Dogs, We Don't Deserve Them

[WuDrWu]

I'm going to dig deeper into this because I'm still a little confused (it's me not you). And FWIW, I agree, we don't deserve dogs.

[Kung Wu]

If anybody is interested in providing a good home to two free 2 year old boxers that I am rescuing, hit me up for details. I do have one family interested in them, but I don't have a solid 'yes' yet so I want to keep putting feelers out there.

[SubGod22]

'She saved our lives': Woman Credits Rescue Dog for Alerting Her to Dangerous Carbon Monoxide Levels

A woman who rescued a dog from a shelter was amazed and overwhelmed to learn that the Siberian husky returned the favor.

Samantha Griffen might have died before the carbon monoxide detector even went off, but the husky, Luna, had other ideas.

Moving into a new house on 54th and Prestwick Sq, Marion, Indiana last June, her water heater started leaking, spilling the dangerous gas into the home.

Griffen had only adopted Luna, a now two-year-old husky, 6 months ago.

“I had a migraine, so I went into my room and was resting like I normally do and she was not going to let me sleep,” Griffin told WRTV.

“If she hadn’t gotten me outside, I would fallen asleep in here like completely fallen asleep and probably wouldn’t have woke up.”

Griffen said that Luna jumped on the bed and kept her from falling asleep until she took the dog outside, where, eventually, the CO1 detector did go off. She then got all the children out of the house as fast as possible and called her utilities company.

[Critter's Pa]

There have been a number of studies done that show drug dogs having success rates below 50% when they 'hit' on say a vehicle. There have also been indicators that some of these drug dogs will react similarly to a true 'hit' when their handler makes some sort of motion or command which gives the handler 'cause' to do a more invasive search.


If we simply trusted those dogs trained to search for such things, it would be much better. Nobody expects 100%, but even 50/50 is pretty suspect.

The military has spent a lot of money trying to find some contraption that works even close to as well as a dog's nose. If dogs were 50/50 at detecting something, the military would NOT use dogs. They would issue soldiers some coins.

I doubt the problem is with the dogs, but some dogs are not good at detection, or don't have the disposition for it. This would be confined to only certain dogs, regardless of who is the handler.
It could be a training issue with the dog, but you should be able to trace low performing dogs to certain trainers.
The problem most likely lies with the handlers. It could be something inadvertent that the handler is doing, which is a training issue with the human and probably fixable (in the human, the dog can be trained properly again). If the handler is doing something intentionally, they should be fired if not face some sort of criminal/civil penalty.

I would think that a dog that is bad at detecting would have more misses than false hits. False hits are the fault of a human somewhere along the line.

[SubGod22]

I agree. Not every dog is cut out for detection, but most of the problems especially within law enforcement are undoubtedly either poorly trained handlers or I'd guess more often than not bad apples who get away with too much.

[SubGod22]

Half of Dad's Face Rebuilt After Dog Sniffs Out Cancer to Save His Life: 'Do Not Ignore the Symptoms'

Surgeons successfully rebuilt half his face, after a father-of-two was saved by the family dog sniffing out a cancerous tumor.

Mark Allen was given just weeks to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive tumor that had spread across most of the right side of his face.

The 65-year-old noticed his mixed-breed collie had been acting strangely—nudging, pawing, and becoming overly-affectionate towards him—for months, prior to his diagnosis. He thought nothing of it at the time, but later realized his pet was trying to tell him something.

Mark said he ignored symptoms for nearly 12 months, which meant his tumor spread across most of his face—and he’s now urging others not do the same, by raising awareness through a charity.

“I couldn’t breathe out of my right nostril for about a year or so because of a polyp,” said the consultant and CEO from Warwick, England.

“At the time, Jessie was acting oddly, clinging around my legs and behaving in a closeness she had not previously done.

“When I finally went to see the doctor and got the results, I think I’d already worked out it was going to be cancer because of Jessie’s behavior.”

“Had I gone to the doctors earlier, I’m sure the treatment would not have been as severe as it turned out to be, but I had allowed the cancer to get to stage 4.

