Five Great Tips for Writing to the Editor About a Dog Bite Story

By Teresa Lewin

One of the first tips I give dog bite victims is to stay clear of reader’s comments should their story be shared with the media. It can be upsetting as most times the comments stray off topic, blame is cast, and emotions are running high for the victim, owners of the dog and the dog’s fate is before the courts. Sadly no one wins in this type of trauma. The comments can turn into heated debates very quickly.

I dont know what happened to spawn this little article of mine. I dont know what motivated me for the first time to respond to the reader’s comments. It may have been on the heels of a recent visit I made to a family who is overcome with grief and fear after their young son had had a bad experience with dogs that were running at large. They are trying to make new goals in their life, but the look of despair was obvious in their eyes. It could have been the recent conversations I had had with a group of dog bite victims, who were filled with fear, anguish, and sadness, but also the will to overcome, and enjoy dogs again in their lives. It could have been the gentle look my dog cast upon me, whilst he lay his head upon my lap. Somehow I found the courage to write a short letter in response to a horrific attack upon a child that resulted in the childs death. Ah, geez I just had to pick the hardest topic in the world to make sense of and there just isn’t enough hair dye in the world to justify just how stressful that can be. Blinders on, I continue forward despite all the red flags, because Im a dog bite prevention educator, so I must, Must, MUST send my response to educate (at this point interject a mental photo of a Jack Russell Terrier that spots a ball that it must have despite the fact that it can’t reach it…). Thats what I do and that’s the reason I plugged on, writing, in hopes of sharing something that would resonate with all who chose to read the reader comments. Below is a copy of my letter.

Teresas Letter to the Editor

No matter what the breed of dog you choose to share space with, it’s best if parents do some research and prepare for the life changes, involving babies, children and dogs. Almost all dog bites can be prevented through education. Education is not about blaming any one person or animal, it is all about learning to prevent tragedy from occurring. Fire prevention is an example of what education can do. Almost everyone knows what to do ¡f you should catch on fire: Stop drop and roll. Families should be just as familiar with what to do to prevent dog a bite: Be a Tree. Doggone Safe’s mandate is all about Prevention as its primary objective and we are proud to be the first non-profit in history to have accomplish this through education and victim support.

Having said this, Doggone Safe is hosting a huge challenge this year in May for dog bite prevention week. For the whole month of May, we are going to try to reach as many children as we can, using the Be a Tree teacher kits to educate about dog bite prevention.

This is how we can all do something completely proactive. Did you know that by the time a child reaches the age of 12, more than half have been bitten by a dog? Did you also know that of those children bitten that the dog was known to them? We live in a society where we have chosen to share space with a whole other species, like the dog. It’s best to learn all we can about dog behaviour, how to communicate with them, how to condition them to live in our home with our children and society in general. Dogs are everywhere, even people and families who do not share space with a dog in their home, will meet one in the street, in a friend, family or neighbours home. The more you know about how a dog communicates the safer you will be.

Please all, visit www.doggonesafe.com for more information as to how to be safe around dogs and prevent dog bites. We love dogs, we love children. Let’s all do our part to help prevent terrible events like the one posted here in the news.

Five Tips to Responding to the Editor  

Many articles and letters to the editor have been written with sharing success using 5 simple steps which I have listed below. If need be, re-read my letter above and see where these tips have been used.

1. Do not cast blame-it won’t fix the problem. Not now, not ever. There is no future there…instead write about how to avoid another attack in the future.
2. Share the burden- The burden of society is also a point worth making such as fundraising to promote dog bite prevention in shelters, schools, community centers, to involve the whole community to address dog bite prevention.
3. Refer to breed of dog in your response as: “the Dog”-this will help keep the reader on track with the message you are making, as well as, help set you up for success so that your message will remain intact and not be subject to debate, out of context responses, and/or political issues.
4. Remain neutral and objective by staying on topic- if you discuss one point of view, you will have to discuss all points of view, from the victim, from the owner of dog, from the dog’s (inferred) point of view. It’s best to stick to the educational content and tips to keep everyone safe including the dog!
5. Finally, send your comment or message to the editor of the paper and not the reader comments! You increase your chances of your comment being shared with a bigger audience. 

Advice for Dog Bite Victims

It’s also important to note that dog bite victims need to be validated. Having said that, if you know a dog bite victim that is trying to become a survivor, the best advice you can give them is:

• Don’t read the ‘readers comments’ of your story should it make the local press
• Seek therapy ASAP
• Visit Doggone Safe for more tips for Dog bite victims 

If you like the letter above, please feel free to copy the letter (just give me credit for writing it on your behalf) and send it off to your local newspaper. There are many articles we have posted for your use on www.doggonesafe.com to copy and send to your local media.

