1,022 words - largest vocabulary of any known dog

Chaser, a border collie who lives in Spartanburg, S.C., knows 1,022 proper nouns, a record that displays unexpected depths of the canine mind.

John W. Pilley, Chaser's owner, bought her as a puppy in 2004 from a local border collie breeder and started to train her for four to five hours a day. He would show her an object, say its name up to 40 times, then hide it and ask her to find it, while repeating the name all the time. She was taught one or two new names a day, with monthly revisions and reinforcement for any names she had forgotten.

It was hard to remember all the names Chase had to learn, so he wrote the name on each toy with indelible marker. In three years, Chaser's vocabulary included 800 cloth animals, 116 balls, 26 Frisbees and a medley of plastic items.

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Dogs Were Man's Best Friend Even 9,400 Years Ago

PORTLAND, Maine -- Nearly 10,000 years ago, man's best friend provided protection and companionship - and an occasional meal.

That's what researchers are saying after finding a bone fragment from what they are calling the earliest confirmed domesticated dog in the Americas.

University of Maine graduate student Samuel Belknap III came across the fragment while analyzing a dried-out sample of human waste unearthed in southwest Texas in the 1970s. A carbon-dating test put the age of the bone at 9,400 years, and a DNA analysis confirmed it came from a dog - not a wolf, coyote or fox, Belknap said.

Because it was found deep inside a pile of human excrement and was the characteristic orange-brown color that bone turns when it has passed through the digestive tract, the fragment provides the earliest direct evidence that dogs - besides being used for company, security and hunting - were eaten by humans and may even have been bred as a food source, he said.

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Winter jacket saves small dog from owl

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL -- An Illinois man credited his Chihuahua's winter jacket with saving the small canine from a great horned owl attack.

George Kalomiris said he was walking the 4-pound dog, Chico, in the early hours Wednesday in Crystal Lake when the owl swooped out of the darkness and tried to grab the canine.

Kalomiris said the owl could not get a good grip on Chico because of the dog's puffy winter jacket. He said the dog suffered scratches to his head and a puncture wound, but quickly recovered from the injuries.

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Poodles in a car

From an excellent collection at Flickr by J Van Noate, Antique Dog Photos

Tuesday - feels like Monday - I could sleep .....

via The Daily What

Baby, it's cold outside!

But Gizzy is nice and toasty (and absolutely adorable!)



via Crocheting in Georgia

Video: Wait for the end - surprise!

Coondog Cemetery

In a small, grassy meadow, deep in the rich, thick wilderness of Freedom Hills, Key Underwood sadly buried his faithful coondog, Troop. They had hunted together for more than 15 years. They had been close friends.

The burial spot was a popular hunting camp where coon hunters from miles around gathered.

Out of one hunter's devotion to his faithful coonhound was born the "Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard," which has became a popular tourist attraction and is the only cemetery of its kind in the world.

Other hunters started doing the same when their favorite coon dogs died. Today more than 185 coon dogs from all across the United States are buried in this spot in Northwest Alabama.

A witness and a member of a local coon hunters' organization must verify the deceased was a coon dog before burial is allowed.

"We have stipulations on this thing," says Janice Williams, the secretary/treasurer of the Friends of the Coondog Cemetery, and caretaker of the Coon Dog Cemetery. "A dog can't run no deer, possum -- nothing like that. He's got to be a straight coon dog, and he's got to be full hound. Couldn't be a mixed up breed dog, a house dog."

website

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Stuck!

An 8-month-old German shepherd named Rebel somehow squeezed his head through a hole in an 18-inch block wall at his Desert Hot Springs home Monday.

Then he got stuck.

Rebel may have been chasing another animal or was just curious about the hole, said Sgt. James Huffman of Riverside County Animal Services. The dog cried and whimpered until a friend of the owner heard him and called authorities. The dog’s owner wasn’t home at the time.

County Animal Services officers arrived about 12:30 p.m. and determined that the dog was not in serious danger. Huffman said they concluded that if the dog was able to get his head into the hole, they would be able to pull him out without damaging the wall, but their main concern was not to hurt Rebel while getting him out.

An officer got on either side of the wall, tucked in the dog’s ears and nudged him back and forth for about 30 minutes before getting him out safely.

