Dog vs. SUV: Which Has Larger Eco-Footprint?
This guy is destroying Earth!
Which has a larger ecological footprint, a large dog or an SUV? According to Robert and Brenda Vale, Fido has a Hummer of an eco-footprint:
In "Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living," authors Robert and Brenda Vale argue that resources required to feed a dog — including the amount of land needed to feed the animals that go into its food — give it about twice the eco-footprint of, say, building and fueling a Toyota Land Cruiser. Noting that a cat’s pawprint was roughly equivalent to a Volkswagen Golf’s, "New Scientist" asked an environmentalist at the Stockholm Environment Institute in York, U.K., to independently calculate animals’ environmental impact, and reported that "his figures tallied almost exactly." The study apparently didn’t take into account the emissions of either the SUV or the dogs.
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Sputnik 2 Anniversary
Fifty-two years ago today (November 3, 1957), Sputnik 2 launched from the Soviet Union with a dog named Laika {wiki} on board. It was a tremendous political coup for the USSR to launch a living being into orbit. Unfortunately it wasn’t so tremendous for Laika, as they made no plans for her to ever return to earth. Several stories were told of how long Laika survived in space, but the full story was finally revealed in 2002. Laika only lived a few hours before the stress and heat did her in. Her remains orbited the earth for five months until the capsule burned up on re-entry in April of 1958. In honor of the anniversary, here’s Space Doggity by Jonathon Coulton. -via Metafilter
Update: The video footage is from the song Moan by Trentemøller. -Thanks, waldemar!
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Chihuahua Smuggled in Luggage
Customs officials at the Dublin Airport at first thought the x-ray showed a toy dog in the suitcase, but they opened it up and out popped a live puppy! A Bulgarian man on a flight from Madrid was trying to smuggle the young chihuahua.
It is understood the dog was being smuggled in as a gift for someone.
Legally, dogs must have clearance and a health certificate before being brought into the country.
The animal, which Mr Broni said seemed tired but unharmed, was handed over to Department of Agriculture officials where it was placed in quarantine.
The man was not detained, but a file is being compiled on the case. Link -via Unique Daily
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Cat Saves Newborn Chihuahua
Halo Animal Rescue in Phoenix, Arizona confronted a tiny problem. A chihuahua puppy was left an orphan when its mother died in childbirth. Rescue worker Heather Allen called Animal Control and asked if they had any nursing mothers. All they had was a black cat with four kittens.
Knowing that without a mom the baby Chihuahua did not have long to live, Heather introduced the two. She says, “I just kind of just stuck the puppy in with the rest and hoped the mom wouldn’t notice much and she thought that was fine.”
Seven days later the baby Chihuahua, now named Liam, is still alive. Heather says, “She’s doing great, I don’t know if she’ll be litter-trained when she’s done, but she’s doing really well, she’s nursing and seems to be growing and doing great.”
(image credit: AZ Family)
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Caption Monkey 64: Dog and Blue Angels
Photo: William Lascelles
Today’s Neatorama and Hobotopia Caption Monkey game comes via National Geographic’s The Daily Dozen (October 2009 – Week 1), the always excellent user-submitted gallery of photographs curated by photo editor Susan Welchman.
This photo was taken by William Lascelles who wrote "My parents live very close to the city airport and every other year they host an air show. This year the Blue Angels were the highlight and were flying over the house during performances. I took my father’s dog outside and made him pose!"
Your task is simple: caption the photograph above. The best/funniest comment will win a Caption Monkey, courtesy of Adam "Ape Lad" Koford. You can enter as many as you’d like below, but please only one caption per comment.
For inspiration, check out Adam’s blog. Good luck!
Update 10/7/09 – Adam has picked the winner! Congratulations to DeepForestGreen who won with this caption: Bernard was less famous that his brother, Clifford the Big Red Dog, but the locals knew that he was the best air traffic controller their town had ever seen.
Update 10/7/09 – Winner #2 (DeepForestGreen told us that he won before, and graciously offered the prize to another Neatoramanaut). Congrats to: nate who came up with this caption: Henry didn’t believe the fleas when they said “We’ll be back but in F-16’s.” He will now. Oh yes…he will now.
