Not all standard poodles are froufrou, overly coiffed dogs adorned with diamond-studded collars and red-painted toenails. Some of them actually like to get dirty. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Standard poodles were originally bred as bird dogs and can now be found leaping from duck blinds, flushing waterfowl and retrieving the birds with a soft mouth. …
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It was a flock of Canadian geese that led to the infamous landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River off Manhattan. The mid-air bird strike caused the plane to lose power in both engines, requiring Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger to deftly maneuver the aircraft into a safe water landing. That’s why it …
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You’ve witnessed dogs on skateboards. Dogs diving off docks. And dogs racing through obstacle courses. But dogs on surfboards? It’s true. In states like California and Hawaii, dogs have been cresting the waves on surfboards, either alone or with a human, for almost a century. But the first official dog surfing competition didn’t happen until …
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Brock McArdle is almost breathless as he tells the story of the case. A wounded victim, lost on a mountainside. A one-in-a-million shot at finding the subject. But thanks to the literal doggedness of Brock’s partner, Cash, the duo found who they were looking for. Case closed. “It was a needle in a haystack,” the …
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A hush falls over the crowd as the leader paces at the edge of the swimming pool or lake. Seconds later, the competitor is airborne, the crowd erupts in applause and the whirl of freeze-frame cameras attest that every move is documented. Is it an Olympic diving event? No. But it is one of the …
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Most people visit the rescue shelter in search of their perfect canine or feline counterparts. A dog who shares your love of popcorn while you binge-watch the latest Netflix release. Or a cat who will rev its motor and purr you to sleep. But others search the shelters for the pets that are typically passed …
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People used to pay good money to watch greyhounds tear around a track at 45 miles per hour. In 1991, the money wagered on dog races across the country peaked at $3.5 billion, according to Racing Commissions International. Bettors at tracks hobnobbed with Frank Sinatra and other celebrities. But by 2014, track income had tumbled …
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Transportation Security Administration (TSA) dogs can’t prevent turbulence during your flight, but they can help you fly through security a little faster. Trained to sniff out a range of explosives at airports and other transportation hubs, these dogs can screen passengers — without touching them — faster than traditional methods. And that helps loosen airport …
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When your dog peers under the kitchen stove growling for hours, you can be pretty sure there’s some kind of varmint under there. If you’re lucky, your pet comes by these pest-hunting skills naturally, and somehow, the unwelcome critter will disappear. Other dogs, however, are specially trained to hone their hunting skills on vermin of …
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Over the years, horses have been used to pull just about every type of wagon, from covered wagons to hay wagons and even beer wagons. But did you know that dogs also have a place in cart-pulling history? Pulling their weight Since about the 18th century, dogs often pitched in around the farm by pulling …
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