Why don’t we set a personal challenge and send a letter a week right up and through Dog Bite Prevention Month of May! Send a copy of the letter I wrote above, or use another sample from our web site. Write your own letter to the media! I’m going to do the same.

Thats a proactive thing to do.

I’m looking forward to May! Cheers all,

Teresa

Teresa Lewin
Co-founder Doggone Safe Inc.

Please send your questions, comments to: safek9milton@live.ca 

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Intriguing Facts about Dogs and Cats

By Linda Cole

Most pet owners spend a lot of time bonding with their pets and learning all about them. We know where they like to be scratched, if a thunderstorm will upset them, how they respond to strangers, or if a stubborn streak will try your patience. Each pet is unique with their own personality, but as a species all dogs and cats are intriguing. Here are 13 facts you may not know about your pet.

1. A dogs sense of smell is so powerful that some can detect odors buried 40 feet underground or track whale scat in the ocean. We have around 5 million scent receptors in our nose, but canine noses are equipped with around 125 to 300 million scent receptors, depending on the breed.

2. A common belief is that all cats are lactose intolerant and shouldnt be given milk, but thats not true for every feline. Some dont have a problem drinking milk; however, after weaning they dont need milk, and it can upset a cats tummy if she drinks too much. As long as your cat can tolerate it, theres nothing wrong with giving her an occasional saucer of milk in addition to a quality cat food like CANIDAE. If you want to know if your kitty can have some milk now and then, give a small amount and wait 24 hours. If she doesnt develop diarrhea, a little milk as a treat is fine.

3. A dogs wet nose helps capture scent particles, and if his nose is dry, he may lick it to help him catch a scent. They can wiggle each nostril independently, and they know which nostril a smell entered, which helps them locate the source of a smell. The nose is made up of ridges and dimples unique to an individual dog, and is believed to be as individual as our fingerprints are. Felines also have a nose print that can be used to identify an individual cat.

4. Cats that live on their own dont communicate by meowing to each other. Domesticated cat meows and yowls are used to communicate with humans. Felines have a fairly sophisticated vocalization range of about 100 different meows or yowls. Dogs only have about 10 different barks, yips or snarls.

5. Dogs have a disconnected shoulder blade, which gives them a better range of motion when running and jumping. Most canines can run at around 19 mph at full speed.

6. Hunting isnt something that comes naturally to cats. Its a skill that must be taught to a kitten by her mom. All cats instinctively know how to stalk, pounce and capture prey, but if their mom never taught them how to kill, they dont know a mouse is a food source.

7. Dogs have 18 muscles in each ear. This helps him fine-tune the position of his ears to locate exactly where a sound is coming from. He can locate the source of a sound within 6/100th of a second. Cats have 32 individual muscles in each ear, and can move each ear independently to pinpoint the location of a sound.

8. Cats favor one paw or the other. Researchers in Belfast have found that females tend to favor their right paw, and males are more likely to be left-pawed. Some cats are ambidextrous.

9. Only two mammal species have prostate glands: dogs and humans.

10. Cats can squeeze through small spaces because their collarbone is vestigial, or underdeveloped. Feline shoulder blades are attached to their body with muscles, not bone, which allows a cat to extend her running stride. They can run around 12 mph and sprint at about 30 mph. A cat’s spine is more limber than most other animals, allowing them the flexibility to skillfully perform acts of agility, balance and even speed as a runner.

11. Dogs and cats are digitigrades. This means they walk directly on their toes, and their feet make up the lower part of the leg.

12. Cats walk by moving their legs on one side of their body, and then moving the other side (left front leg and left back leg together, right front and back legs the same way) in what is called a pacing gait. Camels and giraffes are the only other animals that walk this way. When cats trot, the gait changes to a diagonal gait – back left leg moves with front right leg –which is how most mammals move.

13. A cats tongue is lined with papillae, which are very small elevated backward hooks made out of keratin, a fibrous protein present in skin, hair and nails. This helps the cat hold onto his prey. They also aid the cat when grooming.

Top photo by FastPhive
Middle photo by Arkansas ShutterBug
Bottom photo by Roy Montgomery

Read more articles by Linda Cole

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Robo WOOF! Whats happening in dog human communication technology

(Source)

Hey Julie,

Thank you for the gorgeous congratulations for winning Im a Scientist, get me out of here! - what an amazing experience! So many students engaged in science and asking questions that made my head spin - fabulous, fabulous stuff! I learned so much!