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The Orangutan and the Hound Dog
Dogs will occasionally follow children home, especially when the child encourages it. In this case, the dog bonded to Suryia the orangutan and the facility is now stuck with Roscoe. This cute clip is from the National Geographic show Unlikely Friends. -via Huffington Post
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Now That's a Well-Trained Dog!
Some dogs are well-trained, some dogs are really well-trained. In this Very Funny Ads video clip, Thailand’s Chaiphak Training Center shows just how well they can train dogs (unfortunately, making their masters look bad in comparison …)
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The Pug Head Tilt x 4
A seriously cute video of four pugs trying to decipher English at once! -via Digg
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Inside a Dog’s Mind
One of my favorite scientists Carl Zimmer has an extensive article in Time Magazine that looks at recent research on how your dog thinks.
Trying to plumb the canine mind is a favorite pastime of dog owners. “Everyone feels like an expert on their dog,” says Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist at Barnard College and author of the new book Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. But scientists had carried out few studies to test those beliefs–until now.
This fall, [Duke University anthropologist Brian] Hare is opening the Duke Canine Cognition Center, where he is going to test hundreds of dogs brought in by willing owners. Marc Hauser, a cognitive psychologist at Harvard University, recently opened his own such research lab and has 1,000 dogs lined up as subjects. Other facilities are operating in the U.S. and Europe.
What they’ve found out so far is that dogs can learn over 200 distinctive human words, but they may mean different things to a dog than to humans. And the intelligent, friendly, and obedient behavior we see in dogs evolved because those things are advantageous to the dog, even though we see them as advantageous to us. Link -via Metafilter
(image credit: D.L. Anderson)
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Kate has Five Babies
The announcement in the Times of London told the world that Kate Pong had given birth to quintuplets named Beyonce, Tyra, Bobbi, Barrack and Earl. The small item prompted Robert Littlejohn of The Daily Mail to speculate on the mother’s marital status. But it turns out that Kate Pong is a chocolate Labrador! Kate’s owner, Fiona Wallace of Newport, Shropshire said a friend had placed the birth announcement but didn’t bother to mention that Kate is a dog.
“We have a lot of friends in the business all over the country and lots of people read about her on the website.
They keep logging on and it’s just snowballed from there.
“So many people were asking about her and the pups that we decided to put it in the Times so everyone around the country would know.”
Link to story. Link to website.
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Pool-Playing Pup
[YouTube - Link]
This dog named Halo has a talent for pool.
– via cuteoverload
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Woman Booked Plane's Entire Business Class to Fly Dog
An Israeli woman paid $32,000 for the entire Business Class of an El Al flight to allow her dog (and an accompanying vet) to fly with her. She told reporters any price was worth it to keep her pet free from the stress of cargo travel:
“All that mattered to me was to have my baby with me during the flight so that I can take care of him.”
El Al told the Haaretz newspaper in Israel it had never had such a request before. “But after the lady explained her special relationship with her dog and expressed her willingness to pay extra in order to fly with him, we agreed.”
Link – via boingboing
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The Bowlingual Bark Translator
This gadget, developed by the Japanese toy company Takara Tomy, will allegedly translate a dog’s barks:
The gadget can tell you if your dog is sad, joyful, alert to danger, needy, happy or frustrated.
The £129 gadget can be placed on the dog’s collar and includes a receiver which would translate the dogs’ barks. The translated bark is displayed on the receiver which also plays in audio phrases like ‘I feel sad’ or ‘Leave me alone’ (no phrases about desiring a juicy steak?) the toy will hit the Japanese market on August 27th
Note that the device will only translate a dog’s barks into Japanese, so those of you not fluent in that language may wish to get some help when using it.
Link via Geekologie
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Earthquake Survival Suits for Pets
Earthquake-prone Japan has a market for these suits that you strap onto your cats and dogs so that they can survive for days after a major earthquake. Each suit contains all of the necessary gear including water, biscuits, aromatherapy oils, and rubber foot pads, all contained in the pockets of a flame-resistant coat.
