Dog licks cure brain aneurysm (sort of)

Sometimes dogs just "know" when something is wrong. Take the case of hospice nurse Mary Phillips. She had a terrible headache and was lying on the floor in her office. She resisted pleas from coworkers wanting her to get checked at a hospital. When a coworker's dog, Jacqee-Pierre, made her way to the office, she started licking Mary's temple and acting nervously.

Being in hospice care, she knew that sometimes dogs and cats do things like this when something is terribly wrong, almost predicting death. Mary decided to go to the hospital, and it turned out that she had a walnut sized brain aneurysm. Yikes!

After two months, Mary is back at work. She wasn't a dog person before, but it sounds like she is a convert, and she now welcome's Jacquee-Pierre's visits to her office.

Oreo survives 6-story fall

A very mean person threw his dog Oreo off of the roof of a 6-story building. He is going to jail, but Oreo is a survivor! She has some serious injuries--including 2 broken legs and a bruised lung--but is expected to make a full recovery. She is already walking on her own and eating normal food. She cannot be adopted yet because she is still healing, but the shelter has received an outpouring of support and interest in her, so she shouldn't have trouble finding a good home.

A shelter worker commented that she is just one of the special dogs in need of help--so hopefully this outpouring of interest will help lots of dogs! Remember, we all have stories, but not everyone can get in the paper.

"Building Fido's Family Tree"

If you liked yesterday's post about the origin of dogs, check out this awesome audio slideshow about the study from the National Science Foundation that offers some neat information about the study, along with some great pictures of the special dogs they encountered along the way. Humans sure can learn a lot by studying the origin of dogs!

You want me on the helicopter? No way!

Gipsy was out hiking with her person when he sprained his ankle. To make things worse they were on a precarious ridge, and the weather was getting ugly. That might have been the scariest part for him, but Gipsy was the one who got scared when help arrived. When the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue’s helicopter arrived, it sounds like Gipsy was pretty spooked. Her person was put in the rescue basket, and they tried to put Gipsy in the attached bag--but she did not like that idea so much. Her person did not want to leave her below, so they waited until got some ropes to harness her into the basket. Even that didn't go so well at first, but they managed to get her tied up and get her to safety. Poor girl was just scared of the helecopter, but it sounds like she was one happy pup once it was all over.

Where do dogs come from?

Lots of individual dogs come from shelters or breeders, but what is the heritage of the modern dog?

Researchers now believe that domesticated dogs originally descended from wolves in northern Africa. The lead scientist--Adam Boyko-- studied the DNA from all kinds of dogs, but found that "village dogs"--semi feral dogs living near human settlements--had the most genetic diversity. High genetic diversity means that they are near the place of origin. The DNA of dogs in other areas of Africa was less diverse--similar to what you might find in an American shelter-meaning that they were mixes of modern breeds.

The really interesting thing is that so-called "African" dogs, like Rhodesian ridgebacks, don't actually have African ancestry.

National Geographic's article about this discovery also provides a little backstory--Researchers formerly seemed convinced that dogs originated in East Asia. Now it is not so clear. Boyko told National Geographic that these studies could help us understand ancient human migration patterns...because where people go, dogs have usually followed!

[Wags to Lisa in Georgia for the tip!!]

The "underground railroad for dogs"

The Philadelphia Inquirer recently had a great article about how so many rescue dogs end up in the Northeast of the US. Poverty, lack of spay and neuter education, a large number of stray dogs, and underfunded shelters contribute to the numbers of dogs without homes in southern states. West virginia alone took in over 100,000 dogs, half of which had to be destroyed. Lots of the folks that work at these shelters are doing the best they can with the limited resources they have, but it still is not enough.

People dedicated to helping these dogs are working across state lines and have set up what has been unofficially called the "underground railroad for dogs." The internet has helped these folks organize elaborate transportation networks to bring these pups up to the northeast to place them in shelters with more public and private support, or in foster homes.

I encourage you to check out the whole article...it is a worthwhile read about how all of this works with the help of dedicated volunteers. There may be some ways you can help that you didn't know about--like helping transport a dog for just a portion of his trip north. Could you spare just a half a day to help save a dog's life? I promise you will feel good about it.

I was at the "end of the line" at a shelter in North Carolina. Thankfully, the folks at Homeward Trails Animal Rescue helped coordinate my transport to Virginia. I am really thankful to the people that helped me find my way.

