Slow Motion Dog in Snow

As spring starts to set in there is hope for all those still covered in snow! But, why not watch a Golden Retriever named Buddy enjoying the snow in slow motion:

You can see the individual snowflakes settling on his fur!
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Just look at the floppy face and ears, and the way he seems so content!
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The gorgeous flowing fur!
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If only I could enjoy winter like that. The video is equal parts soothing and causing me to want to run and romp in freshly falling snow.

-Fizz

Salsa Dancing Dog

Are you a good dancer? This dog may have you beat!

This is an impressive display of training! The dog has to stay on its hind legs for a long time, and is always paying attention to their owner’s cues for the next move. Even so, just look at that wagging tail! The dog really seems to enjoy the attention. The end is even impressive!

Screenshot 2015-02-02 at 10.52.33 AM - Edited

I hope that you find this video inspiring, you never know what your dog may enjoy learning!

-Fizz

Weirdest Mix Breed Ever?

Have you ever seen a mix between a pit bull and a dachshund?

This is Rami:
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(Moultrie Colquitt County Humane Society)

You can clearly see the influence of both of his parents, with the distinctly pit bull face and long short dachshund body. Such a large head for such a small frame! It is hard to decide whether he is cute or ugly, or so ugly he is cute. Yet, Rami is up for adoption in Georgia.

635581398409524502-pd4
(Moultrie Colquitt County Humane Society)

Rami is now famous online, as a dog of his unusual appearance is apt to be. Many did not even think he was real! After the Moultrie Colquitt County Humane Society posted him for adoption on Facebook they received so much interest they are setting up a special adoption and interview process to place him in the best home possible.

You can watch a news story about Rami due to all the attention over this odd appearance:

Never forget that you can find a gem at your local animal shelter too! So many dogs need forever homes, just make sure that you are ready for the task by spending a little time assessing any dog’s needs and whether you can fulfill them.

-Fizz

Smart Collar for Dogs

CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, presents all sorts of new technology gadgets to the world like new tvs,  self driving cars, and devices that can turn the camera on your phone into an instant camera. This year your dog is not left out of the fun! Motorola showed off a new smart collar, a dog wearable device that allows you to track your dog’s location, exercise, and even talk to them.

1D274907565654-smartdog.blocks_desktop_medium
(Motorola)

The collar comes in two sizes, the larger version is called the Scout 5000 and will retail for $199. The device features a GPS to see where your dog is, a 720p video camera which sends the video of what your pet is seeing to your smart phone, and WiFi connectivity to enable all this and more. There is a built in speaker which allows you to speak to your dog, essentially to issue verbal commands like stop or come or maybe to just sooth your pet. The collar can tell if your dog is barking too much/frequently. It can also be used like an invisible fence, setting up a boundary so the collar emits a high pitch noise when the dog attempts to leave the area.  Finally, the device tracks your dog’s movement and weight for you to make sure your pet is getting enough exercise.

Rose Gold Scout 5000
Scout-BODY-2
(Reviewed.com)

The device seems well built, but looks a little too large on your dog’s neck. It can withstand water, chewing, and your dog’s attempts to use his paws to get if off. It comes in multiple color choices.

You will need to get the Hubble app to interface with the collar’s video features, which also requires a service plan. A one year 3G plan is included with the collar when first purchased, but that cost needs to be considered when using the collar for more than one year.

Orange Scout 5000
Dog
(Reviewed.com)

The 5000 is too large and cumbersome for smaller dogs, so Motorola also has the Scout 2500 which is made to fit smaller necks. The 2500’s size does not allow for a camera but it will still do everything else. This version only costs $99.

Orange Scout 2500
Scout-BODY-3
(Reviewed.com)

So, does your dog need a wearable device too? I can see the appeal for dogs who are escape artists, or who are left alone for long periods of time. However, at this price point (especially with a service plan) and with such a bulky design there might be other video or monitoring devices that better suit your needs. It would be mildly interesting to see the world as your dog sees it, to see what your dog is up to while you are away, or to know if your dog is barking too much while you are at work. Or if your dog is super active to see exactly how that affects them, or what activities they get the most exercise out of. I guess that is also useful if you have a dog you are trying to make lose weight. I was also unable to find out how the device is charged or how long the batteries last, both important points to consider if you really do want this device to help find a pet that has wandered from home.