“I asked the consultant what would happen if I did not have surgery, and he replied to say I would be dead within weeks.

And here's the good girl who tried for months to get him to get help

[SubGod22]

Beacon The Therapy Dog: The Unsung Hero Of Team USA Gymnastics

In a world where every fraction of a second can determine the difference between victory and defeat, Team USA Gymnastics has found an unlikely ally in their journey to greatness: Beacon, a 4-year-old golden retriever.

Wearing his official credential with pride and holding the title of "Goodest Boy," Beacon is not just a mascot; he's a vital part of the team’s emotional support system.

As the first emotional support therapy dog for USA Gymnastics, Beacon has quickly become a beloved figure among athletes and coaches alike. His job? To provide comfort and calm, particularly for the women's national team members, who face immense pressure as they compete on the world stage.

Suni Lee, one of the team’s star athletes, who has faced her own set of challenges on the road to Paris, shared a heartfelt post with her followers, captioning a picture of herself with Beacon, "Thank God for Beacon."

The photo, which quickly went viral, perfectly encapsulates the bond between the athletes and their furry companion.

Tracey Callahan Molnar, Beacon's handler, describes him as an "emotional sponge."

"He picks up on the stress and will pull to that person immediately," Molnar said. "Even though he might be lying still for two hours, he's wiped out afterwards."

Beacon’s ability to sense when someone is in need and his willingness to offer quiet support have made him an invaluable member of the team.

During the Olympics, Beacon wasn't just working behind the scenes; he also took to entertaining the crowds during breaks, adding a touch of joy and levity to the intense atmosphere.

While the women’s gymnastics team celebrated their incredible achievement of taking home eight medals in Paris, many would agree that Beacon played a crucial, if quiet, role in their success. His calming presence, combined with his ability to connect with each athlete on a personal level, made him the unsung hero of Team USA.

Bonus Video - Here's an adorable clip of Beacon as a puppy enjoying his favorite "fridge time." After a walk, he loves to climb into the fridge to cool down, a habit that started when he was little and has continued as he's grown. The video captures him squeezing into his favorite spot, even as he gets bigger and bigger. "There’s no sign of him stopping, but we’re not sure how much longer he’ll fit!"

11 minute video in the link.

There's also a clip of him entertaining crowds during breaks in action.

A couple of pics of Suni and Simone with Beacon.

[SubGod22]

Stray Pup Chases a Doggie Day-Care Bus and Gets Adopted

A determined Lab has found a new home in Georgia after galloping alongside a doggie daycare bus until he won over the driver and found a new home.

In Franklin County, the story begins when the driver of the ‘pup bus’ was doing his rounds to bring clients’ dogs to daycare.

Coming to a house he knew well, a Labrador retriever who had been attending Keller Creek Boarding and Grooming for three years named Motley was waiting for the bus like normal, but this time he had a friend.

Tyson Cash, the owner of Keller Creek, contacted Motley’s owners to ask who the new arrival was, but to his double surprise, the owners said they had not adopted any new dogs.

They added, however, that a stray Lab had been in the area for a few days and neighbors were feeding and occasionally letting it stay on their property. Keller Creek is a reputable doggie daycare center, and Cash couldn’t take the risk of letting a stray onboard. So after loading Motley, he closed the door.

“I didn’t know about his vaccination status. I didn’t know if he was on flea and tick prevention,” said Cash. “I didn’t want to jeopardize all the other dogs, [but] he wanted on the bus badly. He was doing everything he could to get on with the other dogs.”

Steeling himself, he drove off, but the yellow Lab gave chase. Heart aching, Cash asked his wife to take a video and photo of the dog alongside the bus to post on social media to see if anyone in the area knew who his owners were.

A crazy dog dad through and through, Cash was pondering if there were any way he could find room in his house—filled with 9 other pooches as things stood—for this dog desperate for company. But fate, fortune, and a friendly soul stayed Cash’s hand.

