Pet Points: Dogs add comfort level to autistic children

Our office recently adopted, Piper, a Labradoodle puppy who will be trained as a service dog to assist someone with autism. There are currently 12 dogs in training with Perfect Fit Canines, a local organization founded by a Wilkinsburg couple, and we will provide complimentary medical care for one.

One of the challenges Perfect Fit Canines (www.perfectfitcanines.org) faces is to enlist enough puppy raisers willing to raise and train puppies, who are 8 weeks old when they begin, and expose them to a variety of stimuli. Training takes up to two years of intensive work. A school teacher with autistic children in her class is the volunteer who is raising Piper.

Autism is not well understood by the general public. As dogs increase interaction with parents of autistic children, we will better understand the spectrum of autism. By training dogs for specific tasks, we see an excellent example of pet-assisted therapy. Oversight of the training is done by Jeff Woods at Misty Pines.

The ultimate goal of Perfect Fit Canines is to have a stand-alone breeding and training program and enough staff to provide sufficient dogs to meet demand. The cost of training can add up to $25,000. Families who need dogs contribute to the costs associated with training. However, the hope is that corporate sponsorship will be able to make obtaining a trained service dog more affordable.

The dogs will be used for children as young as 4 years old. These children can be highly intelligent but sometimes lack the ability to understand the danger of actions such as walking into traffic. The dogs are trained to comfort the children but also to keep them safe. One dog named Oliver is being trained to track a child who has been known to bolt from the family and become lost for up to eight hours at a time.

The work of training dogs to assist the autistic community brings special meaning to the human/companion animal bond. The bond between child and dogs are nonjudgmental and special. The executive director of the program relayed a story of a child who lacked the confidence to leave the house. The child, to the amazement of the family, went out to play after getting a dog at his side. With a dog, autistic children are often less frustrated and have more confidence.

Along with the ability to search for a child who strays, dogs can interrupt repetitive behavior, prevent a behavioral meltdown, distract unwanted behavior, promote speech and calm a child with a hug.

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Some lots of Eukanuba, Iams dry foods for cats and dogs recalled

Several lots of certain varieties of Eukanuba and Iams dry foods for dogs and cats have been recalled because they may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.

The Procter & Gamble Company issued the voluntary recall Wednesday Aug. 14 through the Food and Drug Administration's website.

Salmonella is a bacteria can cause an infection, salmonellosis, that can infect both people and pets. Pets can get infected from eating the food, while humans who handle the food may contract the bacteria.

Pets with salmonella may appear tired and/or have a fever, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Some may show less obvious symptoms like decreased appetite, while other pets may be completely healthy but still able to spread the bacteria to other animals or people.

In dogs, it may also cause miscarriage or spontaneous abortion, according to PetMD. Persistent forms of salmonellosis in pets may result in loss of blood, non-intestinal infections and diarrhea that comes and goes with no logical explanation, which may last up to three or four weeks, or longer.

For people, the infection causes diarrhea, fever and/or abdominal cramps that typically resolves in about a week. But some people may be at higher risk for more severe illness, including the elderly, young infants and people with weakened immune systems.

These serious complications including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms.

The recalled pet foods were made during a 10-day window at one of Procter & Gamble's manufacturing sites, and represents only 0.1 percent of total annual production, the company said. The products all have expiration dates during November, 2014.

They include certain lots and bag sizes of Eukanuba dry dog foods for puppies and adults, Iams dry dog foods in some Healthy Naturals and ProActive varieties, plus some Healthy Naturals, ProActive and hairball preventing-varieties for cats.

A complete list of product types, lot codes and expiration dates can be found on the FDA's website.

The recall only affects products with these specific lot codes. No other dry foods, wet foods or treats and supplements are affected.

People who purchased the products can contact toll-free hotline at 800-208-0172, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, or via these pet food brands' websites.

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We're more sympathetic to abused dogs than humans

What's harder to watch: An adult human kicking a puppy or an adult human kicking another adult human? Science says: the puppy. A new study has found abused dogs -- both puppies and adults -- elicit more sympathy than abused adult humans.

Abused human kids, however, are equally sympathetic as abused dogs, LiveScience reports.

