Royal Dog Treats, Pup Impersonators, Canine Lifeguards, and More!

The Queen and two of the Royal Corgis, photo: Guild of Shepherds and Collies

Queen’s New Gambit:
Royal Dog Treats 

This just in from across the pond: Queen Elizabeth II has launched her own brand of royal dog biscuits! Dubbed Game Bones, the treats are flavored with venison from the grounds surrounding the Queen’s retreat at Sandringham House in Norfolk.

Game Bones, which come in a paper sack with a royal seal, are so far available only at the estate’s gift shop. But if you’re looking for royal dog snacks closer to home, don’t despair. Disney just dropped its new Lion King dog treats, part of the entertainment conglomerate’s Table Scraps line, which also features such noted canine commoners as Mickey’s faithful pup Pluto.

 Sources: uk.style.yahoo.com, people.com

Illustration: Natalie Andrewson for The Washington Post

Are You a Pup Impersonator?
You’re Not Alone

Do you ever use a silly voice to speak for your dog as if he’s the one doing the talking? It’s not uncommon, say experts on anthropomorphism. Ascribing a goofy voice to your pup is a way for people to deepen connections with their pets and with other humans in the household.

 Letting the dog speak for you is also a common relationship dynamic, according to Alexandra Horowitz, head of Barnard College’s Dog Cognition Lab. People will use the dog’s voice to raise a contentious issue, she says, as in “Oh, you know, I guess Daddy isn’t going to do the dishes tonight.”

 Some folks even develop elaborate plotlines or backstories for their dogs, including a 15-year-old Pekinese whose owner swears he’s the dog version of “an older bitchy man who originally grew up in the south but eventually moved to Palm Springs.” Then there’s the Schnauzer quartet who bicker and act out telenovela dramas in Spanish, or Rocky, a poodle mix who uses the voice of renowned German director Werner Herzog.

“I feel like a crazy person,” says Rocky’s owner. “But at the same time, this is just so normal for us.” No doubt millions of silly pup impersonators would agree.

Source: washingtonpost.com

(Canine) Lifeguards in Italy are heroes. photo: CNN.com

Bravo Cane:
Dog Paddling, Italian Style 

Italy’s canine lifeguards recently came to the rescue of 14 people, including 8 kids, who were struggling in high seas off the shore of Sperlonga, about halfway between Naples and Rome. A group of three families were over 300 feet out when waves and strong winds threatened to capsize their inflatables, dinghies, and surf gear. Three lifeguard pups named Eros, Mya, and Mira raced to the rescue, along with human lifeguards, and managed to bring the group safely ashore in 15 minutes.

 Roughly 300 canine lifeguards regularly patrol 30 Italian beaches each year and are considered fundamental to ocean safety, especially in cases like this where a larger group needs saving. For the record, the photo of the rescued group in question shows nothing but dads and kids - probably because no self-respecting mother would ever have let them get out that far in the first place.

Source: cnn.com

Dogs know when they are being lied to on the subject of food. Photo: Sadeugra, Getty Images

Lying Humans Can’t Fool Us!

A recent University of Vienna study found that dogs appear to ignore suggestions from people they know are lying. This makes canines officially less gullible than toddlers and chimpanzees who also participated in the same experiment.

Of course, it’s worth noting that the study involved people intentionally lying about which bowl contained yummy food and which bowl was empty. No word on how researchers controlled for the canine participants’ superior sense of smell.

Source: newscientist.com

According to duh.com, the most popular dog breed is…a Heinz 57! photo by AdobeStock

Mutts Rule!

From the Tell Us Something We Don't Know Department, the folks at Rover.com recently crunched their database of over a million pets and found the most popular dog breed is…a Heinz 57! That’s right, good old mutts top the list, followed in order by Labs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Goldendoodles (which, we would note, are technically are a mixed breed themselves), Chihuahuas, Huskies, Yorkies, Pit Bulls, and Australian Shepherds.

Of course, we always say the most popular breed is the one curled up at your feet. And doesn’t that someone deserve a tummy rub right now?

Source: rover.com 

Four of the search and rescue dogs, Ivan, Kimber, Loki, and Phayu, join USAID’s Haiti earthquake disaster team. (USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance)

Paws on the Ground for Haiti

Finally, in sobering news, four U.S.-based canine rescue teams have deployed to Haiti to assist with search and rescue operations in the wake of the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the island nation in August. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this disaster and to all the rescue teams, human and canine alike.

 Source: Search Dog Foundation