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Canine Forteana (Dogs' Weirdness & Wonders)

Puppy swallows 20 coins

Vets said they had never seen a dog eat so many coins as Daisy.

The 12-week-old Bichon Frise cross, who lives in Derby, scoffed 13 1ps, three 5ps, two 20ps and two £1 coins.

Pictures show the young pup with a bandaged leg and attached to a medical tube looking sheepish next to a bag of money.
Daisy’s owner Ivana had lost her purse but did not suspect the dog had eaten it – only becoming concerned when the puppy ignored food and started vomiting. A 2p coin was in her sick.

The PDSA added that the operation was a success, with Daisy able to return home on painkillers and antibiotics the next day.

Vet nurse Sally Frith, who works at Derby PDSA Pet Hospital, said: ‘Daisy has broken a new record – we couldn’t believe the number of coins she’d managed to eat, especially for such a tiny puppy.
Sounds like Daisy ate the whole purse rather than all the coins separately.

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Electronic-sniffing dog helps in pedophilia arrest in Mexico


An unusual alliance of international activist groups, Mexican prosecutors and a dog trained to sniff out memory devices joined forces this month to catch a high-profile suspected pedophile in Mexico City.

First, Free a Girl, a Netherlands-based group that fights human trafficking, tipped off activists at the U.S.-based Operation Underground Railroad that Jason Maatman, a Dutch man who openly advocated sex with children, had gone to Mexico after fleeing pending court cases in the Netherlands.

Maatman apparently thought loose Mexican law enforcement would allow him to operate freely in Mexico City, a sprawling metropolis of 21 million where most crimes go unpunished.

But he didn’t count on Hidu, a recent graduate of a dog academy that teaches canines to sniff out triphenylphosphine oxide, or TPPO, a chemical coating used in electronic devices like flash drives and memory cards.

Operation Underground Railroad quickly set up a plan to lure Maatman into a trap, using the chat rooms and social media spaces he was active on.

The problem was that he has caught at a bus stop — not at his home — and nobody knew were he was living. Nobody knew where he could have stashed any child sexual abuse material, which is usually held in digital form.

City prosecutors used a network of street surveillance cameras to trace Maatman’s movements back to a dingy apartment he was renting on the city’s rough east side.

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Once police obtained a search warrant, that is where Hidu came in; a black lab, he had been trained by Todd Jordan at his Jordan Detection K9 academy in Indianapolis, Indiana.

TPPO is a chemical used in small, solid-state memory devices to avoid overheating. There is just enough of its distinctive odor for dogs to locate it.

Hidu was brand new at the work; he had graduated just two weeks before and this was his first case — In fact, it was the first overseas case that any of Jordan’s dogs had handled.

O.U.R. flew Hidu and his handler to Mexico City, where prosecutors were about to search the apartment.

“My understanding is there was a cellphone hidden in a laundry basket with just rancid total terrible laundry, you know, dirty clothes in one corner that no one would go into,” Osborne said. “The dog found that phone.”

Hidu found more child porn material taped to a wall beneath a painting, Osborne said. “The dog sniffed out a couple of the hard drives in a few places in his apartment that were difficult for humans to find, but the dog sniffed it out.”

Prosecutors said the drives and devices contained about 4 terabytes of child sexual abuse material.

https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-city-netherlands-d44b51f657e9707980dd157f06a2aa6b

maximus otter
 

Woman regrets teaching her dog how to communicate using buttons after unsettling 'message'


A woman is regretting teaching her dog how to communicate using buttons after a recent exchange left her feeling terrified.

Writing on Reddit, she explains she owns a three-year-old Bichon Frise named Gidget.

"They are a remarkably intelligent breed, despite their yappy image. I taught her from a young age to do tricks and obey commands, and she was a bright and eager student," she says.

So, she bought the set up, recorded her voice on the buttons and began with simple choices like "outside", "food", "water", "treat" and "play".

Gidget quickly mastered those so the woman continued, teaching her "outside", "park", "food" and "chicken", and continued to progress to a stage where the dog could communicate about the weather, dreams and emotions.

Gidget even now knows how to choose "dark" and "light" – and this is where things became a little more interesting.

"I used the buttons to reinforce my message. No. Dark. Light. Day," she continues.

"Gidget listened, but turned her little head back to the corner. After a few minutes she came back to her board. 'Dark,' she said again. I'm afraid I shrugged. Shrugged off her words, and the message behind them. I may even have laughed. 'No dark," I said. 'Light.'"