Link (in Japanese) via Rinkya via Popped Culture
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Dog with Human Eyebrows
Found in Japan: a dog with real eyebrows. Meet "Panda," a dog born with black spots around his eyes. As he grew older, the spots moved up to be like eyebrows.
BuzzFeed has got the video clip (I bet Martin Scorsese is checking his brows right now to see if they’re still there …)
Link [embedded Liveleak video clip]
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Why Dogs Bark So Much
Why do dogs bark so much? Evolutionary biologist Kathryn Lord thinks the answer has got something to do with trash dumps and scaring away intruders:
“What we’re saying is that the domestic dog does not have an intentional message in mind, such as, ‘I want to play’ or ‘the house is on fire,’” explains Lord.
Rather, she and colleagues say barking is the auditory signal associated with an evolved behavior known as mobbing, a cooperative anti-predator response usually initiated by one individual who notices an approaching intruder. A dog barks because she feels an internal conflict?an urge to run plus a strong urge to stand her ground and defend pups, for example. When the group joins in, the barks intimidate the intruder, who often flees.
“We think dogs bark due to this internal conflict and mobbing behavior, but domestic dogs bark more because they are put, and put themselves into, conflicting situations more often,” she says.
Needless to say, dog lovers who think that their pets are communicating with think, of course, that she is barking up the wrong tree: Link
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Forked Dog
A chihuahua named Smokey wandered around with a fork stuck deep in his head for three days!
A handle broke off a grilling fork and flew right into his head at a family party in Kentucky.
Smokey then ran off into the woods and was lost for three days before being rescued. He was immediately taken to the hospital.
Vets took just thirty seconds to remove the lodged barbecue fork in Smokey’s brain.
The dog is expected to make a full recovery. Link -via Arbroath
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Mysterious Tales of Traveling Dogs
If you get separated from your cat, that’s the end of that. But not dogs, no siree. Some dogs will hunt you down for miles through desert, across state lines, over the ocean, and even across a war zone!
Miss Cellania wrote a fantastic article about 8 Mysterious Tales of Traveling Dogs over at our pal mental_floss – take for instance, the story of Nubs:
Major Brian Dennis adopted an abused mixed-breed dog in Anbar Province, Iraq. He named the dog Nubs because his ears had been cut off. Dennis nursed Nubs back to health over four months, but then he was ordered to move his squadron 70 miles away. Two days later, Nubs rejoined Dennis! The dog had tracked him down despite subfreezing temperatures and rough terrain. But the major received orders to get rid of the dog within four days or he would be shot. Dennis started an email campaign to save Nubs that raised $3,500 within a couple of days, and battled bureaucratic difficulties to get the dog out of Iraq across the Jordanian border. Nubs was flown to the US the next week, where he was met by friends and a veterinarian in Chicago, then by a dog trainer at his final destination in San Diego. Major Dennis was reunited with Nubs after his tour was up a month later.
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Meet Pabst, The World's Ugliest Dog
The World’s Ugliest dog contest has been decided … and the result ain’t pretty! Congrats to Pabst, a boxer-mix shelter dog who won the 21st annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California.
From the official website:
As the crowd chanted “Pabst, Pabst,” the celebrity judges deliberated between the so-named boxer-mix shelter dog and Rascal, a former world champion Chinese Crested to determine who would be the 2009 World’s Ugliest Dog Champion tonight at the Sonoma-Marin Fair. First timer Miles Egstad from Citrus Heights, California was stunned at Pabst’s win. “ I don’t think he’s that ugly!” he said of his boxer mix whose under bite was his most compelling physical feature. His sweet personality made him an audience favorite.
The Chinese Crested breed has dominated the contest for more than seven years and in this year’s contest represented more than 50% of the 2009 entries in the pedigree class. But Pabst, who was given his name because he had a “ bitter beer face”, according to his owner quickly won the crowd and the judges soon followed. Egstad, 25, first saw the contest on television and his friends urged him to enter his dog.
Link (Photo: Grace Chon / Shine Pet Photos)
Video clip of the event:
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Rottweiler vs. Cat: Who Will Win?
[YouTube - Link]
If you need the protection of a guard animal, would you be better off with a Rottweiler … or a cat? Watch the video first …
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Why Carry a Dog in a Handbag?