Also onboard the pup bus was Nellie, another yellow Lab, whose owner saw the Facebook post and felt even worse than Cash did.

“To see a dog so desperate to catch a ride was very heartbreaking,” she told the Washington Post. “I thought, I’ve got to reach out and see if anybody has a home for this dog. If not, I want him.”

This pup obviously longed for connection and received it through determination and some warm hearts.

[SubGod22]

We really don't deserve their love and loyalty, but we're so blessed to have it.

Loyal Dog Runs After Ambulance Carrying Owner, EMS Stops To Let Him In

Today's good news story comes from Tunja, Colombia.

In a heartwarming display of devotion, a loyal dog in Colombia made headlines after chasing an ambulance to be with his ailing owner.

The incident occurred as the dog's owner fell ill and required urgent medical attention. As paramedics transported the man from Villa de Leyva to Tunja, the dog refused to be left behind.

Determined to stay with his beloved human, the dog managed to escape from the house and began running after the speeding ambulance. It wasn’t long before the EMS team noticed the persistent pup tailing the vehicle. Moved by the dog’s loyalty, they decided to stop the ambulance and let him inside.

According to Dagens.com, the dog accompanied his owner for the remainder of the journey, never leaving his side during the medical emergency.

This touching act of devotion highlights the deep bond between animals and their humans, reminding us all of the unbreakable connection that love creates.

Video in the link.

[SubGod22]

Makes sense to me.

Nearly 9 in 10 Adults Believe in 'Love at First Sight' With Their Dogs

More dog owners had an “instant connection” with their pet than with their own partners, according to a new poll.

The survey of 2,000 dog owners who are in serious relationships revealed that 87% were more likely to believe in “love at first sight” with their animals, compared to people.

80% of respondents said they had an immediate connection with their dog, compared to 69% who said the same for their partner.

Still, one in five said it took time to build a bond with their dog. A few had questioned whether they made the right decision in adopting their pet because they didn’t have an instant connection.

But the wait was worth it: 74% said the bond between them and their dog is stronger because they built it over time.

And, 76% said food is their “love language” and they take great care in feeding their dog.

Commissioned by The Honest Kitchen and conducted by Talker Research, the survey asked respondents if there was anything they wished they knew, ahead of adopting their dog.

Some respondents wished they would have known “the true investment of time” that comes with having a dog—and how “They are literally like raising children.”

“It feels like watching a child grow up, but you know you’re going to outlive them,” said one of those surveyed.

The love they have for their dogs surprised one respondent, who wished they’d had a clue about the amount of joy they bring, saying, “I would have gotten one sooner.”

In fact, despite the challenges, 83% of respondents said the pet ownership experience is even better than expected. And the same number agreed that while it’s messy and not always easy, they wouldn’t change their experience with their dog for anything.

Every dog I have had was love at first sight. Two of them I wasn't even planning on getting a dog at the time.

A dog will fill your life with so much love and joy and they will only ever break your heart once, and as hard as that day is, it's so worth all of the days before it that they've gifted you. Because let's be real, dogs are a gift from God that we don't come close to deserving and every day is a beautiful gift until that last one.

I don't even want to think where I'd be mentally if it weren't for my furry little angels.

[SubGod22]

Hero Dog Saves Elderly Owner By Alerting Police And Leading Deputy To Cabin

Today's good news story comes from Stevens County, Washington.

A 13-year-old dog named Gita saved her owner’s life, demonstrating the incredible loyalty and bravery of man's best friend.

On September 25, 2024, Deputy Wright of the Stevens County Sheriff's Office was patrolling a rural, wooded area when he spotted a lone dog sitting in the middle of the road. With no houses visible nearby, Wright attempted to coax the dog into his vehicle to search for its owner. However, the dog refused, indicating something more serious might be at play.

After checking nearby residences with no luck, Wright returned to the road where the dog had now positioned herself directly on the centerline. When he tried to get her to move, the dog, Gita, suddenly ran up an unmarked, little-used road.