[Image courtesy of PhotoBucket]

It is what is on the inside that counts

This poor guy, ET, has been called Britain's Ugliest Mutt. He has been stuck in a shelter for three months because everyone seems to judge him on his looks. The folks at the shelter say that he has a great personality and temperment, but just doesn't look like most dogs. In fact, one shelter worker even said that ET probably thinks that the other dogs are funny looking!

ET would be great for someone who has allergies or doesn't like vacuuming because he is practically hairless. Though he does require suntan lotion in the summer!

I think that ET's unique looks make him extra special. Either way, it is what is on the inside that counts.

I am not THAT stinky

Dogs make great soldiers and police officers, in fact, trained dogs are one of the most effective bomb detection systems available. But Iraqi soldiers are hesitant to add them to their ranks. In their culture, dogs are considered dirty, so the Iraqis are not keen on offering the affection that bomb sniffing dogs work for. Americans and Iraqis are working together to help the Iraqi police develop a more general acceptance of dogs. Read or listen to this NPR story on progress that is being made with this project.

Helping dogs with seizures

Did you know that an estimated 4 million dogs in the US suffer from seizures? Neither did I, but tipster Holly (pictured right), found me on twitter and emailed me at Scoop@dailydogscoop.com to tell me about some research that is going on in the San Francisco Bay Area that could help out these dogs. Seizures sure sounds scary, and I bet it is scary for their people too! Glad to hear that vets and scientist are working towards solutions.

You can watch the news video below, and visit this site for more information about the clinical trial and helpful hints for dealing with dogs with seizures.

Wags to Holly for the tip!

Snuggies for dogs. Seriously.

If you stay up late you probably have seen the infomercial for the Snuggie--the blanket with sleeves. Snuggies now have a cult-like following. To capitalize on this popularity, the creators designed a Snuggie for dogs. Seriously.

Creators said that Snuggie owners would no longer have to deal with "jealous glances" from their dog who was Snuggie-less. They are already for sale online, and will hit the stores next month. In case you were wondering, I will not be getting one.

Be sure to check out the hilarious commercial

What being best buds is all about

Dogs sure know how to help each other out. Bonnie and Clyde are best buds, but their relationship is extra special. Clyde is blind, and very shy and anxious on his own. When Bonnie is with him, he has a lot more confidence and you might not even know he was blind!

They are currently at the Meadowgreen Rescue Centre in England, and looking for a home. The nice people at Meadowgreen will only put them in a home where they can be together--the way it should be.

The picture I have of them isn't great, so Click here for a great video of Bonnie and Clyde from BBC news.

UPDATE: Bonnie and Clyde have been adopted! They were placed together in a country home that has other rescue dogs for them to hang with.

Popeye the Dog

Popeye is an extra special two legged pooch

with an amazing spirit. He has plenty of fun

on his two legs and makes wheelchairs look

fun too! He runs around and plays just like any

other member of the pack. Plus he just seems like

a happy little guy!

Can you believe he doesn't have a forever home? Go

to his website if you are interested in adopting him,

or if you just want to see more pictures and read about

his whole story.

Watch the video (My person told me to warn you that

you might get teary eyed):

UPDATE: Video is loading slowly for some people...if you

are having trouble, try watching it here.

Training Tip Tuesday: JUMPING, Sponsored by Anytime K9

My name is Riley and I am a 5-year-old chocolate Labrador Retriever. I used to jump on my human because I really wanted to get her attention especially when she first came home. I jumped so she would look at me and pet me and maybe even throw the ball. Sometimes I even jumped to demand she acknowledge me.

Of course we dogs know these are the reasons we jump, but most people don’t know that. Well do you know what she did? She did just the opposite of what I wanted. Every time I jumped on her she turned away and crossed her arms. She would not even look at me. So, I would walk around to see her face and when I jumped she turned away again. Well of course I became frustrated and barked at her, “hey don’t you see I want you to play!” but she just ignored me. I was so upset that I sat down and do you know what happened next? For some reason she turned around and pet me. Just like that! Well I got so excited that I tried to jump up and show her how much I loved her. Again, she turned around and ignored me.

After a few times I began to realize that when I was calm and not jumping she would look at me, pet me, and sometimes even throw my ball. It was pretty amazing!

