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Canine Forteana (Dogs' Weirdness & Wonders)

AndyX--asked-- Wasn't there a news story a while back about someone who killed his dog 'cos he thought it was gay?
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Yes there was , but let's not go there:cross eye
 
JurekB said:
Amusing tale. I was driving down the road with her sitting in the front seat when we drove past some people in fancy dress. One was dressed as a huge rabbit and the look of shock on her face was priceless. 'My god, did you see the size of that bunny!!!!'

Made me laugh but I suppose you had to be there.
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No, it made me laugh. Reminds me of the look on my birds faces if I went into the aviary with a hat on. Or the look on my canary's face when I tried on a wedding dress once. He so obviously didn't like it that I took it back and got another one.
People are going to think I'm as mad as a badger for that. :(
 
Indian girl married dog to ward off evil

story here

" A nine-year-old girl was married off to a dog in the presence of more than 100 people in eastern India under a tribal custom to protect the child from evil.

Karnamoni Hasda wedded the street dog last week in West Bengal state's Hooghly district in a common practice among the Santhal tribe, the Press Trust of India news agency said, quoting local officials.

According to Santhal belief, if a child's first tooth appears on the upper gum he or she is in grave danger that can only be warded off by a marriage with man's best friend. The child can remarry a human after growing up.

The report said Karnamoni's canine marriage did not take place immediately after her first tooth appeared because her father's financial problems did not allow for a wedding at the time. "
 
Talking of animals, a man who took his dog for a walk past our hous for years died a few months back. This does not stop his dog from letting his owners widow know that he wants to go for his usual walk at the usual time.

The dog follows the same long circuitous route that he's always done, on his own, and back to his house. Is he just stuck in this routine or is his owner still taking him for his walkies??

Dan
 
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Wonder Dogs sniffing out sickness

quote:

---------------------------
Study finds dogs can smell cancer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1311730,00.html

Sarah Boseley, health editor
Friday September 24, 2004
The Guardian

Dogs can sniff out cancer, a study shows today, resolving several years of
anecdote and speculation by doctors on the question.In the definitive study, reported in the British Medical Journal, dogs were trained to identify bladder cancer by sniffing urine.

In 1989, doctors first wrote to the rival publication, the Lancet, telling of a
border collie/doberman cross that saved the life of its owner by sniffing so
persistently at a mole on her leg (even through trousers) that the 44-year-old
woman became suspicious. The mole was removed in hospital and found to be a melanoma, caught in its early stages.

In 2001, a second letter told of Parker the labrador, similarly obsessed with
what was thought to be a patch of eczema on a 66-year-old man's thigh. Again, the man became suspicious, went to doctors and was found to have a skin cancer, which was removed.

In both cases, doctors speculated that cancerous tissue might have a particular smell which dogs might detect even though humans could not. The BMJ paper is a scientific study to test the hypothesis.

"Tumours produce volatile organic compounds which are released into the
atmosphere through, for example, breath and sweat," writes Carolyn Willis, a senior research scientist from the department of dermatology at Amersham hospital in Buckinghamshire, and colleagues. "Some of these compounds are likely to have distinctive odours; even when present in minute quantities, they could be detectable by dogs, with their exceptional olfactory acuity."

Six dogs of a variety of breeds were trained for seven months to identify the
smell of urine from patients with bladder cancer. Their final test was to select the one cancer sample from seven. They chose the correct sample, by lying down next to it, on 22 out of 54 occasions, a success rate of 41%, compared with the 14% to be expected purely by chance. The researchers say the results "should provide a benchmark against which future studies can be compared, and it is to be hoped that our approach to training may assist others engaged in similar work".

Tim Cole, professor of medical statistics at the Institute of Child Health in
London, writes that the most intriguing finding was that the dogs consistently
identified a particular urine sample of someone thought to be cancer-free. "The consultant was sufficiently impressed by the dogs' performance to test the patient again and found a kidney carcinoma."

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so, next time a mutt sniffs yer kecks, it may be trying to tell you something.

Mal F
 
Friday, September 24, 2004
CANCER RESEARCH

Study: Canines sniff out sick cells

With a sense of smell up to 100,000 times more keen than that of humans, they identify urine samples of patients with bladder cancer


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

September 24, 2004


LONDON -- It has long been suspected that man's best friend has a special ability to sense when something is wrong with us. Now, the first experiment to verify that scientifically has demonstrated that dogs are able to smell cancer.

