From New Guinea to New Jersey

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

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!

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!

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!  

GET THE SCOOP IN RIGHT IN YOUR INBOX: Enter your email in the box on the right to get Scoop's take on the latest dog news emailed to you!

Imitating humans, missing out on treats

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)

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

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?

GET THE SCOOP IN RIGHT IN YOUR INBOX: Enter your email in the box on the right to get Scoop's take on the latest dog news emailed to you!

Another heroic pair of pit bulls

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

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.

GET THE SCOOP IN RIGHT IN YOUR INBOX: Enter your email in the box on the right to get Scoop's take on the latest dog news emailed to you!

Oscar's unexpected leap

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

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

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.

GET THE SCOOP IN RIGHT IN YOUR INBOX: Enter your email in the box on the right to get Scoop's take on the latest dog news emailed to you!

Cool treats for the dog days of summer

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.

GET THE SCOOP IN RIGHT IN YOUR INBOX: Enter your email in the box on the right to get Scoop's take on the latest dog news emailed to you!

Big hearts for Gulf Coast dogs

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

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

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?

GET THE SCOOP IN RIGHT IN YOUR INBOX: Enter your email in the box on the right to get Scoop's take on the latest dog news emailed to you!

A pit bull, a bassinet, and a happy ending

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

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

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!

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!

NEW FEATURE: Enter your email in the box on the right to get Scoop's take on the latest dog news in your inbox!