Gidget continued to look and say "dark" and then she chose the buttons for "stranger" and "no" and then "cold", staring at that same spot in the corner.

When the woman would stand in the corner, Gidget would "whine and cry and hit the stranger button".

"It upset me a lot," the woman says.

After this, Gidget stopped using the buttons, and each time the woman stood in that particular corner her dog would become more upset, showing all the signs of stress including peeing in the house and eventually staying away from her altogether.

Now the woman thinks her home is haunted and the corner has something to do with the presence, leaving her feeling terrified.

https://honey.nine.com.au/pets/teac...d-reddit/2024e419-391e-42ab-85ae-fec4d29fd8e3

maximus otter
 
Dog shoots cop, pleads self defence.

A police officer in Columbus, Ohio, was shot "while trying to shoot a dog" Sunday.

Local ABC affiliate WSYX printed a police "notification" that an officer "was struck in the leg after discharging his firearm while trying to shoot a dog", leaving the identity of the shooter for readers to deduce.

The headline—"Columbus officer shot in leg"—seems then a fine example of the "exonerative tense" often found in journalism sourced exclusively to police. In the comments to this post, feel free to elaborate scenarios where a cop wasn't the mystery shooter, but there is no perp to report.

No word on the dog's fate, or the officer's reason for trying to kill it.

https://boingboing.net/2022/06/26/instant-karma-for-cop-trying-to-shoot-dog.html
 

Dog escapes then returns three hours later with third best in show rosette

Bonnie the beagle-cross vanished on Sunday morning from her home in Bolney, West Sussex, with her family immediately starting to search for her.

Peter and Paula Closier called the police, vets and dog warden and went out searching in person with their two daughters and neighbours helping out.

There was a happy ending, as hours later Bonnie was back home – with a big yellow rosette for her troubles awarding her third place in a rescue dog competition.
Luckily, dog lover John Wilmer spotted Bonnie, five, running along the road without a collar (as it had been taken off the night before), and realised something was wrong.

He was on his way to a dog show, but shared a post on Facebook asking if anyone knew the dog’s owners.

A relieved Paula, 48, spotted the post and could soon arrange to get Bonnie back.

But in the meantime, John still had his dog show to go to, and so he decided to jokingly enter Bonnie in the rescue dog category.

In fact, she qualified on two counts as she was rescued from the streets of Crete alongside the family’s other dog Cleo when she was just one year old.

Bonnie was given third place in the best rescue dog category of the dog show in Felbridge – her first ever prize.

‘Bonnie was absolutely fine when she got back. She just thought she was having a great day out.
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Dog Helps Rescue Owner Who Fell 70 Feet in California Forest


A 53-year-old man and his black Border collie, Saul, were on a hike last week near California’s Tahoe National Forest, surrounded by trees and steep canyons, when something went wrong. The man fell 70 feet from a ridge, breaking his hip and multiple ribs, the authorities said. He had no phone. Just a dog by his side.

The man, whose name the authorities did not release, crawled up a rocky bluff to his camp where he had been staying, and was able to call 911 about noon on July 13.

About seven hours later, volunteers with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue group came across Saul in the forest. The dog jumped up and down, spun around in circles and ran 20 feet ahead of them, Sergeant Haack said. Then, Saul looked back at the volunteers, he said, as if to say: Follow me.

“Hey, I think this dog is trying to lead us somewhere,” Sergeant Haack recalled a volunteer saying by radio. “So we’re going to follow him.”

They followed Saul for about 200 yards, and there, lying in a bed of dirt and covered by a camouflage tarp, was the injured man, in pain but grateful for his loyal pet and the volunteers.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Sergeant Haack said.

A day after being found with the help of Saul, the man was in the hospital, telling people that he was desperate to be reunited with his dog, Sergeant Haack said.

Later that afternoon, the man picked up Saul, who had spent the day being petted and praised.

And better yet, Sergeant Haack said, he was given an extra prize fit for a good dog: a beef jerky stick.

https://dnyuz.com/2022/07/19/dog-helps-rescue-owner-who-fell-70-feet-in-california-forest/

maximus otter
 

Bored dog falls asleep on football pitch after nil-nil at halftime

A bored dog hilariously made its way onto the turf for a nap after a goalless first half during a football match in Paraguay - the game had to be temporarily halted whilst the ball boy woke the snoozing pooch up

Whilst the players went to the locker room for halftime, the canine spectator invaded the pitch and took a 15-minute peaceful snooze.

When player Cristian Duma was looking to get the game back underway, the newest member of the team appeared to still be happily asleep, causing a delay.