Experts say it's unlikely dogs will become partners in cancer detection anytime soon, but the results of the study, outlined this week in the British Medical Journal, are promising.

They show that when urine from bladder cancer patients was set out among samples from healthy people or those with other diseases, the dogs - all ordinary pets - identified the cancer patients' urine almost three times more often than expected by chance alone.

David Neal, a bladder and prostate cancer surgeon at Cambridge University in England, said it's plausible dogs pick up the scent because people with cancer shed abnormal proteins in their urine.

"I'm skeptical about whether it will be implementable, but scientifically, it should be followed up," said Neal, a spokesman for Cancer Research UK, Britain's cancer society, who was not involved in the research. "It might be that the dogs are better than our current machines at picking up abnormal proteins in the urine. What are the dogs picking up? Can we get a machine that does the same?"

It is thought that a dog's sense of smell is generally 10,000 to 100,000 times better than a human's.

The idea that dogs may be able to smell cancer was first put forward in 1989 by two London dermatologists, who described the case of a woman asking for a mole to be cut out of her leg because her dog would constantly sniff at it, even through her trousers.

One day, the dog, a female border collie-Doberman mix, tried to bite the mole off when the woman was wearing shorts.

It turned out she had malignant melanoma, a deadly skin cancer. It was caught early enough to save her life.

In 2001, two English doctors reported a similar case of a man with a patch of eczema on his leg for 18 years. One day, his pet Labrador started to persistently sniff the patch. It turned out he had developed skin cancer, and once the tumor was removed, the dog showed no further interest in the eczema patch.

The latest study is the first rigorous test of the theory to be published. The experiment, by researchers at Amersham Hospital in Buckinghamshire, England, and the organization Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, set out to prove whether dogs could be trained to detect cancer.

Perhaps the most intriguing finding was in a comparison patient whose urine was used during the training phase. All the dogs unequivocally identified that urine as a cancer case, even though screening tests before the experiment had shown no cancer.

Doctors conducted more detailed tests on the patient and found a life-threatening tumor in the right kidney.

-------------------
Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.
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link
 
Greets

Children marry dogs

A group of children have married dogs in a tribal ceremony in northern India.

Residents of Kuluptang in Jharkhand organised the 'kukur vivaha' or 'marriage of dogs' with local children in a bid to ward off evil.

Parents of children whose first tooth grows out of the upper jaw perform such marriages "for the peace and welfare of the entire community" because such growth is considered "inauspicious".

Sushila, whose one-year-old son Durga was one of the grooms, said: "In such cases, dog marriage is one of the ways to ward off evil."

The children were bathed in a river before being led in a procession to a place of worship where the wedding took place.

Sonamuni, a 54-year-old woman, whose three-year-old granddaughter was given away in marriage to a dog, told Press Trust of India: "The wedding was no less important than other ceremonies. All customs which are normally associated with marriage were followed but discreetly."
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http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1297669.html

mal
 
Leaferne said:
How exactly will that ward off evil? :confused:
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Dunno but having your mother-in-law humping your leg would be a bit off putting.
 
I suppose you'll have to have this one, then. I was saving it.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/O ... 42,00.html

29/07/2003 21:17  - (SA)  

Life's a bitch

Johannesburg - Soshanguve is in an uproar after a man was caught having sex with a dog, and now claims it is his 'wife'.

The owner of the dog, Justice Mloto, was stunned when the man, who cannot be identified as police have not yet formally charged him, referred to his dog as "his wife".

Mloto said he no longer wanted his brown township dog and its two puppies. "This man must pay me lobola and take his wife and the puppies," said Mloto.

The dog is still at his home.

Mloto said he watched with horror at midnight on Saturday as the man went away with his dog in his arms.

"I followed him at a distance and only caught up to him when he was in the act of having sex with the dog," said Mloto.

Mloto said he sjambokked the man and his screams attracted a crowd.

He said the surprised onlookers also assaulted the man.

"The man said he had been helping himself to my dog every Saturday night for the past six months," said Mloto.

Mloto added that he once chased him away one night after he saw him carrying away his dog.

"Then my son told me that the man was coming here every Saturday to collect the dog and that is why I managed to set a trap this time."

He said he had reported the case to Shoshanguve police station and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Pretoria but he was turned away.

Mloto said he was told the man would be arrested after medical tests had proven that he actually had sex with the dog.

Pretoria police spokesperson captain Piletjie Sebola said police were aware of the allegations Mloto had made.

Sebola told Daily Sun community police forum members visited the station on Monday and police would be taking statements from Mloto. "A case of bestiality will be opened and the suspect will be dealt with accordingly," said Sebola.

