Covid-Sniffing Canines Bring the Heat, Most Popular Dog Names, the Beagle Who Flipped the Senate, and More!
Illustration from the New Yorker by João Fazenda
Game On!
Covid-Sniffing Canines Screen Miami Heat Fans
The Miami Heat recently became the first U.S. pro sports team to use dogs to check fans for the coronavirus before entering the arena. The Heat’s canine detection crew includes Abby and Happy, both German Shepherds; Magni, a Belgian Malinois; and Tina, a Dutch Shepherd. Fans seemed largely unfazed by the friendly sniff-downs. An executive at Global K9 Protection Group, which provided training, said, “The dog is just having fun. This is a game to them.”
Source: newyorker.com
A statue of a good boy at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in New York, where pets have been laid to rest since 1896. Photo by Tony Cenicola, The New York Times
Most Popular Dog Name of the Century?
Hint: It’s a Royal
A survey of tombstones in the nation’s oldest continually operating pet cemetery found that, on average, more than 1 in 100 dogs interred there were named Princess, making it the 20th century’s most popular dog name overall. Researchers also found that popular dog names varied by decade with Queenie and Tippy leading the pack in the 1930s and ‘40s, Lady in the 1960s, Brandy in the ‘70s, and Max taking the top spot from the ‘80s through the aughts.
The survey, conducted by FirstVet, is part of an effort to digitize burial records at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Founded in 1896, the cemetery is the final resting place of over 80,000 beloved pets, including the late Goldfleck, a lion who lived with the ex-wife of a Russian prince at the Plaza Hotel before dying in 1912.
Source: nytimes.com
Senator Raphael Warnock and Alvin the beagle during the production of his campaign ad. Photo by Warnock for Georgia campaign, via NYT
Meet Alvin:
The Beagle Who Helped Flip the Senate
The Biden’s two pups have attracted national attention since their move to the White House, but let’s give a shout out to Alvin the Beagle, whose supporting role in Senator Raphael Warnock’s campaign ads may well have tipped the balance in that hotly contested race.
Senator Warnock himself is between dogs at the moment, though his previous furry friends have included Comet, Cupid, and Brenal, all mutts. Alvin actually belongs to an unnamed Georgia supporter, who was more than happy to lend him for the cause. Alvin debuted in a spot that predicted attack ads were coming against Warnock, warning they’d even say the candidate hated puppies. “And by the way, I love puppies,” says Warnock, cuddling a blissful Alvin in his arms.
Alvin’s popularity even sparked a fad of homemade beagle-themed yard signs around Georgia and a Puppies for Warnock website. “The puppy ad got people talking,” said one Republican strategist. “It made it harder to caricature him because they humanized him.”
Source: nytimes.com
Vicky Nina with all her toys. Photo by Marco Ojeda
Is Your Dog a Genius?
Take the Toy Test
A new research paper published in Nature shows some talented dogs can learn the names of new objects after hearing them just four times, a skill previously thought to be limited to humans. The study involved Whisky, a collie who could identify 59 different toys by name, and Vicky Nina, a Yorkie with a 42-toy vocabulary. Previous studies have found similar results; in 2011, a Border Collie named Chaser learned and retained the names of 1,022 unique objects over a 3-year period.
But not all breeds are created equal in the learning department. Sight hounds bred for racing or hunting, such as Salukis or Greyhounds, show little interest in the toy test and are considerably less motivated to please their humans by learning new words. Needless to say, no one’s bothered to try this study with cats.
Source: theconversation.com
Off the Deep End:
Hero Dog Rescues Blind Pal from Pool
A hidden camera captured a dog saving its blind best friend who had fallen into a backyard swimming pool. Thousands of Twitter users have watched the unnamed hero dog as it frantically guides a submerged pal from the deep end to the safety of the pool steps, then hauls the other dog out. While viewers applauded the dog’s actions, more than one questioned why anyone would leave a blind dog unattended in the vicinity of an unprotected pool. Come on, humans, get a fence.
Source: twitter.com/dodo
DC Goes to the Dogs: Therapy Pups Salute the Guard
A team of therapy dogs made a surprise visit to lift the spirits of National Guard members stationed for weeks in Washington, D.C., to protect the Capitol Building. Knowing these service men and women were missing their own pets, the D.C. nonprofit People Love Animals arranged for a dozen therapy dogs to drop by the Guard’s hotel and offer a four-paw salute.
“Seeing hardened military men and women roll around on the ground with these amazing dogs, as if no one is watching, truly filled our souls with happiness and gratitude,” said the hotel director. Whatever your politics, that’s a sentiment we can all agree on.
Source: goodnewsnetwork.org