Pooches in the News

It's been a while since I updated you guys on the Dog News! Here's what is going on in the world of canines:

Dog captured after 8 months running loose-- I'm glad to know that Pepper has finally been brought back out of the wilderness, I think that I posted an article about him a couple of months ago while he was still running free. They are now looking for a home for the wanderlust-stricken pooch; an ideal situation would be a sanctuary where he can run freely, although contained.

Meet Boo, billed as the cutest dog on the planet.His Facebook page has over five million "Likes" on Facebook, and even celebrities have tweeted about this little pom with a lion-cut. Click on the Facebook link to see dozens of pictures of this adorable pooch, and maybe even "Like" the page yourself!

Ever wonder about that "wet dog shake?" We've seen a few of these the past couple days here at the Fort, and I stumbled across this neat article about the science of dogs shaking themselves dry. This research could help to create self-drying machines, such as solar panels or optics that need to be kept dry to function but are also exposed to many different forms of weather.

Simultaneously a harrowing and heartening story, this pooch tried to outrun a light rail train. She didn't beat the train, but she survived and is recovering well. Now being called Amtrak by rescuers, she is a little the worse for the wear, but is just as frisky and happy as ever. Dogs really do have an amazing resilience that is hard for us two-leggers to even imagine, let alone really understand.

A custody battle is now raging over a dog abandoned 13,000 feet up a Colorado summit. Missy was left on the mountain after sustaining an injury during the onset of a large storm. Her owner went down the mountain and did not return to try and extricate her. Missy was discovered by two other hikers about a week later, who also had to leave her on the mountain, lacking the ability to get a dog with such badly torn paws down such a serious slope. But these hikers went home, organized, and got their friends and fellow hikers to come and help them transport the pooch down. Now that Missy has been brought back to safety, the pair of hikers that organized her rescue want to keep her.

Apparently, the Dog Treadmill market is really taking off! Exercise has a lot of benefits for all of us, and that definitely includes pups. They get the same endorphin rush that we do from good, vigorous, physical exercise. I'm split about treadmills, though-- while any sort of exercise is better than no exercise, a treadmill is certainly not optimum. Dogs need both mental and physical stimulation--walks, dog park trips, car rides, daycare visits. All these things help a dog to be more balanced in their life. Exercise is one component of that, but it by no means the whole equation.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!

-Hope