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Canine Forteana (Dogs' Weirdness & Wonders)

A new method of warfare. Dogs paraglide into battle? Vid at link.

We all know the saying that a dog is a man’s best friend. Well, one French man has been testing that theory to its limit.

After just a month and a half of training, he managed to teach his pet how to fly with him on a paraglider.

Filmmaker Shams told BBC News what led him to get his dog Ouka up in the air.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-60341236
 
ramonmercado said:
A new method of warfare. Dogs paraglide into battle? Vid at link.

We all know the saying that a dog is a man’s best friend. Well, one French man has been testing that theory to its limit.

After just a month and a half of training, he managed to teach his pet how to fly with him on a paraglider.

Filmmaker Shams told BBC News what led him to get his dog Ouka up in the air.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-60341236
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Military “paradogs” are not new:


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maximus otter
 
New research demonstrates dogs suffering from megaesophagus (an enlarged esophagus preventing effective passage of food from mouth into the stomach, and hence usually fatal) can be treated using generic Viagra.
WSU study: Viagra can help dogs with fatal eating disorder

Viagra can be a promising treatment for dogs with a fatal eating disorder, according to a new study released by Washington State University.

Sildenafil, the generic version of the drug known as Viagra, could be the long-awaited remedy for a group of dogs with a rare disorder called megaesophagus, according to WSU. The condition causes an enlargement of the esophagus and a loss of the organ’s ability to move food to the stomach, which leaves food bottling up in the lower esophagus. ...

If left untreated, ... many animals regurgitate their food and aspirate food into their lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia.

“The literature tells us that many dogs with the disease die from aspiration pneumonia or are humanely euthanized due to poor quality of life within eight months of diagnosis,” said Dr. Jillian Haines, a veterinarian at Washington State University who co-led the study.

According to the university, liquid sildenafil was shown to relax the smooth muscle of the lower esophagus so it will open to let food pass to the stomach. Besides some rare gastrointestinal irritation, there are no side effects to dogs at the dose used in the study. ...
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FULL STORY: https://www.koin.com/news/animals/wsu-study-viagra-can-help-dogs-with-fatal-eating-disorder/

PUBLISHED RESEARCH REPORT (Abstract Only): https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/...02.0030/ajvr.21.02.0030.xml?tab_body=fulltext
 
Another "green puppy" birth in Canada ...
Canadian couple's dog gives birth to rare green puppy

A Nova Scotia couple whose 3-year-old bulldog gave birth to a litter of eight puppies said they immediately noticed something unusual about one of the newborns -- her fur was dyed green.

Trevor and Audra Mosher of Middle Sackville said they thought their dog, Freya, was finished after delivering her first seven puppies, but while they were cleaning the canine mother she started to go into labor again. ...

Freya delivered an eighth puppy, this time encased in a black sac, contrasting with the translucent sacs of its older siblings.

The couple said they initially feared the puppy was stillborn, but they rushed to clean the newborn canine when she started to move.

"We started to dry her off and noticed she was green and immediately again thought there was something wrong. So we googled it, 'my puppy is green, what's wrong,' and apparently it is very rare and it has happened a few times all over the world" ...

The rare discoloration, which has been documented before, is believed to be caused by light-colored puppies coming into contact with the green pigments from bile while in the womb. ...
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FULL STORY: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/0...e-Sackville-Nova-Scotia-Canada/9961646082427/
 
This UPI article notes a UK insurance company has posted a list of examples where dogs have caused substantial damage (and resultant insurance claims). The insurance company's own (longer) list of incidents can be accessed at the second link below.
Insurance company details dirty deeds done by dogs

British home insurance company Aviva detailed some of the most unusual claims involving dogs ...

Aviva said it typically receives about 800 accidental damage claims each year for incidents involving dogs, and the company said each claim was valued at an average $1,440. ...

The company detailed some of the most unusual claims involving the canine companions of homeowners, including the story of a Labrador/Great Dane mix named Whiskey who turned on the water tap in his owner's kitchen, causing $5,233 worth of flooding damage to the house.

Another customer informed the company that she was cleaning out a fish tank at her home when her dog became snagged on a charging cable and caused her laptop computer to fall into a bucket filled with water.