Sebola added that police and the SPCA would be working together to investigate the case.

He also said the officers who turned Mloto away would be questioned by the station's top management. "This man has every right to open a case. Those on duty who turned Mloto away will be investigated."
 
Another report alogn similar lines to the first:

Girl married to dog to ward off tigers

Thu Apr 7, 9:18 AM ET


NEW DELHI, April 7 (AFP) - A girl in eastern India has been married to a dog in a bid to ward off tigers.



The tribal wedding took place to the beating of drums in a slum on the outskirts of Orissa state capital Bhubaneswar, the Press Trust of India news agency said Thursday quoting witnesses.

Local people said the girl had developed abnormalities in her teeth which made her prone to "being devoured by a tiger".

The tribal ritual is believed to rid her of the danger, they said.
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Source
 
Lordy, there's a lot of it about!

http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/C ... 55,00.html

Hubby does it doggy style

Phnom Penh - A newlywed Cambodian husband caught by his wife in bed with the family dog angered her even more by proclaiming his love for the dog and asking for a divorce.

Police said the 24-year-old husband was found by his shocked 20-year-old wife in a passionate embrace with the dog, a two-year-old mongrel bitch.

The wife became even more upset when the man confessed he loved the dog more than her, district police chief Tuon Dorn told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa from Kampot province, about 140km southeast of the capital.

"When we arrived, the husband told us, yes, of course he did it. But as police, we could only solve the problem of his wife then wanting a divorce. We cannot solve the problem of his relationship with his dog, because under Cambodian law it is not strictly illegal," Tuon Dorn said.

"It is amazing, but this husband is not crazy. It seems he is a passionate human being who looked at a dog, and the more he looked, the more passionate he became."

In Buddhist Cambodia, dogs are regarded as one of the lowest animals, leading police to withhold the names and exact location of the village to protect those involved.

Police said the man had since left his wife and moved back home with his mother. The whereabouts of the dog was unknown. - Sapa-dpa
 
Dog trained to smell skin cancer

A dog from Kent is being trained to use its sense of smell to try and detect skin cancer.
Daisy, an 18-month-old Labrador bred at kennels in Marden, west Kent, is working for the Buckinghamshire-based charity, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

The organisation has been working with health professionals in Bucks and has already found evidence that dogs can be trained to sniff out bladder cancer.

That research was published by the British Medical Journal in 2004.

Research project

Daisy moved from her kennels in Kent at the end of 2004 after being recruited by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Two years ago the charity became involved in research led by the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

The project found evidence that dogs could detect bladder cancer from distinctive smells in sufferers' urine.

Now Daisy's nose is being trained to pick up cancerous cells on skin pads from people with skin cancer.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/e ... 515651.stm
Published: 2005/05/05 07:15:54 GMT

© BBC MMV
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and a related thread which has similar posts re: animals that sniff out illnesses in humans:

Smelling sickness on the breath
 
Uncanny Canines Sense Oncoming Seizures

Uncanny Canines Sense Oncoming Seizures
By E.J. Mundell
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Four o'clock in the morning a little more than two weeks ago, Cheryl Huey of Monroe, La., felt herself being roused from sleep.


Chelsea, the new 2-year-old female golden retriever that Huey and her teenage son Taylor had just brought home the day before had run from his bedroom to hers and was now agitatedly pawing at her arm.


"I got up and went to Taylor's bedroom and said, 'Hey, looks like we got to take her outside, she needs to go to the bathroom,'" Huey recalled.


However, "About 10 minutes later we were out in the parking lot, and Taylor starts having a seizure," Huey said. Taylor, 16, has epilepsy and experiences a temporarily debilitating attack about once a month.


Because the onset of a seizure is unpredictable and injury is possible if her son falls or is otherwise hurt during an attack, Cheryl Huey decided to adopt Chelsea -- a dog specifically trained to alert epileptics to seizures before they occur -- to help protect Taylor and give him an independence he hadn't had before.


Witnessing Chelsea's ability to sense the onset of an attack even as Taylor lay sleeping was extraordinary, Huey said. "At the time, I just couldn't believe it," she said.


"Then, out in the parking lot after he had stopped the seizure, I told her 'Stay, Chelsea,' and she crawled across his body and lay on top of him as I ran inside to get help. When I came out again, she was still across his body -- part of her training is to just protect and stay with him."


