1. 6 Mar


    Dogs love us. (Thanks Brooke Wiseman for sending this!)  If you want to send us photos of your pets (or babies, or yourself) drooling on the magazine, we’re @TheWeek on Twitter!

    Dogs love us. (Thanks Brooke Wiseman for sending this!) 

    If you want to send us photos of your pets (or babies, or yourself) drooling on the magazine, we’re @TheWeek on Twitter!

     

  2. 20 Feb


    According to the yearly roundup of popular pet names in the database of Veterinary Pet Insurance, the 10 most popular dog names for 2012 were Bella, Bailey, Max, Lucy, Molly, Buddy, Daisy, Maggie, Charlie, and Sophie. It was the third straight year Bella came in at number 1, after unseating Max in 2009. A company spokesman thought the ascendancy of Bella might have had to do with “the name of the heroine in a certain vampire book/film series that’s pretty popular these days.” In medieval times, dogs had names like Blawnche, Nosewise, Smylfeste, Bragge, Holdfast, Zaphyro, Zalbot, Mopsus and Mopsulus. Dog-naming trends through the ages

    According to the yearly roundup of popular pet names in the database of Veterinary Pet Insurance, the 10 most popular dog names for 2012 were Bella, Bailey, Max, Lucy, Molly, Buddy, Daisy, Maggie, Charlie, and Sophie. It was the third straight year Bella came in at number 1, after unseating Max in 2009. A company spokesman thought the ascendancy of Bella might have had to do with “the name of the heroine in a certain vampire book/film series that’s pretty popular these days.”

    In medieval times, dogs had names like Blawnche, Nosewise, Smylfeste, Bragge, Holdfast, Zaphyro, Zalbot, Mopsus and Mopsulus.

    Dog-naming trends through the ages

     

  3. 12 Feb


    12 behind-the-scenes photos from the 137th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show

    Photos: REUTERS/Mike Segar and Keith Bedford

     

  4. 30 Jan


    Your cat is a killer. According to biologists, when they’re not curling up in your lap, cats are off killing other animals — billions of ‘em. Scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service estimate that each year, apparently bloodthirsty felines are preying on billions of birds and small mammals like indigenous chipmunks, shrews, and meadow voles. “When we ran the model, we didn’t know what to expect,” researcher Dr. Peter Marra told theNew York Times. “We were absolutely stunned by the results.” 4 to 18 — Birds killed by a typical house cat every year8 to 21 — Small mammals killed by a typical house cat every year1.4 billion to 3.7 billion — Total birds killed by America’s cats every year More numbers…

    Your cat is a killer. According to biologists, when they’re not curling up in your lap, cats are off killing other animals — billions of ‘em. Scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service estimate that each year, apparently bloodthirsty felines are preying on billions of birds and small mammals like indigenous chipmunks, shrews, and meadow voles. “When we ran the model, we didn’t know what to expect,” researcher Dr. Peter Marra told theNew York Times. “We were absolutely stunned by the results.”

    4 to 18 — Birds killed by a typical house cat every year
    8 to 21 — Small mammals killed by a typical house cat every year
    1.4 billion to 3.7 billion — Total birds killed by America’s cats every year

    More numbers…

     

  5. 30 Nov


    Bo Obama inspects the White House for the holidays

    (Source: theweek.com)

     

  6. 22 Oct


    $79.62 — Average amount that each Halloween-celebrating consumer spends on candy, costumes, and decorations 170 million — Americans who will celebrate Halloween this year More than $8 billion — Total amount Americans spend on Halloween Any guesses at how much people spend on pet costumes? 

    $79.62 — Average amount that each Halloween-celebrating consumer spends on candy, costumes, and decorations

    170 million — Americans who will celebrate Halloween this year

    More than $8 billion — Total amount Americans spend on Halloween

    Any guesses at how much people spend on pet costumes? 