The company said other claims included a dog who spilled paint on their owner's stairs, a dog who spilled bleach on their owner's carpet, a dog who knocked a hot iron onto a carpet and a dog who got excited to see another canine and knocked over their owner's TV. ...
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FULL STORY: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/03/10/Aviva-details-insurance-claims-involving-dogs/3481646946534/

AVIVA WEBPAGE / LONGER LIST OF INCIDENTS: https://www.aviva.com/newsroom/news-releases/2022/03/aviva-reveals-claims-caused-by-hapless-hounds/
 
A Los Angeles hiker went missing on 16 March. His body was found two weeks later, with his dog still keeping vigil over him.
Dog Stayed By Dead Hiker’s Side for Weeks Until His Body Was Found

A Los Angeles hiker who went missing last month was found dead on Thursday—with his dog resting by his side. Oscar Alejandro Hernandez, 29, went hiking in California’s Griffith Park on March 16 with his dog King when he suddenly disappeared, his family said in a missing person poster. Authorities began to scour the area in search of them, hoping they would find some hope the adventurous duo survived. That hope was shattered Thursday night when officials found Hernandez’s body in a remote area of the park, according to KNBC. King was found curled alongside him, alive but terribly frail, and Hernandez’s cousin said he believed King stayed alongside him for the two weeks he was missing. Officials with the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the found body on Thursday, along with park rangers and some of Hernandez’s relatives. Authorities could not determine Hernandez’s cause of death, but they do not believe foul play was involved.
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FULL STORY: https://www.thedailybeast.com/missi...nd-dead-in-griffith-park-with-dog-by-his-side
 
In case you were wondering about the oldest dog in the world (and the oldest known dog ever) ...
21-year-old chihuahua confirmed as the world's oldest dog

Guinness World Records said a chihuahua in Florida named TobyKeith was dubbed the world's oldest dog living at the age of 21 years and 66 days.

Gisela Shore of Greenacres said she adopted TobyKeith from a shelter when he was only a few months old. ...

Guinness confirmed TobyKeith's age as 21 years and 66 days on March 16 of this year, confirming his status as the oldest dog living. ...

Chihuahuas typically live to be 12-18 years old.

The oldest dog ever recorded was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey. The canine died at the age of 29 years and 5 months on Nov. 14, 1939.
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FULL STORY (With Video): https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/04/15/Guinness-World-Records-oldest-dog-living/9401650047044/
 
Anonymous said:
Seem to remember that there were a flurry of stories coming out of the US about 10-15 years ago, about so-called "white dogs" which were trained by racists to attack blacks - exactly how they were trained seemed to be unclear (can a dog be trained to distinguish between, say, light-skinned Negros and heavily-tanned Caucasians?)
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Going right back to the start of the thread: isn't it possible that even if dogs' eyesight isn't good enough to be able to distinguish between members of different races, they might be able to do so by smell? It could be something innate, or at least partly due to dietary habits (after all, I don't know whether there's any truth in it, but it's sometimes said that Chinese people think Europeans smell of milk).
 

Retriever puppy digs up sovereign coins worth £6,000 on first walk​

Adam Clark, 51, bought Ollie as a surprise for his nine-year-old daughter Alicia a month ago.

The dog is a lagotto romagnolo – a type of water retriever which is notorious for digging, especially for truffles.
And on March 30 he certainly made his weight in gold by discovering 15 coins likely dating back to the 19th century on his first walk with his new family.

‘We’d literally been walking for around 10 minutes when Ollie suddenly stopped and started frantically digging away at the soil.

‘That’s when he uncovered the pile of gold pieces – I couldn’t quite believe it.

‘He cost me £2,000 so after sniffing out the gold he tripled my investment which is always a bonus!’
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LymeswoldSnork said:
Going right back to the start of the thread: isn't it possible that even if dogs' eyesight isn't good enough to be able to distinguish between members of different races, they might be able to do so by smell? It could be something innate, or at least partly due to dietary habits (after all, I don't know whether there's any truth in it, but it's sometimes said that Chinese people think Europeans smell of milk).
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I suspect it has more to do with dogs being empathic with their owners and getting clues from the owner who he doesn't like and acting on that rather than actually distinguishing from skin color or even smell. Though I do remember an incident with a dog I rescued (well, my daughter's friend stole him from the neighbor because he was being abused). One day I was just going up the ramp to the freeway when I saw a guy stranded on the side of the road just at the top of the ramp. It was 7 AM on a saturday so not very much traffic. I stopped and he was out of gas. I offered to take him to get some gas, and he got in the front passenger seat. The dog (a 55 pound part shepherd part pitbull) jumped in his lap and stayed there the whole time. The young man reeked of alcohol, apparently had been partying all night and was on his way to work. I bought him a gas can and took him to get gas. Took him back to his car and went on my way. The dog never growled at him or threatened him (except for his size) and the guy put up with it though I could tell he wasn't comfortable. I have no idea what was going on in the dogs mind, he never did that to anyone else.
 
Family’s new puppy digs up gold coins worth £6,000 on first walk

A FAMILY’S new puppy has become a treasured addition — after digging up sovereign gold coins worth nearly £6,000.

Adam Clark, 51, bought lagotto romagnolo Ollie as a surprise for daughter Alicia, nine.