One of the questions that came up a few times during the live chat sessions with student classes was about communication between dogs and people. I was asked "Do you think dogs will ever be able to talk to humans?" and "Why dont dogs talk? Why do they only bark?", as well as "Do dogs understand us? How?" and "Could we use technology to communicate with dogs?" - you see? They kept me on my toes!

My initial reactions were to say, "Dogs DO talk to us! They use their body language and their vocalisations extremely well, its just that people arent always fluent in listening to what theyre telling us!" I also told them all about Chaser and her 1,200+ words, about the fact dogs senses are different to ours (a much less visual, much more sniffy kind of a world).

Then one student said, "But what about this?":

 
Now Julie, I dont know about YOU, but somehow, I missed out on this BowLingual device when it was launched in the early noughties. Its a: 

"computer-based dog-to-human language translation device developed by Japanese toy company Takara and first sold in Japan in 2002. Versions for South Korea and the United States were launched in 2003. The device was named by Time Magazine as a "Best Invention of 2002." The inventors of BowLingual, Keita Satoh, Dr. Matsumi Suzuki and Dr. Norio Kogure were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for "promoting peace and harmony between the species.

The device is presented as a "translator" but has been called an "emotion analyzer". It is said to use technology to categorize dog barks into one of six standardized emotional categories. BowLingual also provides a phrase which is representative of that emotion. The product instructions clearly state that these phrases "are for entertainment purposes only" and are not meant to be accurate translations of each bark."

I totally endorse all those disclaimers, especially after reading this review by Dr Sophia Yin, but also cant help thinking if this toy device can register a dogs bark and then categorize the dogs mood as happy, sad, on guard, assertive, frustrated or needy - couldnt we just listen and do the same ourselves? I mean, you know that, right? You recently covered the latest scientific findings regarding what dogs barks are telling us, over at Scientific American and The Bark (ha!).  

So why cant we just listen? Learn? I certainly know the difference between my dogs barks as to whether theres someone strange approaching our front door versus a family member or if theyre just playing when Im down the other end of our house. Im teaching my daughter to tell the difference too. Shes learning and shes just turned three.  

So is it really that hard? Or are people just lazy?

On the definitely-not-a-toy side of things, a Google Glass researcher has teamed up with a Georgia Institute of Technology professor to create FIDO (Facilitating Interactions for Dogs with Occupations) as wearable technology for working dogs to enable better communication with handlers. 

FIDO works by giving a service or detection dog a special sensor that can attach to its collar of a vest. The dog can interact with the sensor by biting, tugging or touching it with their nose and the handler will receive a corresponding signal ("bomb ahead", "hurricane alarm sounding" or "you have pancreatic cancer" are all examples given for different working dog contexts) as an audio or display cue. You can read more about FIDO in an interview with the professor from Georgia Tech here. 

Then theres the ICPooch, thats currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. The brain child of an entrepreneurial 13 year old (yep, you read that correctly) from the UK, the ICPooch promises to let you video talk with your dog (and deliver a treat cookie!) from anywhere in the world. 

Like this:

What do you think? Gimmick or something that has the potential to actually reduce separation anxiety in dog when their owners are away? Think dogs could potentially be remote trained by professional dog trainers? I wonder how well the dogs can actually SEE the display and whether they would respond differently to different people who dial in. 

Very interested to hear your thoughts on this - hope youre well!

Mia

Further reading:

Tan D., Fitzpatrick G., Gutwin C., Begole B., Kellogg W.A., Paldanius M., Kärkkäinen T., Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila K., Juhlin O. & Häkkilä J. (2011) Communication technology for human-dog interaction: exploration of dog owners experiences and expectations, Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2641. DOI: 10.1145/1978942.1979329

Kerepesi A., Jonsson G.K., Miklósi Á., Topál J., Csányi V. & Magnusson M.S. (2005). Detection of temporal patterns in dog–human interaction, Behavioural Processes, 70 (1) 69-79. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2005.04.006

© 2013 Mia Cobb | Do You Believe in Dog?

