Dogs' feet give Japan scientists paws for thought(Reuters) - Ever wonder how dogs can walk barefoot in the snow? Now a Japanese scientist may have the answer -- an internal central heating system. The secret lies in how dogs circulate their blood to prevent cold surfaces from chilling the rest of their bodies, according to Hiroyoshi Ninomiya, a professor at Yamazaki Gakuen University, just west of Tokyo. The system uses warm, oxygenated blood to heat the cold blood that has been in contact with a cold surface before returning it to the dog's heart and central circulation. "Dogs exchange heat at the end of their legs. Arterial blood flows to the end of their legs and then heats up venous blood before returning it to the heart," Ninomiya said of his findings, published in the journal Veterinary Dermatology. "In other words, they have a heat exchange system in their feet."

(Reuters) - Ever wonder how dogs can walk barefoot in the snow? Now a Japanese scientist may have the answer -- an internal central heating system.

The secret lies in how dogs circulate their blood to prevent cold surfaces from chilling the rest of their bodies, according to Hiroyoshi Ninomiya, a professor at Yamazaki Gakuen University, just west of Tokyo.

The system uses warm, oxygenated blood to heat the cold blood that has been in contact with a cold surface before returning it to the dog's heart and central circulation.

"Dogs exchange heat at the end of their legs. Arterial blood flows to the end of their legs and then heats up venous blood before returning it to the heart," Ninomiya said of his findings, published in the journal Veterinary Dermatology.

"In other words, they have a heat exchange system in their feet."  MORE>>

'How to shoot dog humanely' guidelines alarm activists

Animal rights groups in British Columbia are alarmed by new guidelines - sparked by an ugly sled-dog slaughter - that contain instructions on how to humanely shoot a dog.

"It's disturbing that a document that is supposedly about animal welfare shows you how to shoot your dog," said Peter Fricker of the Vancouver Humane Society about the Sled Dog Code of Practice issued by the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture on Monday.

"We don't really see how this pre-vents something like (the) Whistler (sled dog slaughter) happening again, given an operator who has a surplus of dogs and can't find homes for them can still shoot them - even if they are healthy."

The guidelines were created in response to the April 10, 2010, slaughter of 52 sled dogs owned by Outdoor Adventures of Whistler.

Bob Fawcett, head of the company's sled dog division, shot and in some cases slit the throats of sled dogs while other dogs looked on.  MORE>>

Are there limits to drug-sniffing dogs?

The work of a trained narcotics detection dog in Miami is part of a legal dispute that could very well reach the Supreme Court.
....
The state is asking the nation’s high court to consider overturning a decision by the Florida Supreme Court, asking whether a sniff at the front door of the house by a trained narcotics detection dog is itself a search that requires probable cause.

The case involves a search of a Miami house where police had been tipped that someone was growing marijuana. After surveillance of the house turned up nothing, a detective went up onto the porch with Franky the drug sniffing dog. Franky gave the alert signal that he’d been trained to give when smelling drugs, and at that point the police left the porch. Another detective — aware that the dog had smelled drugs — then went to the door to knock on it and, while there was no answer, he said he also smelled marijuana.

The detective then left and went to get a warrant to search the house. The information he gave to the judge noted Franky’s alert at the house. The magistrate issued the warrant, police returned and found a lot of marijuana and arrested the resident, Joelis Jardines, as he tried to flee.

Read more>>

Now THIS is WRONG !! 
You can train a dog to ''point'' to a smell very very easily...  using a dog in this way is a breach of the Rights of the Dog. He didn't ask to rat on a human. 


The REAL issue here is whether the law of keeping marijuana illegal is a good law. Marijuana in itself is not bad, (just like dogs that bite people), it's the laws around it that make it ''go bad''. In this instance, dogs that are under socialised, dogs that can't BE a DOG. 

Ukrainian government calls for end of stray dog killing ahead of Euro 2012 championship

KIEV, Ukraine —
Ukraine has called for an end to the killing of stray dogs ahead of the Euro 2012 soccer championship next summer, bending to pressure from Western critics.
The Environment Ministry said Thursday it has urged all the country’s mayors to stop euthanizing dogs ahead of the June soccer matches and build animal shelters instead.

