January 2021

• The late pet poodle belonging to King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand was nicknamed Fufu, but his full name was "Air Chief Marshal Fufu."

• Recent studies on Zhokov Island in the Siberian Sea have found DNA similarities between dogs from 9,500 years ago and modern sled dogs in Greenland. A jawbone belonging to the ancient Zhokov dog indicates it probably shared a common ancestor with today’s sled dogs about 12,000 years ago.

• Jade, a 4-year-old black Labrador, has earned the first California Farm Bureau Farm Dog contest. She helps at her family’s walnut farm in Tulare County.

• According to @marktreatrepeat, here’s a good exercise for puppy training. With the puppy sitting in front of you, kneel down, grab a handful of treats, and extend your arm with treats 90 degrees. When the puppy looks away from your hand and makes eye contact with you, say “good” and “yes” and deliver a treat to the puppy's mouth. After four out of four or five correct responses, you can slightly increase the complexity of the situation by using a standing position, changing hands, or increasing the distance between you and your puppy.

• If your dog slides its butt across the floor, it may be due to impacted glands that need to be expressed.