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.

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(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.

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(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
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(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:

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(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.

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(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.

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(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.

2013 Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest

Do you have some pretty basic, boring, or outdated dog parks near you?

The Beneful brand Dream Dog Park Contest is for dog owners who love taking their dog to a dog park. The prize? A $500,000 dog park renovation to a dog park in your area with the person submitting the winning idea receiving $10,000 cash and a year supply of Beneful dog food!

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I just found out about the contest, but it began August 6th and runs through September 17th. It is split into two rounds, the first is general entry and the second round is a selection of the best entries from the first round.

To enter:

1. Complete the online entry form found here.

2. Write an essay of up to 250 words (in English) answering: “If you had $500,000 to create a ‘Dream Dog Park’ where you and your best buddy can play together, what would you do?”

3. Submit a photo that must include both you and your dog, showing how life is better when you are together. This can include multiple dogs if you own more than one, but not any other person’s dog, any other type of animal, or any identifiable people even in the background. It must be a single photo not a collage or combination of any kind. The photo can be color or black and white, but must be no greater than 3MB in size in file types .GIF, .JPG, or .PNG. This must be your dog, and they must be alive at the time of entry.

4. Give a title or theme to your entry. There is a 50 character limit, and it must be an overall description of what your Dream Dog Park is about.

Of course, your entry must be original but it must also be safe for dogs and feasible to build. Themes (like pirates, zombies, dog show etc.) are encouraged but you cannot use brand logos or copy righted material.

Round 1 judgeing will be based on originality and creativity (40%), how well your ideas will enhance the fun you have with your dog (40%), and feasibility (20%).

Entries that make it to round 2 will have to make and narrate a video to answer the question of the first round’s essay prompt. The best videos will be voted on by the public. So do not enter the contest unless you would be willing to complete this second half!

You can check out other peoples’ entries on Beneful.com.

Here is last year’s winning idea:
The Canine Amusement/Water park

Angela and her dog Beau from Lancaster PA won the 2012 contest with an entry which inspired a theme park idea – a “roller coaster” area to encourage dogs to go fast in agility training, a “water park” area or splash pad for the hot days, and a covered area for rainy days so dogs could still play or do agility.

Here are photos:
Angela and Beau
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The Plan
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Splash Pad
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Fun Items
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(photos from beneful.com)

Here is the link again to find our more, enter, and read the offical rules.

I love this contest so much because where I live just getting a dog park near me has been slow. The city refused to help, but would allow the project if all the funds for a fence could be raised. The funds were raised, but then we only got a large fenced in area. No benches, no agility course, nothing but a promise for a drinking fountain. So a contest like this is breath of fresh air. If your area is anything like mine, I hope that you are able to enter and I wish you the best of luck!

— Cola Pig

Dog Mistaken for Lion

It is not everyday that a dog can be mistaken for a lion, and frankly I am not sure how it happens at all, but I recently saw the headline “Norfolk 911 calls for ‘baby lion’ turn up a coiffed dog.”

A labradoodle named Charles was mistaken for a baby lion while running down the street by three people who called 911 to report the animal to police.

Here is the dog in question:

liondog

(Steven M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)

His owner had the dog groomed to resemble the lion mascot of the Old Dominion University. He does look the part from a far I suppose, but not in size nor in overall structure and face once you actually get a good look at him. The incident made national news and Charles was featured on “Today” on CBS.

You can really see the lion like mane as Charles poses with Greg Brockheim the director of the Virginia Zoo:

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(Photo from the Virginia Zoo)

You can read the whole news story at the PilotOnline.com.

Or watch the story here:

Puppy Bowl IX

Puppy Bowl 9 is this Sunday (Feb 3, at 3 pm) on Animal Planet!

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This years game returns with new adorable puppies, kitten halftime show, hamster blimp, Meep the bird, and on the sidelines this year are hedgehogs (possibly wearing tutus).

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As usually, the Puppy Bowl airs before the “big game” so you do not have to miss either one! If you are unable to watch at 3, the Bowl replays a few times so you can catch it later.

Here are a few of the starting line up:

1. Althea the female Australian Shepherd and Catahoula Mix

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2. Aurora the female Siberian Husky and Retriever Mix

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3. Bessie the female Catahoula Leopard dog mix

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4. Daisy the female Yorkshire Terrier

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5. Marta the female Schnauzer and Beagle mix

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6. Juniper the female Great Pyrenees

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7. Nala the female Japanese Chin

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8.Chestnut the male Labrador Retriever and Australian Shepherd mix

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The full line up of puppies can be viewed at Puppy Bowl IX Starting Lineup

Amazing Dog Grooming

I found some photos of very elaborate, and maybe crazy, doggie hair styles. The puppy cut can make many dogs look really cute but it is amazing what some shaving, styling, additions, and color can do to make a dog look completely different! What do you think of these dogs?

1. The Muppets

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I love the use of color, differnet fur lengths, and the creative use of the dog’s tail!

 

2. A Giraffe

 

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The paint is amazing, and I really like how the tips of the paws are black to simulate hooves.

 

3. A Horse

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Wow! This dog had to sacrifice a lot of fur to make this look, but I love the mane and tail! The hooves and saddle are a wonderful touch.

 

4. Peacock

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Very colorful, and I really hope that the peacock tail is a piece that the dog is just standing in front of and not actually attached to its back.

 

5. Tiger

Tiger

 

Such a cute look!

6. Lion and Zebra

 

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The mane is fabulous, I just feel bad for the saved tail!

7. Another horse

 

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This puppy has nice additions to its fur for the feathers on the helmet, mane and tail, and its puppy bridal.

8. Dinosaur (or maybe a dragon?)

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I am not sure what kind of reptile this is supposed to be, but the use of color and fur style are both simple and amazing.

9. Tropical dog

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I love the macaw and frog designs on this dog!

1o. Bison

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A cut of differing lengths really gives this dog the appearance of a shaggy bison.

11. Chicken

 

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I love all the subtle details on this one. The little wings on the dog’s side, the front legs being colored yellow with feet above the puffs on its legs representing the nest/hay of the barnyard, the comb, tail feathers, and tiny nest with chicks really make this an elaborate and well thought out design.

12. T-rex

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This one is easier to tell that it is a dinosaur! I love the teeth on it, eyes, and the creative use of the rest of the dog in the design.

 

I found these photos at puppieslovers.net, to see these and more go to Weird Dog Grooming Photos. Just scroll past the ads and there is a bar with more pictures that you can click through.