Thousands of stray dogs have been killed in Ukraine over the past year, often poisoned or injected with illegal substances, in an apparent effort to clean city streets of strays ahead of the prestigious sports event. That has caused outrage from local and international animal protection groups.
MORE>>

Therapy dog a 'touching' experience for kids with autism

...
The black Labrador retriever was certified as a therapy dog this summer and now works at schools and nursing homes. Owner Jim McQuinn brings her to Erisman’s class at Seth Whitman Elementary in Belvidere, Ill., each Wednesday, where schoolchildren touch, hug and explore Bella.

“My (students), who have autism, love the feel of her,” Erisman said. “There are so many sensory things about a dog. They love to hug her and squeeze on her.”

Along with another class, the students enjoy the break from their studies when Bella comes to visit. There are 19 students in all, ages 5 to 10, who spend time with Bella each week. They learn about caring for and training a dog, as well as learning to socialize with Bella’s owner.

“The major drive in our class is to form communication and language skills,” Erisman said. “This is a time when they are not doing academics, but are learning to talk to Jim, who is someone new. They have really taken to Jim. He’s a very kind and patient man.” MORE>>

Dogs help veterans cope with psychological war scars

NORFOLK, Va (Reuters) - As the number of veterans grappling with the psychological scars of war mounts, a miniature Australian Shepherd named Jonas represents a newer breed of treatment for those suffering from Jonas, a peppy 2-year-old, is a legal service dog, trained to scan owner Ian Lord for signs of stress and respond with licks, cuddles and demands for pats.

Lord, a 25-year-old Air Force veteran in Norfolk, Virginia, credits his specialized pet with helping him cope with the mental aftershocks of war.

"He makes it a lot easier to recover from a trigger, like sounds of a helicopter overhead," Lord said. "The difference is, instead of getting wound up about it the rest of the day, it's like OK, go outside and throw a ball around, or just cuddle up to him a bit and kind of snap out of it." MORE>>

Some California Courts Offer Dogs To Comfort Crime Victims

SACRAMENTO (CBS 5) — For victims of violent crime, taking the witness stand can be terrifying. Some courts, including those in the Bay Area, are now offering support from four-legged friends.

Getting into a courthouse in California means going through security, even if you’re a poodle named Reggie.

Canine companions can offer comfort to sex assault and domestic abuse victims as they face their abusers in a courtroom. In California alone – Marin, Sacramento and San Diego counties have adopted dogs into their justice systems. Nationwide, they can be found in jurisdictions in ten other states. MORE>>

Officers kill dog that bit child's face

This is really a sad story of gun-wired cops, a 'bite' that was misread, and two families in tears!

My question is... how can the cops turn up on your doorstep and MURDER your dog WITHOUT speaking to ANYONE about the incident !!! 

Holey farken hell.... if this even happens in New Zealand, I want to know about it!

Vicki Hagler said Sunday evening that police acted inappropriately when they dubbed her dog a pit bull and fatally shot it after the dog bit a 4-year-old boy’s face on Saturday evening.

(...)

Police said the 4-year-old was being cared for by one of his mother’s friends — a neighbor of Hagler’s family. The child was bit by the dog around 4 pm as he reached for a candy dish inside Hagler’s home at 76 Dover St., according to police. He required 85 to 100 stitches on Saturday evening to close two wounds on his face.

Hagler’s fiance, Bobby West, said the 4-year-old had never been to his house. West said he thought the child must have been “in the dog’s face,” when he was bit. West (adult) wasn’t at home during the incident. He had gone to the store and left Young (15 years old) to watch two of Hagler’s younger children. The family believes the 4-year-old was playing with the younger children in the Hagler’s house.

Young, who was playing basketball outside with friends, heard screaming and saw the 4-year-old on the sidewalk covered in blood. He carried the child to 68 Dover for care and returned to his house. He put the dog in the garage.

After about 15 minutes, West said he returned home and was in the garage holding the dog when police arrived.

Police said the dog was shot after it charged the officers. Gee, the dog felt threatened-- left in an unfamiliar house, left with unfamiliar people, and left to defend himself ALONE with a young kids around him.