     

  7. 14 Sep


    Miguel Guzman bought Capitan for his son, Damian, in 2005. After Guzman died the next year, Capitan disappeared. A week after the funeral, the family returned to the cemetery in central Argentina and found Capitan there, howling. The heartbroken dog (not pictured) had found the cemetery and tomb on his own, and has lived there ever since, sleeping on Guzman’s grave. “I’ve tried to bring Capitan home several times,” Damian, 13, says, “but he always comes straight back… He’s looking after my dad.” The phenomenon of grieving dogs

    Miguel Guzman bought Capitan for his son, Damian, in 2005. After Guzman died the next year, Capitan disappeared. A week after the funeral, the family returned to the cemetery in central Argentina and found Capitan there, howling.

    The heartbroken dog (not pictured) had found the cemetery and tomb on his own, and has lived there ever since, sleeping on Guzman’s grave. “I’ve tried to bring Capitan home several times,” Damian, 13, says, “but he always comes straight back… He’s looking after my dad.”

    The phenomenon of grieving dogs

    (Source: theweek.com)

     

  8. 12 Sep


    Studies show that up to 60 percent of the dogs and cats in the U.S. qualify as obese, while only 35 percent of their human counterparts do. That’s a lot of wheezing, huffing, puffing Labradors.  Enter America’s first pet-obesity clinic

    Studies show that up to 60 percent of the dogs and cats in the U.S. qualify as obese, while only 35 percent of their human counterparts do. That’s a lot of wheezing, huffing, puffing Labradors. 

    Enter America’s first pet-obesity clinic

    (Source: theweek.com)

     

  9. 22 Aug


    Once a week for the past seven years, Veronica Pardo, a volunteer, has brought two dogs to the only hospital in Quito, Ecuador, that treats children with cancer. The dogs not only “bring a sparkle to the eyes and smile to the faces of little ones in the midst of a huge struggle to stay alive,” says The Associated Press, they also have been shown to boost the children’s adrenaline, which helps them bolster their resistance to the harsh effects of chemotherapy. A dog is man’s best friend in the most ordinary situations, but it’s when you’re down and out that your canine partner really comes through in the clutch. From easing military veterans’ battles with post-traumatic stress disorder to reducing heart and lung pressure for heart-failure patients, the tail-wagging beasts are walking therapy centers. Here, eight ways dogs improve our health Photo: AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa

    Once a week for the past seven years, Veronica Pardo, a volunteer, has brought two dogs to the only hospital in Quito, Ecuador, that treats children with cancer. The dogs not only “bring a sparkle to the eyes and smile to the faces of little ones in the midst of a huge struggle to stay alive,” says The Associated Press, they also have been shown to boost the children’s adrenaline, which helps them bolster their resistance to the harsh effects of chemotherapy.

    A dog is man’s best friend in the most ordinary situations, but it’s when you’re down and out that your canine partner really comes through in the clutch. From easing military veterans’ battles with post-traumatic stress disorder to reducing heart and lung pressure for heart-failure patients, the tail-wagging beasts are walking therapy centers.

    Here, eight ways dogs improve our health

    Photo: AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa

    (Source: theweek.com)

     

  10. 20 Aug


    Hikers rescue a wounded German Shepherd from the top of Mount Bierstadt in Colorado, after her owner abandoned her. They bundled the dog into a big backpack, and started the walk down. A snow storm hit, increasing the danger, but nine hours after they set out, they made it to safety. How the internet saved a dog stranded at 14,000 feet

    Hikers rescue a wounded German Shepherd from the top of Mount Bierstadt in Colorado, after her owner abandoned her. They bundled the dog into a big backpack, and started the walk down. A snow storm hit, increasing the danger, but nine hours after they set out, they made it to safety.

