lucky in action here.

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Oscar's unexpected leap

2010-08-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

Oscar was out having a jolly time at Old Harry Rocks in southern England, until the earth seemed to fall out from under him. While on a walk, Oscar got a little carried away, and did not stop when the person accompanying him, Laura Gardener, commanded. That can be dangerous under normal circumstances, but really scary when there are 150 foot cliffs surrounding you!

That's right--Oscar took a plunge down a 150 foot cliff. Amazingly, he landed at the bottom with little more than a serious startle. The next challenge was getting him back up. Gardener called the coastguard, but there was a canoeist who witnessed the whole thing already on his way over to rescue Oscar. Oscar is pictured here trotting along, hopefully somewhere safer. You can check out a picture of the cliff at Old Harry Rocks here. Oscar is resting safely at home with a sore leg, but is expected to recover just fine.

Steve Williams, coastguard watchman told the DailyMail "We always advise pet owners to keep their dogs on their leads near cliffs as the animals do get excited and can fall over the edge." Sounds like reasonable advise to me. Do you rememeber Polly, who survived a 300 foot plunge?

Lookout puppies land in the States

2010-07-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

Rufus was no ordinary street puppies in Afghanistan. He and his buddies, Sasha and Target, had taking a liking to the American soldiers and were not going to let anything happen to them. When a suicide bomber was approaching a base where 50 soldiers were sleeping--they made racket. Some soldiers didn't understand what the pups were saying so they tried to quiet them down. But Rufus, Sasha, and Target did not give up. They ended up spooking the bomber who set off his bomb before he was able to enter the building and do more damage. Rufus and Target did suffer injuries, and Sasha didn't make it. But that is not the end of this amazing story.

Sgt. Chris Duke was wounded in the blast, but had no doubt that he would have died if not for the lookout puppies. When Duke returned to the base after being treated, he and Rufus became buddies, and Rufus even helped him when he was feeling homesick from his pregnant wife. When he was headed home to the States in March, it broke his heart to have to leave his little four legged hero and buddy behind. With the help of the nonprofit organization Robert's Cause and some savvy social networking, arrangements were made to bring Rufus to the States to live with Sgt. Duke and his family. Rufus flew through Manhattan and caught a connecting flight to his new home in Georgia. Target was on the same flight, but is headed to her new home in Phoenix to live with the Army medic who she connected with during the same blast.

NY Post ran this story along with another picture of Rufus all grown up.

Craigslist's best "missed connection" ever

2010-07-29T07:00:00.004-04:00

You can find just about anything on Craigslist these days. You could even reunite with a dog that you had to give up years ago--though maybe not on the "missed connections" section. That is just what happened to Sandra Castillo and her dog, Milady. Four years ago Sandra suffered from severe health problems and a six month hospitalization associated with her pregnancy and was forced to re-home her two dogs. She was able to stay in touch with one of the new owners, but lost contact with Milady's new owner. She would occasionally post messages on Craigslist looking to connect with them. She never received a response. Until a few weeks ago.

Sandra made a last ditch effort and decided to make one more post on Craigslist. It turns out that the local rescue group, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), had recently sent out an email to supporters detailing the case of a cocker spaniel named Milady who was in terrible shape and desperately needed some TLC. Milady showed up with fur matted so bad around her ears that it was completely sealed and infected, and her nails were severely overgrown. As you can see in the picture here--despite her painful mats, Milady still had a smile on her face (click here to see Milady post-shaving). According to Jean Weber, the MSPCA’s director of animal protection, “Her personality is amazing and she has taught many of us about the benefits of perseverance.” Sounds like she learned something from Saundra, who did not give up when she felt like Milady disappeared. Within just 20 minutes of her last Craigslist post, Sandra found her dog again. Sandra was approved to re-adopt Milady, and the two have been reunited.

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Cool treats for the dog days of summer

2010-07-21T07:00:00.002-04:00

There are fringe benefits to enduring the sweltering summer heat: dog ice cream! The British have come up with an innovative delivery system: an ice cream truck just for dogs! The truck will be out in London area parks all summer serving up their two signature flavors: Dog Eat Hog World--a pork and chicken sorbet served in a dog biscuit cone, and Canine Cookie Crunch-- which is full of chucks of dog biscuits and served in a biscuit cone.

You will know when the K99 ice cream truck is coming--instead of the traditional ice cream truck music, it plays the theme from Scooby Doo.

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Big hearts for Gulf Coast dogs

2010-07-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Shelters along the Gulf Coast have been inundated with animals from families that can no longer afford to care for them. St. Bernard Parish Shelter took in 170 animals in June alone. NBC Nightly News did a story about the shelter, and now they are inundated with calls from new families! Even the 130 pound Benny now has a 10-person waiting list! Read more about the available animals, or donate to a new program that will help other animals stay in their homes, visit the St. Bernard Parish Shelter website.

You can watch the original story with some adorable footage of dogs in need, which caused hundreds to spring to action to help out. Last night, NBC Nightly News did a follow up story about all the people around the country with big hearts reaching out to the animals in need. The follow up story, part of their Making a Difference series, is below:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Hot car dangers for dogs

2010-07-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

A comfortable 82 degree summer day can quickly turn into a 109 degree oven in a closed car. An even cooler 72 degree summer day can turn into a 116 degree oven over the course of an hour, and keeping the windows cracked only slows the heat up marginally. While it is great to take your dog along for fun summer trips, you should avoid trips would require your dog to sit in the hot car for even a few minutes. Heat stroke can begin in as few as 10 minutes at those temperatures. The folks at MyDogIsCool.com have some more resources for understanding the dangers hot cars for dogs.

ABC's What Would You Do did a little experiment to see how strangers would respond to a hot dog in a car. It seemed that some firefighters even let the culprit off the hook, but some dog loving women and a teenage boy recognized the life threatening situation and called 911. In the experiment, the dog was not in any danger--in fact, she was an actor! They had a hidden A/C unit running in the car and a trainer hiding on the floor commanding the dog to bark and pant. Hopefully the televised experiment will show people the dangers of hot cars, and know that it is ok to call the police if you witness this happening. Here is the video from the segment on the show:

A laser focus on his forever home

2010-07-13T07:00:00.006-04:00

After just a month with his new family, three year old Laser got spooked by some fireworks and slipped out of his leash. The family was on vacation nearly 50 miles from their Canada home and spent days canvassing the area and hanging up flyers. Sadly they had to go home without there four legged family member.

Laser had finally found his forever home, and he determined to make sure he didn't lose it again. The LePage family kept receiving tips from people who saw Laser on the move, and 6 weeks after the scary fireworks display, a good samaritan dropped him off at the shelter just over a mile from their home. Laser had found his way nearly the whole 50 miles on his own! This is especially amazing since he had only been with the family for a short time and probably didn't know the area so well--but he was determined to hold onto his new pack. The happy family has since been reunited and I bet Laser will be sticking close by his two young human siblings. Check out more one this amazing story, a map of his trek, across Canada and a family picture on CBC.ca.

Speaking of awesome Canadians, have you visited my friends over at Fido & Wino lately?

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A pit bull, a bassinet, and a happy ending

2010-07-12T07:00:00.002-04:00

Pit bull are still the quintessential American family dog, despite the bad rap they get because of the criminals that abuse them. Thor is the latest example of the incredi-dog. Thor's family home was on fire and his people would not wake up--he tried barking and prodding them, but they were fast asleep. In the meantime, Thor knew that their family's new baby human needed to get out of the house fast. He sprung into action, and returned to the parents to bark at them again, only this time "He had my infant, my 3-month-old little girl, bassinet and all, grabbed by the ruffles and drug to the front door, ready to go," according to father Kemper Hunter. He continued, "He's a hero, he saved our lives."

The family had just moved into their new home a week earlier, and lost everything in the fire. It could have been worse if it wasn't for Thor, Hunter added--"Thank God for him, because if it wasn't for him, everything else is replaceable, but if it wasn't for him I think we'd still be laying in that bed if my dog hadn't been as heroic as he was."

