End of the Road for Walthamstow Greyhounds
18 Aug 08
After 75 years of greyhound racing, the Walthamstow Dog Track has shut — despite a 15,000 strong petition against the closure. The last races were held on Saturday 16th August. Awoooo!
Read all about it…
Jeddah still missing
13 Aug 08
Remember the story about the dog who got loose from his dog kennel at an American airport?
Well, sadly, Jeddah is still missing. Great effort has been made to find the dog, who resembles an Egyptian pharoah hound, and rewards of up to $5,000 US are on offer, but to no avail. Yet….
Read all about it…
Master Class Dog Training in Stockport (UK)
12 Aug 08
Are you a hound in need of a refresher course in obedience and other doggish training? (What dog isn’t, Awoof!)
Well, if you are, you’re in luck. Celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell - whose name was made in the Channel 4 series ‘It’s Me or the Dog’ - will be at Pets at Home in Stockport on Thursday 14 August from 16.30 hours to give the two-legged companions of slightly unruly hounds the chance for some hands-on training techniques.
Hounds Survive Tornado
21 Jul 08
Max and Maudie, the hounds who survived the tornado, are calm now. But a few months ago they, and their companions the Anderson family, were terrorised by a tornado (as reported by the Des Moines Register).
The Andersons’ life has literally been turned upside down since an EF5 tornado destroyed their Parkersburg rental house they’d lived in for 15 years. The twister destroyed a third of the Butler County town of 1,800 and killed eight people.
On the 25th of May as the Andersons were eating supper the tornado siren went off. They thought it odd as it was sunny outside. They flipped on the television to find out that a tornado was heading their way. The sky darkened. They grabbed the dogs and headed toward the basement.
Read all about it…
Jeddah’s Fear of Flying
20 Jul 08
A 4 year old tan and white rescue dog called Jeddah who resembles an Ibizan or Pharaoh hound, was supposed to make a flight on the 10th of July, along with her two-legged companion, John Weisner - a US Army soldier.
John was on his way to a year-long assignment in Saudi Arabia when he learned that his beloved dog, Jeddah, was missing. She has no longer in her airline-issued kennel. She had escdaped. John found out a mere 15 minutes before he was scheduled to board a plane last week at Dulles International Airport.
Read all about it…
Bloodhound Training Camp
19 Jul 08
Ever wonder how other hounds around the world spend their summers? Well, in Washington (USA) an international delegation of more than 35 bloodhounds and their two-legged handlers — some from as far away as Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Brazil — came together to participate in an annual week-long training camp.
Organizers had to turn away nearly 30 applicants to the 17th annual Search and Rescue Training Seminar. The popular event is sponsored by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia Bloodhound Search and Rescue Association.
Read all about it…
SuperWoof to Nelson Mandela!
18 Jul 08
Did you know that it’s Nelson Mandela’s birthday today? Ah. It’s a good, good day to be born.
Yours truly came into the world on this very day in the year 2005. So it’s my birthday too!
Happy Birthday Mr Mandela! Happy happy happy birthday to you!
SuperWoof!
Archibald, Esquire - a slowly maturing hound…
Dog Thefts on the Rise in UK
17 Jul 08
Dog owners in Wetherby district have been warned about dog thieves. As have dog owners in North London. Wetherby Police believe the theft of a valuable gun dog called Beth from the Harewood estate last weekend could be the first sign that a recent national trend of pedigree dog thefts has come to the area.
Understandably the Francis family, including 8 year old Josh, have been devestated with the loss of their beloved hound. Mr Francis said: “She’s part of the family as well, a big part. My son thinks the world of her. It’s like having one of your children abducted.”
Mr Francis believes Beth was taken over their other dogs, including her mother and grandfather, because she is young and the most valuable. The family is offering a substantial reward for her safe return.
Read all about it…
Bassets gather for Slobberfest
14 Jul 08
The Eerie Times (USA) reported on a local New York state reunion for basset hounds called the Slobberfest. Hoards of the long-eared droopy-eyed hounds gathered on 12th July in Wattsburg to compete in a variety of fun events — some of which involved ‘fancy dress.’
Other competitions include the ‘basset dash,’ the ’silly agility challenge,’ ‘longest ears’ and ‘best hat contest.’ Elvira the hound won the long ear competition with an impressive ear span measure of 25 inches. AwoooF! Now that’s what I call Ears!
Read all about it…
Question of Dogs Hounds Obama
13 Jul 08
The world sure is a funny place at times. It seems Americans like their presidents to keep company with dogs. Keeping company with hounds is said to show good, decent character. Awoof!
Which has led to speculation that McCain, the Republican candidate for the next Presidency, could attract the loyalty of that ever-elusive voter-demographic: the dog lover.