Jennifer Arnold, founder and operator of nonprofit Canine Assistants, where Chelsea was born and trained, said seizure-alert dogs can also be taught to push a button to dial 911, tug open doors to run and get help, and even use their mouths to bring their human a cordless phone or any medication they might need.


"Seeing Chelsea's reaction that first time, the response she had, I now have confidence that in the event of a seizure she's going to be in charge," Huey said.


Taylor Huey's new companion is giving him new freedom and peace of mind, too. "She's going to make me more confident and independent, help me do more stuff by myself," he said.


That's not always easy for people with epilepsy, which is still a very poorly understood disorder.


"It's a chronic condition and [an attack] is literally an electric storm in the brain that can change behaviors," explained Dr. Blanca Vasquez, director of clinical research at New York University's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. While seizures can vary greatly in their intensity and outward manifestations, many are preceded by sensations known as an aura, she said.


Even from far across a room, seizure-alert dogs seem to be able to pick up on extremely subtle physiological changes -- minute alterations in odor or movement -- that may begin anywhere from 45 to five or 10 minutes before an actual attack. "More research needs to be done," Arnold said. "We don't exactly know right now what the dogs are responding to."


But their ability to sense these changes for their owners can be invaluable, since early warning of a seizure's onset helps people with epilepsy find a safe environment or take precautionary measures.


The Labradors and retrievers trained by the experts at Alpharetta, Ga.-based Canine Assistants begin their 18 months of instruction at just 2 days of age, learning over 90 standard commands. More mysteriously, some protective measures seem to come to the dogs by instinct, Arnold said. For example, when sensing an oncoming seizure, "they tend to want their person to lie on the ground," she said.


As any person with epilepsy will tell you, that's about the most sensible action an individual can take before a seizure, since falling is the leading cause of serious injury during an attack.


"It's fascinating -- dogs who have never seen anyone have a seizure will tug at their person's sleeve, they want you on the ground," Arnold said. "How do they have that instinct that lying on the ground is safer? We have no idea."


Arnold's investment in Canine Assistants is a very personal one. Stricken with multiple sclerosis at 16, she was confined for a time to a wheelchair. Seeking to help his daughter, Arnold's father, now deceased, discovered that people were training dogs to help partially immobilized patients navigate the tasks of daily living.

Fortunately for Arnold, her MS has improved so she can walk again. But her experience, combined with a love of dogs, compelled her and her mother to start Canine Assistants in 1991. The company matches dogs with owners in need, charging no fees.

Right now, the seizure-alert arm of Canine Assistants is funded by pharmaceutical company UCB Pharma, Inc. Arnold's team also trains dogs to help individuals with other disorders such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).

And the ability of these canines to sense other, hidden health dangers is emerging, too.

"There are already dogs that have been anecdotally reported to be able to pick up on dangerously low blood sugar, including one of our own seizure-alert dogs," Arnold said. "And a service dog a few years ago alerted his owner in the middle of the night that he was having a heart attack in his sleep -- and then did it again for a stranger in a mall."

For people with epilepsy, having a four-legged, early warning system that can be taken everywhere gives them a sense of security and independence many haven't had before.

Taylor Huey said he hasn't yet decided whether he'll start taking Chelsea to school, but he certainly feels comfortable bringing her to daily outings such as church or shopping.

And Chelsea's arrival means Cheryl Huey can finally let her teenager go off on his own without worry.

"Sunday we went to the mall, and he went with me," she said. "I went to get my nails done and, as usual, I said 'Come on, Taylor.' He looked at me and said, 'No, it's OK, I've got Chelsea.' And I thought, 'Yeah, you do.' "

Woof
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India stray dogs get police jobs
By Amarnath Tewary
BBC News, Paraiya



Police in India's Bihar state are so short of resources they are using a pack of stray dogs to protect themselves from Maoist rebels.
Three policemen at Paraiya station in central Gaya district were killed in a rebel attack in July 2003.

Now Paraiya's ill-equipped cops are benefiting from canine protection round the clock, officers say.

In return for food and their own kitchen, the dogs prowl the premises at night and bark at all intruders.

The number of strays has shot up from six to 36 in under two years.

"It's not possible to keep a watch on each nook and cranny of the sprawling campus of the police station, especially at night time," officer Baidyanath Rai told the BBC.


The dogs patrol and when they start barking we get alert and flash our torch
Constable MA Khan

"We've also very limited resources and strength to keep the night vigil. So we've kept the street canines for the purpose.
"Isn't a dog a man's best friend?" he asks, as he pats the back of one of the older dogs, Shera, and thanks him for his unstinting service.