This happy family is lucky they all survived and are still together. Can you believe they would have to give up their family hero if they wanted to move to Denver or any other jurisdiction that has senseless breed bans? Maggie Marton over at OhMyDogBlog.com is working hard to change that with the #endBSL campaign. Visit her site to find out how you can help! Check out my previous post about the campaign here.

[Photo of Thor courtesy of WSBT-TV]

Three-legged dogs aid robot research

2010-07-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

I have written before about how animals fitted for the latest prosthetics are helping to inform science on human prosthetics. Generally I find the resilience of three legged, two legged, or otherwise special needs dogs to be inspiring. But three legged dogs helping robot research?! Thats a new one! But it is true--A team of researchers led by Martin Groß at the University of Jena in Germany are working to understand the mobility adaptations that three-legged dogs make in order to design robots that can overcome an "injury." Dogs can help because they can demonstrate how to compensate differently based on the loss of a front or rear limb.

According to Science Daily's great synopsis of the research, "Adjusting to missing a fore-limb is more difficult for the dog to deal with than for a hind-limb, according to the researchers. If a fore-limb is missing, the remaining limbs must undergo careful adaptation to co-ordinate with each other, a process known as 'gait compensation.' With a hind-leg amputation, the scientists found that the fore-limbs continue to act as they would normally in a four-legged dog, showing little or no compensation strategy. The scientists think the reason for the difference is due to the higher loading of the fore-limbs in comparison to the hind-limbs, because of the distribution of body weight." Very interesting stuff!

Wags to my very special three-legged buddy Spencer, who first sent me a tip on this cool new research. He missing a fore leg, and is pictured here demonstrating how missing a leg does not mean he ever has to miss out on the fun--especially at the beach!

Friends will stick with you through the tough times

2010-06-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

If you are a dog that has been mistreated, it is good to have a buddy like Brains. Or so they call her at Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control that is temporary home to the pair--Brains and Brawn. The dogs were first spotted making their way through traffic--but 30-pound Brawn was dragging a 20-pound chain that had been tied around his neck. When Brawn would slow down, it looked like Brains would encourage him to keep going. Somehow, he escaped from the cruel environment he was living in, and this sweet girl was helping lead him to a better life.

Dianne Sauve tells WPBF.com, "The female appeared to be leading this poor other dog who apparently is a friend of hers -- you can tell they're friends -- leading him away from wherever they came from."

I sure hope these friends can find a forever home together. Only they know what really happened that day, but they got through it together.

Seven years of blogging!

2010-06-23T07:00:00.024-04:00

Today is my one year anniversary of being a blogging dog--That is seven years of blogging in my world! Nearly 350 stories later, I am still in business. It has been quite an exciting year. I have made some great friends online and off--even traveling to BlogPaws, the first ever conference for pet bloggers!

My very first story was Commuter dogs --about the dogs of Moscow riding the train and working in packs to avoid missing a stop. I later did a follow up story on the Strays of Moscow.

In case you are new here, you can read up on my top stories of the past year:

The biggest dog EVER--about Giant George, the 245 pound great dane.

The dog lady's Chain of Hope--the story of Kate Quigley, who travels the roads of Kansas City helping out dogs that need her.

Give this dog a JOB!--about my buddy Baxter, a working dog who is STILL in need of a home.

Lend a paw and Be the Change--about my buddy Ricochet who leads by example by paying it forward. (Ricochet is also pictured above with her buddies--that girl knows how to party. Thanks for the sharing the pic of seven dogs celebrating for my seven dog-year anniversary!)

Prosthetic paw has Sully running again--about how new technologies are changing the lives of dogs with disabilities.

Search and Rescue dogs in Haiti--about the hard working dogs to lending a paw to help find people trapped after the devastating earthquake.

Glamour Pets--Glamour magazine's April fool's joke was a hit among pet people.

Are dogs Republican or Democrats?--profiling famous dog lovers on both sides of the aisle.

Rescue overload--when to know when you have taken on too much.

I want to send a BIG WAG out to all of my loyal readers--without your support, feedback, comments, and clicks, I would have given up a long time ago. But here I am, looking forward to the next seven years!

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What is fostering all about?

2010-06-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

I got a rough start on the streets of North Carolina, but I was lucky enough to land in a foster home on my way to finding my forever home. Having a foster home meant that I could live in a home instead of a shelter, where I could get used to things like people, doorbells, stairs, peeing outside, peanut butter, toys, and all the other comforts of a real home.

Some dogs could use foster homes because they really need the TLC that would come with living full time with a caring person. Cash strapped shelters with dozens, or even hundreds of dogs, just don't have the resources that some dogs need. Alvin, for example, was not looking so great when he landed a temporary home with Jane, a volunteer with Waggytime Rescue in New York CIty. Jane knew there was a great dog under the dirty matted coat, and she wanted to help Alvin shine. Posted here are the before and after pictures of Alvin-look at that smile and bright eyes, a face full of expression, that you just couldn't see before. I bet feeling clean and cared for has a lot to do with the smile you see in that picture. Jane really has done a fantastic job helping Alvin put his best paw forward as he looks for his forever home. You can see more pictures of Alvin here on his petfinder page. According to his profile, "He loves sitting on laps, flopping over on a comfy couch and "dancing" for chicken treats." Seems like life has really turned around for ALvin since landing in foster care. And YES, he is still looking for you!

If you are thinking about fostering, you should know that there are all kinds of dogs out there that could use your help. Some need some help coming out of their shell, some need a bath, and some just need a warm place to crash on their way to their forever home. I love my home now, but I know that if it were not for the several foster parents I had through Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, I would not have the good life I have now.

Viagra for Ingrid

2010-06-18T07:00:00.001-04:00

Ingrid (pictured here) is a cheery pit bull terrier that landed in the Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Shelter two years ago with a severe heart condition and a variety of other ailments. The good folks at Little Shelter were going to do whatever it took to get this sweet girl back in good health, even if it meant giving her Viagra. Wait, WHAT?

Yes, vets say that Viagra increases the blood flow and keeps Ingrid's heart healthy. Viagra, at $10/day, is not a cheap medication for any cash-strapped shelter. Little shelter is now asking for charitable folks to come forward with some spare pills from their last prescription. According to LA Times Unleashed, "One woman donated her husband's stash to the dog because she suspected he was having an affair." Hey, whatever works. According to the NY Daily News, Ingrid came to their shelter two years ago, and they launched a very successful Viagra collection, but that supply has been almost completely depleted.

Ingrid is still looking for a home that can support her Viagra needs. With a daily little blue pill, she is expected to live a long normal life. Contact Little Shelter in Long Island if you have some spare pills, or room for a sweet bully. NY Daily News has another beautiful picture of her here.

While the treatment isn't yet mainstream for dogs, who'd have thought that female dogs like Ingrid would get their paws on Viagra before human women? FDA is currently considering extending Viagra availability to women, in fact, the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee meets today to discuss the "little pink pill."

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Homeless man saves dumped dog

2010-06-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

James Beavers is a homeless veteran living in an abandoned car wash. It sounds like life had let him down in more than one way, but James still has compassion. After being startled by a car speeding away, he heard a dog wimpering. He searched the area and found the dog in the worst possible place for a dog: in a abandoned vat of disposed motor oil. He found some rope to pull the dog out of the mess, but still needed help making sure the German Shepherd mix, who had recently had puppies, got cleaned up. He went to a nearby pay phone to call his friend Sheila Zachar, who has taken to animal rescue since retiring.

Covered in toxic goop and stagnant water, the dog needed to get emergency care. Luckily she was saved by James before too much of the oil had been ingested, so most of the care she needed was some extra vigorous cleaning. The incident was reported on the local news, and a family desperately looking for their dog came forward--Harley had been stolen from their front yard. The Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County has given the family some tips on safeguarding their dog from danger from neighborhood menaces, and has also taken Harley's five puppies. They will spay and neuter them, and then work on finding homes for them. No word on if anyone is helping to find a home for the real hero of the story: James Beavers.