Read all about it…
Good News for Chinese Dogs!
12 Jul 08
Good news for dogs in China!
Yours truly just heard on the radio news that the Beijing Catering Trade Association have announced that restaurants servicing the areas surrounding the upcoming Olympics will have to take dog off the menu under the premise that they should respect foreign attitudes to the eating of dogs. They suggest that if anyone does request ‘fragrant meat’ (as dog is locally known), then restaurant staff should discretely suggest other dishes.
Over 112 restaurants have to remove dog from the menu for the duration of the summer Olympic. Which is certainly good news for a good many dogs! If only they’d keep it that way!
Read all about it…
Guai Guai’s Feel-good story
11 Jul 08
Finally! A feel-good story to get all super-woofy about! Ananova recently reported on the story of a two-year old dachshund from China who has become a bit of a local celebrity.
The indomitable dachshund called Guai Guai runs underneath the wheelchair pushing the foot rests with his front legs.
Read all about it…
Dogs Bring Communities Together
10 Jul 08
Can it be true that dogs make communities dangerous places? How’s this for a reality check!? The Times online (5 July 2008) interviewed local London dog owners on how their dogs integrate with their lives….
Self-employed estate agent Ray Smith, 32, needed a low maintenance hound, hence Abe, a dachshund with some celebrity status in the bars of Hoxton. “Daxies basically sleep all day,” says Smith. Of Abe Smith says that “he’s a ridiculously affectionate dog. Customers love him, he’s sold a fair few flats. I get stopped every day by people wanting to talk about dachshunds.”
Read all about it…
Weiner Takes All
09 Jul 08
There’s a documentary drama about racing dachshunds called ‘Weiner Takes All.’
Now, between you and me, I’m doubting whether this little number will ever feature in your local cinema….
But it might just be worth the effort to dig up a copy off the internet… Specially as you’d be guaranteed an hour and a half’s viewing of some of the most determined and competitive dachshunds on the North American racing circuit. And in case you didn’t already know it — the summer is Weiner Dog Racing Season in the U.S. of A.
Awoof!
Archie
Human Savagery Mirrored in Houndishness
08 Jul 08
In Moscow, the relation between two-leggeds and four-leggeds has descended to extreme lows. Just as humans disregard the special bonds between human and hound by over-breeding and discarding unwanted puppies into the street, so too are Russian dogs turning against their former masters and companions.
Street dogs are increasingly feared, and incidents of dog attacks are steadily increasing. In one incident, a 51 year old man was mauled to death by a pack of feral dogs as he walked home from work through a park in northeast Moscow.
Read all about it…
Roscoe’s Big Mistake
07 Jul 08
In Illinois last week, Linda Floyd had to have her miniature dachshund, Roscoe, put down after the dog gnawed off her big toe while she slept. Mrs. Floyd, 56, woke up too late to save her toe because nerve damage from diabetes had left her with no feeling in her toes.
The case is being used as an example of how dachshunds are vicious and dangerous dogs.
Balderdash! Did anyone pause to think how extremely hungry a poor little dog would have to be before going for its two-legged companion’s toes!?! Why not see this as a bizarre case of animal abuse? Did Mrs. Floyd forget to feed her dog?
Read all about it…
Doxies Ranked Among Most Dangerous Dogs
06 Jul 08
Us dachshunds may be super-cute, but a new study has found that 1 in 5 dachshunds have bitten or tried to bite strangers — and a similar number have attacked other dogs. Even more worryingly, 1 in 12 have snapped at the two-leggeds in their lives.
Known as sausage dogs (or weiner dogs in America) for their elongated bodies, dachshunds have not, until now, had a fearsome reputation. But now they’ve achieved the dubious distinction of topping a list of 33 breeds rated for their aggression in a study that analysed the behaviour of thousands of dogs.
Chihuahuas, an even smaller breed, were the second most hostile, regularly snapping or attempting to bite strangers, family and other dogs. Another small dog favourite, the Jack Russell, was third. Woof!
Canadian Dog Voted most Clone-Worthy
04 Jul 08
It’s a ‘newshound story’ that just won’t go away: Cloning Dogs. Hhmmn. It’s a topic that always leaves me a little ambivalent… So it is nice that little feet, being Canadian, can at least take solace in the fact that the world’s ‘most-worthy’ dog to be cloned is a Canadian search and rescue dog called Trakr.
Trakr, a Canadian search-and-rescue dog who helped recover the last survivor from the World Trade Center attack on September 11th, 2001, is set to be cloned after being voted the “most clone-worthy” dog.
Read all about it…
©2008 Roleta Archibald, Awoof!™