Canine menu

The 24 policemen in Paraiya, about 40km (25 miles) from the town of Jehanabad, fork out about 5% of their salaries to keep the dogs.


Usually, the dogs are served a mix of rice and pulses twice a day, but they are sometimes given chapattis.

There are separate utensils and an open earthen oven kitchen for the dogs.

Next to it is the main kitchen where grateful policemen prepare the food themselves with the help of a private servant cook.

The dogs gather for meals but return to their duty religiously at night, barking the moment they sense any unwanted intrusion.

"We rely heavily on them and they're very much part of our force to combat Maoists," said assistant sub-inspector Mirza Matin Beg, his colleague Suresh Rajak nodding by his side.

The Paraiya police station is a dilapidated tin-roof structure with only the most basic amenities.

At night it is plunged into darkness.


With no generator, the station gets an hour of electricity a day. Sometimes it gets that much in a week or a month.

"The dogs patrol and when they start barking we get alert and flash our torch," says one armed constable on duty.

But even that is a minor triumph, as the police have only one battery to use in emergencies.

Since there is no generator to charge it, they have to ask the local bank or the post office to help out.

"We've kept one extra battery for the wireless system for any urgency on our own and we spare about 20% of our salary to meet these bare necessities. Otherwise we just can't survive," constable Navin Kumar Mishra told the BBC.

'Sacrificing lives'

Of Bihar's 38 districts, 18 are badly affected by the Maoist insurgency. Central Bihar in particular has a long bloody history of killings.

Like most police in the state, Paraiya's men are equipped with rusty old Lee Enfield rifles, compared with the rebels' AK-47s and hand grenades.

Officers have one jeep between them but no proper toilet or anywhere to rest between shifts.

Last November, hundreds of rebels stormed the jail in nearby Jehanabad.

KK Jha, general secretary of the Bihar Policemen Association, says most new police weapons find their way into the hands of guards for VIPs.

He wants Bihar's new government to come good on promises to improve the lot of the police.

"Otherwise they will keep sacrificing their lives in the name of the Maoist menace."

Bihar's government recently announced plans to spend $20m in the worst rebel-hit parts of the state.

Until then the policemen of Paraiya will have to make do with canine company.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 663892.stm

Published: 2006/01/31 02:14:00 GMT
 
Dogs May Be Responding To Psychological Seizures, Not Epilepsy Seizures
26 Jan 2007

Reports of dogs that can predict their owners' epilepsy seizures have been anecdotal and not objectively confirmed by doctors and researchers. Some people obtain service dogs trained specifically for people with seizures. In two new studies published in the January 23, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology, researchers found that in some cases these dogs are responding to seizures caused not by epilepsy, but by psychological conditions.

"People with psychogenic seizures need psychiatric evaluation and appropriate treatment, not a specially trained dog for epileptic seizures," said study author Gregory L. Krauss, MD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

"This is important because the treatment is very different for a person with epilepsy and one with psychological seizures, which stem from emotional difficulties," said Krauss. "Epilepsy drugs are not effective for psychological seizures, and they often have side effects. And with proper treatment and counseling, psychological seizures can often be eliminated."

For the studies, researchers monitored seven people with seizure response dogs. Most were monitored with video electroencephalogram (EEG) tests to track seizures and electrical activity in the brain. Epileptic seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. For four of the people, unlike people with epilepsy, there was no abnormal electrical activity during seizures, and they were diagnosed with psychological seizures. Another person did not have the EEG test, but was also diagnosed with psychological seizures.

Krauss said it's possible that people with psychological seizures may seek out service animals for support. He noted that some people with epileptic seizures may benefit from seizure response dogs.

"Seizure response dogs can help people during seizures and stay by them when they are unconscious and provide companionship that aids them in dealing with a chronic disorder," Krauss said. "People with nonepileptic seizures require psychiatric evaluation and behavior therapy. This study demonstrates the importance of establishing an accurate diagnosis of epilepsy before obtaining a seizure response dog."

Study author Michael J. Doherty, MD, of the Swedish Epilepsy Center in Seattle, Washington, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, said the findings raise several questions that need to be further investigated. "If dogs can predict psychological seizures, could the seizures be a conditioned response to stereotypical dog behaviors? Does having a seizure alert dog lead people to have psychological seizures more or less often? Given the cost of training seizure alert dogs, should people requesting one be screened for psychological seizures?"

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 20,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com.