Paper: eat with caution

2010-06-15T07:00:00.006-04:00

Toby doesn't just fetch the paper... sometimes he eats it! Aside for generally inconveniencing his people so that they have to find their news elsewhere, this hadn't been a huge problem. One day his owner Gill Bird came home and Toby wouldn't even pick up the chip she tossed to him for a snack. Then she noticed he was drooling and blowing bubbles from his mouth.

Upon further inspection, she discovered that Toby's mouth was basically glued shut from the paper he was chowing on. She couldn't even part his jaws herself, and had to take Toby to the vet. Once there, he had to be sedated while the nurse and doctor scraped the paper-turned-glue from his mouth. The vet described it as a "very unusual case." I'd say so! Toby was home by the end of the day and back to normal. He is pictured here flossing with the bills. Metro.co.uk has another picture of Toby's jaws caked together.

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Not "just a dog"

2010-06-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

I would never call my person "just a person." She is MY person, and she is a special and irreplaceable part of my life. But plenty of people refer to me and my four legged friends as "just a dog." I feel bad for those people because they only think that because they have never had the chance to share their life with a dog. My friends over at Life with Dogs have put together this beautiful video to explain this phenomenon it to others. They explain that some of a human's happiest and saddest moments can occur with or because of "just a dog." Sometimes "just a dog" will provide the comfort that no one else could give. Of the other beautiful things in your life, would you say "just a promise" "just a friend" or "just a sunrise"? We would never say that about our own person or anyone else's person. My cousin Lily is pictured here. Her smiling face, giant tongue and sweet sweet temperament make her so much more than "just a dog" to my grandparents.

My person has since downloaded this song from iTunes: Lissie /Everywhere I go

Safe Summer Swimming

2010-06-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

As we head into the heat of the summer, you might be thinking about taking your dog swimming. If you are like me, I have never BEEN swimming, and my person doesn't even know if I can. FIDOfriendly has some tips on making it fun and safe. Notably--don't just throw your dog in the water because some dogs don't actually know how to swim. Check their website for a full list of DON'Ts, but here is their list of DOs:

Let your dog escape once they go in.
Let your dog decide they are done for the day.
Try using toys/food as a bribe to get in, BUT be sure to REWARD (more treats/play) AFTER the dog gets in even if they pop out.
Use really, really tasty treats or your dog favorite toy.
Start with a shallow pool and clear water with no waves or spray.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to make it safe and fun, but if your dog just isn't interested in swimming, that is ok.

My cousin Madison LOVES to swim, and she is pictured here having the time of her life in the Wenatchee River in Washington State. Madison has some joint problems, so regular swimming is a great way for her to get some exercise without putting extra pressure on her knees and hips. Plus, she thinks it is fun, which is the most important part.

Scoop has gone to the Cats

2010-06-07T07:00:00.005-04:00

I admit it, I have gotten caught up in the thrill of participating in Adopt a Shelter Cat month. Last week, I told you about my good friend Pimp from YourDailyCute, but I have another buddy to tell you about: Romeo the Cat--pictured here. In addition to his hilarious daily campaign to make sure his BREAKFAST is served on time by his staff, Romeo uses his platform to raise money and awareness for cats in need. Please check out his fun blog!

I have a special place in my heart for Homeward Trails Animal Rescue--they are the ones that saved me from an overcrowded shelter and kept me in foster care for SIX months before I found my person. You know what? They help cats too! Right now they have several cats on their hands that were slated to be euthanized for treatable medical conditions. They are working hard to get these kitties fixed up so they can be adopted, but that costs money. You can donate to support their work here. You can even sponsor one of these cats in need (just list their name in the notes section of your donation):

Sushi is diabetic and needs some dental attention.
Tiffany has a heart murmur and needs to visit a specialist.
Einstein a beautiful senior cat--dumped at 17--and is suffering from an ulcerated eye that will require a specialist.

Romeo knows all about this journey. When he was in a shelter, he was deaf, but after he was picked up by The Forgotten Persian Rescue and Friends he had a series of surgeries, he can hear just fine now. He does have a permanently folded ear, but I think that makes him extra cute. Romeo has gone on to be a successful blogger, with the support of his very capable staff member, Caroline Golon, who is the founder of BlogPaws!

Full time dog, part time marriage counselor

2010-06-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

Some humans might need to take a lesson from dogs to improve the relationships in their lives. I am always thrilled when my person comes home, even if she was in a terrible mood in the morning. I just think she is so wonderful, why wouldn't I be thrilled to see her? Well, some people don't get the same reaction from their spouse or partner, according to clinical psychologist Suzanne B. Phillips. In a recent article in PsychCentral entitled "Can Pets Improve Your Relationship?", Phillips uses examples of how people react to their pets to show how they should also consider treating their human partners. For example, you may be upset or a little mad after a shoe gets eaten or curtains are shredded, but people rarely hold grudges for their pets mistakes. Check out the whole article for perspective on greetings, expectations, acceptance, holding grudges, assuming the best, and for better and for worse.

Image courtesy of NY Times Well Blog, where I first read about Dr. Phillips' article.

Cats are OK too

2010-06-01T07:00:00.005-04:00

Being a dog, I like to focus on dogs in the news, but June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat month, so I figured I should lend a paw to promote the cause. Like dogs, too many cats end up in shelters by no fault of their own, so please consider adopting if you are looking to bring any pet--cat, dog, ferret, parakeet--into your home. Petfinder has over 125,000 cats available for adoption on their site--so I am sure you could find just the guy you are looking for!

Petfinder is promoting Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat month though their Whiskers photo contest. They have lots of categories, including "Best Duo"--and I hope an adoptable cat-dog pair wins that one to spread the word that sometimes dogs and cats CAN get along--like Smiles & Amie who were seeking to land a home together. Or the boston terrier and cat cuddle action in this youtube video below.

If you can't adopt, but are looking for your cat fix, check out YourDailyCute.com for mostly cat-related cuteness. Pimp the former shelter cat is the inspiration behind YourDailyCute, and he is pictured above demonstrating how to achieve ultimate cuteness with the classic "outstretched paw" move.

Honoring vets of all kinds

2010-05-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

This Memorial Day, please take a moment to remember our four-legged veterans too.

Wags to YourDailyCute for the tip on this touching photo.

Pawlates will wiggle your butt into shape

2010-05-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

Dog obesity is a real problem, and now dog pilates is a real solution too. Or, should I say "pawlates." The Virgin Active gym chain in the U.K. has launched a new program just for pets--Animal Active. In addition to Pawlates, classes include Pooch Paunch Buster, Puuuroebics, Wag Attack, Canine Crunch. Dog yoga is already pretty widespread, but this variety of gym-based activities is new.

According to The Sun, "one in four dog owners admitting that they never exercise their pets," so there is definitely a need for new ways to motivate people to keep their dogs at a healthy weight. Animal Active will provide a fun place for people to work out with their pets. Not a bad idea, but I have a cheaper option--walking around the block. You could pick up another exercise buddy from your local shelter to make exercise into a play date for a dog in need.

This is still only in the U.K., but you can learn more about it on the Virgin Active website.

Woof to the wolves!

2010-05-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

My distant cousins--wolves--sometimes have it hard out there in nature on their own. Without the comforts of a warm bed and some prepared kibble, I bet life could be pretty hard. The Wolf Center in Doerveden Germany is trying to help out. They have a wolf education and conservation facility where wolves in need can get some extra care. Pictured here is just one pup form the recent arrival of six new wolf pups--of the European grey wolf variety. L.A. Times Unleashed has additional pictures of these new cuties getting help from the caretakers in Germany.

Fit feds and DC's shelter dogs

2010-05-25T07:00:00.043-04:00

The Obama administration is teaming up with the Washington Humane Society to promote a fun way to get exercise while giving back to the community. Through the "Feds Get Fit" program, the Department of Labor is encouraging employees to get some exercise while lending a hand to local homeless dogs. But since pairing up with a four legged partner is known to increase an individual's commitment to an exercise plan, federal employees are encouraged to run or walk on the National Mall with a four legged partner that is in need of extra love. Dogs living at the Washington Humane Society are busy looking for their forever home, but could use a little extra exercise in the meantime. According to FIDO Friendly Magazine, WHS's PACK program "pairs volunteers with adoptable shelter dogs for regular jogs at local parks. Currently there are more than 100 runners who participate in the bi-weekly jogs."