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Parents Learn About Dog Body Language Before the Holidays

Many dog bites happen over the holidays, partly because dogs are stressed and overwhelmed by changes in routine and increased activity levels in the house. Parents are also stressed and frequently overwhelmed as well. The combination can lead to a set of circumstances that conducive to unfortunate accidents in which a child is bitten. These bites DO NOT HAPPEN OUT OF THE BLUE. Sorry for yelling, but we have just heard so many parents and dog owners tell us that the dog bit without warning, that he has never bitten before, that he loves kids. The latter two statements are true in most cases, the former is not. The fact is, that the dog did warn in some way, it was just that no-one noticed. By the time the dog gets to the point of growling or snapping, he is stressed to the point where he is likely to bite. For many people these overt warnings, or even the bite itself are the only things blatant enough to be noticeable. Before a dog brings out the big guns of overt aggression he will signal his distress and anxiety with more subtle signs. Most commonly these include licking his chops or flicking his tongue out, yawning, scratching himself or showing a half moon of white in his eye when a child approaches or tries to interact with him. He may give a whole body shake after an interaction with a child. Slightly more obvious, but often ignored are signs of avoidance, such as turning his head away, shifting his body away or getting up and leaving. Effusive licking of a childs face is another way that a dog might try to increase distance. This type of licking should not be confused with affection. Read more about this.

We want parents to learn all about dog body language so that they know what to look for and how to tell if their dog is happy or stressed around their child and how to tell when intervention is required. We want all parents to know the warning signs so that no familys holidays are ruined by a dog bite incident. There is lots of information at our website, but the best source of information for parents is our online course: Basic Dog Body Language. To celebrate the coming holidays and hopefully prevent some nice family dogs from biting "out of the blue" we have put this course on sale for $20 until Nov 15.

Click here for more information

Click here to register

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

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How Does Grandmas Dog Feel About the Holidays

By Jennifer Shryock

Holidays mean family time. I remember going to my Grandmother’s house and looking forward to seeing her dogs. My Grandmother had female Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and I loved visiting! I remember being so excited to walk them, throw the ball and just share time with them. Did I ever consider how they felt having their peaceful home invaded by a crowd of people? Of course not. I assumed they were as excited as I was to be together and for the most part I think they did enjoy our hectic visits. Looking back now though I think of many things we could all have done to help my Grandmother’s dogs feel more comfortable while we visited their home. Here are some tips that come to mind.

1. Respect the dog’s comfy spot, bed, hide-a-way. Leave them alone! When a dog retreats to these places they should be praised and not coaxed to come out for the kids.
2. Bring a yummy treat for the dog that will give them something to do and enjoy. (clear the treat with owner first before offering!)
3. Have a designated adult supervising interaction with the dog and guests. Ideally with dog on a leash.
4. If there are visiting dogs in the home along with the visiting family then even more supervision is needed!

Keep in mind that family gatherings can be stressful even when the stress is good. New smells, sounds and actions can be overstimulating for dogs that are used to a quiet environment. Allow your dog breaks from the action.

These tips and so much more are offered in our 1 hour long Grandparent webinar….Grandkids and dogs. We invite you to join us for this interactive webinar so that we can answer your questions and help increase safety and fun for all family members over the Holiday season.

Webinar for Grandparents with a Dog

Are you a Grandparent with a dog?  Do you have Grandkids that visit your home?   Everyday life for your dog may be peaceful and predictable until the Grandkids arrive.  Changes in schedules, energy and dynamics can cause even the most wonderful family dogs stress.  As the holidays near and families begin to plan their family celebrations we offer tips to help everyone succeed.

Join Family Paws Parent Education for this informative hour-long webinar where we will help you and your dog truly enjoy the holiday celebrations!

Some of the important topics we will cover:  Management, Observation of comfort, Activities for success and so much more!

Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn positive and practical tips you can begin right away to help make family visits more enjoyable for all!

This is a live interactive webinar!

December 18th  1pm ET $10.00

Click here for more information or to register

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Dog training How to practice your timing

Hi Mia!

I don’t even know where to begin. You sent another round of Tim Tams, and I am in chocolate heaven (the only trouble is that they bring out the hoarder in me, and I easily tell little white lies like, “They’re not open yet.” Typically I share my bounty, but this, not so much).

I adore Champagne Cartel! Great voices and a wide variety of topics. I’m very pleased you are part of that gaggle of women. You had a great Q&A with Amy McDonald on Everyday Yoga, and now because of you, I will keep worms.

Go Go Go!
It seems like you and I are in parallel lands of, “Go - Go - Go!” Julie Dog Updates:

• CHASER: Got to spend time with Chaser (Facebook/Twitter), the wordy dog, and I’ll report more on that soon. She and I see eye to eye (or maybe, I should say, she wants the ball behind my back).