SWNS_DOG_COINS_01jpg-JS727419994.jpg


And on his first walk around local fields in Blackpool, he sniffed out 15 coins, some from the 19th century.

Adam said: “We'd literally been walking for around ten minutes.

"Ollie started frantically digging and uncovered the pile of gold pieces — I couldn’t quite believe it.

"The treasure is one thing but the fact is I've bought myself my very own gold hunter, and I cannot wait to take him out again.”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18323269/new-puppy-gold-coins/

maximus otter
 
charliebrown said:
People are spending untold fortunes on cloning their dead dog or cat or even a horse.

Do you have an extra $50,000 dollars on you for a dog ?

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60924936
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Elisa Allen, director of animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), also wants people to get a rescue dog instead of a clone.
"Animals' personalities, quirks, and very essence simply cannot be replicated," she says. "And when you consider that millions of wonderful, adoptable dogs and cats are languishing in animal shelters every year or dying in terrifying ways after being abandoned, you realise that cloning adds to the homeless-animal overpopulation crisis.
"Peta encourages anyone looking to bring another animal companion into their life to adopt from their local shelter instead of fuelling cloning, a cruel moneymaking fad."
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I agree. Customers aren't trying to bring back the animal. It's about missing their own relationship with it.
 
EnolaGaia said:
In case you were wondering about the oldest dog in the world (and the oldest known dog ever) ...

FULL STORY (With Video): https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/04/15/Guinness-World-Records-oldest-dog-living/9401650047044/
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This is Alfie. We found him on the M4 in January 2000. He wasn’t chipped and the vet said he was about 6 months old when we found him. We had him euthanised in June 2019 aged about 20. He was still mentally alert but was losing the ability to walk. It was tough taking him to the vet after so many years together.

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My wife also had a west highland terrier who lived to 20 and we’ve also had a Parsons Jack Russell who live to 17. You’ve probably guessed that our dogs are very well treated.
 
Do you have an extra $50,000 dollars on you for a dog ?

Its a fashion thing, and quite ridiculous.

But maybe not as ridiculous as having a pet as a substitute child

And think of the research benefits which one day might be used in de-extinctioning.
 
Missing Sheffield dog rescued after four-day mine shaft ordeal
A dog missing for four days has been rescued safe and well after being discovered in an abandoned mine shaft.
Olive the red fox labrador went missing on Thursday 14 April while on a walk at Lady Canning's Plantation in Sheffield.
Search parties and drones were all involved in the search for her and she was eventually saved after being heard whimpering down a deep hole.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-61176963
 
Dog dug out of rabbit hole. Vid at link.

Dog rescued from rabbit hole after going missing for days

Bracken Jelier's dog Flossie went missing from her home in Upton Hellions near Crediton on Monday.

The terrier was found down a rabbit hole in a neighbour's garden on Thursday afternoon and rescued by Tom Leary - from the Mid Devon Hunt.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-devon-61278521
 
There's a new Guinness-certified Tallest Dog ...
Texas dog dubbed world's tallest at 3 feet, 5.18 inches

A Texas family's 2-year-old Great Dane was dubbed the tallest dog in the world by Guinness World Records after being officially measured at 3 feet, 5.18 inches tall.

Guinness announced Zeus, a dog belonging to Brittany Davis of Bedford, is now the holder of the record for tallest dog living (male). ...

The tallest dog ever, coincidentally also a Great Dane named Zeus, stood at 3 feet and 8 inches tall. He died in 2014. ...
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FULL STORY: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/05/04/Guinness-World-Records-tallest-dog-living/4801651692635/
 
Dog battles with mountain lion.

Not all heroes wear capes. According to Erin Wilson, her dog saved her life on Monday.

Wilson was walking near the Trinity River in a rural area in northern California when a mountain lion approached and lunged at her, swiping and scratching her left shoulder, Wilson told the Sacramento Bee.

“I yelled out for help from my dog Eva. She was only a few yards ahead of me and attacked the lion,” Wilson wrote on a GoFundMe campaign to pay for the vet bills. “They battled for a few moments until I heard her cry. The cat had her by the left side of her head. For the next several minutes I tried everything I could to free her. Eventually I ran to my vehicle for a weapon and flagged down assistance from a kind woman named Sharon. Together we beat at the cat while yelling until my dog was let go.”

Eva was badly wounded and it took an hour to get her to the vet.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dog-mountain-lion-attack_n_6285c1dbe4b0556e4a0969b1
 
Took the dog out today and she spent 5 minutes in a hedge with just her tail showing. Usually when this happens she'll eventually come out with cake, chocolate or food of some kind (it was cup-cakes last time). This time however, she returned with the rubber part of an old style road 'catseye' (US- stimsonite pavement marker). What she found so fascinating with that, heaven only knows. Even more strange, we were in the middle of a field and miles from a road.
 
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