President Obama has declared May to be National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, and this is a great way to kick off the first year. He and the First Lady Michelle Obama are pictured here being fit on a private hike while on vacation in Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Asheville, N.C., where they ran into one lucky dog and his people! [Photo Credit: Pete Souza]

If you live in the Washington, DC area and are interested in joining the PACK, visit WHS's website to learn how to sign up. If you live somewhere else--remember that dogs (and people) everywhere are looking for exercise partners. Call your local shelter to check their hours--you probably just need to sign a release, but otherwise it is easy to get a part time exercise partner if you don't have time to adopt. These dogs need you, and they will help you out by keeping you to your exercise plan!

You better like me cause I'm your best friend

2010-05-20T07:00:00.004-04:00

I couldn't resist sharing this new music video by You Scream I Scream called "Dog." The dogs in the video go to a shelter to rescue some humans, they bring them into their home, and post a video to youtube of "humans playing music." Love it. Plus, it is a catchy tune.

Wags to SaveThisPup for sharing this fun video! Check out SaveThisPup's facebook page to learn about the cool stuff they do.

Diplomatic Dachshunds

2010-05-19T07:00:00.005-04:00

With how well dogs treat humans, maybe we should participate in a human rights commission. Or that is what the Australian artist Bennett Miller had in mind. As part of the Next Wave Festival, his photoghraphic display of dachshunds is a "meditation on the utopian aspirations of the Commission on Human Rights, and our capacity as humans to imagine and achieve a universal system of justice."

In coordination with the Dachsund Club of Victoria, 47 hot dogs were assembled for the photo shoot. Miller tells Gawker, "They have their own racial diversity - black, brown, red. Also, even though they're restricted in their movement, they are quite determined and proud." Many of which have an inset of the human representative of the country named--US Ambassador Susan Rice is pictured here.

Visit Gawker to check out the full gallery--as well as some classic Gawker humor about the exhibit.

Wags to my buddy Mallory for the tip!

A good dog is a good dog, regardless of breed

2010-05-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

Did you know that in some places it is illegal to have a pug?! No, not really, but isn't banning any other breed just a crazy? Bully breeds like pit bulls get a bad rap because of the criminals that abuse them and force them to fight. Those dogs make up such a small proportion of pit bulls out there and many are even rehabilitated once they get proper loving homes. In fact, the American Temperament Testing Society says that spayed and neutered pit bulls pass at much higher rates than most other breeds. But that doesn't stop politicians from seeking to address the problem with blind bans on entire breeds. We should be focusing on stopping these criminals, not banning their targeted victims.

Breed specific legislation, or BSL, is most often targeted at American Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Some of the laws just refer to dogs that have characteristics common to those breeds--but there are over 25 breeds and mixes that are commonly mistaken for pit bulls. All of that aside, BSL distracts from more effective dangerous dog laws that target behavior instead of appearance. Over 200 counties and cities have outright bans on these breeds, but banning a certain breed of dog will not stop criminals from finding dogs to abuse. Instead of focusing on good training and socialization, this gives the public a false sense of security that maybe just because their dog is not a banned breed it is 100% safe regardless of training or socialization.

My good friend over at OhMyDogBlog would have liked to bring her pit bull service dog to the next BlogPaws conference in Denver. Despite the fact that her bully, Emmett is a trained service dog dog that serves in a residential treatment facility for children, he is banned from coming to Denver because of his breed alone. Denver has a ban on pit bulls, though few are even willing to admit that it makes a difference. OhMyDogBlog is now planning a campaign to educate folks about misguided BSL laws, and hopes to change some minds along the way--starting with Denver's Mayor! Check out all the details over on her blog--helping us is as easy as sending (or emailing) a post card. Check her blog out every Tuesday for updates on the campaign and educational posts about BSL. Follow the conversation on Twitter with the following hashtag: #endBSL

The picture posted here of a typical-smiling-butt-wiggling pit bull was found on Doggie Stylish's post about happy dogs.

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Dog, meet baby

2010-05-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

Having a baby is time for big changes. If you already have a furkid in your life and are soon brining home a human, it is important to think through the impact on everyone. Think about it from a dog's perspective--suddenly there is a ton of new furniture, toys that are off limits, lots of visitors in the house, a new sleep schedule, not to mention the new squirmy, noisy, smelly creature you are carrying everywhere!

Maggie Marton from EcoSalon has some great suggestions in her recent column Bow Wow and Baby. Marton suggest some important things to do before the baby comes home to get your dog ready: set out some baby toys, run the mechanical swing, and maybe even play a tape with some baby sounds. The key is to desensitize your pup to as many new things as you can using positive reinforcement. When the human baby does come home from the hospital, the first introduction might be a little overwhelming to your dog. Marton has some tips for making sure that goes smoothly too.

Human babies can take up a lot of time and energy, but it is important to not forget that your dog still has needs too. Make sure you find time to still give him proper exercise and steal away some play time with your old buddy too. Marton has some good ideas for finding time and making it all positive. Planning and patience will keep the whole pack happy.

Running for TX Governor to save pets' lives

2010-05-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I told you about Genny, who was a dog running for mayor of a small town in Canada. Well, Texans sure know how to kick it up a notch: They have a dog running for governor! Woodrow is a rescue pup with a diverse background: he is a hound mix of some sort, "with just a little touch of pit bull." He has a diverse base: his volunteer coordinator is Orangie, the neighborhood cat. His campaign slogan is "How ruff could it be?"

Lorri told PeoplePets how she got the idea at the dog park: “He would go up to every dog, child and adult, and it was as if he was saying, 'Hi, how are you? Don’t you look so nice today?'” Michel says. “And then he would just move on.” One day, a fellow dog park person said to Lorri, “Oh, my God, Woodrow is mayor.” A candidate was born.

Woodrow is hoping he can use his platform to raise awareness and money for Austin Pets Alive. This rescue group swoops in and saves animals at the last moment when shelters no longer have room for them, and places them in forever homes--they saved nearly 4,000 pets from the city shelter in the past two years! Now, thats a platform I can get behind.

Woodrow has his own website--votewoodrow.com--where he sells campaign t-shirt to raise money for Austin Pets Alive--they have raised several thousand dollars so far! The Statesman interviewed Woodrow and Lorri about their unconventional campaign--check out the article, or watch the video below:

A cat and her...puppies?

2010-05-12T07:00:00.002-04:00

Beatrix the CAT is the latest inter-species mom in the news. In the process of birthing her pups, the mother of four miniature dachshunds died. Immediately, those puppies needed some love, and and more importantly, some nursing. Their owner called Pam Peacock with "Pam's D.O.G. House" in central Texas for some help. There were no new mama dogs that were available to help, but Beatrix the cat had just had kittens that were still nursing. One catch: Beatrix was not too fond of dogs! They tested the waters by putting just one of the pups in with the mama cat, and you know what? She mothered that pup just like her own kittens! The four pups, five kittens and the mother are all getting along perfectly well these days. To thank her for her generosity, the owner of the pups even plans to adopt Beatrix when she is ready.

WCSH6 shared this adorable video:

Inter-species parenting

2010-05-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and PeoplePets.com took the opportunity to remind us how caring animals can be--sometimes even becoming the mama to orphaned animals of a different species. They have great slideshow of some of the great inter-species moms in the news--including this hen sitting on top of her puppies!

A few of my past mom stories include:
-The pup that played mama to panda cubs
-Piglets as puppies
-Lion cub finds mutt mama
-Poodle nurses baby squirrels

I think that humans top the list when it comes to inter-species parenting though! Do you have a furkid? If so, post a pic to my facebook wall to share with other fans!

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Listen up! Dogs are good listeners

2010-05-06T07:00:00.003-04:00

Just eight percent of all pet owners say they talk to their pets about their personal problems. That seems low--It is a shame more don't know that we understand and like to listen. Sometimes us dogs just *know* when someone needs a pick me up. FidoAndWino.com has a heartwarming story about how a dogs' wiggle can cheer up someone who really needs it--even if they don't really know that person.