American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
1080 Montreal Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55116
United States
http://www.neurology.org


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=61567
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New-born lambs' Rottweiler 'mum'

Rottweiler Molly showing her maternal instincts with lambs Lucky and Charm.


Enlarge Image

They have a fearsome reputation, but one Rottweiler is proving that the breed has a softer side by helping to rear two lambs.
Molly has been using her maternal instincts after lambs Lucky and Charm were born with complications on a farm.

Her owner Maria Foster, 38, from Forden, near Welshpool in Powys, said Molly slept with the pair at night, and even protected them from other animals.

Lucky and Charm are recovering and will be placed in a field in about 10 days.

Ms Foster said the pair needed help to improve their circulation soon after they were born.

They were placed in an Aga oven for warmth and after being lifted out Molly took over and started licking them as a ewe would have done.


Molly protects the lambs and sleeps with them

"The first 12 to 24 hours for a lamb are absolutely crucial and if Molly hadn't been doing what she was doing, I would have had to have been there rubbing the lambs through most of the night to keep their circulation going," said Ms Foster.

"She could have ignored them but she didn't and it is quite comical to see."

Now 11-month-old Molly is like a mother to the two lambs, who stick closely to their unlikely guardian.

Ms Foster added: "The cat came into the kitchen the other day and walked over to the bucket where the lambs were sleeping, but Molly pushed her away as if to say: 'They are mine.'

"She will let the sheepdog have a look, but only for so long before she pushes him away as well."

Ms Foster said they cannot be returned to their mother because they would be rejected by her after so long apart.

A spokesman for the Kennel Club, which organises Crufts, said in the right hands Rottweilers should not pose a problem.

He added: "Rottweilers were originally bred as guard dogs in Germany, but in the right hands they should not pose of problem. They are not born aggressive, they learn it from us.

"Nonetheless, it's certainly the first time I've ever heard of a Rottweiler caring for lambs."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wale ... 321827.stm
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Friday, March 30, 2007

Prozac for Your Dog

A new canine version of Prozac will soon be available. It is just the latest in pet-specific drugs, as pharmaceutical companies increasingly chase this lucrative market.
By Emily Singer

Anxiety-ridden dogs that go berserk when left alone by their owners will soon have a new treatment option--a reformulated version of the antidepressant Prozac, known generically as fluoxetine. To be marketed under the name Reconcile by Indianapolis-based drugmaker Eli Lilly, the drug is chewable and flavored with a doggie-delectable zing. It is the latest in a string of recently approved canine drugs, reflecting the growing market for pet pharmaceuticals.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Reconcile in February after clinical tests in dogs showed it significantly improved symptoms of separation anxiety, a problem that strikes 10 to 20 percent of canines with varying severity; dogs affected may bark, chew household items, or urinate in inappropriate locations when left alone. The drug, which will go on the market in April and will be sold along with a behavior modification program, is the first product introduced by a new division of Lilly devoted entirely to pets.

Most drugs used for companion animals, as the pharmaceutical companies refer to pets, are human drugs that veterinarians prescribe off label. The cost of drug development is so high that few companies are willing to spend the money it takes to develop a canine-specific drug, or to run clinical trials testing human drugs for dogs or cats. But as more and more Americans view their pets as family members that is changing, and a new market is opening up: medications are being reformulated and sold in animal-friendly forms, and drugs that never quite made it through the human testing process are being revived.

"I think the human-animal bond has changed in the last few years," says Dawn Boothe, a veterinary internist and clinical pharmacologist at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. "People are starting to say, 'My animal is a member of the family, and I am willing to pay the cost of drugs that were developed for humans.' I think the pharmaceutical companies have picked up on that."

Two other pet drugs were approved early this year: the first diet drug for dogs, Slentrol, and the first motion-sickness drug for dogs, Cerenia. Both are being sold by New York-based Pfizer. Unlike Reconcile, neither drug has ever been prescribed for humans. Dirlotapide, the generic form of Slentrol, was originally tested for human use, but its side effects were deemed intolerable. (Compounds in the same class are being tested for their cholesterol- and triglyceride-reducing properties in humans.)

Veterinarians are excited about the prospect of drugs that have been tested specifically in pets. "Prozac is a drug we've used for years," says Boothe. "But having it approved in dogs gives us a level of confidence regarding safety and efficacy in that species." Although scientists have tested different drugs in cats and dogs, Boothe and others say it has been difficult to get pharmaceutical companies interested in developing them. Nicholas Dodman, an animal behaviorist and veterinarian at Tufts University in Medford, MA, says a drug currently used to treat dementia in humans is helpful in treating an animal form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but so far no pharmaceutical company has opted to develop it for the pet market.