Read this book

• CONFERENCES: Just came back from ISAZ and IAHAIO in Chicago. It was a check plus time with Anthrozoology and human-animal interaction researchers. Hal Herzog (Twitter), author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals is Professor of Psychology at Western Carolina University. He received the 2013 Distinguished Scholars Award. His talk explored the ultimate reasons behind pet keeping -- more on that another time (but in the meantime, his book should be read by all). Over at #SciAmBlogs, I took a moment to explore what Anthrozoology is all about (not the study of Ants, apparently). I got a little pronunciation assistance from your PhD supervisor. ;)

• MORE CONFERENCE!!: This weekend, I’m back on a plane to Boulder, CO for the 50th Annual Animal Behavior Society conference. On Sunday, July 28 I’m speaking at the Companion Animal Day at UC-Boulder. The topic: Creating Quality Lives for Dogs and Cats Through the Science of Animal Behavior. The event is free and open to the public! Here’s the lineup (who wins for longest title?):

- Patricia McConnell, Bring Out Your Inner Dr. Doolittle: Communication and Quality of Life
 
- Suzanne Hetts and Dan Estep, Can We Still Be Friends?: Helping Dogs and Cats Get Along
 
- Marc Bekoff, Animals at Play: What We’ve Learned From Dogs and Their Wild Relatives
 
- Julie Hecht, Get Into the Head of The Dog in Your Bed, and You’ll Both Be Happier: Updates on Canine Cognition Research
 
- Pamela Reid, When Dogs and Cats Have it Bad and It Ain’t Good: Behavior Rehabilitation of Abused Pets
 

Do you get the timing right?
Speaking of excitement, people were incredibly interested in Clare’s research on dog training!! The feedback on the DYBID Facebook was tremendous. Her main finding was, “To teach a new behavior, be fast on your feedback!” 
 
Masters research conducted by Lindsay Wood, now at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, had similar findings. In her research, when a dog was acquiring complex behaviors, a click was a better marker than a verbal stimulus such as, “Good.” 

Wood suggests, “The facilitation of learning provided by the clicker bridging stimulus has important implications for animal training, especially when professionals are confronted with time constraints. The potential of the clicker stimulus to improve animal learning throughout the entire process of a behavior may not only increase the rate of behavior acquisition, but also reduce animal frustration and further enhance the relationship between trainer and animal.”

MANY PEOPLE working with non-human (and human!) animals get their click on! The Shedd Aquarium, yes aqua-rium, recently added a dog show with shelter dogs trained via positive reinforcement, and I assume clicker training. 

Ken Ramirez, VP of animal collections and training, explains why they added a dog show: "We also want people to see that the techniques used to care for our dolphins, our wales and our sharks -- those training techniques can be useful tools in having a better behaved pet at home." 



How to work on YOUR training
The techniques of learning and training dont just apply to dogs. People can practice their training techniques with loads of other species like chickens and guinea pigs.

Chicken Camp, Terry Ryan



Guinea Pig Camp, Roger Abrantes



Well, thats all she wrote! Lets hear whats on your plate!!

Julie

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3 Ways We’re Wrong About Dogs

Hi Mia!

Very excited to see that the program for the Working Dog Alliance Conference is out! I love conference programs. I think I’m a visual learner because when I try and remember back to a talk, I remember that the talk abstract appeared in

(Source)

say, a blue booklet, and that the abstract was on the right side of the page. Or maybe that has nothing to do with being a visual learner and means something entirely different. Anyway...

I wish I could attend the entire working dog conference (damn you ocean!), but I do have some favorite talks that Im sad to miss. I’m particularly interested in "Racing to retirement, is there a better way?", "Characterizing Dogmanship" as well as Steve White and Nicola Rooney’s talks.
 
You and I are trading places again. It almost time to change the clocks, and it’s getting darker here earlier and earlier. DAMN YOU WINTER!! 

On a happier note, I’m looking forward to speaking at the Association of Professional Dog Trainers next weekend in Spokane, Washington (#APDT2013)!

I’m covering two topics, and summaries are available here:

• Contextualizing Canine Behavior and Cognition Research 
• The Science and Politics of Anthropomorphism

At the last two APDT conferences, I presented posters of my personal research, and I’m looking forward to giving more comprehensive talks this year. 

While preparing for the conference, I found myself remembering that humans are often not spot-on in our interpretation of all things dog.

3 Misconceptions About Dogs

1) Working Dogs Have Good Welfare
I imagine when people hear the term working dog they picture accomplished dogs of war jumping out of planes or sniffing out chemical weapons. Or, people might picture guide dogs for the blind or hearing dogs for the deaf. But those are only the "stars" or "headliners" of the working dog world; working dogs include so many different dogs doing so many things for us and with us. 