According to a recent poll by Petside.com and the Associated Press, a third of married women who have pets say that their pets are better listeners than their husbands. Some men still chat it up with their dogs. According to Ron Farber, it's easier to talk to his dog Buddy than his wife because "the dog doesn't have an opinion."

He is onto something according to Karen Sueda, one of the just 50 certified veterinary animal behaviorists in the country. She told the Associated Press,
"Pets are great because they provide us with unconditional support. They never talk back, never give us the wrong opinion and they are always there for us," she said. "As much as we love our spouses or significant others, sometimes they are not there, sometimes they have their own thoughts about how we should deal with situations. And sometimes, especially when it's a husband or male significant other, they want to solve the problem rather than just listening to the problem." Seems like the other 92 percent of pet owners need to get on board and start talking with their dogs!

Petside has some more numbers from the poll--including how well people think their cats listen (hint--not as well as dogs!). Image courtesy of ihasahotdog.com

How you and your dog can help with the Gulf oil spill

2010-05-05T07:00:00.002-04:00

I recently wrote about eco-friendly ways to recycle your dogs hair, and one option seems all too newsworthy these days: you can donate your dog's hair to help clean up oil spills. When dogs like me get dirty, we get regular old bath, like this guy pictured here. But there is a ton of wildlife down in the gulf that can't avoid the oil, and have no way to clean off the toxic gunk once they get dirty. The best thing for those animals is to help prevent them from getting dirty in the first place, but that means cleaning up a huge mess of an oil slick.

You and your dog can help the effort by donating both of your hair to sop up the spill. The hair is collected into pantyhose, as "hairbooms" which soak up the oil floating on the surface of the water. This technique is not new--it was used effectively in the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. GOOD has an article about the collection and Matter of Trust is collecting dog and human hair and pantyhose to use. There are over 2,600 smaller oil spills every year, so they would like to create an ongoing project to collect hair so that clean-up crews can be more prepared. They are even working on eco-friendly ways to compost the oil-soaked hairbooms after the cleanup. Looks like spring shedding season came just in time for us dogs to help out.

Visit Matter of Trust to find out how to donate.

Wags to my super furry friend Stella for the tip--I know she has plenty of hair to spare for a good cause! [Image from Photobucket]

UPDATE: Matter of Trust has this very interesting video about how this project works:

SUP for a Pup!

2010-04-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Standup Paddling (SUP) has quite a following, even among dogs! Who knew? It appears to be a hybrid between surfing and calm water kayaking, but I can't say I have tried it myself. Standup Paddle Magazine sure knows that their readers enjoy sharing their activities with their dogs. They host and annual SUP for a Pup benefit for animals in need. Donations go to A Wish for Animals, a volunteer run rescue in the Southern California area. To raise awareness this year, Standup Paddle Magazine is hosting a photo contest. Click here to check out the submissions and vote for your favorite (top dog wins a cool life vest). It looks like a fun activity for dogs of all shapes and sizes, and it is for a good cause.

Wags to my favorite four legged surfing dog, Surf Dog Ricochet, for the tip. She asks that we vote for picture #1 because the woman pictured is very active in the adaptive surfing community-an activity very close to Ricki's heart.

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Big dogs deserve vacations too!

2010-04-28T07:00:00.018-04:00

It is really great that so many hotels are now pet friendly. Some even offer additional amenities for the vacationing pooches. But did you know that lots of hotels have weight restrictions for their four-legged guests? The restriction does not make a whole lot of sense to me--I know plenty of gentle giants that tread more lightly than dogs the size of their head. This means that the most common family dog--the Labrador-cannot travel with their packs. Giant George would surely be excluded, as well as medium sized mutts like me.

My friends at GoPetFriendly.com have teamed up with AndASmallDog.com to get the message to hotels because big dogs deserve vacations too! They have launched a campaign called Give Big Dogs a Break where they are collecting signatures for a petition they will send to hotels to encourage them to lift their strict restrictions on size.

In part, the petition states, "We believe size should not be a factor in deciding which pets are appropriate hotel guests. Other factors, such as training, temperament and level of socialization are far more indicative of a well-behaved pet. By instituting alternative policies, such as cleaning charges and crating requirements, hotels can welcome large dogs and avoid the undesirable outcomes their weight restrictions are designed to prevent." Click here to read more and sign the petition!

Can dogs communicate with whales?

2010-04-26T07:00:00.002-04:00

Some scientists think that whales and dogs may be able to communicate with each other. Even though the dog in this video is barking at the whale, the whale becomes submissive, even a little playful, showing its belly. That is a brave dog to get so close to a killer whale! According to Discovery News, this phenomenon is not unheard of.

Carrie Newell runs a whale excursion company in Oregon, and her dog Kida loves to go along for the ride. She told Jennifer Viegas of Discovery News that "other researchers have told me that people with dogs have better whale encounters possibly because of some connection between the two. I have also observed that if I am excited and clap or call to them, then the whales feed off this excitement and approach closer." Once Kida nearly jumped into the water becuase she was so excited to "play" with her new buddy, a gray whale. Luckily, Carrie managed to grab Kida by the tail before she went plunging into the sea!

Buddy's name should be upgraded to "Hero"

2010-04-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

When a fire broke out in a workshop by his house in rural Alaska, Ben Heinrichs told his dog Buddy to get help, and Buddy delivered in a big way. The police were having trouble finding the house, and Buddy was out there on the twists and turns of the counry roads and convinced the the police to follow him to the blaze. It was a good thing he was there--because their GPS did not recognize the back roads, leaving them helpless to find the fire without a four-legged leader. Hendrichs told the News Tribune, "I just told him, 'We need to get help,' and then that's the last time I seen him...I didn't train him or nothing. He just took off and went and did what he did. ... He was just being a good dog."

The Alaska State Troopers plan to recognize Buddy for his heroic efforts. He will receive a bowl with with the seal and his name, along with the words "In appreciation of your diligence and assistance to Alaska State Troopers." Help arrived in time to prevent the fire from spreading to the house-thanks to Buddy's amazing work.

The police shared the amazing footage of Buddy leading them to the scene with the Today Show:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Even Google's goats need the help of a dog

2010-04-23T07:00:00.003-04:00

Google is always working on the "next big thing." The tech company's latest strategy for going green is decidedly old fashioned and low-tech: They have real live goats come in to chew down their lawn. But dogs play a critical role in controlling these low-tech movers--without a trained herding dog, who knows where these goats would go? So, while the video below focuses on the green-ness of the goats, I just wanted to point out how important dogs are to the equation! At least the clip does show the boarder collie working hard to keep the goats in line.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T07:00:00.004-04:00

Happy Earth Day! Puglet the Pug has a great video full of tips tips for making your person more green, but what about your person to help you be more green? Take this quick quiz from the folks at Petside.com to measure your carbon pawprint-I scored "super green!" They also have lots of articles on dogs going green, including "What to do with your dog's doo."

The Discovery Channel's Planet Green has the top 15 tips for going green with your pet. It is important to remember that adopting and spaying/neutering your pet is not only responsible, but it is also green.

My friends over at ThePhillyDog have some great tips, even for dogs that don't live in Philly. Some are pretty simple--if your person buys you treats, make sure they recycle the cardboard box they came in. She even has some ideas for repairing toys instead of throwing them out, and where to find eco-friendly new toys.

Let me know if you have some tips on your site or blog and I can add them here!
MoxiePaws
Best Friends Animal Society

[Image courtesy of PhotoBucket]

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A dog for mayor?

2010-04-21T07:00:00.003-04:00

As a dog, running the house is just part of my job. Running a city, though, I am not so sure about that! Well, Genny would like to be elected mayor of the Canadian city of Clarington. Her person, Marven Whidden tried to register Genny as a candidate, but was told she could not run becuase she is a dog. They have not ruled out a write in campaign. According to the Toronto Star, "while kissing babies may not be her thing, she does a mean face lick."

You can read more about the saga on Whidden's blog, where the pair has received both criticism and support. They have created quite a stir!