Lilly's companion-animal division is testing molecules from its vast library of compounds to treat obesity and other conditions in pets, a process they hope will produce some returns on the original investment in those molecules. "Even if you assume only two million of the dogs with anxiety disorder get treated," says Dodman, "with owners paying $50 per month, that's a viable market."

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/18463/
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Dogs are being savaged by a toothed deer that is believed to have escaped from a safari park.

Vet John Wakely said he has treated three dogs in the past two weeks and two others before Christmas. He said other vets in his area had also reported dogs receiving deep fang-like wounds.

The culprit is believed to be a Chinese Water Deer living in woods in Ampthill Park in Bedforshire.

In the latest attack Georgina Robey, 12, and her 10-year-old brother Daniel were walking their 6 year old Jack Russell "Perdita" in the woods when she was set upon.

Their father Loren Robey, 43, "Our children took our two dogs for a walk and came back very distraught after only 10 minutes with one very badly injured Jack Russell.

"She had deep lacerations on both sides of her stomach and another on her neck.

"My first thought was that she must have got caught in a barbed wire fence but the vet, having seen several dogs with the same injuries in the last few weeks, put it down to Chinese Water Deer which roam the park.

"I'm sure the animal was only protecting itself or its young but it's worth being extra careful at the moment, our pet is lucky to still be alive. The deer has long fangs that caused really nasty wounds."

John Wakely, of The Ridgeway Veterinary Centre, Flitwick, said: "In 30 years as a vet I have never seen this before.

"I have treated three dogs in the past two week and two before Christmas.

"My personal view is that it could be a Chinese Water Deer that has escaped from Woburn Safari Park. They have long canine teeth that have caused deep slices. They are very nasty wounds."

Chinese Water Deer were introduced to Woburn Park, which is 7 miles from Ampthill Park, in the late 19th century. They came from northeast China in the early 1900s.

They are small animals and the only deer species in the UK not to have antlers. But the males have large canine teeth that grow up to 6cm long, which they use to fight off other males setting foot in their territory.

Over the years they have escaped from the Safari Park at Woburn.

John Wakely added: "I was told a water deer had been spotted in Ridgmont, very close to the Safari Park but they now have moved further east.

"It is hard to identify the deer because the dogs will have been injured when they have run into thickets."

Signs have now been erected warning dog owners have been advised to keep their pets on leads while walking the woods.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildli ... -dogs.html

Note: The ID of the "offender" is supposition throughout.

maximus otter
 
Hello fellow forteanas!

I an currently writing a book debating whether our canine friends have a sixth sense or if their "talent" stems from their amazing sense of smell. I have a keen interest in the supernatural and forteana in general and would like to imagine there could be something to dogs incredible talent rather than just their sense of smell, but i also have an interest in the scientific side of anture and am keen to exxplore both sides.

I would very much like to hear stories from forum members (or readers) own furry friends, if you know of any dog that has a particular talent or seems to possess a sixth sense for my research into this. The book is in very early stages at the moment and any stories would be much appreicated!! You can message me through here or email me at [email protected]

Many thanks! :)
 
When assessing any nonhuman's "sixth sense," you should also bear in mind their acute comprehension of body language. Most psychic animal acts are based on cues from the handler, and when a person genuinely believes a performing animal is psychic, it is often because the animal is responding to cues the handler isn't aware of making.

The absence of abstract thought tends to make animals hyperaware of their surroundings compared to humans; we could be just as wise, if we would pay attention.
 
Our dog is a dumb as they come - sorry, nothing at all going on there. :D
 
^Lol, ditto. Ours is like the anti-psychic even :)
 
PeniG said:
When assessing any nonhuman's "sixth sense," you should also bear in mind their acute comprehension of body language. Most psychic animal acts are based on cues from the handler, and when a person genuinely believes a performing animal is psychic, it is often because the animal is responding to cues the handler isn't aware of making.