NEWSER: Clue to near-death experiences uncovered

"The fact that adult human crime victims receive less empathy than do child, puppy, and full grown dog victims suggests that adult dogs are regarded as dependent and vulnerable not unlike their younger canine counterparts and kids," says one of the study's researchers.

The researchers at Northeastern University in Boston showed 240 students one of four news articles about a beating -- each article was the same except for the victim, which was variously an infant, a puppy, a man in his thirties, or a 6-year-old dog.

"We were surprised by the interaction of age and species," says a co-author of the study, per Science Daily. "Age seems to trump species, when it comes to eliciting empathy. In addition, it appears that adult humans are viewed as capable of protecting themselves while full grown dogs are just seen as larger puppies."

Another way we're in sync with man's best friend? Dogs can catch yawns -- from us.

Newser is a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Guard dogs being tested on Rocky Mtn Front

CHOTEAU, Mont. (AP) — A lanky white dog with a lab-like face stands on its hind legs with its paws on the shoulders of Ben Hofer of the Rockport Colony.

"Radar" is nearly as tall as Hofer, who's no shrimp.

"Come here buddy, how you doing, how you doing?" says Hofer as he gives the dog an affectionate pat.

Radar gets along well with Hofer and the colony children. But the aim of a new study is to find out whether the big dog is nasty enough to stand up to Montana wolves and grizzly bears. Wolves in particular have been having their way with other breeds of guard dogs charged with protecting sheep.

Radar is a Kangal, a tough long-legged Turkish breed known for standing their ground and confronting predators if need be.

"It looks like they're skinny, but they're not," says Hofer.

The four-year study in Montana will compare the effectiveness of several breeds of guard dogs.

The $80,000 effort is being funded by the National Wildlife Research Center, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services in Logan, Utah. Wildlife Services heads up predator control efforts for the USDA.

Daniel Kinka, a doctoral ecology student at Utah State University in Logan, is leading the effort on the ground. He's splitting time between a ranch in the Lincoln area and the New Miami and Rockport colonies. That's where the different breeds of dogs have been placed.

The study will be expanded to other western states, he says.

"There's reason to believe they might be better suited for dealing with large carnivores," Kinka says of the Kangal, which has a history of confronting brown bears and wolves in Turkey.

The aim of the study is to see if breeds that have been little-used in North America, such as the Kangal, are a better non-lethal large carnivore deterrent than other breeds commonly used in the United States, such as Great Pyrenees and Akbash, Kinka said.

The outcome will be of keen interest in sheep-producing states such as Montana, where there are an estimated 230,000 sheep vulnerable to grizzly bears, wolves and coyotes, says John Steuber, state director of USDA Wildlife Services in Montana.

"There's a lot of excitement out there at the possibility they will help," he says.

Most of the previous guard-dog research has involved coyotes, he said. "Now we're getting into more and more wolf depredation and we're finding out these dogs can't fight the wolves," he said.

Wolves have no problem killing Great Pyrenees, he said. Some producers have taken to using as many as eight to 10 dogs now for a band of sheep, he said.

Kangals, he said, are a little larger and more athletic.

Guard dogs have been used for thousands of years in Europe, Kinka said. In the United States, more producers started using them in the 1970s, mostly as a deterrent against coyotes.

Coyotes remain the top threat but there are more wolves and grizzly bears on the landscape today and more guard dogs are being killed as a result, Kinka said. Wolves in particular are very territorial and will kill dogs if they get the chance, he said.

Gail Keirn, spokeswoman for the National Wildlife Research Center, said the study was launched following a meeting of the American Sheep Industry Association in 2011.

"They wanted to find a more hardy breed," Keirn said.

As part of the study, Great Pyrenees and Akbash dogs have been placed at the New Miami Colony. Three Kangals are at the Rockport Colony. Akbash and Maremma mixes are at the Lincoln-area ranch.

Each dog is fitted with a GPS collar.

One day last week, Kinka hopped on top of a pickup with a telemetry antennae pointed toward the sky looking for guard dogs at the New Miami Colony. Even with the GPS, it wasn't easy finding them on the vast landscape.

"I think the bears got 'em all," joked Jason Mandel, the New Miami sheep boss.