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Video: Dogsledding

Doesn't this look like fun?

Dogs Are Santa's Favorites

An AP-Petside.com Poll, conducted October 13-20, 2010, by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, found that 53 percent of pet owners plan to get their animals a present this holiday season. Of these, fifty-six percent of the dog owners say they'll buy their pets a gift this Christmas, but only 48 percent of the cat owners plan a gift.

Also interesting: women (56 percent) are somewhat more likely than men (49 percent) to buy their animals a gift. The poll also showed that renters (66 percent) are more apt to pamper their pets than homeowners (49 percent). And while fewer than half of those who attend religious services weekly or more often say they plan to buy their pets a gift, 60 percent of those who never attend services do.

And while we're talking about Christmas gifts for pets, don't forget to get yours, at i-pets.com.

Another celeb Frenchie fan

Ashley Olsen touched down at Los Angeles airport with her adorable traveling companion.

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Very CUTE (& the dog, too)

Actor Gilles Marini and his French Bulldog Mila.

via People Pets

Soldiers and dogs deploy for Afghanistan

FT. LEONARD WOOD, MO -- Families and friends said their farewells to about a dozen military men, women, and dogs Monday.

Ft. Leonard Wood held a deployment ceremony for the Engineer Canine Company, 5th Engineer Battalion.

The group included 5 working dogs and their handlers, plus 4 veterinarian technicians.

The soldiers are headed to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom.


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Photography by Tim Flach

Photo credit: Tim Flach . . . the best dog photos I've seen in a long time.

Putin Falls in Love

Russian PM Vladimir Putin hugs and kisses the Bulgarian Shepherd puppy that his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov presented to him in Sofia on Saturday, Nov 13.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister has a passion for canine pets and the Bulgarian Shepherd Dog is his favorite breed. He states that politicians should be like these dogs, explaining that a Bulgarian Shepherd is "faithful, strong, fights predators and bad people, and is a very good guard."

Another male puppy of Borisov's is reportedly being secretly trained as a gift for present US President Barack Obama.

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Rare New Guinea Singing Dogs Discovered in Pennsylvania

New Guinea Singing Dog is the name of an ancient, rare type of primitive canine that once inhabited all of the island of New Guinea. [wiki]

Why are they called singing dogs? Listen

Until one month ago, only 150 were known to exist in captivity -- most of those in world zoos. But last month, in a small town west of Harrisburg, Pa., about 80 of these unique dogs were discovered living with a hoarder. Randy A. Hammond, 58, obtained his first two NGSD at an Ohio flea market in 1995. A man gave him another pair shortly thereafter, and all the dogs found at his property are descendants from those two pairings of singing dogs.

link

via Digg

Would You Like to Own the World’s Ugliest Dog?

By Julia Williams

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is one of the oldest, and most often repeated, sayings, and nowhere is it more evident than at the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. This internationally acclaimed contest is held every summer at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. I lived in Petaluma for ten years and attended the event many times. It was a lot of fun, but it was also interesting to see just how much the owners (and the fairgoers) adored these hideously homely dogs.

To be crowned the winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, you must indeed be Ugly with a capital U – and these dogs definitely are! Many of these ugly dogs are hairless with odd tufts of hair here and there (often referred to as “Einstein hair”) and they usually have toothless grins or tongues that hang outside their mouths – in short, these ugly dogs have faces only a mother could love.

It got me to wondering, aside from this well-known contest whose past winners have achieved instant canine celebrity status, what the appeal is in owning an ugly dog. Some of these dogs are so ugly they make you laugh. And some are so ugly they make you shudder! In a society that values beauty so much, it’s fascinating to see ugly animals so revered. Can you imagine the uproar that would ensue if we humans held a “World’s Ugliest Person” contest? I have to laugh at this double standard; it’s not only okay to call a dog ugly, but we revel in their ugliness.

Do the owners of these ugly dogs love them even more because they’re so ugly, or do they fall in love with the dog’s “inner beauty” and become oblivious to the outside package? I don’t know. What I do know is that the World’s Ugliest Dog contest is immensely popular with pet owners and the general public alike. Contestants come from all over the U.S., from as far away as Florida. Animal Planet sponsors the contest and has broadcast the proceedings for the last several years. The World’s Ugliest Dog winner gets a $1,000 prize, a trophy, doggie bling (collars, leashes, bowls and toys) and worldwide fame, complete with talk show appearances, videos, glossy magazine write-ups, a professional photo shoot and a modeling contract with House of Dog. Whew!

