Issue #31
Did you know… Most canines have a trait that favors new things or novelty - it’s called neophilia. Dogs get bored with old toys and are drawn to unfamiliar scents, sounds and textures. This is why the new toy is always the favorite toy.
Here’s a tip: Change the scent of your pup’s old toy - just place the toy in a big ziplock filled with your pup’s favorite treats! Leave it overnight and offer your pup their “new” toy!
Tag or use #shortleash in your video and show us how it goes!
Genetic testing tells us why huskies’ eye are blue. Over 6000 dogs participated in a research to identify the gene responsible for blue eyes in canines. Those striking blues are a relatively common trait in Siberian Huskies, but rare among other breeds in which it sometimes appears, like border collies and corgis. With DNA tests and online surveys, scientists found a genetic mutation on chromosome 18, carried by just 10% of the dogs in the study sample that was present in 100% of blue-eyed Siberian huskies. By identifying this certain mutation, breeders could potentially check for the variant in their dogs’ DNA and continue breeding only Huskies with that specific trait. Being able to crowdsource genotypic and phenotypic information can lead to key discoveries regarding not just eye color but also more complex traits, behaviors, and overall health.
Can old dogs learn new tricks? New "Brain Games" may help them stay young. They're calling it "dog sudoku". Though it's not conceptually similar to the numbers game, cognitive scientists at the Clever Dog Lab have trained dogs to respond to a touchscreen, which may be used to increase a dog's quality of life by combating boredom and restlessness. During the training, dogs learned to associate an image on the screen with a food reward. "The fact that the older dogs were able to learn such abstract and sometimes difficult tasks was very encouraging," and could help with preventing or early detection of canine cognitive dysfunction.
Just 3 days left for this box. Here’s the current lineup: Turkey Breast, Beef Liver, Smelt, Chicken Feet, Lamb Gullet & Beef Trachea plus Lamb Femur for the Super Chew. Get it now!
We’ve got a new box coming out on Monday! Here’s the lineup: Chicken Hearts, Pork Kidney, Green Lipped Mussels, Duck Feet, Lamb Trachea, Beef Backstrap.
This box is available until March 25th. Do you have a shellfish allergy? Or perhaps you know your pup isn’t interested in green-lipped mussels? PLEASE LET US KNOW. Our green-lipped mussels are harvested in New Zealand and are one of the more luxury items we carry throughout the year. If you prefer we do not send them to you, let us know beforehand so we can replace them 🙂
Genetic similarities between dogs and people are helping cancer research. We may be closer to man’s best friend than we think. "Humans and dogs are 95% identical genetically — and the diseases that affect humans including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma are almost identical." Cancer is so common in dogs that doctors are studying them as a model for treating humans. Comparative oncology is a new field that integrates cancers seen in veterinary patients into more general studies of human cancer biology and therapy; this means that successful treatments of diseases in dogs can also be used on us.
The abandoned dogs of Chernobyl formed their own canine community. Hundreds of stray dogs have learned to survive in the woods around the exclusion zone of Cherynobl. Chernobyl is the city in northern Ukraine where the largest nuclear power plant disaster occurred in 1986. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere, which spread over much of Western USSR and Europe. From 1986 to 2000, over 350,000 people were evacuated, but residents were banned from taking their pets, so many either refused to leave or reluctantly left their dogs behind. Some of the dogs survived and it’s mainly their descendants that populate the zone - they must survive harsh winters without proper shelter and often have increased levels of radiation in the fur - few live beyond the age of 6. Fortunately, these pups are helped by the Clean Futures Fund, which has set up veterinary clinics in the area and makeshift shelters to keep them warm.
On-demand pet care now available in Philly. Vetter Pet Care, operating throughout Philadelphia, parts of the Main Line and in Washington, D.C., offers on-demand pet check-ups and medical services. “Many look at their pets’ medical care as a luxury not a necessity,” and Vetter is hoping to change that.
Walt Disney World hotels testing dog-friendly rooms. In September 2017, Walt Disney World allowed guests evacuating inland from Hurricane Irma to bring their pets with them. That experience prompted the company, which has 28,000 rooms at its Florida location, to pilot a one-year program that designates as dog-friendly 250 rooms at four properties. There are some limits and additional costs. Only two dogs are allowed per room. Dogs cannot be left unaccompanied for more than seven hours, and guests are expected to come back to their rooms if their dog is barking or otherwise being disruptive. You should be prepared to show your dog's vaccination records, too.
This dog opens doors! 8 years after it was first revealed to the public, the uncanny gait of Boston Dynamics’ quadrupedal robots is still unsettling. But a new video shows the company’s flagship robot, the SpotMini, crossing a new threshold – literally – as it demonstrates that it can open doors. Part 2 is even more terrifying.
San Diego Short Leash Social & Pack Walk. Join us every two weeks for a 2-3 mile walk with our dogs. 🐶 A pack walk establishes calm behavior and teaches our dogs to coexist in peace. Enjoy the outdoors, build a better dog with your dog. Are you in So Cal? Join us! We’ve love to meet you.