Finally Kinka tracked a white speck on a far-away slope. It was Snowflake, a Great Pyrenees.

Kinka also will have access to the locations of wolves and grizzly bears that Montana wildlife managers collect from radio collars on those animals.

He'll compare data on the movements of the carnivores and the dogs and study how they interact and also track the number of sheep killed. Remote cameras also are set up.

"We're trying every method we can to try to protect these sheep," said Hofer, as Radar, Mirriam and Kaan milled about.

The 90-resident colony, which has 850 sheep, is in grizzly bear territory on the Rocky Mountain Front. Ben Hofer once watched as grizzly cubs played in a reservoir.

"That would have been a million-dollar movie," he says.

But the bears are threats to the colony's sheep, he adds.

The Kangals, which can weigh up to 150 pounds, came from a Texas breeder, arriving in Montana on a 20-below December day. Hofer says the dogs didn't seem to mind.

He's pleased with their performance so far even though they haven't had any run-ins with bears yet. Colony members just feel better having the dogs close by, he said.

"They're pretty sensitive," says Hofer, noting they take off running without warning sometimes. "They've got a good sense of smell or a good sense of hearing. I don't know which one it is, but they must both work together."

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Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com

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32 Dead Dogs, 29 of them Puppies, Found in La. Man’s Freezer

Around 32 dead dogs were found in a man’s freezer near New Orleans, and officials are not exactly sure why the dogs–most of which are puppies–were being kept there.

The suspect in the case was identified as Juan Toledo of Arabi, reported NOLA.com. He was charged with 32 counts of animal cruelty, said the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Toledo, 52, “had intended to bury them at some point and he hadn’t gotten around to it,” said Col. John Doran of the Sheriff’s Office.

“It appears that these dogs died of neglect,” Doran added.

“He offered no explanation of how they died, except to speculate the smallest ones may have been accidentally suffocated by a mother dog,” Sheriff James Pohlmann told The Associated Press.

Police said the dogs did not have any knife or gunshot wounds, or signs of trauma.

Neighbor Monique Gleason told WWLTV that Toledo is “never there” at his home. “I wouldn’t expect him to have dogs or animals there.”

Toledo’s former girlfriend tipped police about the dead dogs. Toledo, who served time in prison about 20 years ago for burglary, was booked in July for aggravated battery of a woman who was believed to be his girlfriend at the time. He was also accused of murdering his wife in 1983, but he was never convicted.

“He basically said he was keeping these dogs, raising these dogs and they had puppies. At some point they died. He intended on burying them but he hadn’t gotten around to it and buried them in the freezer,” said Doran.

Around a year ago, Toledo went missing police went over to check on him.

“I remember him having a lot of dogs, live dogs,” Doran told NOLA. “We called animal control at that time since he wasn’t there and the dogs were on their own.”

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Police dogs are partners by day, pets at night

DALLAS (AP) — Senior Cpl. Craig Woods has had five canine partners since he joined the Dallas police K9 unit in 1988, and each one has become a member of his family, fetching bad guys on the job and chew toys at home.

"He's a working dog, much more than a pet with extra oomph," Woods said of his fifth dog, El. "You're given him, you train with him, you know what he is for, and you can't help but become attached. That's just the downside."

When El is let loose from the back seat of Woods' car, he leaps out and searches for an unmarked tree. At home, on off-days, El rests in his city-provided kennel. But when his partner comes outside in uniform, El jumps up and runs to the police SUV.

"El's always ready to go," Woods said.

Police dogs typically are either German shepherds or a mix between a shepherd and a Malinois, or Belgian shepherd. The breeds are high energy by birth, but tough by training. The K9 unit regularly trains for 16 to 18 hours a month, and Woods' bite sleeve, a wearable training tool, has plenty of marks from El's teeth.

"You look for a certain drive and ambition," said Sgt. Tracy Smith, who heads up the unit. "You know it when you see it."

K9 commands are often spoken in Dutch, Czech or German because the dogs are born in Europe and tend to be more comfortable with familiar words. El will sit and stay when he hears his commands from Woods, but rarely from anyone else.

