Newspaper

New York Times

Surgery to Quiet Noisy Dogs, or Debarking, Is Losing Favor …

By SAM DOLNICK Published: February 2, 2010

Debarking, a procedure to quiet noisy dogs, is falling out of favor with veterinarians and animal rights advocates.

“Although there is no reliable estimate as to how many dogs have had their vocal cords cut, veterinarians and other animal experts say that dogs with no bark can readily be found — but not necessarily heard — in private homes, on the show-dog circuit, and even on the turf of drug dealers, who are said to prefer their attack dogs silent. (more)”

The Tao of Temple

By JILL ABRAMSON February 2, 2010

According to Temple Grandin, the revered expert in animal behavior, itâs fine to treat your dog like a child

“We’ve bred them to be hyper-socialized,” said Ms. Grandin, who is autistic and thinks in pictures, which, in the case of highly visual animals like dogs gives her special insights into animals. Decked out in Western gear, including a royal blue, satiny shirt decorated with horses, Ms. Grandin offered funny stories about the dogs of her youth as well as a helpful overview of dog behavior. “We’ve kept their puppy characteristics, so it’s natural that some people treat their dogs like children,” she explained. “And they are very attuned to us. (more)”

Miami Herald

Fla. dogs getting sick from iguanas killed by cold

A/P Miami Herald 2-6-10‎

There’s a new danger for dogs in South Florida: iguanas killed by the recent cold snap. The carcasses litter some neighborhoods, and have been deadly for some dogs. They seem to be contracting botulism, an infection causes paralysis. (more)

Fresno Bee

Hunting dog triggers shotgun, hits master

By Lewis Griswold / The Fresno Bee

“A hunter trying to retrieve duck decoys got a surprise when he was accidentally shot by his own dog (more).”

Magazine

The New York Magazine

The Rise of Dog Identity Politics

Dogs are increasingly rootless souls, country bumpkins in city apartments. But is a vegan pup still an animal?

“If learned helplessness sounds like an urban condition, it may be because the dog is more and more an urban species. Even in the suburbs, the dog’s unleashed, unfenced, carefree outdoor life is largely at an end. The dogs are in the house, even in the bed. (The doghouse is now mostly for husbands.) There are no rules to this evolving, increasingly intimate arrangement, and it can give rise to a kind of canine identity crisis. Outside of its country context, the dog plays an ever more human role. Which can make things very confusing. “We’ve seen a linear explosion in pet populations in Western countries over the past 40 years,” Serpell tells me, and notes a correlation with the depressing statistics in Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone. “People are living more isolated lives, are having fewer children, their marriages aren’t lasting. All these things sort of break down a social network and happen to exactly coincide with the growth in pet populations. I think that what’s happening is simply that we’re allowing animals to fill the gap in our lives. (more)”