The referee decided to wait to give the initial whistle and a ball boy was tasked with removing the four-legged friend carefully from the Luis Alfonso Giagni Stadium so that the match could be resumed.
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More funny than weird; A house near me sells Bantam chicken eggs and they're the best eggs I've ever tasted. As I walk past with the dog, two or three times a week we go down the drive, I put my money in the jar and put my eggs in the garden out of view. (If I wait until we are on our way back there are usually none left).
The other day I didn't need any, but as we walked past the house, the dog stopped at the top of the drive and looked at me, then gestured with her head to the eggs at the bottom of the drive by the front door.
I explained that I didn't need any that day and had no money on me anyway. She then carried on past the house.
 
Anyone else have a dog that's a 'sock thief' ?
 

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250 arrests! Ruff justice.

A "fearless" police dog who was once stabbed in the line of duty has started a well-earned retirement.

Quantum racked up more than 250 arrests in his six-year career during which he has helped officers catch a string of violent criminals in Nottinghamshire.

The seven-year-old German Shepherd earned a national bravery award after he was injured taking down a machete-wielding suspect in 2018.
He will now live with his dog handler PC Jennie Ellse.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-63031022
 
Para Pooch. He fought the Schweinhunde.
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The much-decorated collie cross parachuted into North Africa and Italy on missions during the second World War​

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Rob, a black and white collie-retriever, saw action in the second World War in Africa and served with the SAS, becoming the first war dog to do so.
Elizabeth Birdthistle
Sat Oct 1 2022 - 05:00

The medals of a military dog, who was recognised for his courage and outstanding service during the second World War, a service which included 20 parachute descents, are to be sold at a fair in London.

Rob, a black and white collie-retriever, was purchased as a pup in Shropshire for five shillings in 1939 and worked as a farm dog for the Bayne family. They volunteered him as a war dog in 1942 and from 1943, following action in North Africa, the canine served with the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), becoming the first war dog to do so.

Rob undertook 20 parachute descents while serving with the infantry in North Africa and the 2nd SAS regiment in Italy, where he parachuted in on sabotage missions. He was awarded the PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) Dickin Medal for Gallantry, otherwise known as the Victoria Cross for animals, along with the RSPCA Red Collar for Valour, for his courage and service. These medals are being sold through Noonans in Mayfair, London on October 12th.

Christopher Mellor-Hill, head of client liaison at Noonans commented: “Rob the parachuting dog is the most famous of all the Dickin Medal recipients and we are delighted to be offering his medals on behalf of the family who owned him. Rob was the first war dog attached to the SAS to be awarded the ‘animal VC’, and was reportedly the only war dog to have been nominated for the Dickin Medal by the War Office.”



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The Dickin Medal - the Victoria Cross for animals
Demobilised on November 27th, 1945, Rob led the Wembley Parade of 32 war dogs on July 16th, 1947 in front of 100,000 spectators, and was the only dog present to have both the Dickin Medal and RSPCA Red Collar and Medallion of Valour. He was featured on the front cover of the Radio Times and the auction house believes it to be the most important Dickin Medal to ever be sold at auction.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-sty...dals-expected-to-fetch-up-to-33000-in-london/
 

Lost Bristol 'wonder pup' stuns owner after city adventure

Pip passed some of Bristol's most iconic monuments on his 4.6-mile walk after he was separated from his owner on a stroll in Leigh Woods.

While Libby Bowles was searching for her rescue dog, he managed to find his way to her house in just 90 minutes.
He was seen crossing the Clifton Suspension Bridge before arriving home 20 minutes before Ms Bowles did.

Pip disappeared on 18 September at around 14:30 BST and his owner took to local lost and found Facebook groups to try and find him.

She said: "He does go off in the woods and chase squirrels, it happens fairly regularly that I can't see him but usually I can hear his bell ringing."

As she wondered if she would see her dog again, the 47-year-old started to get messages from people who had spotted Pip making his way through Bristol.

He was seen on Whiteladies Road, and then passing BBC Bristol, the Wills Memorial Building, Park Street, The Centre, Prince Street Bridge and East Street, before arriving at his Bedminster home.

She said: "It makes me cringe to think of him crossing the big roads and a big roundabout but somehow he did it."
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She said: "It makes me cringe to think of him crossing the big roads and a big roundabout but somehow he did it."

What she seems to be forgetting is that (most) dogs are not stupid.
That's why they have 'guide dogs' for blind people and not 'guide cats'.
 
She said: "It makes me cringe to think of him crossing the big roads and a big roundabout but somehow he did it."