-Fizz

Sources:
A dog’s life: “Smart collar” helps you keep tabs on Fido via video Today.com
Scout 5000 is a Cutting-Edge Wearable — for Your Dog Wearables.reviews.com

Photo Doggies for Anthony

Sometimes people on the internet can come together to make wonderful things happen. Photo Doggies for Anthony is a Facebook event on which people around the world can post pictures of their dogs to cheer up a teen named Anthony who has cancer and cannot be with his own pets while undergoing chemotherapy. The instagram link is here: photo.doggies.for.Anthony.  Pet pictures have been posted from all over the world, of all kinds of pets, along with words of encouragement. More than 500,000 photos have been shared!

If you have a photo of your dog, or can take one, please consider sharing it on the event or instagram to help Anthony smile!

Here are a couple photos shared:

10897869_10203969015361098_3717583736819180992_n
(facebook)

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(facebook)

But as wonderful as the internet can be, it is also a terrible place. The above links are to a new event because the original event had to be taken down. Someone was overly negative, I do not know if that means the boy’s mom took it down for the sake of sparing her child or if that person reported the event to facebook so the bots behind the scenes automatically took it down. People can be sick, and I hope that this event continues to help this boy or anyone else who needs a pick me up.

10888616_10152647096588004_5148104310231582156_n
(facebook)

Anthony is 16 and has lymphoblastic leukemia, he has to undergo chemotherapy once a month. He was first diagnosed in July, and the leukemia is treatable, but he will have to go through chemo for the next three years. During this time he cannot be around his three dogs. He deals with depression during his treatments, and his mom said the only time he really seems happy at the hospital is when he is visited by a therapy dog. Since the therapy dogs cannot be there everyday, Anthony’s mom created the Facebook event so he can look at dog pictures whenever he likes to bring him joy.

10906157_925871204104098_8914971110482194737_n
(facebook)

Anthony and his family are truly surprised and amazed by the outpouring of pictures and well wishes. His mom has been trying to go through all the pictures and comment on them or like them, she is quoted: “I just want to thank everyone I haven’t gotten to yet, I hope I’m able to get to all of them,” she said. “Every single one has made us smile.”

Take a moment to post those photos! You can do so here or here.

– Fizz

Original story with more quotes and information found here.

Dog Rides on Ambulance to Stay With Owner

In San Angelo Texas a dog, named Buddy, rode on the small side step of an ambulance for 20 miles just to stay with his owner. The beagle mix jumped onto the outside of the ambulance as it picked up his owner to take him to the emergency room. The paramedics did not know the dog was there until another driver flagged him down.

Screenshot 2014-11-17 at 3.03.57 PM - Edited
(source)

By the time Buddy was discovered by the ambulance driver the paramedics had no choice but to load the dog into the back and take him on the remainder of the almost hour long trip. Buddy’s owner, 85 year old JR Nicholson, had adopted the dog four months ago. He called for an ambulance because he felt dizzy and was soon released from the hospital.

It was a good thing that someone saw the little guy so he didn’t ride outside the ambulance for an hour. Such a loyal dog!

– Fizz

 

The Loyalty of Dogs

This week saw the unspeakable horror of yet another senseless shooting, this time a terrorist attack at Canada’s National War Memorial on Parliament Hill. Corporal Nathan Cirillo was shot and killed. A single father and animal lover, he is dearly missed.

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(mail online)

His dogs still faithfully wait at home for a master who will never return:
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1414099945723_Image_galleryImage_Dogs_peek_out_from_under_

1414099987317_Image_galleryImage_Dogs_peek_out_from_under_
(mail online)

These pictures are heartbreaking. They capture the sense of loss and grief over this tragedy. Dogs have been called man’s best friend for a reason, their love and loyalty is without bounds. I hope these dogs will be treated well and taken care of now.

Our thoughts and prayers are with this family and Canada,
– Fizz

You can see more pictures from the horrific incident at The Daily Mail.

Can Your Pets Catch Ebola?

Have you heard enough about Ebola recently?

There is a lot of press coverage out there, but it is important to keep up to date on new findings and information. And while Ebola is very dangerous to people, there is not much information about how much danger our pets are in. The CDC states that while the virus can affect certain animals (it only mentions African fruit bats and monkeys here specifically), pets in the US are not at significant risk. The CDC is continuing to research how Ebola affects domestic animals and release guidelines in response.