Why do some women like to carry around their dog in their handbags? If you’ve ever pondered how pets evolved into a fashion accessory (where "walking the dog" involves absolutely no walking on the part of the furry animal), check out this article by Bag Bunch:
An Historic Pastime!
Oddly enough the practice of carrying your dog in a handbag goes back to Ancient Rome. Elite women would put their tiny Malteses in a sleeve when walking throughout the streets. Another name for the Maltese dog in Rome was ‘the Roman Ladies’ Dog’ and the breed became a physical symbol of loyalty.
Today the Maltese (that’s the small white fluffy one pictured right for those less aquainted with dog breeds) is still a popular ‘carry dog’ with women. Now you can see a Maltese hung round a hot girl’s waist while she goes for a power walk on the beach.
Another early ‘carry-dog’ was the Pekingese lapdog, bred in ancient China to fit inside the sleeves of a man’s robe. So it hasn’t always just been women that have an obsession with carrying around small dogs.
Through recent centuries a wider variety of ‘lap dogs’ became popular among royalty and the rich. Nowadays there is a diverse range of small pooches that have become fashionable ‘handbag dogs’.
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What's Wrong With This Photo?
Photo: Vernon Bryant / Dallas Morning News
The photo above, taken by Vernon Bryant for Dallas Morning News, depicts the bravery of Dallas Fire-Rescue officials warning residents of West Dallas of flooding (and if necessary, rescuing them) when a pump station failed (Source).
It’s the staple stuff of newspapers – local news and such – so if you’re wondering why it’s on this blog, take a closer look at the photo. Go ahead. Don’t see it yet? Take another look. We’ll wait – you’ll get it …
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Ninja Dog Hides in a Sofa
Ninjas have got nothing on these animals! One minute you see only a sofa, and the next out comes … a dog, cats, and a ferret (ok, so they’re not all in the same couch, mmkay?)
Urlesque blog has the top 5 best videos of animals hiding in sofas: Link
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Magritte's Dog Found: This is Not a Dog With a Pipe
Photo: PB Abery at LIGC ~ NLW [Flickr] – via Cute Overload
Photographer Percy Benzie Abery took this photo of a dog with pipe in its mouth in Wales c. 1940-1950. I believe he may have found René Magritte’s long lost dog.
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Basketball Dog
(YouTube link)
Zeke has a basketball jones. Sign him up for the pros! -via Bits and Pieces
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Dog Squat
[YouTube - Link]
From the pet loving nation of Japan comes the latest dog workout video.
– via japanprobe
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Dog Chews Off Feet, Walks Again
Andre chewed off his front left and rear left paws to escape an illegal trap he encountered in Alaska. He then lived for weeks hiding under a camper shell. The Shepherd-Rottweiler-Lab mix was taken in by Alaskan Dog and Puppy Rescue, who contacted a company named OrthoPets to see if they could help. A year later, Andre has received his prosthetic legs in Denver, Colorado. Martin Kaufmann of OrthoPets says Andre stood up just two days after his new legs were attached.
“This is the first time that Andre has been able to stand on four legs in over a year and a few months now, so it will be an interesting challenge as he learns, instead of having to survive with two legs how he can actually thrive on all four,” said Kaufmann.
For a second he hesitated, and then Andre hopped up and started running around like any dog with four legs would.
“It’s just such an amazing moment to see this guy who’s learned how to be very adaptive on two legs and watch how fast he’s able to go back to four legs. Just feels good to see he’s able to be normal again, such a proud moment,” Kaufmann said.
Andre will go up for adoption in a few weeks. Link -via Arbroath
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Stupid Pet Trick - Dog Plays Dead
[YouTube - Link]
The simplest dog trick in the world – but this dog does it exceptionally well!
– via joannecasey
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Dog Accompanies Himself on Keyboard
[YouTube - Link]
Lots of dogs howl when people play piano, but Porter likes to make his own music.
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Ten Gifts For The New Obama Dog
I love this list of 10 gifts for the Obama family’s new dog. This one is the best, every first dog needs some fine formal wear for those extravagant evenings with the leaders forgien countries. Some of the other toys and things are just neat.
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