Young said the dog was calm until the officers fired.

Young said police drew their guns before reaching the backyard.

“It was like they (cops) were on a mission,” he said.

Police said a vicious dog complaint would be referred to prosecutors.

“Any time an officer discharges a firearm an internal affairs investigation is conducted,” said Dayton police Lt. Wendy Stiver. “We can not comment until after the investigation is conducted.”

I hope that I hear about the continueing saga... TWO FAMILIES are now AFFECTED.

NEVER leave a dog UNATTENDED if there are CHILDREN AROUND.

WHO's FAULT is it that the dog was murdered!!

Hagler said she’s always been be leery of pit bulls and would never allow a vicious dog around her kids.

She said she now wonders how many dogs are mislabeled pit bull.

“We trained this dog,” she said. “I’ve got friends jealous of how good my dog is.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2384 or arobinson@
DaytonDailyNews.com.

Dog Trials in Central Auckland

The organiser of rural sporting events taking place in downtown Auckland this week sees them as a chance to boost the profile of events that are part of New Zealand culture.

A week of speed shearing, wood chopping and sheep dog trials begin in central Auckland on Monday afternoon, coinciding with the final week of the Rugby World Cup.

The wood chopping and dog trials will feature contests between New Zealand and Australian teams.

Organiser Steve Hollander of Cutting Edge sports says he aims to keep the momentum going for rural sports.

Japanese snap up dog raincoats to protect their pooches from radiation

It is a response to Japan's nuclear meltdown that few were expecting.

Dog owners worried about radiation following the Fukushima accident have cleared the shelves of protective pet raincoats.

The doggie jackets are now considered a vital survival strategy for animals living in areas near the power plant.

It is hoped that the colourful coats will protect them from the effects of nuclear rain soaking through their fur.

Vets have warned that because dogs are close to the ground and forage in shrubbery and the ground, they are at risk from airborne radiation, which is concentrated in areas where rainwater collects.

Sales of the mini-macs have soared by 50 per cent, according to The Times, after the catastrophe in March left people terrified of the after-effects of radiation. MORE>>

Dog owners in Qld could be jailed

Owners of dangerous dogs that attack or kill could face up to ten years in jail under a draft amendment to the Qld Criminal Code.


The Queensland Government has released the draft amendment to deal specifically with serious injury or death caused by dogs.


Attorney General Paul Lucas said the recent death of Ayen Choi in Victoria had sparked debate about Queensland's dangerous dog laws.


He said the proposed amendment to introduce a Dangerous Management of a Dog offence to the Criminal Code would make it clear that owners of dangerous dogs who attack or kill could be criminally liable.


'This is about making sure that the message to dog owners is loud and clear,' Mr Lucas said.


'If they are not properly controlling their pet and it maims or kills a child or an adult, then they could be criminally liable for their action.


'While I have been advised that current provisions in the Queensland Criminal Code such as manslaughter could cover this type of situation, a specific provision would remove any doubt at all.'  MORE>>

Canine heroes of 9/11 set example for new generation

(Reuters) - While there were hundreds of human heroes in the days following the September 11 attacks, there were four-legged heroes too -- the dogs who searched for survivors and bodies in the rubble of buildings and planes.

A decade later, the 9/11 dogs still alive are long retired, but there's a new generation coming up behind them.

Red, a 12 year-old Labrador who searched the rubble of the Pentagon with her handler, is among those retired as an active search dog. Her legs are not as spry as they once were but in her temperament Red still appears to have that same devotion to the search.

Not long after American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, Red was at work. She was 18 months old and only recently certified as a rescue dog, a rookie among more veteran canines.

Red searched the debris pile with an energy that surprised even her handler, Heather Roche. MORE>>

A Blind Man, His Guide Dog and Lessons Learned On 9/11

Ten years ago, on September 11, 2001, I was working at my desk on the 78th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I stood up to grab some letterhead from the supply cabinet when I heard a tremendous BOOM! It was 8:46 a.m.