Good welfare is not explicitly bound to certain types of canine work and absent from others. And good welfare cannot simply be assumed because dogs are performing a particular job.

This reminds me of an earlier post you wrote -- "The Heat(map) is On: Colours of Canine Welfare." You discussed peoples perceptions of the welfare of different types of dogs. Perceptions and realities are both important, and Im happy to see industry and science coming together to better the lives of working dogs.

(Greyhound at her new job: Source)

As I mentioned, greyhounds hold a special place in my heart. Whenever I see one on the street, I always wonder, “Where did you come from, big friend? What has your life been like?” They never answer, but sometimes their owner fills me in on the details.

2) Separation Distress is Just a Dog Missing its Owner

Research into why dogs show destructive and problematic behavior when owners are out is growing. Motivations are many and could include "fear, anxiety, over-attachment, agitation from outside stimulation and/or lack of appropriate stimulation." 


Mark Evans is a veterinary surgeon and former chief veterinary advisor of the RSPCA in the UK. He now holds informative animal-focused TV shows. For his recent program, he teamed up with Dr. Rachel Casey from the University of Bristol to examine the behavior of 40 dogs when their owners were out of the house. See what they found here, and theyve also highlighted the progress of three dogs: Bruno, Oscar and Max.

Recently, Parthasarathy et al. (2006) examined whether “dysfunctional” attachment styles to owners were related to dog separation issues. They concluded that “separation anxiety is not based on ‘hyperattachment’ of the dog to the owner...” Although they did add that “different attachment style may be present between dogs with and without separation anxiety.” 

Blanket assumptions about why dogs are distressed in owners’ absences arent helpful. Each dog needs to be considered on its own terms.

3) Canine Behavior & Cognition Research Has ALL the Answers! ;) 
This is a direct plug for my first talk at the APDT conference in Spokane next week, "Contextualizing Canine Behavior and Cognition Research."

Science is a way of looking at the world that prioritizes asking questions and devising ways to investigate those questions. This field of study is relatively young. It is continually growing and evolving. Studies build on one another, and in some cases, substantiate earlier findings, and in other cases, not so much. At my talk next Sunday, October 27 (at 8:00 AM!), Ill highlight the idea that our field is best viewed as an evolving process.

Thats me in a nut shell!

Looking forward to more welfare news!

Julie

References 
Horowitz, D. 2010 Separation anxiety in dogs. Veterinary Focus. 20(1), 18-26.

Parthasarathy et al.  2006. Relationship between attachment to owners and separation anxiety in pet dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research. 1, 109–120. 

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International Dog Bite Prevention Challenge Results

International Dog Bite Prevention Challenge Educates 16,000 Kids

Kids Being Trees in Bermuda

Campbellville ON June 6, 2011 – Presenters around the world from non-profit Doggone Safe educated more than 16,000 children about safety around during Dog Bite Prevention Week (May 15-21, 2011). Events took place in eight countries, seven Canadian provinces and twenty six US states.

Half of all children are bitten by a dog and most of the time the biter is the family dog or another dog known to the child. Dog bites can be emotionally and physically scarring for a child and can cost the dog his life. “Dog bites are preventable and we are very proud of the efforts of all our presenters as they work hard during Dog Bite Prevention Week and all year doing community education to help reduce the risk of dog bites to children”, said Joan Orr, president and cofounder of Doggone Safe.

The “Be a Tree” program is a dog bite prevention presentation for school children. Children learn that a happy dog pants and wags his tail loosely, while an anxious dog may show a half moon of white in his eye, yawn, lick his lips or turn away. A dog that does not want to meet them has his mouth closed and may hold his tail and body stiff, or wag his tail slowly. They learn how to let a dog approach them and how to pet it safely, after asking permission. They learn to avoid dangerous situations with dogs and how to Be a Tree if a strange dog approaches them or any dog is bothering them. To Be a Tree they stop, fold their branches (hands clasped in front), watch their roots grow (look at their feet) and count their breaths in their head until help comes or the dog goes away. The Be a Tree program is fun and interactive with a goal to empower and not to frighten children.

Diane Kamitakahara, principal of Earl Grey School in Calgary Alberta said, “Thanks so much for the presentations. They were great and very well received. One of our teacher’s daughters who is in grade 1 here had an encounter with an excited pit bull at the dog park the weekend after your presentation. She did exactly like you instructed and the dog backed off and went away. Her mom was amazed.”

For more information about Doggone Safe, to become a sponsor, to book a presentation for your school or to become a presenter please visit the Doggone Safe website at www.doggonesafe.com.

