Issue #47
No, seriously, it’s cold. But not all dogs can handle the snow. Did you know… there are pups with smooth coats, double coats, wire coats, curly coats, long coats and no coats (hairless). As you know, each dog was originally bred for a purpose - some for working with us and braving harsh temperatures and others simply for companionship. Which coat is your dog?
If the weather is too harsh or your pup just isn’t meant for cold weather, here’s a fun an indoor game you can play this holiday.
Ain’t no thang but a turkey wang! We added two new chews to the menu this month - Available until Dec. 30th, here’s the current lineup: 🐖 Pork Heart 🐄 Beef Liver 🐟 Anchovies 🐄 Steer Pizzle 🐑 Lamb Ears 🦃 Turkey Wing 🐶 Super Chew: 🐖 Pig Foot
Want to gift a super chew? Let us do the work for you. You can now send a super chew gift for just $10 + free shipping and a handwritten gift note. Subscribing members can text us anytime to send a whole gift box 858-348-5954.
New at-home wellness kit helps you test your dog’s health. PETSPRY kits come with a simple device to obtain a small saliva or fur sample and get a comprehensive snapshot of your dog or cat’s baseline body functions. No need for a trip to the vet, do it all from the comfort of your home. For a limited time, you can join their exclusive pilot program and get your Canine Wellness Test Kit for only $9.95.
Can facial recognition be used to identify lost pets? Finding Rover is an app that claims to use real-time facial recognition technology to help identify lost dogs and cats. You must register your pet on the app for it to be discoverable. Once a pet is discovered as missing, someone can snap a photo and they can “instantly search every shelter within 200 miles to see if your animal has been brought in.”
Chinese city bans daytime dog walking. After a publicized fight between a dog owner and a bystander, the city of Hangzhou has implemented a dog walking ban from 7am to 7pm Additionally, officials vowed to confiscate or kill dogs that were not properly licensed, fining negligent owners between $720-$1,440. Dogs found outdoors outside of the curfew would also be “detained temporarily” and their owners could be fined.
South Korea closes largest dog meat slaughterhouse. A move hailed by animal rights campaigners as a major blow against the country's canine meat trade. South Korea is the only country in Asia where dogs are routinely and intensively farmed for human consumption. "Its closure is a historical event, and hopefully may trigger the closure of other illegal dog slaughterhouses throughout the country."
Raw dog food study finds diet is safe and nutritional. The study took over 2 years to complete and involved an extended food trial protocol developed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). The study concluded that raw meat, raw bone and raw vegetable alone (species-appropriate) met both the FEDIAF & AAFCO nutritional guidelines without the need for additional, synthetic supplementation.
VCA hospitals introduce voice command pet care. Pet owners can now receive their pets' healthcare reminders and book appointments through Amazon Alexa. VCA also launched the myVCA pet owner app earlier this year which offers personalized pet care advice and tips,
24/7 live chat capabilities with an on-call veterinarian and access to healthcare reminders and medical records.
Dogs are not as smart as we think. A new study in the journal Learning & Behavior compares canine cognition to other carnivores, social hunters and domestic animals and concludes that overall, dog cognition is just not “exceptional". They're not particularly great at physical cognition (interacting with and understanding objects around them), but dogs seem to be at least average, when it comes to social cognition, especially when they taking cues from humans.
Top dog names of 2018. Did your pup make the list? Popular names include Cardi B, Harry and Groot! In 2018 we’ve seen plenty of pups named after sci-fi characters and superheroes, with names pulled from Guardians of the Galaxy, Rogue One, Wonder Woman and Black Panther.