    How the internet saved a dog stranded at 14,000 feet

     

  11. 10 Jul


    Study: Babies who live with dogs are healthier  The authors of the study tracked the health of 400 babies, and sent the families weekly questionnaires from the time the kids were 9 weeks old until they turned 1. Here’s what they found: A child under the age of 1 who regularly plays with an outdoor dog — that is, a pup who spends just six hours of its time inside each day — will build a stronger, healthier immune system in the long run. Kids living in homes with such dogs were illness-free 73 percent of the time, whereas children living in homes without pets were healthy only about 65 percent of the time. Overall, dog-friendly babies “had fewer ear infections, and they needed less antibiotics,” says lead author Eija Bergroth. One explanation: “Pets that spent more time outdoors brought more dirt into their homes, giving babies more opportunities to encounter it.” The thinking goes that this strengthens a child’s immune system and causes natural defenses to mature faster than they normally would.  Keep reading

    Study: Babies who live with dogs are healthier 

    The authors of the study tracked the health of 400 babies, and sent the families weekly questionnaires from the time the kids were 9 weeks old until they turned 1.

    Here’s what they found: A child under the age of 1 who regularly plays with an outdoor dog — that is, a pup who spends just six hours of its time inside each day — will build a stronger, healthier immune system in the long run. Kids living in homes with such dogs were illness-free 73 percent of the time, whereas children living in homes without pets were healthy only about 65 percent of the time. Overall, dog-friendly babies “had fewer ear infections, and they needed less antibiotics,” says lead author Eija Bergroth.

    One explanation: “Pets that spent more time outdoors brought more dirt into their homes, giving babies more opportunities to encounter it.” The thinking goes that this strengthens a child’s immune system and causes natural defenses to mature faster than they normally would. 

    Keep reading

     

  12. 11 Jun


    Japan has 22 million pets compared to just 17 million children under age 15. With fewer children to dote on, many Japanese couples and single adults are lavishing attention on their animals, pampering them with everything from spa treatments to Chanel attire, and sparking a boom for the pet industry. They buy premium doggie garments from labels such as Chanel, Dior, Hermès, and Gucci — a poodle pullover can cost $250, according to Britain’s Guardian. They frequent restaurants which allow pets to sit at the table with their owners and lap up organic meals. They indulge in doggie yoga classes and hot-spring resorts where lapdogs can get one-on-one swimming lessons, bubble baths, and pressure-point massages. For some pets, the pampering doesn’t end with death. Some temples lay deceased dogs to rest with full Buddhist rites, at $8,000 a pop for a deluxe funeral and cremation. Why childless Japanese are choosing pets over parenthood

    Japan has 22 million pets compared to just 17 million children under age 15. With fewer children to dote on, many Japanese couples and single adults are lavishing attention on their animals, pampering them with everything from spa treatments to Chanel attire, and sparking a boom for the pet industry.

    They buy premium doggie garments from labels such as Chanel, Dior, Hermès, and Gucci — a poodle pullover can cost $250, according to Britain’s Guardian. They frequent restaurants which allow pets to sit at the table with their owners and lap up organic meals. They indulge in doggie yoga classes and hot-spring resorts where lapdogs can get one-on-one swimming lessons, bubble baths, and pressure-point massages.

    For some pets, the pampering doesn’t end with death. Some temples lay deceased dogs to rest with full Buddhist rites, at $8,000 a pop for a deluxe funeral and cremation.

    Why childless Japanese are choosing pets over parenthood

     

  13. 23 May


    Wanna know a secret? Scientists don’t really understand where dogs came from. They know they likely descended from wolves, but no one really knows when or where. A new study might help scientists finally figure it out. Photo: An Akita puppy, a breed that is considered one of the few that has identifiably “ancient” DNA that can be traced back a few thousand years. 

    Wanna know a secret? Scientists don’t really understand where dogs came from. They know they likely descended from wolves, but no one really knows when or where. A new study might help scientists finally figure it out.

    Photo: An Akita puppy, a breed that is considered one of the few that has identifiably “ancient” DNA that can be traced back a few thousand years.