What she seems to be forgetting is that (most) dogs are not stupid.
That's why they have 'guide dogs' for blind people and not 'guide cats'.
Startling insight there Trev. I've always wondered why.
 
Speech pathologist teaches her dog to use a soundboard and now it communicates in sentences

Christina Hunger, 26, is a speech-language pathologist in San Diego, California who believes that "everyone deserves a voice."

Hunger works with one- and two-year-old children, many of which use adaptive devices to communicate. So she wondered what would happen if she taught her two-month-old puppy, a Catahoula/Blue Heeler named Stella, to do the same.

"If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn't they be able to say words to us?”

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Hunger and her fiancé Jake started simply by creating a button that said "outside" and then pressed it every time they said the word or opened the door. After a few weeks, every time Hunger said "outside," Stella looked at the button.

Soon, Stella began to step on the button every time she wanted to go outside.

They soon added more buttons that say "eat," "water," "play," "walk," "no," "come," "help," "bye," and "love you."

If Stella's water bowl is empty, she says "water." If she wants to play tug of war, she says, "play." She even began to tell friends "bye" if they put on their jackets by the door.

Stella soon learned to combine different words to make phrases.

One afternoon, shortly after daylight savings, she began saying "eat" at 3:00 pm. When Hunger didn't respond with food, she said, "love you no" and walked out of the room.

Today, Stella has learned over 29 words and can combine up to five at a time to make a phrase or sentence.

https://www.upworthy.com/speech-pat...h-pad-and-now-it-communicates-in-sentences-rp

maximus otter
 
Speech pathologist teaches her dog to use a soundboard and now it communicates in sentences

Christina Hunger, 26, is a speech-language pathologist in San Diego, California who believes that "everyone deserves a voice."

Hunger works with one- and two-year-old children, many of which use adaptive devices to communicate. So she wondered what would happen if she taught her two-month-old puppy, a Catahoula/Blue Heeler named Stella, to do the same.

"If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn't they be able to say words to us?”

View attachment 59772

Hunger and her fiancé Jake started simply by creating a button that said "outside" and then pressed it every time they said the word or opened the door. After a few weeks, every time Hunger said "outside," Stella looked at the button.

Soon, Stella began to step on the button every time she wanted to go outside.

They soon added more buttons that say "eat," "water," "play," "walk," "no," "come," "help," "bye," and "love you."

If Stella's water bowl is empty, she says "water." If she wants to play tug of war, she says, "play." She even began to tell friends "bye" if they put on their jackets by the door.

Stella soon learned to combine different words to make phrases.

One afternoon, shortly after daylight savings, she began saying "eat" at 3:00 pm. When Hunger didn't respond with food, she said, "love you no" and walked out of the room.

Today, Stella has learned over 29 words and can combine up to five at a time to make a phrase or sentence.

https://www.upworthy.com/speech-pat...h-pad-and-now-it-communicates-in-sentences-rp

maximus otter
Is 'Stella' really "saying" anything? Or is it just a by-chance combination of words?
 
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Speech pathologist teaches her dog to use a soundboard and now it communicates in sentences

Christina Hunger, 26, is a speech-language pathologist in San Diego, California who believes that "everyone deserves a voice."

Hunger works with one- and two-year-old children, many of which use adaptive devices to communicate. So she wondered what would happen if she taught her two-month-old puppy, a Catahoula/Blue Heeler named Stella, to do the same.

"If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn't they be able to say words to us?”

View attachment 59772

Hunger and her fiancé Jake started simply by creating a button that said "outside" and then pressed it every time they said the word or opened the door. After a few weeks, every time Hunger said "outside," Stella looked at the button.

Soon, Stella began to step on the button every time she wanted to go outside.

They soon added more buttons that say "eat," "water," "play," "walk," "no," "come," "help," "bye," and "love you."

If Stella's water bowl is empty, she says "water." If she wants to play tug of war, she says, "play." She even began to tell friends "bye" if they put on their jackets by the door.

Stella soon learned to combine different words to make phrases.

One afternoon, shortly after daylight savings, she began saying "eat" at 3:00 pm. When Hunger didn't respond with food, she said, "love you no" and walked out of the room.

Today, Stella has learned over 29 words and can combine up to five at a time to make a phrase or sentence.

https://www.upworthy.com/speech-pat...h-pad-and-now-it-communicates-in-sentences-rp

maximus otter
I see this VERY often on videos. It's hilarious but I am far from convinced that the dogs can comprehend language to this degree.
 
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