1. The interview begins in uneasy silence, as we stare across at each other from our comfy armchairs. It is not exactly Frost/Nixon, because he is a dog. I repeat my question again: “Why do you bark so much?” Oz, our Hairy Maclary-like lurcher, tilts his head a little, but remains silent. Perhaps if I were to impersonate a delivery driver and knock on the door, he would speak up. At what point is his barking too much? And what can I do to help him tone it down a bit? This is a question many of us are asking, with dog ownership soaring since the start of the pandemic. “Barking is a normal behavior for dogs, so you can’t expect them not to bark at all,” says Dr Zazie Todd, the author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. She advises exploring the situations in which the dog barks and thinking about the practical solutions. (via The Guardian)
2. Wag Labs Inc, the developer of dog-walking app Wag!, said on Thursday it would go public by merging with a blank-check firm in a deal valued at $350 million. The merger with CHW Acquisition Corp (CHWA.O) will provide gross cash proceeds of nearly $175 million to the combined company, which will be majority owned by Wag's shareholders. Wag And CHW investors have raised new financing at $10 per share from Battery Ventures, ACME Capital, General Catalyst and Tenaya Capital. The merger also includes $30 million in debt financing from Blue Torch Capital. Founded in 2015, Wag offers a technology platform that provides dog walking, pet sitting, veterinary care and training services in 50 U.S. states. It started accepting Dogecoin cryptocurrency payments through BitPay in June last year. (via Reuters)
3. The friendliness of your dog could have serious implications for its social standing with other canines. In a questionnaire designed to measure the personality traits of companion dogs and compare them against their social ranking with other canines in multi-dog families, researchers found that dogs who scored highly for agreeableness and affection were less likely to have a dominant status in the group hierarchy. By contrast, dogs who scored highly on other measures in the Canine Big Five personality traits – specifically extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness – were more likely to be the dominant animals in their social group. The final trait, neuroticism, appeared to show no link with dominance in the dog hierarchy. (via Science Alert)
4. Dog breeder Luke Pierre Jr., 36, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday for obtaining a fraudulent $414,675 Paycheck Protection Program loan, $100,000 of which he passed to a co-conspirator disguised as a payment of “stud fees,” the Department of Justice said—one of the latest in a string of convictions for Covid relief fraud. (via Forbes)
5. President Biden entered office as a leader who pledged to bring people together. “I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real.” Perhaps he will have better luck overseeing some interspecies diplomacy: Commander, the president’s new German shepherd puppy, must adjust to the presence of Willow, the Biden family’s new gray tabby cat, introduced to the public on Friday. Willow, named after first lady Jill Biden’s hometown of Willow Grove, Pa., first met her future family on a campaign stop at an unnamed farm in Western Pennsylvania. The 2-year-old cat is, according to a White House statement, “settling into the White House with her favorite toys, treats, and plenty of room to smell and explore.” Will she explore a lasting friendship with a 5-month-old puppy? (via The Washington Post)
6. A Florida Senate bill that would repeal laws banning specific breeds of dogs is making its way up the ranks. Senate Bill 614 which would repeal dog breed-specific laws throughout the state, like Miami-Dade County’s Pit Bull ban. “Last time I counted there were 75 targeted breeds, including Rottweilers, Dobermans, Akitas, Pugs, German Shepherds, and the list goes on and on. All it takes is for a very important person to be bit by a breed of dog and within two or three days that breed is on the list,” said Dahlia Canes, the founder of the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation. But the bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Ileana Garcia, would prevent that long list of dogs from being discriminated against. If passed, the measure would allow an animal to be judged by its own behavior. (via CBS Miami)
7. Koroit's football ground is no ordinary park after being transformed into an obstacle course to test some of Australia's best sheepdogs. While owners stand on a peg near the goals, their dog 70 metres away skilfully chases down three sheep following specific commands into a eight-metre corridor. It is the Australian Sheepdog Championships at Koroit, Victoria, and unlike in a dog park, there is no mucking around in this arena. Owners stand straight as the peg beside them, and are not allowed to flap or wave their arms about to get their dog's attention. This year, Australia celebrates 150 years of sheepdog trials. (via ABC News)
8. Dog runs are vital parts of the city's social infrastructure: the rare dedicated outdoor space for humans and their beloved pets to mingle off-leash, with no fear of disturbing bark-averse New Yorkers. The Parks Department currently oversees 84 public dog runs throughout the city in various states of upkeep, thanks mostly to the community members who work tirelessly to keep them running. (There are also dozens of private dog runs.) In the wake of the popular McCarren Park dog run in Williamsburg shutting down last week after several dogs died from allegedly catching leptospirosis there, Gothamist asked readers to email or tag them on social media to help identify the best and worst public dog runs in NYC. (via Gothamist)
Bonus: "Your dog looks like the one from After Life" is a phrase Ashley Foster and Beth Heale hear a lot. They are the proud owners of Antilly, the German Shepherd who plays Brandy in Ricky Gervais's After Life. The hit Netflix comedy follows Tony Johnson, played by Gervais, as he comes to terms with the death of his wife from cancer. Brandy supports Tony through grief and Ms Heale said: "What she is to Tony, is what she is to us in real life. We don't have children, just like how Lisa and Tony don't in the show," said Ms Heale. "It sends a poignant message throughout - dogs are there for you when people can't be and Antilly is always there.” (via BBC)
Dog Photo of the Week
Photo by Libby Hall Collection, “Photography Going to the Dogs” (via The Guardian)
Dog Video of the Week
By ShawTV Winnipeg, “The Last Dogs of Winter Brings Important Message”.
I look forward to Dog and Bird News Items every week. It has become one of the things that helps me navigate the very difficult times we are living in. I smile, learn and feel connected -invaluable.