America’s Top Dog is French, Florida Takes On Canines and Car Windows, Learning From Chernobyl’s Wild Pups, and More!
The diminutive French Bulldog has broken the Lab’s 31-year reign and now claims bragging rights as the nation’s most popular dog breed. photo: Getty Images
Later, Labs!
America’s New Top Dog Is French
Time for the beloved Labrador Retriever to move its bulky butt off the #1 spot. Per the American Kennel Club, the diminutive French Bulldog has broken the Lab’s 31-year reign and now claims bragging rights as the nation’s most popular dog breed.
But never fear, Lab fans - your hairy pal still weighs in at a respectable #2. And for those keeping score, the other top 10 breeds are, in descending order: Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Poodles, Bulldogs, Rottweilers, Beagles, Dachshunds, and German Shorthaired Pointers.
Unfortunately, the Frenchie’s newfound popularity has become quite a double-edged sword. Overbreeding of the small, flat-faced pooches has resulted in a number of serious health problems, including obstructed airways, eye disorders, skin and ear issues, and a host of skeletal malformations, some of which affect their ability to safely give birth.
Citing cruelty, the Netherlands has already banned the breeding of Frenchies and the U.K. is considering such a ban. But with celebrities toting them around like designer handbags and pups fetching up to $6,000 apiece, there’s a lot of momentum to keep breeding the little guys, health issues be damned.
For the record, around our house the top dog is still a Heinz 57 rescue mutt. Just a friendly reminder that popularity isn’t everything.
Sources: cnbc.com, thetimes.co.uk
Sunshine State Follies:
No More Snouts Out?
Oh Florida, what will you think of next? From the state that brought you pro wrestling dinner theater and the scurrilous “don’t say gay” law, now comes a new legislative bid - one that would make it illegal for dogs to hang their heads out car windows.
Of course, we’ve probably all seen pups leaning precariously out of moving cars in a way that gives responsible dog lovers pause. And to be fair, most of the proposed bill centers on more common-sense animal protections: banning cat declawing, outlawing animal testing for cosmetics, prohibiting animals riding on car roofs, fenders, or hoods, and establishing a registry for convicted animal abusers.
But putting a snout out the car window, picking up all kinds of olfactory news as the world breezes by? That’s pretty darn close to a basic dogly right. Stay tuned to see where those Sunshine Staters land on this one.
Source: npr.org
15 Generations Later:
What We Can Learn from the Wild Dogs of Chernobyl?
Almost four decades after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, scientists are studying over 300 wild dogs living in the officially designated “exclusion zone” around the site in Ukraine. Descendants of pets left behind in the forced evacuation, these pups roam the ruins, cadging food from workers and tourists, breeding, and generally getting on with their canine lives.
Researchers estimate this is the 15th generation of dogs to occupy Chernobyl since the April 1986 explosion and have identified roughly 15 separate populations whose differing levels of radiation exposure may have made them genetically distinct from each other and from dogs worldwide. Some packs live in the power plant itself, others as much as 28 miles away. As of this month, follow-up research was continuing despite the ongoing war.
These studies could help scientists better understand how animals and humans can live in parts of the world under environmental assault or in the high-radiation climate of outer space. And despite all the despicable things humans have inflicted on them, Chernobyl’s dogs don’t seem to be holding any grudges.
“Even though they’re wild, they still very much enjoy human interaction,” said researcher Tim Mousseau. “Especially when there’s food involved.”
Sources: science.org, usnews.com
Are they actually dogs? Short answer: no. photo: Getty Images
Don’t Blame Us:
Raccoon Dogs Aren’t Actually Dogs
If you’ve been following coronavirus news, you’ve probably heard a lot about raccoon dogs recently. The latest suspect in the pandemic’s origin story, these furry creatures were being sold at a meat and seafood market in Wuhan, China, where researchers first found evidence of the virus in January 2020. Recent data appears to show that genetic material from raccoon dogs suggests they could have been the initial hosts for the virus before it jumped to humans.
But are they actually dogs? Short answer: no. Although they’re members of the Canidae family, these forest-dwelling omnivores are more closely related to foxes than to your favorite household pet. To be specific, their genus is Nyctereutes, as opposed to domestic dogs’ genus Canis – so we’re talking extremely distant cousins at most.
Though they’re undeniably cute, raccoon dogs have been linked to other nasty viruses in the past, including SARS. Plus by all reports, they smell absolutely horrible. Just FYI in case you were thinking of adopting one.
Source: npr.org
A pregnant coyote in the Presido in San Francisco. photo: Presidio Trust
It’s Coyote Pupping Season!
Some SF Hiking Trails Closed to Dogs Until Fall
Spring has sprung and so has coyote pupping season. That means mother coyotes will be in extreme protective mode and could exhibit aggressive behavior if they encounter your own sweet pup in their territory.
To be on the safe side, the Presidio Trust is closing some San Francisco hiking trails to all dogs – yes, even leashed ones - until early September, by which time coyote moms will presumably be sick enough of their whiny teenagers that they won’t care if a romping Rottweiler shows up. Closed trails include the Park Trail from Mountain Lake to the Presidio Promenade and the Bay Ridge Trail from the Rob Hill campground to the Presidio Golf Course.
All 24 miles of trails in the Presidio will remain open to humans, though the Trust cautions everyone to be aware of their surroundings, never feed coyotes or other wildlife, and report any unusual coyote activity to the Presidio’s coyote hotline at (415) 561-4148 or by email at coyote@presidiotrust.gov.
Still not sure about which trails are okay? Find a trail map at presidio.gov/trails.
Source: nbcbayarea.com