My friend Lincoln’s human tried to do the same to him but he kept on jumping anyway. Those shepards are pretty persistent. Finally his human put on his leash and stepped on it to prevent him from jumping. He did not realize this at the time and continued to try and jump until he was pooped. He finally sat down and just then she looked at him and told him what a good boy he was. How cool is that?! My person tells all of her friends to ignore me if I jump. When I sit calmly in front of them they give me attention and sometimes I even get a treat!

Life is good when you don’t jump on your human. Spread the word.

Riley

CEO (Canine of Extraordinary Obedience)

AnytimeK9, LLC

PS: If you live in the DC or NYC area and are interested in training classed or private lessons by Anytime K9, please visit our website. Be sure to tell them that Scoop sent you!

Piglets & puppies

Tequila, a Rottweiler /pit bull mix was already a new mom. Then these piglets showed up asking for help! Now she is nursing her pups and the piglets. The amazing part is that until recently, Tequila was helping her person hunt wild pigs! But now it looks like she is taking extra special care of these little suckers.

Read the article--where there is also a link to an adorable video.

Beach Dogs

Petside.com just released its list of the top 10 beaches for dogs in the US. Check out the full list here, along with some great photos of dogs enjoying the beach!

This is good to know because not all beaches are dog friendly. Recently, Cape May police started ticketing folks for having their dogs off leash on the beach. Always check the local beach rules before bringing your pup along...to avoid the hassle, and the ticket.

Man-dog athletic teams

This man-dog duo is competing in the Doggy Dash, a portion of the NYC Triathlon. Spencer, an energetic coonhound, was in a shelter for 7 months before being adopted by Oliver Rajic. Since adopting Spencer, Oliver has lost 20 pounds thanks to his regular runs with Spencer.

The Doggy Dash, sponsored by Iams, is a 5 mile course where human-dog teams run tandem. All dogs are checked by veterinary staff beforehand to make sure they are healthy enough to run. But I am sure Spencer is just fine, because they train 4 days a week!

Read more about the other Doggy Dash competitors--including pictures of them all!

Introducing Anytime K9

It took me a while to get adopted because I was not always on my best behavior--but no one ever taught me what that meant! When my person adopted me, she hired a trainer, Tonia Woods-Wilson, founder and CEO of AnytimeK9, to help me control my enthusiasm. Tonia really knows dogs, and she is graduate of the Animal Behavior College. Just goes to show that just because a shelter dog isn't perfect, it might be because no one ever taught them the right way to behave.

I am excited to announce that Tonia and I are working together again! Tonia, my first sponsor, will be a guest contributor to the Scoop, writing a column called "Training Tip Tuesdays."

Tune in weekly for tips, or if you need some extra help and live in the DC or NYC areas, you can sign up for training with Toni personally. She does private training and classes. Be sure to tell her that Scoop sent you!

[If you are interested in sponsoring the Scoop or advertising your business, email me at Scoop@dailydogscoop.com.]

Dogs at church? Why not?

Rachel Bickford is a one-time veterinary hopeful turned pastor. Faced with lagging attendance at her church, she decided to try something new--Woof n' Worship--where she invited church members to bring their dogs along to the service. It was a tail-wagging success! Sure sounds like a good opportunity for people and dogs to socialize. They have biscuits and tennis balls in the church yard afterwards-sounds like fun to me. She even has a new church member that howls along to Amazing Grace!

Rachel wrote an article for Guidepost.com telling others about her idea's success, so maybe others to try it too.

Contact lenses for pet cataracts

A German company is developing a new treatment for dogs and other animals with severe cataracts: contact lenses! The lenses come in different sizes to treat everything from cats to rhinos. I haven't been able find info on exactly how this solves cataracts, but the idea is sure taking off, causing a major expansion at S & V Technologies. Vets need special training to perform the procedure, so it is not widely available yet. But S & V offers training for vets around the world.

[Image courtesy of PhotoBucket]

A long way from home

Muffy was lost from her home in Australia nine years ago. Her family had thought she was long gone, until a shelter 1,200 miles away gave them a call. Muffy had been microchipped, so after she was discovered, the shelter folks were able to track down her family. Muffy is recovering in an animal hospital right now, but is getting on a plane soon to be reunited with her family. I bet they will be all wags when she finally makes it home!