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Do good dogs live longer?

2010-04-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

Listen up dogs--Staying on your best behavior could allow you to live longer! At least that is what researcher Vincent Careau of Université de Sherbrooke of Canada has to say. He is an evolutionary biologist that decided see if their was any link between longevity and behavior in dogs. Since modern domesticated dogs are mostly the product of artificial selection (as opposed to natural selection), he says we can study this in a way that wouldn't work with wild animals.

Careau's research indicates that "More obedient dogs like German shepherds and bichon frisés live long for their size...Hard-to-train dogs like beagles and Pomeranians generally die earlier than do other, similarly sized breeds." He found that longevity was related to energy expenditure--for example, Labs tend to expend less energy than other dogs their size. Franjo Weissing of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands says that this is a little like the live-fast-die-young saying.

What does that mean for mutts like me? Sure we all know a lab that has low-energy expenditure (read:lazy), but what does that mean for poorly behaved german shepherds or well behaved beagles? I think the research is inconclusive...

Wags to my 12 year old buddy Shep (a perfectly behaved german shepherd) for the tip. [Image courtesy of PhotoBucket]

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Are dogs Republicans or Democrats?

2010-04-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

As a four legged journalist living in the nation's capitol, I am often asked if dogs are Republicans or Democrats. We don't wiggle our butts over politics; we are equal opportunity belly-rub recipients. One thing is for sure: both Republicans and Democrats love their dogs. This brings me to two high profile political dog lovers in the news this past week: The Obama family and former press secretary to George Bush, Dana Perino.

Dana Perino is known as one tough Republican, but she also loves dogs. She even served as a fundraiser for her local Washington Humane Society's Fashion for Paws event. In her recent interview with Politico's Peter Gavin (video below), she talks about how Americans love their pets and the having a pet in the White House really helps to make it a home--no matter the political party in charge. She did teach her dog Henry some politically oriented tricks, but I bet he just does them for the treats. Watch the video to see that this White House reporter could not keep up with a 12 year old vizla.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention that past week marked Bo Obama's first year in the White House. He did bark at Santa, but he broke down dog barriers by being the only non-guide dog to attend the White House easter egg roll. He is pictured here playing one of his most important roles as White House dog: posing for adorable pictures with the Obama girls. Huffington Post wonders "who is more excited to see the president's helicopter land?"

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Lend a paw and "Be the Change"

2010-04-16T07:00:00.012-04:00

I had the opportunity to get to know Surf Dog Ricochet earlier this year, and I even wrote about her in this post: "Ricochet redefines what it means to be a service dog." Well, my friend Ricki had tough start to her April. While chasing birds on the beach, she hit a piece of coral that sliced her ankle pretty bad. She needed stitches, and even had to wear the dreaded "cone of shame." She pouted for a while, like any dog would, but then she realized that a few stitches and a cone were nothing compared to what dogs with something like cancer deal with.

With her new-found perspective, Ricki decided it was time to buck up and get back to doing what she does best--raising awareness and money for her favorite causes. As the spokesdog for the Pay it Forward campaign, she is a natural. Her latest cause is for the Morris Animal Foundation's Canine Cancer Campaign whose goal is to cure canine cancer in one dog lifetime (10-20 years). Her goal is $1,500, and she is so close! Click here to show your support. Be sure to follow Ricki's facebook page to keep tabs on her progress (and to check out all of her cute pictures).

This post is a part of the BlogPaws "Be the Change" Challenge. I chose to profile Surf Dog Ricochet because she is always thinking about how to make the world a better place for dogs and people. If you don't feel like you can do as much as her....that is OK, there are lots of other things you can do to lend a paw. As part of today's Challenge, BlogPaws bloggers are asking for your support for Pets without Parents. Even the smallest bit helps! In case you need a little inspiration, check out this great video from the BlogPaws team.

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Dogs on the catwalk

2010-04-15T07:00:00.003-04:00

The Washington Humane Society pulled out all the stops at this year's Fashion for Paws event. Hosted at the Italian embassy in Washington, DC, this was a super classy event that raised over $320,000 for needy pets in the nation's capitol. People Pets put together a great slideshow if the dogs in couture. The models were in high fashion mode too, but the cameras were on the dogs on the CATwalk! The human models were not ordinary models--each model had to raise a minimum of $3,000 to participate--with some far exceeding that.

Even former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was strutting her stuff for pets in need!

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Dog's nose knows drywall

2010-04-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Snoop was going to be a pest detection dog, but after the scandal involving defective chinese drywall, John Burrows had a different idea. Snoop was sent for training at the Florida Canine Academy to specialize in chinese drywall detection. The Florida Canine Academy puts dogs through 800 hours of training necessary to become a professional stiffer for everything from bombs to money to mold. The $385 inspection provided by Snoop and burrows is cheaper than traditional inspection, and it doesn't require cutting holes in your walls. He was booked for 15 appointments as soon as he returned from training. Keep up the good nose-work Snoop!

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Recycling dogs fur?

2010-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Some dogs shed like it is their full time job. Did you ever wonder if you could put all that fur to good use? Maybe something eco-friendly? Well, there are plenty of folks working on ideas for you. EcoSalon's recent article "How to Make Pet Hair Work For You, Not Against You" has collected some resources for your options on fur-recycling. A very cool project called "Hair for Oil Spills" collects all kinds of fur (pet and people) and uses it to sop up oil spilled into the environment. The easiest eco-friendly idea is to just leave it in a basket in your back yard so that birds can collect it to insulate their nests. Check out the full article for more tips and links (from sweater making to composting!)

Just don't take so much hair from your dog that he needs a dog-fur sweater like this guy pictured here.

Wags to my friend Maggie for her new gig at EcoSalon! You can also find her at OhMyDogBlog.com.

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Blogging with purpose

2010-04-12T07:00:00.002-04:00

I just returned from the first ever social media conference for pet lovers: BlogPaws. While there I was able to network and learn from over 200 like-minded web folks. The amazing part is how dedicated the community is to promoting the welfare of dogs and cats in need. Check out this inspiring video that some of the conference attendees put together to show how blogging, twittering, facebooking and everything else on the web is being used to help pets. Kudos for the creative use of Glee's version of "Don't stop believin'"!!

A BIG wag to these pet media mavens for putting together this awesome video:
Frugaldougal's PawParty Team & YourDailyCute

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Get the Scoop by email!

2010-04-09T22:34:00.003-04:00

I'm here at the BlogPaws conference learning how to make the Scoop even better, and I am off to a great start. I was chatting with YourDailyCute, and she told me how to let my readers get my content right in their inbox! Check out the sign up box to the right (under my logo and blog description). My content will arrive in your inbox every morning...what a great way to start your day!

Wags to YourDailyCute for the tip. [Photo from PhotoBucket]

The travels of Antigone & the Companion

2010-04-09T07:00:00.008-04:00

When Marshall Lee hit rock bottom in his life, he was lucky that his rescued basset hound Antigone was there to help him through it all. After losing his job and becoming depressed, Marshall even considered suicide. But the thought of leaving Antigone behind with no one to care for her was enough to pull him through it.

By chance, Marshall was given a bike and decided to go on an unusual journey. He decided to bike from Chicago to San Francisco with his loyal basset right behind him in a baby carrier. Along the way, he made it his mission to raise awareness about two things close to his heart: suicide prevention and basset rescue. They arrived safely in San Francisco, and decided to stay out west. They have since found a place to live in Puget Sound, Oregon.

Along the way, Antigone started blogging about the journey. A blogging dog, just like me! She refers to Marshall as "the Companion" and he is also her typist. She spends her time testing the sofas at all the places they stay. In one of her many sofa related posts, she passes on this wisdom:
"I like the feel of the sofa. I can lay around on it for hours. Sometimes I lay on the floor just to remind me how much I love that sofa. I've always been a fan of a sofa. Even bad sofas are likable. The companion is always worried about where we are going to live and a job. I don't care where we live really. As long as there is a sofa. A sofa must be in the top ten, top three things in everyone's life."

