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Woolly dogs

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Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Indigenous Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest had traditionally maintained a breed of long-haired dog for the purpose of harvesting their hair, or wool, for textile fibers. Along with alpacas and llamas, these woolly dogs are one of only a few known animals intentionally bred for their fleece in all of the Americas. Today, the only confirmed woolly dog specimen is “Mutton,” whose pelt has been housed in the Smithsonian’s collection since his death in 1859. In death, Mutton offered the opportunity to learn more about woolly dog ancestry, selection and management. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, there were several types of dogs in the Pacific Northwest: larger “village” dogs and hunting dogs and smaller woolly dogs , kept separately to prevent interbreeding. Woolly dogs were a little larger than the modern American Eskimo dog breed and had curled tails, pricked ears and a pointed foxlike face. Historians and economists, looking back...
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Deformations

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  Most dog breeds were originally selected for particular purposes, such as hunting or guarding property. Humans selectively bred dogs that were best suited for the various roles required of them, based on their fitness, ability and utility. Nowadays, in order to win dog shows, pedigree dogs have been bred to emphasise certain physical features.  Below are examples of problems that pedigree dogs can suffer from as a result of selective breeding range from irritating to life-threatening issues, or those that require risky surgery.  - Pugs, French bulldogs and other similar types of 'designer' dogs have short, flat faces and therefore often have narrow nostrils and abnormal windpipes. Flat-faced dogs are called brachycephalic, many of these dogs have breathing difficulties and struggle with exercise. -Long floppy ears often suffer ear infections or injury and can't move their ears to communicate with other dogs. -Very large and heavy dogs are more likely to suffer heart, di...
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Separation anxiety

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  One of the most common complaints of pet owners is that their dogs are disruptive or destructive when left alone. Their dogs might urinate, defecate, bark, howl, chew, dig or try to escape. When a dog’s problems are accompanied by other distress behaviors, such as drooling and showing anxiety when his pet parents prepare to leave the house, they aren’t evidence that the dog isn’t house trained or doesn’t know which toys are his to chew. Instead, they are indications that the dog has separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is triggered when dogs become upset because of separation from their guardians, the people they’re attached to. There is no conclusive evidence showing exactly why dogs develop separation anxiety. However, because far more dogs who have been adopted from shelters have this behavior problem than those kept by a single family since puppyhood, it is believed that loss of an important person or group of people in a dog’s life can lead to separation anxiety. Info sour...
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Dogs as food

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  South Korea plans to ban eating dog meat by the end of the year. Although only a small minority of people still consume dog meat in South Korea, the ancient practice has been the subject of sharp criticism from foreign media and animal rights advocates. Now, the country’s younger generations have joined calls to ban it. The government said it plans to enact a special law within the year banning the breeding, slaughter, distribution and sale of dogs for food. As part of this, dogs will be recognized for their status as companion animals. It is reported more than half a million dogs were being raised for food across the country in 2022. The government will give enterprises three years to change and will provide help with it. Research indicates that this law will be implemented even after the upcoming election. Info and photo source:  https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/20/south-korea-plans-to-ban-the-consumption-of-dog-meat-by-the-end-of-the-year
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Can dogs sense our emotions

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  In recent times, research has shown that dogs can recognize emotions in people's facial expressions from neutral, and they can tell happy faces from angry ones - just from photos of faces. They even 'process' the voices differently in their brains depending on whether they involve positive or negative emotions. It's nothing to do with the words used, just the sound of the voice. Interestingly, there was a clearer difference in brain processing when the negative emotion in the voice was fear or sadness - rather than anger - or when the positive emotion was happiness. Our canine friends are also very good at knowing when they have our attention, and using it to best effect to influence our emotions. Research has found that dogs' faces are most expressive when they know people are looking at them. Studies have already shown that dogs will mimic each others' body language, especially if they're closely bonded. Some researchers now believe that the same behavio...
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Dog’s age

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  Since the 1950s, there has been popular theory that one dog year is the equivalent of seven human years. Even though this formula has been around for a surprisingly long time, the reality is not so cut-and-dried. One explanation for how this formula got started is that the 7:1 ratio seems to have been based on the statistic that people lived to about 70, and dogs to about 10. The American Veterinary Medical Association breaks it down like this: 15 human years equals the first year of a medium-sized dog’s life. Year two for a dog equals about nine years for a human. And after that, each human year would be approximately five years for a dog. Large dogs age at an accelerated pace, and “their lives seem to unwind in fast motion,” according to researcher Cornelia Kraus, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Göttingen in Germany . Scientists concluded that every 2 kilograms of body mass reduced a dog’s life expectancy by about a month.  Info and image source: https://www...
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Why dogs lick people

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  Most experts agree there's probably a combination of reasons for dogs licking people. First of all there is a good chance your dog is licking you to show their affection. Licking is a natural action for dogs. They learned it from the grooming and affection their mothers gave them as puppies.  Dogs will also lick you to simply get your attention. It often starts as a sign of affection, but then it's reinforced by a person's reaction: laughing, smiling, or petting.  Dogs have licking coded in their DNA from canids, such as wolves. When the mother returned from hunting, the cubs licked her until they vomited and thus obtained food.  Another reason dogs lick you is to see how you taste. Once that dog gets to licking you, they might realize you have an intriguing salty flavour. Dogs love anything that has an interesting taste. Plus, licking is a way for your dog to explore their world.  Info source:  https://www.thesprucepets.com/why-do-dogs-lick-people-111830...
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