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Cockapoos, doodles, and other crossbreeds have behavioral problems, too

Popular Science

Trendy designer dogs often have the same issues as pure breeds. The'doodle' industry earns over $1 billion a year. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Designer crossbreed dogs are increasingly popular pets . Much of the rising interest is tied to claims that these mixed pooches possess more desirable aspects than many purebreeds or mutts.


How Doodles Became the Dog du Jour

The New Yorker

Poodle crossbreeds have grown overwhelmingly popular, sparking controversy in dog parks and kennel clubs alike. The features of doodles such as Peaches (above), a goldendoodle, have become the canine equivalent of Instagram face. Meet the Breeds, the American Kennel Club's annual showcase of purebred dogs, took place over two eye-wateringly cold days in early February at the Javits Center, in Manhattan. About a hundred and fifty of the two hundred and five varieties recognized as official breeds by the A.K.C., the long-standing authority in the U.S. dog world, were in attendance for the public to ogle, fondle, and coo "So cute!" to, including the basset fauve de Bretagne, a hunting hound from France that's one of three newly recognized breeds recently allowed into the purebred pantheon. Some of the dogs had competed in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show earlier in the week, and past champions had their ribbons on display. In spite of the frigid weather, pavilions hosting the more popular breeds--the pug, the Doberman pinscher, the Great Dane, the St. Bernard--were packed. Lesser-known varieties, such as the saluki, the Löwchen, and the Lapponian herder, drew sparser crowds. There were exhibition spaces for each breed, and on the back walls were three adjectives supposedly describing that particular type of dog's temperament. There is, in fact, no evidence that temperament is consistent within a breed, but the idea is deeply rooted in dogdom. I stopped to caress the velvety ear leather of a pharaoh hound ("Friendly, Smart, Noble"), a sprinting breed once used to hunt rabbits in Malta; accept kisses from a Portuguese water dog, bred to assist with retrieving tackle ("Affectionate, Adventurous, Athletic"); and have my photograph taken with a Leonberger, a German breed from the town of Leonberg, in southwest Germany ("Friendly, Gentle, Playful"). No one was supposed to be openly selling dogs, but, if you asked, the breeders would share their information. Excluding what are known as companion dogs, like the Leonberger, most of the animals at the show were designed for a purpose that is no longer required of them. In Great Britain, foxhounds are legally barred from chasing foxes. Consider the fate of the otterhound, an ancient variety with a noble heritage which was once used in the U.K. to hunt river otters, which were prized for their thick fur and disliked by wealthy landowners because they ate fish in their stocked ponds.


Chihuahua, boxer, and 10 other dog breeds at risk of breathing troubles

Popular Science

The new study of almost 900 dogs aims to help owners pinpoint breathing issues. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Despite their popularity, for their seemingly helpless-looking eyes and flat faces, short-skulled (or brachycephalic) dogs like the French bulldog often have serious difficulty breathing. A study published today in the journal found that in 12 breeds, a flat face, collapsing nostrils, and rounded physique puts them at a higher risk for developing common breathing conditions. Pekingese and Japanese chins were noted to be the highest risk.


'Wolf DNA' Lurks in Many Modern Dog Breeds

WIRED

Although wolf-canine interbreeding has been considered extremely rare, the latest research shows that many present-day canines carry a small amount of wolf genes. A surprising study reveals that there is a trace of wolf lurking within the tiny body of a Chihuahua and the gigantic build of a St. Bernard. An international research team from the American Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of Natural History analyzed the genomes of 2,693 dogs and wolves and found that 64.1 percent of purebred dogs carry fragments of wolf DNA. Furthermore, a study of village dogs (free-roaming dogs living in or near human communities) from around the world found genetic traces of wolves in all 280 analyzed pups. Dogs are thought to have evolved from populations of gray wolves, which became extinct during the Late Pleistocene epoch about 20,000 years ago.


Your pet dog really does have wolf genes

Popular Science

Chihuahuas have about 0.2 percent wolf ancestry, according to a new study. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. While that chihuahua might seem about as similar to a wolf as a shrub is to a mighty redwood tree, some small breeds like the tiny, big-eared chihuahua have some wolf ancestry. New research published today in the journal (), finds that the majority of dogs living today have low but detectable levels of post-domestication wolf ancestry. These genes have likely helped shape multiple characteristics, including personality traits, sense of smell, and body size.


A day with Newfoundlands, the original ship's dog

Popular Science

Newfoundland dogs are still practicing the same lifesaving skills they would have used in the 19th century. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. It's a dark and stormy night and you've suddenly found yourself swept off of your wooden vessel into the wild Atlantic Ocean. It's 1893, so your woolen clothes are pulling you down to Davy Jones' locker. What kind of dog would want to rescue you?


Dogs really can be addicted to their toys

Popular Science

'Two dogs even managed to destroy the box and get their toy.' Addiction to toys can mirror human addictive behavior in some dogs. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. If it seems like your dog is as attached to its favorite toy as your kids are to their blankie or stuffed animal, it might not be all in your head. It could even be something akin to addiction . Some dogs show behaviors towards their toys that actually resemble behavioral addictions in humans, including gambling, video games, and our beloved smartphones .


It's not the dog, it's the owner: Vets confirm the heartbreaking reason why some pets are so aggressive

Daily Mail - Science & tech

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Who's a clever boy? Study reveals the most INTELLIGENT dog breeds - so, is your pooch on the list?

Daily Mail - Science & tech

In the animal kingdom, having a big brain is usually linked with being smarter. But a new study by scientists in France shows this is not actually true when it comes to domestic dogs. They found that breeds with smaller brains respond best to training and have good short-term memory – two traits considered'clever' in dogs. Meanwhile, breeds with bigger brains scored higher for fear, aggression, attention-seeking behaviours and separation anxiety – traits linked with dimwittedness. So, if you've got a big dog such as a Retriever, Rottweiler or Siberian Husky, they're likely to have a smaller brain but higher brainpower.