I was one of many thousands of people in the World Trade Center that day.
I had a good job that allowed me and my wife Karen to pay the bills and have a good life. But unlike almost everyone else in the building that day, I am blind and use a guide dog. When the terrorist-hijacked plane plowed into the building above our heads, Roselle was snoozing under my desk.

After the impact, the building shuddered and Roselle decided it was time to wake up. She emerged from under my desk, yawned, and quietly sat, waiting. Time to go to work. “Forward,” I said softly. Forward is used when setting off with the dog in harness, and it’s one of the very first commands all guide dogs are taught.

MORE>>

A Dog at the Funeral Captured on Video

A man's best friend shows emotion to the presence of his master at his funeral service. music by Harold Britton titled "canon" composed by Johann Pachelbel,( very short video looped for emphasis).

A Tradition Ends as Bars Shut Their Doors to Dogs

Miles has been going to Ace Bar all his life.


His face has grayed there. Friends have come and gone. He never paid for a drink, but rarely walked out of the East Village bar with an empty stomach. He may have purged his dinner on the floor a time or two, his fellow bar patrons said, but who among them hadn’t done the same?


Over the past year, though, Miles has become the latest subject of what may be the city’s least funny running joke: A dog walks into a bar — and the health department threatens to issue a violation for allowing live animals in a food establishment.


“He’s a dog, but I swear he looks sad,” Mike Israely, 33, said of Miles, his 9-year-old boxer-pug mix, as the dog peered through Ace Bar’s glass doors Thursday night. “Coming here was part of our evening walk.”


Of course, it has always been a violation of the city’s health code to allow a dog anywhere near a beer tap. But for years, this has been one of the most widely — and gleefully — violated rules in the city.


Not any more.


The stricter enforcement is apparently bringing to an end a rich tradition of dog-friendly bars in New York.


“Bars are built around characters,” said Andrew Templar, an owner of Floyd NY in Brooklyn Heights, which received a violation notice after health inspectors twice observed dogs on the premises this summer. “Now it’s just people and their people problems.”


(...)
During inspections, many owners said they were surprised to learn that dogs were not allowed even in outdoor seating areas.


(..)
Some bars evaded formal reprimand from the city with the help of fellow pubs. In the East Village, where many watering holes are known to be dog-friendly, word spread quickly when inspectors began to crack down.
(...)


The city’s history of dog-friendly establishments predates most of its bars. In the 19th century, saloons often housed dogs as security. Occasionally, the animals attracted crowds of gamblers, who wagered on how many penned rats a dog could kill in five minutes. (The record was 60, which New York’s champion terrier failed to break when he was dispatched to New Orleans in 1879 as the headliner of an event at Bison Williams’s Buffalo Bill House, said Christine Sismondo, the author of “America Walks Into a Bar.”)


Biff, a 3-year-old black lab, and Nick Simons, 39, at an East Village bar.
a proper neighborhood bar,” Ms. Sismondo said. “It proves you’re not one of those corporate B.Y.O.F. bars: bring your own friends.”


(...)
And at P.J. Clarke’s in Midtown, a collie named Skippy, with an auburn coat and blackened tail, has held court for nearly a half-century. After the dog’s death in 1963, bar-goers pitched in to have him stuffed. Today, he sits, hind legs tucked in, eyes pulled wide, atop a ledge above the entrance to the handicapped bathroom. He shares the post with metal busts memorializing police officers and firefighters killed on 9/11, beside a placard that reads, “P.J. Clarke’s Remembers.”


(...)
At Fulton Grand in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, many workers bring their animals, said Luke McDermott, co-owner of the bar. Patrons said they welcomed the guests, save for one hound with a howling habit.


“It’s the equivalent of a crying baby,” said Melissa Le, 36, from Prospect Heights. “The owner should know when a dog is fitting in with the environment.”
(...)


“We never turn any dogs away,” said Frankie Delessio, 30, a bartender. “Humans, yes.”


He pulled out his iPhone, with which he shot a video recently: a Jack Russell terrier, paws on the bar counter, head bobbing to the music, with a vodka tonic in a glass in front of him.
“It’s O.K.; he’s 3,” Mr. Delessio said. “That’s 21 in dog years.”

