How to shut the dog up and get some peace CA No, don't even think of shooting it -- people who do that deserve the punishment they get. But if your's dog's barking is driving you crazy and you feel like shooting it, read this article: 'Dr. Yin's noisy dog cure' ...[San Francisco Chronicle]

Related: Silencing a new adopted dog's incessant barking [Newsday Features]

(Our dog never barks; he just doesn't bother, so we have just learned to live with it; he's barked  twice in the last six months. Our trainer once said, "your dog is basically inert." We took that as a compliment: he is a mellow dog.)

I was searching Daypop for dog news (what else) and up popped Jeff 's Radio Weblog. He has designed some neat Radioland macros and made them available to Radioland users in an easy to use form: already prepared -- as in 'cut and paste.' I'm going to try them all. His motto:  'tuned in and turned on' (and calibrated, too). He has the scoop on all the Radioland enhancements, which of course, make Dog News more accessible. Plus, he links to some funny sites:  Adam Curry: New Version of word you just gotta try out online!

Dog euthanasia: a dirty little secret Barbados When people bring their dogs to the local pound, they leave a live dog and go home without thinking too much about the consequences for their dog. Sometimes euthanasia is painless; other times, it is horrific torture. When 'The Barbados Advocate' reported hundreds of dogs were being herded into a defective gas chamber that saw them choking to death over a period of as long as 15 minutes, a public outcry arose and the practice was stopped. Now, it may be reopened again... [Barbados Advocate]

It's so revolting that most states do not allow viewing of animals being gassed in the state run carbon monoxide gas chambers. Most people who view such a 'euthanasia' cannot forget the agony of animals going to an unwilling end. "Gassing is 'like a dark, dirty secret that no one wants exposed,' said Jeanne Bridgforth, an animal welfare activist who launched a campaign last month to rid Virginia of its 26 gas chambers. Even though killings are performed at taxpayer expense, the public pounds are 'doing something they don't want anyone else to see,' she said. " Only three states have banned carbon monoxide gassing: California, Maryland and Tennessee. "Most animal welfare groups and the American Veterinary Medical Association recommend intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital for the euthanasia of companion animals..." [Daily Press Jun 17 2002]

And let's not forget what eventually happens to that euthanized pet: Outcry Over Pets in Pet Food "The practice of boiling down euthanized dogs and cats for industrial fat and protein caused an uproar in St. Louis." [Common Dreams]

Ruling: dogs are not children, so no joint custody  PA Even if people treat their pets like children, the law doesn't allow a divorced couple to have joint custody of a dog, a state appeals court ruled. "... Pennsylvania law considers dogs ... property,''  and to argue otherwise is to "seek a court order that is `analogous, in law, to a visitation schedule for a table or a lamp...' 

[Thank goodness the judge cleared that one up.]  [Star Tribune]

Dogs of war revisited After 9-11, stories emerged from Afghanistan and Pakistan that were bizarre, yet somehow epitomized the twisted psyche of the Taliban terrorists who had ruled Afghanistan. 'Dogs of War', reported on by The Scoop, a blog by Derek Willis, a DC journalist, was just one of them. And now, ten months later, how are people and dogs fairing now: "Even the dogs could not bear to live in such a place," Abdul says bitterly, surveying the drooping patchwork tents and makeshift shelters made of sewn together rags. "The world has forgotten us - we are the poorest people in the world."...

Killer bug increase blamed on dogs Britain "Man's best friend could be deadly health risk after research blamed pet dogs for a dramatic rise in cases of a deadly food poisoning bug which can lead to paralysis and even death. The superbug can be passed on to humans if they merely stroke their beloved animals.." [Shropshire Star]

There are good reasons to wash hands after handling a pet. "We know that half of pet dogs are infected with campylobacter." It is carried by wild birds, and when dogs come into contact with bird droppings," they get infected, but are not affected themselves. [Oh great, we have bird feeders in our back yard.] There is NO vaccine for campylobacter.

'Greatest Fun Match of Maine' a doggy delight ME On Saturday, July 13, "a local dog trainer has organized a The Greatest Fun Match of Maine, a trial run for dogs and their owners gearing up for future shows and competitions." The show is free to spectators and a practice run for dogs entering other shows... [Maine Today]

Cane toads a threat to pets FL The common backyard toad, called the Bufo toad or cane toad or simply giant toad, has been responsible for many a poisoned dog and cat. "The poison, a defense mechanism for the toad that has no local predators, enters the dog's system through the mucous lining in the canine's mouth, said Rex Cross, a local veterinarian." Toads thrive in damp climates and like to lurk under dripping air conditioners, faucets or shaded shrubbery. If your dog comes in contact with a toad, rinse the dog's mouth with lots of water, keep it cool and get it to a vet... [KeysNews]

Man beats beagle to death PA When a beagle entered a man's property and harassed his pet rabbit (secured in a cage), the man took a board and beat the beagle to death. Police charged the man with animal cruelty and more. [Chloe_nepa_log WNEP 16 News] (I've never met a mean beagle.]