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3 New Breeds to Watch for at the 2017 Westminster Dog Show

Making their debuts this year at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are three breeds: the American Hairless Terrier, Pumi and Sloughi.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is being held Feb. 13 and 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. You can watch streaming coverage of the breed judging for free on the WKC website. The competition will be broadcast live on FS1 from 8 to 11 p.m. EST Feb. 13 (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding breeds) and Feb. 14 (Sporting, Working and Terrier breeds, and Best in Show).

Here’s the 4 (paws)-1-1 on each of the breeds competing for the first time this year. If you’re interested in adding one of these or any of the other breeds you see in the WKC Dog Show to your family, I urge you to adopt, not shop. A rescue organization or animal shelter probably has just the dog you’re looking for.

American Hairless Terrier

If this dog reminds you of what a shaved Rat Terrier might look like, you’d be right — the American Hairless Terrier (AHT) is derived from that breed. It began with a hairless puppy who was born into a litter of Rat Terriers in the early 1970s, according to the American Hairless Terrier Club of America.

These dogs are completely hairless, although some have eyebrows and whiskers. Just like Ratties, AHTs are alert, smart and friendly. Their smooth muscles make them excellent contenders for agility sports. Despite their athleticism, AHTs are couch potatoes who enjoy spending time indoors. And although no dog is truly “hypoallergenic,” AHTs would make good pets for allergy sufferers.

Check AdoptAPet.com for rescue information. Look for the American Hairless Terrier in the Terrier group on Feb. 14.

Pumi

Is that a little lamb/dog hybrid? Nope, it’s a Pumi, which may be new to the WKC Dog Show but is an ancient Hungarian hunting breed. They were bred by shepherds (of the human variety) who needed dogs to help herd cattle, sheep and pigs.

These dogs are intelligent and quick to learn. They need regular physical activity and mental stimulation, so they’re best for an active owner. Fun fact: The plural of Pumi is Pumik.

Check the Hungarian Pumi Club of America website for rescue information. Look for the Pumi in the Herding group on Feb. 13.

Sloughi

Like the Pumi, the Sloughi (pronounced “SLOO-ghee”) has been around for thousands of years. They were bred by the Berbers and Bedouins to hunt prey like gazelles, jackals and wild boar. These rare Arabian sighthounds can be found nowadays in the North African countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.

Here in the United States, they are mainly companion dogs who can show off their hunting skills in lure coursing competitions, according to the American Sloughi Association (ASLA).

Check the ASLA website for rescue information. Look for the Sloughi in the Hound group on Feb. 13.

Photo credits: Rpping (American Hairless Terrier); Inger-A. Karlsen (Pumi); Dr. Sabine Schlenkrich (Sloughi)

Euthanasia Drug Discovered in Some Evanger’s Canned Dog Food

IMPORTANT UPDATE — MARCH 3, 2017

Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food is expanding its recall of Hunk of Beef Au Jus dog food and is now also recalling Evanger’s Braised Beef due to “potential adulteration with pentobarbital.”

The latest recall includes these 12-ounce cans of these products (the numbers are the second half of the barcode, found on the back of the product label):

Evanger’s: Hunk of Beef — 20109
Evanger’s: Braised Beef — 20107

The products have expiration dates of December 2019 through January 2021. They were distributed online and through independent boutique pet stores nationwide. According to Evanger’s, this voluntary recall affects only Hand Packed Beef Products, in which the meat is placed in the can by hand, not machine.

IMPORTANT UPDATE — FEB. 15, 2017

Another brand of dog food, Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs, has also been voluntarily recalled because it may contain traces of pentobarbital.

How the heck did a euthanasia drug end up in dog food?!

If you or anyone you know feeds dogs Evanger’s Hunk of Beef Au Jus canned food, be aware that traces of pentobarbital, a drug used to euthanize dogs, was discovered in one lot of these products.

In late December, a Pug named Talula died after eating the food. Five other dogs were sickened. On Feb. 3, Evanger’s announced a voluntary recall, the first in the company’s 82-year history.

When ingested, pentobarbital can cause side effects like “drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, or in extreme cases, possibly death,” according to the announcement.

The recalled 12-ounce cans were sold online and distributed to retail locations in Washington, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. They were manufactured the week of June 6 to 13, 2016.

As a precaution, Evanger’s is voluntarily recalling four additional lots of the dog food. These are the lot numbers:

1816E03HB
1816E04HB
1816E06HB
1816E07HB
1816E13HB

The second half of the barcode, found on the back of the product label, is 20109.

All the recalled products have an expiration date of June 2020.

Evanger’s is currently testing its Hunk of Beef product and investigating how Pentobarbital got into the food. Its meat product suppliers are all USDA approved.

“We feel that we have been let down by our supplier, and in reference to the possible presence of pentobarbital, we have let down our customers,” the company stated in a press release. “Despite having a relationship for 40 years with the supplier of this specific beef, who also services many other pet food companies, we have terminated our relationship with them.”

The supplier’s meat isn’t used in other Evanger’s products — but it would sure be helpful to know what other pet food companies use this same supplier.

Evanger’s paid for the veterinary bills of the sickened dogs and made a donation to an animal shelter in memory of Talula.