Your pet: A help or a hazard?

(RNN) - They can provide unconditional love and unbiased companionship, but they are also a gateway for pests and disease.

Long-standing wisdom has maintained owning a pet is beneficial to the owner in numerous ways, from emotional therapy to physical benefits such as lower blood pressure, but those findings are being called in questioned by Western Carolina University psychology professor Harold Herzog in a recent article by Science Daily.

"I'm not trying to denigrate the role of animals in human life, I'm trying to do just the opposite," said Herzog, a pet owner. "It's entirely plausible that our pets really do provide medical and psychological benefits, but we just don't know how strong that effect is, what types of people it works for, and what the underlying biological and psychological mechanisms might be."

He wrote an article in the August issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science saying there is "insufficient evidence" to support claims of increased qualify of life because of the presence of domesticated animals. MORE>>

Pooches on Pacific: Thursday marks a first in 35 years

SANTA CRUZ - Thursday marked the first day in 35 years dogs were legally allowed downtown.

But the beginning of a three-month trial period came and went with little fanfare. Several dog owners admitted to bringing their canine companions downtown long before Thursday's expiration of 30-day waiting period since the City Council lifted the ban in July.

Pat Galea strode Pacific Avenue with 4 1/2-year-old sibling Pomeranians Zsa Zsa and Osito on Thursday. Although she lives near Frederick Street Park, where dogs are allowed off-leash, she enjoys walking her babies downtown with a leash and will carry waste collection bags to hand other dog owners.

"If everyone acts responsibly, then there is no reason this shouldn't become permanent," she said.

Police spokesman Zach Friend said officers verbally warned a few people about panhandling with a dog and tying a dog up to a post while shopping - two things outlawed by the new rules. No citations were issued. MORE>>

Dognapping! The Economy Is to Blame for a Rise in Dog Kidnapping

Pets and the economy have a curious relationship. Overall spending in the pet industry has risen steadily over the past few years, even as the economy has struggled. But spending on pets isn’t entirely recession-proof, as demonstrated by the increase in owners who are choosing cremation when their pets pass away, rather than electing for trendy (and more expensive) cemetery plots and burials. Now the tough economy is giving owners extra reason to watch their pooch’s back — because there has been a rise in dogs being stolen or kidnapped.
(...)

Here’s one to add to the list: according to USA Today, the number of dogs that have been snatched from unsuspecting owners has spiked. During the first seven months of 2011, per the American Kennel Club (AKC), there were reports of 224 stolen dogs, compared with 150 during the same time period last year. That’s a rise of 49%. Overall last year, there were 255 dogs reported stolen, up from 162 in 2009 and 71 in 2008.

What’s behind the rise in dognappings? Lisa Peterson, AKC spokeswoman, tells USA Today flatly, “The motivation is money and economics.”

MORE>>

In NY, a dog helps teen testify against rapist dad

POUGHKEEPSIE (NY): Rosie, the first judicially approved courtroom dog in New York, was in the witness box here nuzzling a 15-year-old girl who was testifying that her father had raped and impregnated her. Rosie sat by the teenager's feet. 

At particularly bad moments , she leaned in. 

When the trial ended in June with the father's conviction , the teenager "was most grateful to Rosie above all," said David A Crenshaw, a psychologist who works with the teenager. 

"She just kept hugging Rosie ," he continued. MORE>>

Latest Study Determines Dogs Are Capable Of Reading People’s Minds

The latest study involved groups of pet dogs, stray dogs from a shelter and hand-raised wolves (named Tristan, Miska and Marion, among other monikers) who were comfortable around humans.

Two people stood about 6 meters apart, one of them looking directly and continuously at the dog or wolf. The other person had their vision blocked, either with a bucket over their head, a book obscuring their face or because their back was turned. Both humans held a piece of food.

“On average, both dogs and wolves were significantly more likely to be begging from the person looking at them when the other person’s back was turned,” said Udell.

But levels of sensitivity did vary by how domesticated the dog or wolf was.

“Domesticated dogs were more likely to beg from someone paying attention to them, but shelter dogs and wolves who don’t often see a person reading books were not likely to get that cue,” Udell related. “So it does seem like specific life experiences really do matter in this context.”

