The BBC is reporting a 34% increase in dog cruelty, but says a new law enacted in 2007 may be the reason. Actual cases of animal cruelty may not be increasing, but the law laid out minimum requirements for the care of a pet, taking the guesswork out of the equation.
Yearly Archives: 2008
“Are You My Mother?” said the tiger to the dog
Do you remember the children’s book called, “Are You My Mother?” The Safari Zoological Park in Caney, Kansas, is putting a new spin on this theme. White tiger cubs, abandoned by their natural mother, are being nursed by Isabella the dog.
Continue reading “Are You My Mother?” said the tiger to the dog
Relocating with your dog
We all know how stressful it is to move to a new home. Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, you have to locate a new home, check out school districts, and find a new coffee shop. The list goes on and on. But what about your dog? He has to figure out whether the new neighbors are friend or foe, learn his new boundaries, and learn the culture at the new dog park. Here’s what you can do to make the move less stressful for your pet.
Dog Cloning Explained
How much would you pay for an exact replica (at least physically) of your beloved pet? RNL Bio of Seoul, South Korea hopes to clone dogs commercially at a fee of $150,000 each. It’s first commercial clones, from a Pit Bull named Booger, were born recently, to the delight of Bernann McKinney.
The original Booger saved McKinney from an attack by another dog, then became an assistance dog during McKinney’s recovery. This remarkable dog passed in 2006, but McKinney now has five exact dupicates, thanks to the cloning process developed by Lee Byeong-Chun.
Here’s how it works: skin cells from the original dog provide the DNA, which is combined into an egg cell from another dog. Before combining, the nucleus of the egg is removed to eliminate the donor’s DNA from “contaminating” the clone. The cell begins to divide in a petri dish, then is implanted into a surrogate mother to be carried for about two months until they are born.
The company hopes to attract as many as 300 canine customers per year, and hopes to branch out into camel cloning for Middle Eastern customers.
McKinney, as the first commercial customer, got a real deal on the process, paying just $50,000. No word on how much of that went to the surrogate.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Top Ten Girl Dog Names
Last week on Top Ten Tuesday, we listed the top ten dog names for male dogs, as culled from the Veterinary Pet Insurance database and reported in USA Today. As promised, here is the list for the fairer sex. Continue reading Top Ten Girl Dog Names
Top Ten Boy Dog Names
Introducing a new feature here on doggies.com: Top Ten Tuesday. Each week we’ll bring you a top ten list about dogs for your enjoyment. If you have a topic you’d like to see covered, just let me know. My email is: [email protected]. This week’s topic: top ten male dog names.
Dog Yoga
Dog daycare and dog massage, I’ve heard of, but dog yoga? I guess it’s all the rage on the east coast, after being developed by Suzi Teitelman, who calls it doga. Teitelman, who is a human yoga instructor, noticed that her dog seemed interested in being close to her when she did her own yoga poses. From these humble beginnings, doga has grown to where classes are now offered in at least 100 locations domestically, as well as in Europe.
The Five Dog Senses
We’ve all heard that a dog’s sense of smell is much better than ours, but what about the other four senses? For years, people have said that dogs only see in black and white, but it turns out that’s a wives’ tale. Dogs can actually see in a spectrum from black to green to blue to grey, as well as creams and white. In comparison, humans sees more than 7 million different shades and hues. However…
The Continuing Saga of Kayla’s DNA
If you’ve been following along, you know that I sent away my “mutt”, Kayla’s DNA to try to find out what breed(s) she is. Unfortunately, I apparently didn’t get a good enough sample the first time, so I have had to re-do the sample. Just mailed it back in today, so there’s still time to get your votes in. What’s your guess as to what she is? See her picture here and post your guess below. No prizes, just good clean fun.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Death of a Police Dog
Have you seen the stories out of the tiny community of Mulberry, Florida? Officer Sara Movahedi, the department’s only K-9 officer, was switched to a new vehicle that was not yet fully outfitted with the protective equipment important to the dog’s well-being.