The absence of abstract thought tends to make animals hyperaware of their surroundings compared to humans; we could be just as wise, if we would pay attention.
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Thanks for the input! :D I have a diploma in canine behaviour and psychology and am currently studying for a diploma in wolf studies. You are right, dogs and indeed wolves are incredibly communitive animals, both species (or just the one species, depending on which taxonomist you ask) :D have a complex array of signals and gestures that they use among themselves and others. They are far more intelligent than we give them credit for!
I`m more interested in the stories you hear, such as dogs rescuing their owners from burning buildings, dogs finding their owners when they have moved thousands of miles away, that sort of thing. I`m also interested in certain breeds of dogs apparent precognitive awareness, for example, my welsh corgi was very aware of certain people and whilst out on walks he would either run to greet a person he considered "nice" or physically pull me away from people who he deemed to be a danger to me. My husky, however is a big softy who would probably just roll over and wag his tale in the face of adversity! However, there was a six month gap between my corgi passing away and getting my husky and sometimes when my husky is playing with his toys, its almost like hes playing with another, smaller dog. I`d like to think its the spirit of my corgi, but who knows?
 
I won't be any help as I'm pretty much a cat person; though if my friend with four dogs who works at the Humane Society tells me any stories, I'll pass them on. Have you read Gary Paulsen's My Life in Dog Years, but all the dogs he's known who were so much smarter than him? I won't guarantee him against pulling the longbow - he's a storyteller, after all - but the border collie who irrigates the orchard and the stray gun dog who hunted with him when he was a teen-ager aren't to be missed.
 
PeniG said:
I won't be any help as I'm pretty much a cat person; though if my friend with four dogs who works at the Humane Society tells me any stories, I'll pass them on. Have you read Gary Paulsen's My Life in Dog Years, but all the dogs he's known who were so much smarter than him? I won't guarantee him against pulling the longbow - he's a storyteller, after all - but the border collie who irrigates the orchard and the stray gun dog who hunted with him when he was a teen-ager aren't to be missed.
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Thank you for the book reccomendation and passing on of any stories your friend may have, i`m familiar with the book but have not read it, i may have to see if i can track down a copy! There is a story i remember hearing called Lobo the king of currumpaw, a wolf who had incredible cunning that at times made him appear almost supernatural in his behaviour. He could disarm traps set out to capture him and led the bounty hunter John Seton on a wild goose chase. His behaviour had such an effect on Seton that he vowed never to hunt another wolf. That story is the one that sparked my initial interest in the canids of the world :)
 
pinkstarbuck said:
PeniG said:
When assessing any nonhuman's "sixth sense," you should also bear in mind their acute comprehension of body language. Most psychic animal acts are based on cues from the handler, and when a person genuinely believes a performing animal is psychic, it is often because the animal is responding to cues the handler isn't aware of making.

The absence of abstract thought tends to make animals hyperaware of their surroundings compared to humans; we could be just as wise, if we would pay attention.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input! :D I have a diploma in canine behaviour and psychology and am currently studying for a diploma in wolf studies. You are right, dogs and indeed wolves are incredibly communitive animals, both species (or just the one species, depending on which taxonomist you ask) :D have a complex array of signals and gestures that they use among themselves and others. They are far more intelligent than we give them credit for!
I`m more interested in the stories you hear, such as dogs rescuing their owners from burning buildings, dogs finding their owners when they have moved thousands of miles away, that sort of thing. I`m also interested in certain breeds of dogs apparent precognitive awareness, for example, my welsh corgi was very aware of certain people and whilst out on walks he would either run to greet a person he considered "nice" or physically pull me away from people who he deemed to be a danger to me. My husky, however is a big softy who would probably just roll over and wag his tale in the face of adversity! However, there was a six month gap between my corgi passing away and getting my husky and sometimes when my husky is playing with his toys, its almost like hes playing with another, smaller dog. I`d like to think its the spirit of my corgi, but who knows?
Click to expand...

Thats interesting. I used to house sit a friends house who has 4 cats who would come play on the bed through the night. One night I woke up and saw a ghost cat playing with them right next to me - it happened a couple of times. I asked my friend about it and he said he used to have 6 cats. One died and one ran off. I described the ghost cat and he produced a photo which matched. No one else has ever seen that particular ghost though. (There is a resident ghost in the house.) So I think its possible.

Anyway, back on topic. About 20 years ago I lived on a hippy commune out bush and there was a dog who twice helped resue a girl. One time from a fire, and once from a hanging.
Im not sure what the circumstance was with the hanging, if he was with her and ran to get help, or if he sensed it and made a fuss so others went to investigate. With the fire the dog wasnt in / at the shack at the time but was with people elsewhere. He alerted them by making a fuss and biting onto their sleeves to drag them to see the fire and get the girl out.
Unfortunatly I wont be able to get any more details though. I think the dog was a bull terrier, but am not 100% sure.
 
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