The findings, said Udell, are “important because previous research suggested that something happened to dogs during genetic domestication that made them begin to think like humans. This shows that wolves are capable, if reared with humans, of (picking up human cues).”  MORE>>

Quebec offers redress for mass killing of Inuit dogs

QUEBEC — Quebec Premier Jean Charest travelled to northern Quebec Monday to offer redress to the Inuit for the slaughter of more than 1,000 sled dogs during the 1950s and '60s.

The Quebec government signed an agreement with the Makivik Corporation, a non-profit Inuit organization, to acknowledge the impact of the mass killing of sled dogs, which had served the Inuit as a primary means of transportation.

The province also offered $3 million in compensation to protect and promote Inuit culture and traditions.
"The Quebec government recognizes that Inuit society suffered from the effects of the sled dogs slaughter. We hope that the agreement . . . shows Quebec's willingness to work hand-in-hand with the Inuit," Charest said in a statement.

The announcement is Quebec's answer to the findings of a retired Quebec judge who investigated the long-standing allegations of sled dogs killings.

MORE>>

"Hero dogs" get their own TV awards show

(Reuters) - Film star Ewan McGregor and actress and animal rights campaigner Betty White will join Whoopi Goldberg and other all-stars on a panel to judge a new heroic dog award show, the Hallmark Channel said on Wednesday.

The American Humane Association is bringing the celebrities on board for its inaugural "Hero Dog Awards," a TV contest which recognizes "thousands of specially trained dogs giving comfort to people every day," the American Humane Association said.

The winning dogs will also get to attend their own red carpet awards gala in Beverly Hills.

Canine movie star Rin Tin Tin, a dog rescued from the frontlines of World War I in France who later became an American icon and movie idol, will be given a special legacy award, presented to one of his doggie descendants.

Dogs compete in eight categories: law enforcement and arson dogs; service dogs; therapy dogs; military dogs; guide dogs; search and rescue dogs; hearing dogs, and emerging hero dogs, for "ordinary pets who do extraordinary things," according to the Hallmark Channel. MORE>>

South Korean scientists create glowing dog: report

(Reuters) - South Korean scientists said on Wednesday they have created a glowing dog using a cloning technique that could help find cures for human diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, Yonhap news agency reported.
(...)
"The creation of Tegon opens new horizons since the gene injected to make the dog glow can be substituted with genes that trigger fatal human diseases," the news agency quoted lead researcher Lee Byeong-chun as saying.

He said the dog was created using the somatic cell nuclear transfer technology that the university team used to make the world's first cloned dog, Snuppy, in 2005.

The scientist said that because there are 268 illnesses that humans and dogs have in common, creating dogs that artificially show such symptoms could aid treatment methods for diseases that afflict humans.

The latest discovery published in 'Genesis', an international journal, took four years of research with roughly 3.2 billion won ($3 million) spent to make the dog and conduct the necessary verification tests, Yonhap said.

MORE>>

Toddler's eyelid partially bitten off by dog in Dorset

A two-year-old girl has been mauled by a dog in Dorset, but police have no powers to destroy the animal as the attack occurred at the owners' home.

A police spokesman said the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 gave them no powers to take any further action.

Icy's parents, who released a photo of their daughter's injuries, said it was "disgusting" that police could not order the West Highland White Terrier be destroyed.

What? Not a pitbull??

The attack happened after Icy and her parents were invited to celebrate the dog's third birthday at the couple's Dorset holiday home on 24 July.

Mrs Thomas-Day said: "The dog leapt over Icy's hand holding the treat and the dog's face was in Icy's face and it scratched her a dozen times as well.

"The dog was making the most horrific noise like snarling and screaming."  MORE>>

This was all totally avoidable. The dog should have been taught some manners, like sit and wait until the person says 'take it'. The exercise ''leave and take it'' is valuable for every dog! 


The second point is that a child is the right size for a dog to leap to a face where as an adult, the leap would have brought the dog to someone's knees. And so... the treat should have been thrown on the floor for the dog as oppose to giving it from the child's hand.