Ebola is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it can be transferred from animals to people. It is possible that Ebola outbreaks in Africa were, or sometimes are, caused by a spillover event where a human comes into contact with an infected animal like a fruit bat or primate. This is only a theory. It is currently unknown if there is one specific natural host animal, but scientists lean towards infected fruit bats consumed as food by humans as a likely candidate. Primates in Ebola stricken areas have also shown signs and symptoms of Ebola, and should be avoided when symptomatic. None of this information means that domesticated pets will be affected the same way.

Studies have found that domestic goats, horses, and guinea pigs infected with Ebola remain asymptomatic or develop only a mild infection. There has however never been Ebola found in wild populations of these animals. I am guessing the above animals were infected on purpose for the study of the disease rather than this information coming from a natural encounter with them.

At this point, there have been no reports of dogs or cats infected with Ebola or of such animals spreading the disease to humans and other animals. Limited studies show dogs may be able to become infected and produce antibodies, but there is no evidence of them passing it on. This has however resulted in a lack of standards for dealing with animals in the homes of those who catch the disease.

In Spain, a nurse caring for an Ebola patient came down with the disease and her dog Excalibur was taken from her home and put down even though people were protesting the decision.

Excalibur:
ebola1
(inquisitor)

Here are some protesters:
excaliburprotest
(dailymail)

This is an easy way for the government to “reduce risk,” but it is unfair to the family, the dog, and from a scientific standpoint. These few cases are a chance to really see what the risk to pets are in a controlled way. Keeping Excalibur alive would have been an invaluable contribution to the study of Ebola’s risks to domestic dogs. Did he have the disease? If he did, could he pass it on? How long would he have remained infectious to others? These are the questions that we need to answers to. And if he never came down with the disease he could have gone back to his home and lived a full life.

In the US, of the three Ebola infections I only know of one who had a dog. Luckily, people here are willing to take a wait and see approach and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Bentley is in quarantine.

Bentley:
bently
(nypost)

Recently he began undergoing tests to see if he has the disease or not, all while being safely kept away from other people and animals by the City of Dallas Animal Services and Texas A&M University emergency veterinary team at an undisclosed location. All workers caring for he dog wear layers of personal protective equipment.

Playing with his caretakers:
download
(US News)

Now that Bentley is in the testing phase it will be known soon whether or not he has Ebola. If not, his quarantine period will end at the beginning of November.

Hopefully cases like Bentley’s will make it possible to answer the necessary questions so pets can be handled correctly at a scary time when we want to do everything possible to make sure no one else catches a deadly disease. The more information the better, and hopefully further research will prevent tragedies like the loss of Excalibur.

– Fizz

Sources:
NBC News – Ebola Patient Nina Pham’s Dog, Bentley, Enters Testing Phase
CDC – Questions and Answers about Ebola and Pets
Forbes – Can Dogs Transmit Ebola?

Wednesday Woof! – Husky Puppies

Wednesday is here again, be that good or bad! Have some middle of the week cheer brought to you by these husky puppies:

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(source)

I love how these puppies have already found the way to get out of their pen! Huskies are really good at this to begin with, and the best way to get proficient at something is to start early! Hope they are not too much for their current owner to handle.

– Fizz

Sevenly: 4 Paws for Ability

Sevenly is once again featuring a service dog charity! Sevenly is an online t-shirt shop (plus other items) which features a different charity every week and $7 from every purchase goes towards that charity. The t-shirts have a design created specifically for the cause of the week.

The charity: 4 Paws for Ability

4 Paws helps train and place service dogs with children with disabilities, and veterans, who need these animals to help them. They also help educate the public about service dogs.

Here is a video about a child with seizures who has benefited from having his own service dog:


Dogs can smell a chemical change in the human body just before and during a seizure. More than this they provide a companion and a sense of support.

Here are the shirt designs you can purchase this week to help the cause:

Classy Dog
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This style is available in women’s styles: flowy V neck $24, flowy racerback tank $28, basic tee $24, flowy long sleeve $36, and flowy raglan $28.

It is also available for men as a basic tee $24, V neck $24, and baseball Tee $32.

Loyalty

1441-d2

This design is available in women’s styles: flowy racerback tank $28, flowy long sleeve $36, flowy raglan $28, flowy V neck $24, short sleeve tee $24, and as a racerback tank $28.

Men’s styles include a basic tee for $24 and a V neck for $24.

Love is Loyal
1441-s140_5

This design is also available in different styles, which you can search for on the site, but here is the link to the women’s flowy raglan.

You can always just donate money to the cause itself, but this way you can get a t-shirt to advertise the cause as well.

– Fizz