About Doggone Safe

Doggone Safe is a non-profit corporation registered in Canada and Ontario, and in the US is a 501(c)(3) registered charity. Doggone Safe is dedicated to dog bite prevention through education and dog bite victim support. Doggone Safe has members from around the world. Educational programs offered by Doggone Safe are Be a Tree™ (for school-aged children), and online courses about dog body language and occupational dog bite prevention.

2295 Mohawk Trail

Campbellville ON Canada L0P 1B0

877-350-3232

www.doggonesafe.com

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DOG LOVERS SHOW GIVEAWAY

Weve got 5 double passes to giveaway to the 

Dog Lovers Show in Melbourne! 

Just comment below to let us know what youd like most to see at the show and well nominate our favourite responses by the end of Sunday 27 April 2014. 

This giveaway is also open to responses received via our Facebook and Twitter community.

THE BIGGEST DOG EVENT IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE RETURNS TO MELBOURNE

Australia’s largest and most comprehensive event dedicated to educating, informing and entertaining dog lovers will take centre stage from Friday 2nd

Over three huge days, over 250 exhibitors, more than 600 dogs and a pack of pooch experts, personalities and performers will descend on the venue to provide 20,000+ visitors with everything and anything dog related on a scale never before seen in the Southern Hemisphere!

The Dog Lovers Show is a family friendly event which celebrates the unconditional love we share for our dogs with expert seminars, dog shows from the country’s most talented canines, information on all the off-leash parks in Victoria and literally thousands of the latest doggy products and services to reward your dog.

From dog adoption to hot dogs, there’s talks on diet, training and exercise to the fun of watching Chester the famous skateboarding dog on Centre stage - the Dog Lovers Show offers something for all ages.

LOCATION: Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, Melbourne

DATES: Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th  May at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton.

TIMES: 10am - 5pm Daily

Detailed info and for tickets visit: dogloversshow.com.au or
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dogloversshow
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The give away has now ended! We had such great responses here on the blog, on our Facebook page and at our Twitter feed, that we ended up using a random number generator to decide who won - it seemed the most fair way! Winners have been contacted - thank you all so much for participating - hope to see you at the DLS - please come say hello if our paths cross!  :)  Mia

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What can a DNA test tell you about your mixed breed dog

The results are IN!
Rudys DNA test results have come back.

Lets see what a DNA test can tell us about this mixed breed dog.

What you thought he was
We asked you all to place your bets on what mix of breeds he might contains, and boy did you come to the party! Heres what the poll results say YOU think he is:

The Other category included suggestions of: Collie, English Foxhound, Irish Setter, Galgo, Super cute curly tail hound (!), Glamour dog(!), Borzoi, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Pomeranian and German Shepherd.

What the DNA test says he is

Not surprisingly, Rudy has been identified as having come from a line of mixed breed dogs. 

We know that he was picked up as a stray in a very rural/bush area as a four month old puppy. In that location, its likely he was bred to be a hunting dog, and was bred from a line of dogs very similar to him. Both of Rudys parent have been identified as being mixed breeds. This has meant the DNA test is not just a clear cut simple cross between two breeds, but a bit murkier to decipher. 

What we expected

We always knew there would be sighthound in the mix! Fortunately, one grandparent on each side (e.g. his mothers mother and his fathers father) have been identified as being a single breed. So the test says that Rudy is identified as one-quarter Scottish Deerhound and one-quarter Greyhound. This makes sense and fits with his physical appearance.

(Photo: source)

(Photo: Sue Muir)

Part of Rudys DNA test results report

What we werent expecting

Because of Rudys muddled up mixed breed lineage, the DNA test results offer us a further five breeds that have been identified as "the 5 next best breed matches which appeared in the analysis of your dogs DNA. One or more of these breeds could have contributed to the genetic makeup of the ancestors indicated by the mixed breed icon. The breeds are listed by the relative strength of each result in our analysis with the most likely at the top of the list". This is definitely where the fun starts!

*Drumroll*

With the highest relative strength (undefined and unclear if this is supposed to be % of total dog, or % of the 50% unaccounted for, or some other strength) of 10.86 (again, 10.86 units of what, or out to a total available number of ##, is unclear) - is... 

The Dobermann! I find this plausible. Dobermanns are certainly not unusual in Australia and I can see inclusion in a line of hunting-purpose dogs making sense to someone at some point, way back when. Rudy also has a wonderful mate whos a Dobe, so now theyre totes cousins.