If you bought one of the recalled products, return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, call Evanger’s at 847-537-0102 weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time.

Photo credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

2017 Rose Parade Float with Surfing Dogs Breaks World Records

If you’re like me, your favorite floats in the Tournament of Roses Parade each year are the ones that feature dogs, whether the pups are real or flower-covered facsimiles.

For a few years, the dog food company Natural Balance partnered with the nonprofit Lucy Pet Foundation, which provides low-cost spay/neuter and adoption mobile clinics, to create floats featuring surfing, skateboarding or snowboarding dogs — especially a multi-talented Bulldog named Tillman, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge in October 2015.

Surfing dogs are back in the 2017 parade, thanks to a partnership between the Lucy Foundation and American Wave Machines, Inc. And, for the first time in the parade’s 128-year history, the float will break two Guinness World Records as the parade’s longest and heaviest float ever. The “Beachside Paradise” float, built by Fiesta Parade Floats, is 126 feet long and weighs 148,200 pounds — including the 8,000 gallons of water it will hold for the dogs to surf on.

Eight Dogs a-Surfing

The eight surfing dogs won a national competition to secure their spots on the float. A machine provided by American Wave Machines will produce the perfect wave for them every five seconds. After each dog catches a wave, he or she will ride in a car-shaped cage along a track back to the front of the pool.

To make sure the dogs were comfortable with the wave machine, Motortrend reports that the rear section of the float that contains the generator and wave pool was transported by truck to surfing competitions around the country so the dogs could test it out.

The surfers hanging 10 — er, 20 — are Surfin’ Jack, a Golden Retriever/Saluki mix who’s also a registered service dog; Sully, an English Bulldog (and Tillman lookalike); Coppertone, a miniature Dachshund who’s believed to be the best small surfing dog; Fred, a McNab Shepherd who’s also a champion disc dog; Haole, a Labrador Retriever who provides surf therapy for special-needs children; Macho, a Jack Russell Terrier who’s also a champion dock diver; Turbo, a Golden Retriever who once helped rescue a swimmer caught in a riptide; and last but certainly not least, Rooster, an Australian Shepherd who also holds a master dock diving title.

The parade begins on Jan. 2 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. It will be broadcast on ABC, NBC, HGTV and several other networks. (The parade is held on Jan. 2 when New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, a tradition that goes back to 1893. The reason for the one-day delay was because the parade passed churches where horses were tied outside, and the parade organizers didn’t want to spook the horses or interrupt the church services.)

1,122 Four-Legged White Sox Fans Break Guinness World Record

Baseball has officially gone to the dogs — in Chicago, at least. The number of four-legged fans in attendance at tonight’s White Sox game broke the Guinness World Record for the largest number of dogs at a sporting event.

The White Sox invited fans to bring dogs to their annual “Bark in the Park” game, hoping for at least 1,000 pooches to show up to break the record. They got even more than they hoped for: 1,122 dogs attended the game, the Chicago Tribune reports. All those furry fans woof-woof-woofed for the home team from the outfield seats at U.S. Cellular Field.

Our furry friends are having a ball at Bark at the Park. #SoxDogs

A photo posted by Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) on Sep 13, 2016 at 5:54pm PDT

The dogs served as good-luck charms as well: The Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 8-1.

“They were a little noisy but it’s kind of fun,” Sox outfielder Adam Eaton told the Tribune. “It brings a different atmosphere to the ballpark. I think that’s one of the beauties of The Cell, really nothing is off limits.”

Second baseman Tyler Saladino said the dogs were vocal throughout the game. “It was just funny hearing them yelling, like they didn’t know what was going on,” he told the Tribune. “They were just yelling back and forth at each other. That was a fun game though.” (Apparently in ballparks, “barking” becomes “yelling,” LOL.)

A Guinness World Record adjudicator also attended the game to verify the number of dogs attending. The team was awarded with a certificate.

Photo via Instagram

Woof-hoo! Celebrate National Dog Day August 26

Prepare to treat your pooch even better than usual Aug. 26 — it’s the 12th Annual National Dog Day, a holiday intended to encourage people to recognize the number of dogs needing to be rescued, as well as to honor pups who save lives, keep us safe and bring us comfort.

National Dog Day was created in 2004 by pet lifestyle expert and author Colleen Paige. Since then, it’s been celebrated each year on Aug. 26.

“I founded National Dog Day to honor dogs, to give them a ‘day’ to show our deep appreciation for the historical connection of companionship with one another,” Paige says on the official National Dog Day website. “For their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work protecting our streets, homes and families as police K-9s, military working dogs, guide dogs and therapy dogs.”

She was inspired by her rescue dog, Sailor, who “was tortured and starved when I found her in the shelter at 7 months old, and she taught me what unconditional love and trust really meant.”

The National Dog Day website has plenty of suggestions for ways to celebrate with your pooch, such as buying him a new toy, throwing a party and/or teaching him a new trick.

If you don’t have a dog, you are asked to donate $5 to your favorite rescue or shelter. And whether or not you have a pooch, you can also celebrate by spending some quality time Aug. 26 (or better yet, any day) visiting the lonely dogs at your local shelter.

I wish you and your pooch(es) a very Happy National Dog Day!

Photos via Facebook