Sensing this was more than a coincidence, Wright decided to follow her, and his intuition proved right. Gita led him to a small summer cabin, and it was there, not far from the cabin, that Wright discovered an 84-year-old man lying on the ground, calling for help.

The elderly man had fallen hours earlier, injured his leg, and was unable to move. Compounding his situation, he had other medical conditions requiring regular medication, and without intervention, his condition could have worsened. Thanks to Gita’s quick thinking and unwavering loyalty, and Deputy Wright’s persistence, the man’s life was saved.

Gita, a rescue dog and the man’s best friend, proved to be more than a companion that day—she was his guardian angel.

The Hero

[SubGod22]

Hero Dog Performs CPR To Save Owner During Massive Heart Attack

Today's good news story comes from Bonfield, Ontario.

In an extraordinary act of loyalty and instinct, Bear, a golden retriever-husky mix, saved his owner’s life during a severe medical emergency.

About two years ago, Darren Cropper suffered a massive heart attack in the middle of the night, known as a “widowmaker,” which is often fatal. Remarkably, it was Bear, the family dog, who sensed the danger and jumped into action to save his owner’s life.

Darren’s wife, Janice, recalls being awoken by Bear, who had come upstairs to alert her. Concerned, she followed Bear downstairs and found Darren, her husband of 35 years, unconscious on the family room floor. “I came down and the dog had jumped over the couch and onto Darren, and I said, ‘Holy crap,’” Janice recalled.

As Janice called 911, paramedics quickly arrived and rushed Darren to the hospital in Sudbury, where doctors confirmed he had experienced one of the most severe forms of heart attack. He was later stabilized and underwent emergency triple bypass surgery, a five-hour procedure that ultimately saved his life.

Amazingly, Darren’s recovery may not have been possible if Bear hadn’t stepped in with his unique form of “CPR.”

Born from two former service [COLOR=inherit !important]dogs[/COLOR], Bear seemed to know something was wrong. According to Darren, he remembers waking up to Bear repeatedly jumping on his chest, which doctors believe provided just enough pressure to keep his heart going.

“I remember coming around, and he was on my chest. He wasn’t even trained to do it. He just did it,” Darren shared, crediting Bear’s intuitive act for keeping him alive.

Today, Darren is alive and healthy, forever grateful for Bear’s heroic actions. In recognition of his bravery, Bear was inducted into the 2024 Purina Animal Hall of Fame, celebrated for his life-saving instincts. Reflecting on his reunion with Bear after returning from the hospital, Darren said, “When I first saw him when I got home, he came right to me and jumped in my arms, and I just broke down crying.”

Two minute video at the bottom of the article.


Darren with Bear

[SubGod22]

Man's best friend for much longer than originally thought.

Dogs Were Already 'Man's Best Friend' at Least 12,000 Years Ago in the Americas

Dogs first became “man’s best friend” at least 12,000 years ago, suggests new research.

Indigenous people in the Americas began forming close relationships with the ancestors of today’s dogs around 2,000 years earlier than previously recorded on the continent, based on remains found in Alaska.

Researchers unearthed a tibia, or lower-leg bone, of an adult canine in 2018 at a longstanding archaeological site called Swan Point, about 70 miles south east of Fairbanks.

Radiocarbon dating showed that the canine was alive about 12,000 years ago, near the end of the Ice Age.

“We now have evidence that canids and people had close relationships earlier than we knew they did in the Americas,” said study lead author Dr. François Lanoë with the University of Arizona School of Anthropology.

“People like me who are interested in the peopling of the Americas are very interested in knowing if those first Americans came with dogs.

“Until you find those animals in archaeological sites, we can speculate about it, but it’s hard to prove one way or another. So, this is a significant contribution.”

Another excavation by the research team in 2023 found an 8,100-year-old canine jawbone at a nearby site called Hollembaek Hill—and that one also showed signs of possible domestication.

Chemical analyses of both bones found “substantial” contributions from salmon proteins, meaning the canine had regularly eaten fish. The researchers said that wasn’t typical of canines in the area at that time, as they hunted land animals almost exclusively.