Her blog is really a great story of their wonderful journey together. Now she is even working on her own autobiography, "Antigone Goes West: The Autobiography of Antigone Puppleupagus."I will look forward to reading it!

[Be sure to visit the website linked above for more fun pictures of Antigone! Click here to become a facebook fan]

Kaleb and the Autistic twins

2010-04-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

Check out this heartwarming story about Kaleb, a service dog helping out a family with young twin boys with autism. Kelli Collins of the Georgia K9 Training Center worked with the McMillan family to train a dog to live with them. Unlike some other service dog training programs, Kaleb was trained in the house he would serve in, making him a part of the family from a very young age, in tune with the very individualized needs of these two boys. As Collins explained to CNN, "You can create physical disability in a training environment, you can't create autism. There's so many varying degrees of autism. Each child is a little different. Even between your own children, they are very different. We can't create that in a sterile training environment."

One of the boys has a tendency to bolt away for no reason in public places. Kaleb is trained to keep him close, and to find him if he does run away. Watch this heartwarming video from CNN Health to see how Kaleb has touched the lives in the McMillan household:

Hero by day, dog by night

2010-04-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

Chocolat is another hard working dog stationed with the British military in Afghanistan. He recently found himself in the news after he sniffed out a Taliban IED factory that had enough equipment to make at least 10 bombs. He was with his fellow troops patrolling a marketplace when he knew something was up in one of the buildings. He safely led his handler through the booby-trapped building to the bomb making materials. Check out the video here.

Chocolat works hard, but plays hard too. His handler, Private Steve Purdy (pictured here) says, "He tends to wake me up a lot in the night just with his toy wanting to play, or he'll destroy something that's close by - like my flip flops." When he is not busy being a hero, it sounds like he is a regular dog during down time.

Prosthetic paw has Sully running again

2010-04-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

Sully was sure down on his luck. The Great Pyrenees was walking down the side of the road as best he could missing one of his rear paws. It had been amputated by his previous owner, but it appeared he had been living on his own for a bit, as he was underweight.

A good samaritan came his way and helped Sully link up with the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society right there in Texas. The rescue group immediately sprang into action and got this big guy over to the Texas A&M Vet School. The vets worked with Ortho Pets Inc in Colorado to set Sully up with a custom-fit prosthetic paw! Sully can not only walk again, but even run! Check out the video from KBTX.

Things get even better--While Sully was in the excellent foster care of a veterinary student, he found a forever home! His new family is out in Connecticut....where I bet he will go on to live a great life. What a great story about people from all over the county coming together to help out one dog down on his luck.

While Sully has a home now, Blue, pictured here does not. Contact the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society to learn more about him and other available dogs.

Lion cub finds a mutt mama

2010-04-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Dogs sure know when to pitch in. A lion cub was born in Siberian Royev Ruchey Zoo, but her lion mama did not survive the delivery. Lucky for her, a local mutt that recently had puppies was willing to help out. She is seen here with one her puppies and lion cub--who is almost as big as her!

More photos of the pair here. Plus 3 cool photos of the lion cub here.

Glamour Pets (April Fools Post)

2010-04-01T15:35:00.005-04:00

Glamour magazine has gone to the dogs! Well, just for today anyway. In joining the legions of online pranks for April Fools Day, their entire home page is now pet-related, written by pets, for pet readers (I assume the link will only work today). Here are some of the fun headlines:

Get your human to stop dressing you up

1) Bark incessantly

2) Meow

3) Hide under the bed

4) Pull out the "look"

5) Go catatonic

Figure flattering fur trims

7 ways to tell if he is your LOLmate

6 things to chew for a brighter smile

Accessories that bark for themselves

There are lots more on the page--all accomanied by fun slideshows and articles, but only available today! Wags to Glamour for this clever trick.

Poodle nurses baby squirrels

2010-04-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

I have trouble staying calm around squirrels, so this story really amazes me. Pixie the toy poodle isn't just calm around these baby squirrels, she is nursing them! Yes! Playing mama to some baby squirrels.

The squirrels had lost their home in an incident involving a chainsaw. Pixie's own pups had just recently been weaned and sold. The timing was just right for the pooch to take in the baby squirrels until they were old enough to be on their own. They have since moved to a nature preserve nearby. According to her person, the generous mama misses them, but "dog biscuits seemed to help Pixie's recovery."

Wags to my buddy Shep for keeping tabs on the squirrel news!

Saving the dogs of Spain

2010-03-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

Jackie Todd and her husband moved from the UK to a rustic Spanish village 13 years ago, and have since dedicated themselves to helping local K9s in need. The moved to get away from their workaholic lifestyles, but turned out working hard at something else instead. It started with a 6-week old puppy thrown from a car, then a pup saved from a river, then a stray that had had its ears and tail cut off. Just last year, they helped 119 dogs. All those dogs would make for some great stories, so the wrote a book!

Dog Days in Andalucia: Tails from Spain is only available in the UK right now, but you can read more about it here in the Daily Mail. Maybe the publishers could send me a copy here in the US??

Dog eats...cop car bumper??

2010-03-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Winston wanted to make it clear that he did not want the cop car near his house. So he attacked the car, and literally ripped off the bumper and punctured two of the tires. The cops did try to subdue Winston, first with pepper spray, then with a tazer, but he was determined to take out that bumper. As you can see in the video below, he did have two buddies cheering him on, but Winston did nearly all the damage on his own.

This got the dog in a little hot water, and he was detained at the McKamey Animal Trust for two weeks to determine if he was a dangerous dog. He did display good behavior during that time and has since been released to his owners--who agreed to fortify their fence and take Winston to obedience classes. He will be on "probation" for another 6 months.

I think Winston was just trying to look tough in front of his buddies, but he was lucky the cops kept cool and did not take more extreme measures in trying to subdue him. I hope he learned his lesson to not mess with the cops (or their cars)!

Image rehab for pit bulls (Photographers needed!!)

2010-03-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

For a long time, pit bulls were considered an "All American" kind of dog. They were used in the military, and appeared in popular television shows. Let me tell you, every pit bull I have met has been a happy, friendly, wiggle-butt kind of dog. Only recently has their reputation been corrupted by criminals who abuse them and train them to fight.

Well, a new organization called StubbyDog is out to change that. I was not able to find an official website, but a quick google search tells me that they are ready to grow becuase they are hiring for all kinds of positions! Apparently they were founded by Michael Mountain, one of the original top-people at Best Friends Animal Society. It is their mission to change public perceptions of pit bulls. With their hard work, hopefully their image can get some much needed rehab. But they need your help! They are calling on photographers out there to submit photos that can help advance their cause. Printz Photography has the details, or you can email gigwriter@gmail.com with your pictures.

If anyone has more info about StubbyDogs, please pass it along so I can link to them here!

[Image courtesy of ihasahotdog.com ]

A long way down!

2010-03-25T07:00:00.002-04:00

Bomb sniffing dogs can be a huge help to soldiers in the field. The problem is, sometimes the "field" is far away and you have to get there fast. Ok, I would take a helicopter there. What if there is nowhere to land? Well, the dog has got to jump just like the soldiers!

Austria's special forces crew recently joined a British team went on a training mission in Norway. With specially equipped harnesses, the dogs jump out tandem with a soldier. As one of the jumping soldiers explains to the Daily Mail, dogs don't perceive the height distance the way humans do. In fact, he says of his dog, "He has a much cooler head than most recruits." I will take his word for it!

Check out the Daily Mail article for some more neat pictures.

Surgical surprise

2010-03-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

At first, they thought it was cancer, but it turned out that Braken had actually eaten a soccer ball. This black lab had a birth defect in his diaphragm that allowed his stomach to migrate up towards his heart after he ingested the ball. On the x-rays it looked like a large growth next to his heart, and only after they opened him up did they discover the 5 inch soccer ball!

He had to have two additional surgeries to repair his diaphragm , but that is better than having cancer for sure. Braken didn't exactly learn his lesson though..his person says that he still tries to eat everything!