This year marks the 22nd annual World’s Ugliest Dog contest, and judging by the entries posted on the official website, there is no shortage of homely dogs hoping to be crowned the King of Ugly (or Queen) and take home all of those fabulous prizes. Past World’s Ugliest Dog winner Rascal is back for another go at the title, and his family says “To us, Rascal is the most handsome being to ever live, and is a loving family member, but it's in fun when he is called ugly.” And then there’s Handsome Hector, whose motto is “eat like a pig, look like a rat and lounge like a bloated seal!” You can see all of the ugly dogs vying for this year’s title of World’s Ugliest Dog here.

Call me shallow, but I’m just not sure I could ever fall in love with an ugly dog, or an ugly cat for that matter. Inner beauty notwithstanding, I just really prefer my pets to have hair…and teeth…and tongues that stay inside their mouths instead of lolling lopsidedly out one side like a drunken sailor. Then again, maybe I just haven’t met the right ugly dog, the one who’s “so ugly he’s cute.” Since there are so many other pet lovers willing to overlook the ugly canines of the world, I guess it doesn’t really matter.

Would you – could you? – love the World’s Ugliest Dog?

Photos courtesy of the World's Ugliest Dog® Contest, Sonoma-Marin Fair, Petaluma, California

Read more articles by Julia Williams

The Benefits of Pets for Teenagers

By Suzanne Alicie

Everyone has heard of the positive benefits of pets for the elderly, but what other demographic can you think of that may need some unconditional love and understanding? Why, teenagers of course! They often feel misunderstood, unloved and just plain dumped on as they are caught between being children and being adults. Teenagers are trapped between being responsible for their decisions and having to ask permission for the things they want to do. Pets are a very positive interaction for troubled teens, providing love and emotional support as well as teaching responsibility.

My oldest son is now 16. Just after he turned 13, he went through my divorce and the destruction of all that was stable and safe in his life. We were both thrown into turmoil. Anger and depression were affecting my son’s choices, and he made quite a few bad decisions.

He began misbehaving at school, dabbling in drugs and just generally choosing to be around people who were a bad influence. I felt like I was losing my son. The sweet boy who smiled and laughed so easily was becoming an angry and out of control teenager who more often wore a scowl. He stopped communicating with me, and I was at a loss as to what to do. Punishments and talking didn’t seem to help; everything I said went in one ear and out the other.

We found a place to live with a friend, and lo and behold there was a dog. Not only that, but a dog that was shy and a bit insecure, and more often than not could be found hiding under a bed. This dog was Bear. This wonderful patchwork dog that didn’t seem to fit in anywhere and lived on the fringes of the family became part of my son’s salvation.

My son instantly began working with Bear to get her to be more sociable, even when he wanted nothing to do with other people himself. He took on the responsibilities of taking care of her, and before I knew it everywhere my son was there was Bear. They formed an intense friendship, he talked to her and he petted her, and Bear? Well she listened to him, she didn’t judge and she loved him no matter what. She absorbed the love that the troubled teenager had to give but couldn’t find a way to express to people.

The boy and the dog formed their own unit of support and love that was a doorway to my son learning to express his emotions. Because of Bear’s nervousness, my son learned to express anger without yelling or throwing things; he learned to keep his composure because of his love for this dog. It was a friendship that helped him see the future instead of the destruction in the past. In many ways Bear helped save my sanity by being a source of unconditional love and understanding for my teenage son.

To this day, there is no one that Bear loves more than her boy. She is protective of him and always full of love and excitement when he comes into the room. She loves to sit beside him or try to get all 50 pounds of her into his lap to be petted. Not only did Bear transform my son, he also transformed her into a real family dog that loves her people and interacts with us all regularly. She still prefers to sleep under the bed, but if a hand is placed near the floor she will scoot over and lick it before going back to sleep.

