Petfinder Blog

With the leaves changing color and the air getting crisp, it's a great time to take a nature walk with your dog. Our friends at Discovery News have tips for keeping hikes fun and safe for everyone. Here are a few of our favorites (read all eight tips here):

• Make sure your trail is dog-friendly. Some parks are dog-friendly throughout; some have designated trails for people with dogs; and others don't allow dogs at all. Also, be sure to check the park's leash rules; even if off-leash walks are permitted, you may want to keep your dog leashed in case you come across wildlife or a dog who is not dog-friendly.


• Make sure your dog stays on the trail. Your pup might be tempted to run after a squirrel, but off the trail he's more likely to run into larger animals (such as bears and coyotes), not to mention poison ivy, poison oak, fleas and ticks.
  

A three-part study recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that pets make us happier, healthier and better-adjusted.

While plenty of research shows that pets help sick people heal, this is the first study to look at the well-being of average pet parents.

The Miami University and Saint Louis University researchers -- who looked at people with dogs, cats, horses, lizards and even a goat -- sought to answer these questions:

1. Do pet parents enjoy better overall physical and mental well-being than people without pets?
2. What social fulfillment do dogs provide, and does it compete with or complement human relationships?
3. Can pets help reduce the sting of social rejection or isolation?

Discovery News reports, "Overall, researchers found pet ownership to be associated with higher self-esteem, higher levels of fitness and lower reports of loneliness among participants."

[The second study,] with a group of 56 dog owners, confirmed the benefits of receiving social support from pets ... seemed to complement existing relationships with humans rather than compete with them.

A third experiment, with a sample of 97 undergrads, looked at participants' reactions to rejection and whether thinking about their pets provided social support. It turns out thinking about pets made people feel just as good as keeping a supportive best friend in mind.

If you needed another reason to adopt a pet, the study comes just in time for our Big Birthday Adoption Weekend! So be sure to share it with your friends when you invite them to attend a birthday adoption event near you.

The hot pet story of the moment is about Wall-E, the puppy at Sulphur Animal Shelter in Sulphur, OK, who was believed euthanized, but who survived.

You can read his story on his Petfinder profile, which is maintained by veterinarian Amanda Kloski. Dr. Kloski has been caring for Wall-E since his near-death experience.

(You can also read about Wall-E's story in " 'Euthanized' Dog Rises from the Dead" on DiscoveryNews.com.)

As. Dr. Kloski writes in Wall-E's Petfinder profile, the adorable terrier mix has received hundreds of inquiries from people interested in adopting him. She adds:

In Sulphur we have NEVER had the problem (or BLESSING) of more than one family wishing to adopt a dog so we are new to this concept- most of our dogs do not get this chance or opportunity even ONCE- it is amazing!

So while Wall-E is likely to find a wonderful forever home, it's worth remembering the thousands of dogs out there who are still waiting. If you're determined to adopt Wall-E, check out the 13 other pets named Wall-E who are also listed on Petfinder -- not to mention the 204 adoptable pets named Wally.
 

Discovery News has a story today that says a lot about how long humans and dogs have been part of each other's lives.

Remains of a dog who lived in Siberia more than 7,000 years ago suggest the dog lived and died alongside humans -- who thought highly enough of the canine to give him or her a human-like burial.

The dog was carefully laid to rest lying on his right side in a grave pit that, at other levels, also contained five partial human skeletons.

DNA and stable isotope analysis determined the animal was indeed a dog and that he ate exactly what humans at the site consumed: fish, freshwater seal
meat, deer, small mammals, and some plant foods. (Read the full article at DiscoveryNews.com.)

The dog, like the humans, probably had a tough life. The condition of his spine indicates he was used to carry heavy loads, and other bone fractures suggest he was injured many times, possibly by deer he was hunting. "The researchers cannot rule out that humans hit the dog," Discovery News reporter Jennifer Viegas writes, "but its older age at burial, food provisions, and more suggest otherwise."

Discovery News reports that the animal world has a new jumping king -- the copepod. A one- to two-millimeter-long crustacean, this tiny creature can "accelerate to a speed of 500 body-lengths per second when they perform an escape jump," according to a recent study. (Read the full article here.)

So how do dogs match up? Well, the Guinness World Record holder for the highest jump by a dog is a Greyhound named Cinderella May a Holly Grey (yes, that's her full name) who cleared five feet, eight inches in 2006. (There's no current record holder for longest jump by a dog.) The average standing height for a female Greyhound is 27-30 inches, meaning Cinderella jumped the equivalent of two and a half times her own height. Wow!

Discovery News reports that a new study traces the origins of small dogs back to the Middle East of 12,000 years ago. (Read the original story.)

According to the study, which appears in the journal BMC Biology, a version of the gene responsible for a dog's small size probably resulted from the domestication of the Middle Eastern gray wolf, which is smaller than other wolves.

The DNA studies, combined with the archaeological record, then suggest that at least 12,000 years ago, the first domesticated small dogs entered the world, with humans playing a major role in the process.

"(There) could have been a mutation arising early in the history of dogs," said [study lead author Melissa] Gray, "which was maintained by breeding and artificial selection by humans, or could have been an adaptive trait that developed during domestication as a means to coexist with humans."

Also interesting: Archaeological evidence has found dog remains close to the size of Great Danes in Belgium, Germany and Western Russia dating to 13,000-31,000 years ago -- meaning big dogs came before small dogs.

Discovery News reports that a four-year-old Great Dane has been named the world's tallest dog (see the original story).

Standing at 7 feet and 3 inches from nose to tail and weighing in at 245 pounds, this gargantuan dog is not just your average Great Dane. It's the "Greatest" Dane.

Guinness World Records announced today that "Giant George," a blue Great Dane from Tucson, Ariz., is the new Guinness World Record holder of the Tallest Dog title.

George is three-quarters of an inch taller than the previous record holder, a Great Dane named Titan whose adoptive mom found him on Petfinder.

Want to adopt your own gentle giant? Check out the 1,100 adoptable Great Danes and Dane mixes posted on Petfinder!