Spotted dog survives a tough spot

2010-03-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Chloe slipped out of her collar and darted into the street to greet another dog. A double decker bus got in her way. She was struck the bus, then became trapped between the front wheels. The firefighters of Swiss Cottage, north London, were quick to the scene to help out the dalmatian in need. They brought in a hydraulic jack to help Chloe out from under the 7.5 ton bus. They were able to tilt the bus enough to the side that one fire fighter was able to get into the tight spot to pull Chloe to safety.

Amazingly, this tough dog came out without a single broken bone or even a scratch! She was pretty scared by the whole ordeal but was happy to be back in the arms of her loving person, Brian Levy. Of course, a big wag to the firefigters who have again proven themselves to be real heros to dogs in need. Check out the whole article from the Daily Mail for some more great shots of the rescue.

ER welcomes injured dog

2010-03-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Scottie had accidentally gotten out of his fenced yard and got in a scuffle with another dog. Confused, scared, an injured, where would you go? To the emergency room, of course! Scottie walked right in through the automatic doors at the San Juan Medical Center in Farmington New Mexico, and got the help he needed. Some waiting patients gave him some water and attention until an animal control officer came to pick him up. The officer, Robin Loev said, "He seems very intelligent, very smart and calm and looking like he needed help. I guess he went to the right place."

Scottie's people recognized him in a news report, and were thankful that he was take care of during his adventure away from home. His family picked him up from the Farmington Animal Shelter, and hopefully installed a new lock on the gate at home.

Stamps to the Rescue

2010-03-19T07:00:00.004-04:00

Animal Rescue has another big advocate this week: the United States Post Office! They just announced their "Stamps to the Rescue" campaign. The postal stamps feature adorable pictures of 10 dogs and cats that found their forever homes by way of a shelter. Through the campaign, they hope to raise awareness about pet adoption. They have some big names promoting the campaign---including Ellen Degeneres, the Humane Society of the United States, Petfinder, and several others. During the Campaign, Halo pet food will be donating one million meals to shelter pets around the country.

Ellen described how you can help: "The first thing you can do is adopt a shelter pet, just like it says on the stamp. That's one less mouth to feed for these under-funded animal shelters across the country. More importantly, you'll give an abandoned pet a true home -- and change your own life in the process."

If your house is already full of four legged family members, you can help out by buying a book of stamps for $8.80 to support the campaign. If you want other merchandise from the campaign, check out the USPS store online.

The big "O" for Best Friends

2010-03-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

Some big news for one of my favorite charities, Best Friends Animal Society--They were selected to be featured in O magazine as one of Oprah's top ten charities. This is basically the equivalent of being selected as one of Oprah's "favorite things" but for charities.

In celebration of the magazine's ten year anniversary, the are doing a "Live Your Best Life" fundraising walk in NYC over mother's day weekend. Some walks are targeted to just one cause, but this is targeted to ten, allowing more people to participate to help charities that may not have the resources to organize something like this one their own. Even if you can't walk, you can still help fundraise of course. Oprah is planning some exciting prizes for the top fundraisers, and Best Friends is offering some very cool incentives too.

If you needed a reason to participate, or to give, you should read about all the great work that Best Friends does on their website. If you already know and love Best Friends, like me, you will enjoy this adorable video of nine puppies that recently landed at their sanctuary in Kanab, UT. Sure, the video is super cute (especially the synchronized head tilting at the end), but the best part is knowing that all of these puppies will find great forever homes because of the angels working on their behalf.

Champ needs his own hero now

2010-03-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Four year old german shepherd, Champ, lived up to his name when protecting his family from burglars. This dog took five bullets to protect his family. Amazingly he survived, but with some serious injuries. His family could not afford his treatment, and decided to euthanize him. Well, Coastal German Shepherd Rescue of Southern California stepped in to make sure Champ got another chance at life.

Veterinarians say that Champ was lucky that all the bullets exited his body, and he is not expected to suffer from any long term troubles once he recovers. His treatment and recovery is not cheap, and the rescue that currently has custody of him is seeking donations. His last challenge in his recovery will be finding a new forever home....but I have a feeling that there will be lots of folks wanting this real, live, dog-hero in their house.

Poppy survives 300 ft plunge into the sea

2010-03-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Poppy was out for a day at the beach with her people enjoying chasing seagulls. Until she chased one right off a cliff! The springer spaniel took a 300 ft plunge into the sea and somehow swam to shore. She looked pretty scared by the time the rescue crew arrived to pick her up. Amazingly, she only suffered from a partially collapsed lung, she is expected to recover just fine. Check out video of the rescue here:

Soli is a real gem!

2010-03-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Soli was a lucky dog because he got to go to work with his person every day. His person owned a jewelry store, which doesn't sound like a place where a dog could get in much trouble. Until the day that Soli ate a 3 karat, $20,000 diamond! The vet said that the best thing to do would be to let nature run its course and the diamond would be out in just a few days.

This jeweler found himself collecting and digging through poop for three days until the gem turned up. Despite it all, they still think Soli is a gem himself, and he still goes to work with his person. Now, he gets plenty of treats so that he won't be looking to pick up anything more valuable as a snack! Check out the video here.

Wags to my buddy June for the tip!

Firemen on thin ice to help dog

2010-03-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

The firefighters in Clark County, Ohio were on thin ice--literally--after receiving a call that a dog was stranded on the ice of George Rogers Lake. These brave guys are used to the heat, but they suited up in dry suits to try to save this dog. After falling through the ice once, they decided to take a boat out to get her. As they got close, the dog fell through the ice too. But the firemen got ahold of her and were able to warm her up. Check out some footage of the amazing rescue from WDTN.

It turns out this brave girl was not actually stranded, but standing guard out on the ice because two of her buddies had fallen through (sadly, her buddies were not recovered in time). Now known as the George Rogers Park Dog, she is in the capable hands of the workers at the Humane Society of Clark County. She is under veterinary supervision for frostbite on her paws, and is receiving lots of love from the workers to help her recover from the very scary event. They have already been flooded with calls from people interested in adopting George Rogers Park Dog, so it looks like she will find a nice warm, dry home soon enough.

Wags to all the brave firemen and women out there that help to get dogs out of scary situations like this every day.

Hunting for forever homes

2010-03-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Some hunters take great care of their dogs, while some consider them disposable. The latter was the case with pack of four beagles left behind in Long Island. As some out of town hunters do--the dogs were probably left behind after they didn't return immediately after a hunting trip.

The pack was looking to local humans for help, but some were understandably a little intimidated by the four dogs approaching! Luckily, they were eventually picked up by the Southold Animal Shelter. The dogs garnered some media attention, in part because of community concerns about the problem of abandoned hunting dogs in the North Fork area. Thanks to the news coverage, Southold Animal Shelter was flooded with adoption requests for member of this pack. Two of them already have new homes--forever homes this time around.

My dog ate my...what?

2010-03-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Say your dog ate your homework--cliche. Now, say your dog ate your tickets to a dog-training seminar--you can't make this stuff up! Mike Evans bought tickets to Cesar Millan's show as a Christmas present for his wife. Their dog Islay was not so keen on this plan, and when the tickets arrived via mail, she chewed them up! Mike said, "She has never touched the mail before. It is the ultimate irony, we don't know whether to laugh or cry."

After some debate about their policy, the booking agent has decided to reissue the tickets (I am sure the media attention helped). So, sorry Islay, your people are still going! It is probably in the best interests of you and your pack.

Wags to my buddy Shep for the tip--I am *sure* he would never do anything like this!

A paw in the door

2010-03-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

A good headshot can get you in the door in LA. A bad one can keep you out. If you spend time browsing Petfinder like me, you know that some of the dogs looking for homes have photos that don't seem to capture their best side. It is understandable, not every homeless dog has the help of a professional photographer. Well, that is where Seth Casteel comes in. Seth is a professional pet photographer who volunteers in the LA area to help make sure more dogs have great headshots to get the attention necessary to find the forever homes they desperately need. Check out Seth's before and after shots that helped these dogs find homes:

If you are a professional photographer that has a way with pets, think about volunteering your skills to help a shelter near you!

A big wag to my friend Surf Dog Ricochet for the tip, and congratulations are meeting your $10,000 goal on your latest fundraising campaign!