In several cities across the United States there are programs for troubled youth that incorporate caring for pets into their programs. Teachers Pet, AAT and many other programs provide animals for teens to interact with in order to learn responsibility. In these programs you will find cats, dogs and even horses. Animal shelters are always looking for volunteers and amazingly, those lazy teenagers who don’t ever want to do anything but listen to music and hang with their friends have proven to be the most dedicated and loving of shelter volunteers. Many troubled teens go on to be dedicated to animals in their adult lives as well, continuing to volunteer and do things to make the world a better place for their animal friends.

Read more articles by Suzanne Alicie

Can Your Pooch Help You Lose Your Paunch?

By Julia Williams

At the beginning of every new year, millions of people make resolutions pertaining to weight loss, exercise and fitness. They hit the gym with a gung-ho attitude, certain that this time they have the drive and determination to achieve their fitness goals. All too often, January’s resolve melts before the winter snow does, and they end up sitting on the couch watching The Biggest Loser contestants work out, instead of doing it themselves.

Sound familiar? Well, maybe you just need some new motivation – and who better to help you find your fitness mojo than your best canine buddy? By recruiting your dog as your new workout partner, you’ll not only rekindle your drive to get in shape, but you’ll help your four-legged companion get some much needed exercise too!

With the hectic, overscheduled lifestyle so many of us lead nowadays, it makes perfect sense to incorporate the family dog into your workout regime. Beyond taking them for their daily walk, there are countless things you can do to get fit with Fido. I’ve come up with several to get you started, but don’t be afraid to brainstorm to find other creative ways to exercise with your dog.

Power Walk Plus

Walking your dog is good exercise, but taking it up a notch or two will increase your heart rate and help you both burn more calories. Throughout your walk, mix in some higher-intensity intervals of power walking, jogging, running, leg kicks or high stepping.

Play Dog Tag

The timeless children’s game of tag is just as much fun with a dog, if not more. Take your dog out to your back yard or the local dog park, and let them try to chase you down as you run to get away from them. Dogs catch on to this simple game right away, and they have a blast trying to “tag” you.

Fetch Race

Every dog loves to fetch, and this variation on that classic canine game lets you both get some exercise. Just take your dog’s favorite toy and toss it across the yard or dog park as you normally would when playing fetch, and then race him to see who can get to it first. If your dog is a slow runner and you can easily beat them to the toy, you might want to let them “win” at least part of the time, so that the game remains fun.

Obstacle Course

If you have a large backyard, you can set up a fitness obstacle course that both you and your dog can do together. Use your imagination to create a course that involves jumping over things like benches, low stools, small boxes and other objects, darting around objects like trees and picnic tables, and crawling through tunnels made out of large cardboard boxes.

The popular sport of dog agility is another way both you and your pet can get some exercise. Dog agility involves directing your pooch through an obstacle course in a timed race. As they run up ramps, snake through tunnels and race across balance beams, you’ll need to be guiding them every step of the way, which means that you both get lots of exercise in the process.

“My Best Friends Workout” DVD

This instructional DVD and manual are designed to help dog owners increase the intensity of their daily walk with their canine companion. A certified fitness instructor demonstrates nine unique exercises which incorporate strength training, cardiovascular exercise, anaerobic challenges and core exercises, essentially turning a 20-minute walk into a total body workout. Modifications are shown for nine different dog types, including Lap Dog, Marathoner and Old Timer, which makes it easy to provide the correct amount of activity for your particular dog. It sells for $24.95 and can be purchased online here.

“BOW WOW Bootcamp” Audio Program

This veterinarian-recommended exercise program was created by a top fitness trainer to provide a great workout that’s lots of fun for both dogs and owners. With 2 levels to choose from, each six-week BOW WOW Bootcamp audio CD includes a special mini-flip booklet demonstrating the exercises, as well as nutritional information and dietary guidelines (for the human, not the dog). You can order the CD here for $29.95 plus shipping, or download the MP3 file for $19.95.

Just as you should visit your own doctor before starting any fitness program, so too should your dog get a vet checkup, especially if they are overweight or not used to regular exercise. You can discuss any health issues that might affect your dog's ability to exercise with you, and your vet can help you determine which activities are appropriate for their current fitness level.

Now that you have some good ideas for how to get fit with your dog, isn’t it time to shut down the computer, call your four-legged friend and get moving?

Read more articles by Julia Williams