Have Caitlyn Jenner and Strawberry Moons been clogging your news feed? Tired of hearing about what all these humans are up to? We’ve got the doggone news you care about. Read on and find out why pups don’t like to Skype, or why wet dog smell is so terrible. Here are the top ten dog news stories of the week.
1. Canines In The Courtroom
Monroe County in Indiana started a program to use service dogs in courtrooms to help children victims and witnesses give testimony on the stand. The pups will stick around for pets and hugs and help reduce anxiety and blood pressure for kids in court. Eventually, they will go on to assist adult victims, as well. Dogs make even the scariest times a little bit better.
2. Dogs Don’t Skype
You’ve tried to have a video chat with your dog over a phone or tablet. Every dog owner has. But your pooch probably isn’t all that interested. Scientists say that since dogs mostly rely on their sense of smell to interpret the world around them, your iPad isn’t all that interesting. And dogs take in visual information 25 percent faster than humans, so your video probably looks choppy and weird to pups. They’d much rather lick your face in real life than on a screen.
3. Combat Dogs Coming Home
A new bill before Congress would ensure that U.S. military combat dogs would be brought back to the states after retiring from service. This would help combat canines to be reunited with their trainers and handlers, who often form strong bonds with the dogs, as well as making sure they find good homes and proper care. We hope this bill passes, as our pups in uniforms deserve the best!
4. German Shepherd Stars In Fallout 4 Trailer
The video game world was hit with a huge announcement when the trailer for the highly-anticipated game Fallout 4 hit the internet this week. The video featured a German Shepherd wandering through the ruins of a suburban home destroyed by nuclear war. The pup will likely be a faithful sidekick in the game, but we wouldn’t mind just playing as the dog, to be honest.
5. What’s With That Wet Dog Smell?
A great YouTube explaining lots of facts about dogs, like how their noses work and why they like kibble, finally answers the question of why dogs stink when they get wet. Apparently, when you give your dog a bath, the water releases the bacteria trapped within their fur, which finds its way into your nose. Pretty yucky stuff, but if you’re a dog, the worse a smell is, the better.
6. It’s Hip To Be Square
For a few years, there’s been a trend in parts of Asia of giving dogs “square” haircuts. The pups end up looking like they jumped out of an old video game, with box-like heads and bodies. Well now some groomers in the states are offering the weird hairdo, too. There haven’t been many takers for the box cut, and the circle cut, which is popular in Japan, isn’t exactly catching on either. But if your pup is geometrically inclined, maybe this is the look you’ve been waiting for.
7. Rescue Pit Bull To The Rescue
In Ohio, a rescue pit bull named Ember returned the favor by saving her boy. Ember’s owners noticed her standing next to their bed one evening making an odd grumbling noise. She led them to the bathroom, where their son had collapsed after having a seizure. They rushed him to the hospital, and he’s doing just fine. Ember refused to leave his side for the rest of the night. He’s in good paws with Ember around.
8. Oregon Drug Dogs Still Have Jobs
With the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state of Oregon, K-9 units trained to detect the drug won’t be able to be used for the same kind of work. But they’ll still have a job, according to the Oregon Department of Justice. These pups will still be needed in places like schools, jail facilities, and offices where the drug is still strictly not allowed. So don’t worry, they’ll keep using their sniffers to do good for the community.
9. Flo’s Wild Goose Chase
In Cheyenne, Wyoming, Flo the border collie is on the prowl to keep parks, golf courses, and grassy areas clean and free of goosey messes. The pooch is thrilled to be able to chase off geese and keep them from leaving their digested materials all over the place, which has become a real nuisance for the city. She’s so good at it, the City Council is considering an amendment to an ordinance that requires dogs to be on leash, just so Flo can continue her work without fear of breaking the law.
10. Who’s Barking Now?
After running several tests, researchers have developed a computer algorithm that can identify a dog’s age and sex just from its bark. The surprisingly accurate computer analysis can also determine the reason for the barking. The team hopes that the program can be used by animal shelters to identify distress or fear in dogs, as well as diagnose anxiety or behavioral problems, and make sure that dogs find the right homes. We can’t wait to have full-length conversations with our furry pals!
That’s all for this week. Send me your favorite doggy news stories of the upcoming week on Twitter and you might see them in the next Doggone Roundup!