Dobermann reportedly represented in Rudy with strength of 10.86

Now, our first surprise... coming in with strength of 10.55 - the Shetland Sheepdog! Ha! I would have been more convinced by a Rough Collie I think, but who knows, maybe Rudys great great grandma was a house dog sheltie? It would explain those neck flares... This is nothing compared to the next couple!

Shetland sheepdog reportedly in Rudy with a strength of 10.55

Oh hi there Puli, with a strength of 6.64. In a million blue moons, I would never have picked you in this line up! There are not that many Puli breeders in Australia, and to think that one was used to contribute to a farmers hunting line seems... odd. But then, my personal favourite is still to come....

Puli reportedly in Rudy with strength of 6.64

...but well save it for last. Coming in with the second lowest strength of the five mixed breed contributors identified, we have the Irish Wolfhound. I know most of you thought this was going to be a leading contributor to Rudys make up, but whatever strength represents, 3.28 doesnt seem like much of it. So now my favourite....

Irish Wolfhound identified in Rudy with a strength of 3.28

Basset Hound. I guess Rudy gets his leg from the other side of the family, right?! With a strength of 1.63, its the final and lowest reported strength identified in Rudys report.

Basset Hound reportedly in Rudy with a strength of 1.63

Part of Rudys DNA test results report

The science behind mixed breed DNA tests

So how did the results end up like this? DNA tests for mixed breed dogs vary between providers. We used the Australian Advance/Waltham test which is powered by Wisdom Panel, validated against Australian dog populations. This test examines the 321 markers from the DNA against a database of DNA markers for over 200 representative (NB: not comprehensive!) breeds of dogs and a computer program evaluates and returns a probable pedigree tree reaching back three generations. Every possible combination the computer program arrives at is scored and the tree with the highest score is deemed most probable and presented in the report.

An important note about this kind of test is that 321 markers are not that many. Other canine research (genotyping for whole genome analysis) can use 170,000 markers. Human ethinicity testing relies on 20,000 (to determine caucasian/non-caucasian) -700,000 markers. 

321 markers provide a reduced scope of DNA marker testing, and they are comparing an unknown dog against a bank of typical groups of alleles that representatives for breeds, so the robustness of the test results should definitely be considered as a suggestion, more than an absolute truth. 

Another way to think of it

The best analogy (that may be over simplified, but I think is still useful) that I have been able to come up with to help explain this test in relation to mixed breed dogs is to think of dogs as colours. 

By this, I mean there is a broad spectrum and range, all able to be mixed together in various combinations, over time. Weve applied some values to the range (such as when blue becomes green, or orange moves into red) which we can think of as breeds. 

Image: Dean Russo

So consider Rudy as being a light brown colour. The DNA test is essentially trying to determine the combination of colours that arrived at that shade of light brown. Its pretty sure theres some red and green in there, perhaps some yellow too. But because hes such a mixed up colour, its harder to work out if theres also been orange  (or was it a certain shade of red with a different shade of yellow?), white, a darker brown or even some bright blue included, and when they might have been mixed into him. 

The computer program has presented his report with one possible combination of colours that arrived at his shade of light brown, but its not the only possible combination to get there. And when I consider where he came from and the likely uses and sources of his forebears, I can be fairly sceptical about some of the results (Im looking at YOU mop dog!).

For example, I would probably have believed fox hound over basset hound. Or rough collie over sheltie, and Im not confident how well 321 markers can discriminate between low levels of these breeds in comparison to each other by using the database of typical representatives. As time goes by and the databases are expanded, these tests become more reliable. For example, the test conducted this year is likely more correct than one done five years ago. If they extend the number of markers examined to 1,000 in the future, this would improve the accuracy again.

So - what is Rudy?

He is our dog. Much-loved family member, silly goose, and constant source of delight to our family. His breed heritage is not so important to us. We knew he was sighthound mix type of dog when we adopted him, and he still is. When I next get asked (as I always do!) "What IS HE?", I can now reply with a slightly more informed "Hes a mix, mostly deerhound and greyhound, with little bits of a few other things in there too". He is certainly a dog.

Look forward to any comments and questions you might have,

Mia

Further reading:

van Rooy, D., Arnott, E. R., Early, J. B., McGreevy, P., & Wade, C. M. (2014). Holding back the genes: limitations of research into canine behavioural genetics. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 1(1), 7.

Hedrick, P. W., & Andersson, L. (2011). Are dogs genetically special?.Heredity, 106(5), 712.

McPhee, C. G. (2011). Advances in canine genetic testing—And what these tests mean for you. Veterinary Medicine, 106(12), 608.

© 2015 Mia Cobb | Do You Believe in Dog?

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