Canine IQs, Royal Dorgis, Pit Bulls with Permits, and More
The Chihuahua came in lucky 13th place out of 40 dog breeds
The Good, The Bad, and the Brainy
Newsweek reports the top three least obedient dog breeds are - in order of intractability - Afghan Hounds, Basenjis, and Bulldogs. The top three most obedient? Border Collies, Poodles, and German Shepherds.
Not surprisingly, the three most obedient breeds also ranked as the three smartest, a finding sure to spark controversy at any dog gathering. Biggest bombshell? The diminutive Papillon weighed in at 8th smartest, edging out larger-brained Rottweilers and Australian Cattle Dogs. Maybe there’s more to those ears than we thought.
Source: newsweek.com
Vulcan, top right, pictured with the Queen in 2016, is reported to have died at Windsor Castle, leaving only Candy, bottom right.
A Royal Line Dwindles, But Long Live Candy
In December, Queen Elizabeth II lost Vulcan, her beloved Dorgi (that’s a Dachshund/Corgi mix to you commoners), leaving Her Majesty with just one remaining pup named Candy. A lifelong dog lover, the Queen was so attached to her Corgi, Susan, that she reportedly took her on her honeymoon with Prince Philip, and later posed with four of her pooches for a 2016 Vanity Fair cover. These days, you’ll find canine actors playing their late counterparts in occasional background shots on The Crown.
Source: cnn.com
Denver Animal Protection Sgt. Avery Borden evaluates the breed of this yet-unnamed dog. Dec. 8, 2020. photo: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
New in the New Year: Denver’s No Longer a Town Without Pitties
You may have missed this amid the presidential madness, but back in November, Denver voters overturned the city’s decades-long ban on Pit Bulls, instead opting for a Breed-Restricted Permitting Process. Effective January 1, any new owner of an adopted breed-restricted dog must register the animal with the city, complete an assessment, and provide an emergency contact, proof of vaccination, and a description of the dog.
Denver’s new assessment checklist for Pits includes questions like “Does the dog have pronounced jaw muscles?” and “Does the dog have a well-defined muscular body?” No word yet on the most obvious question: “Who’s a good boy?”
Source: denverite.com
photo: wyff4.com
Do You Hear What I Hear?
A Budapest study found dogs do not distinguish between known words and similar nonsense words, such as “sit” and “sut.” However, they do distinguish between known words and dissimilar nonsense words, such as “sit” and “bep.” Thus, a dog who knows a sit command will sit if you say “sut,” but not if you say “bep.”
Researchers say the study confirms that dogs actually listen to human speech, as suggested by previous studies, but that they don’t pay attention to all of the speech sounds. Strangely, many married humans report the same phenomenon.
Source: wyff4.com
photo by rochesterfirst.com
Sniffing Out Crime: Alligator Pup Finds Career in Law Enforcement
Bay Woof readers may remember Gunner, the 4-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel pup whose dramatic rescue from the jaws of an alligator was caught on video last year. Now Gunner has officially joined the Lee County, Florida, sheriff’s department as a safety and security officer with the Deputy Dogs program. Headed by Lieutenant Bosco, a 7-pound Havapoo-Poo, the canine deputies and their humans serve as community lookouts while on their daily walks. Lick ‘em, Danno.
Source: rochesterfirst.com
AIMSS purchased SFVS
and will be moving from their 9th Ave location to the former SFVS location on Alabama St., San Francisco
Veterinary Sale = Union Busting?
Closer to home, VCA Animal Hospitals is selling the Mission District’s San Francisco Veterinary Specialists location, effectively killing a three-year unionization push and potentially leaving many employees jobless. In a December 8 email to staff, VCA announced the sale “will result in all VCA SFVS employees being laid off at this location.” VCA – a national chain with 800 animal hospitals – had previously hired a union-busting law firm to deal with the Mission location’s workers, resulting in a 2019 National Labor Relations Board determination that VCA violated labor laws by not engaging in good faith negotiations. Now the sale of this location has sparked fresh claims of union busting. Stay tuned.
Source: missionlocal.org