In the Dog House: most owners of chows can't get insurance "To rein in pet-related liability claims, insurers are denying coverage to owners of aggressive breeds..." The article is short, informative and misleading about the reasons dogs bite; breed doesn't always indicate a dog's aggressive tendencies...  [Kipplinger's Magazine: September 2002]

Dog bite statistics can't be trusted because not all dog bites are recorded and many dog bite incidents are not broken down by breed. Most dogs are mutts. What we do know is that if a dog is trained for aggression or abused or neglected, it may dangerous. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite. Humane Society US statistics reflect that dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are up to three times more likely to be involved in a biting incident than neutered or spayed dogs. Dogs that haven't been properly socialized, receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.

(The Humane Society of the United States' web site http://www.nodogbites.org provides more information on the prevention of dog bites).

Life as a pet detective  GA Seven years ago, Carl Washington started his career as pet detective because he likes finding lost pets and he relies on his two dogs to help him sniff out the lost. "When he visits a location, he maps it, determining a range within which the pet would stay. Pets usually won't cross rivers, creeks or other such boundaries... He searches at night, wearing a miner's hat, because most scared animals won't move until the sun sets..." [Tallahassee Democrat]

Dogs' fleeting lives are bittersweet sorrow to some TN Bill Welborn recounts a litany of dogs he helped raise and parted with all too soon... [Nashville Business Journal]

Ground zero K-9 hero succumbs to rare disease NJ "A rare disease has killed a police dog who assisted rescuers at the World Trade Center. Anna was a four-year-old German Shepherd.Officials have wondered if the disease (recurring discospondylitis) was related to Anna's time at Ground Zero..." [The Herald News]

Those pesky alligators at it again... Gator snacks on dog; dog ok FL "While out playing Sunday morning in Ponte Vedra Beach, a family pet came close to becoming alligator bait after a large reptile left four puncture wounds and two large scratches down the dog's back." The dog was swimming in a 'gator hole.' [Florida Times-Union]

Related: On June 4, Dog News reported on the rise of gator attacks. Alligators run amok, eat pet dogs (link expired) Experts think the alligator overpopulation and increased incidence of 'alligator at large' syndrome in neighborhoods is due to cast off pets and a booming trade in selling alligators as pets. ' ''When they weigh 600 pounds and eat your dog for lunch, they're not so cute anymore,'' says Lt. Del Teagan, an alligator specialist with Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.' On July 8, another incident occurred: Dogs: tempting snacks for 'gators  Dogs have disappeared near the 'Big Hole,' a popular nature stop that sits off Key Deer Boulevard. 'Big Hole' "has a bizarre history that includes pet victims and mysteriously beheaded alligators." ... [Keynews] (Incidents make us think that dogs make better pets than alligators and we'll definitely watch our dog's back if ever in Florida...)

Some shaved dogs get summertime blues DC According to the Animal Doctor, it's okay to shave your long-haired, double-coated dog in hot weather. "Dogs who experience this sudden change of coat can become quite shy about going out because they feel different. They may also fear that their dog- buddies won't recognize them." [Washington Post]

Of course, a too-close shave will make a dog vulnerable to sun-burn and is not recommended. (Our chow has had 1/2 inch shaves: two for surgeries and one shave when we adopted him. When we first adopted him, he positively frolicked like a puppy after his summer cut; his energy level increased and he seemed to enjoy the freedom from his heavy, tangling coat.). Many dog breeders warn against shaving because they say that it removes the dog's natural air-conditioning (for our dog, that was absolutely not the case). Other breeders say the dog's hair may never grow back properly: show dogs rarely get shaved for this reason...

Dog finishes year-and-a-half jail sentence for bite  Brazil A stray dog has left jail in brazil after serving a year-and-a-half for biting a lorry driver. "Bingo had been treated like the human prisoners at the police station in the Amazonian town of Maranhao. He had his own cell and access to scheduled exercise periods, medical treatment and visitors..." [Ananova Quirkies]

DogFriendly offers online dog travel magazine Dogfriendly.com recently launched an online dog travel magazine. In this month's magazine, enjoy full-length articles on Washington D.C. (you probably can't visit a presidential dog, however), airline travel, and doggie etiquette when travelling. [Business Wire]

BARF dog diet: for the birds... or good for dogs? BARF (Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), an extension of the 'wholistic' pet care movement, has both critics and supporters. Although proof exists that a diet of raw food may introduce unhealthy bacteria (salmonella or e-coli contamination) and other diseases via contaminated meat, enthusiasts remain staunch advocates. Even so, a "Tufts/University of Pennsylvania study in which veterinarians' "best clients" prepared raw-food diets and the food was analyzed while fresh revealed all cases were nutritionally deficient and several were contaminated with bacteria..." [Star Tribune]

Secret tapes reveal shelter dogs dispatched by gunshot KY More on the July 30 story posted by Dog News... "One by one, stray dogs were shot in the head by the overseer of the pound. Many went limp immediately, but some did not. The overseer slung them into the front end of a backhoe, where they wiggled and twitched atop a pile of other freshly shot dogs..." [Cinncinati Enquirer]

 "For the first time in his life, the plain-spoken housepainter [who secretly videotaped the gruesome executions] is involved in a cause, granting interviews and attending county meetings."

Dog's fate often violent agony KY 'Dicky Farrar's job as Gallatin County dog warden was OK except for one odious task: dispatching problem canines with a bullet to the head."That's how it was always done," said Farrar. "It doesn't bother me doing it, but I don't like doing it."' And unadopted strays also ended up dispatched by a single bullet.  July 30

In response to the revelation, Gallatin County resident Pam Barnett and another resident, Sandy Brown, started a Humane Society. With funding and donated land, they hope to educate people about dog care, and spay dogs and cats so they won't be euthanized later. Both have vowed to stop the dispatch of dogs by gunshot. [The Kentucky Post]

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Electric shock therapy for pets "VersaTron, a new portable shock wave device for veterinary medicine, is used to treat joint pain in animals. The practice is called orthotripsy and it consists of pulsing high-energy sound waves to achieve an analgesic effect on an affected area. Slow-acting pills are often prescribed for animals in pain, but the VersaTron takes only minutes and costs less than pills..." In the words of TechTV: Cool! [TechTV]