"My wife and sons know El's commands, and when I'm not there he'll listen to her," Woods told The Dallas Morning News (http://dallasne.ws/14kv8K4). "But if I'm there, he'll look at her like, 'really?'"

Police dogs usually work for seven to nine years and spend retirement at their partners' homes. Even though they don't work, the dogs retain their training.

"If someone they don't know comes in the backyard, he's going to raise all kinds of Cain until he knows everything is OK," Woods said. "Do they ever stop being police? No, it's in them."

In his 25 years with the unit, Woods has worked alongside Tar, Kimbro, Herrus, Xero and El — and all have been part of the family. Tar, a Labrador, used to splash in the backyard inflatable kiddie pool with Woods' son.

"He's laying there with his nose above the water, playing with Junior," Woods said.

The dogs don't realize what they do is dangerous, Woods said, because to them, it's "not a job." But the dogs will benefit from last month's donation of bullet- and stab-resistant vests from Vest 'N' PDP, a New Mexico organization devoted to protecting police dogs.

"We've had some close calls and a couple hurt," Smith said. "It'll make the dogs safer."

Because of the bond between the partners, the officers don't focus on danger for them or their dogs. If an officer is wounded, whether human or canine, their partner will stay by them to protect them.

"We know it's out there, but we don't dwell on it," Woods said. "I've never had a better partner than my K-9s — they never complain, they never change the radio or A/C, they always listen to my stories and they are totally devoted to their jobs."

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Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com

This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Dallas Morning News

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These Amazing Dogs Can Smell Cancer

Dogs can use their noses to sniff out bombs and drugs, lead manhunts for murderers, and rescue people from disasters. And, now, they can even diagnose diseases.

Researchers at University of Pennsylvania's Working Dog Center are training a team of retrievers and Dutch or German Shepherds to use their extremely sensitive noses to sniff out ovarian cancer.

If they are successful, the research could lead to the development of a new device that could save thousands of lives every year in the U.S. alone. Also, they are completely adorable.

As with many cancers, detecting ovarian cancer early is crucial to survival. The five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is high (around 90%), but, as with many cancers, early detection is crucial. Though it is only the eighth most common type of cancer, it is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death. That's because about 70% of the time doctors don't detect the cancer until it has spread.

Life-saving scents

Training dogs for scent detection works through a simple but lengthy process called imprinting. Trainers begin by taking an object familiar to the dog, say, a blanket, and covering the object with a bit of whatever substance they are trying to train the dog to detect — explosives, drugs, or even a human or animal scent.

They place the blanket with the target scent in a box and wait for the dog to find it. The trainers repeat this process over and over, each time reducing the size of the blanket and increasing the proportion of the scent. In the final step, they remove the blanket entirely, leaving only a patch of the target scent for the dog to detect.

If the dog knows to go after the scent, it is ready for field work.

The team first trained the dogs to detect an ovarian tumor. Then they trained the dog to detect the plasma taken from the tumor. The final step is a bit more complicated. While the team trains the dogs, chemists break down the cancerous ovarian plasma into its individual chemical components.

The researchers are looking for the chemical unique to ovarian cancer, so they run several trials where a dog sniffs each chemical. The one the dog is drawn to will be the one on which they base the design of their sensor.

University of Pennsylvania Working Dog Center

Jonathan Ball, a trainer at the Penn Working Dog Center watches Ohlin, a brown Labrador Retriever, as the dog picks out cancerous tumors from among the scents in different buckets

Doggy disease detectors

Dogs have always enjoyed a reputation for the utility of their sharp sense of smell, especially in the celebrated bloodhound breed, which can follow a scent trail several days old.

Bloodhounds — the dogs most famous for their sniffing abilities — have 230 million olfactory receptor cells. That is 40 times as many as humans have. Their noses are so strong and reliable, their scent-tracking abilities are even admitted as evidence in court cases.

But researchers are now beginning to realize many other canine noses may be more powerful than we previously believed, and that different breeds are well-suited to different types of work.

"The bloodhounds are trailing dogs, man-tracking dogs," study researcher Cindy Otto, of the Penn Working Dog Center, told Business Insider. "They have really good noses. But for a lot of the other work — what we call 'air-scenting', where the dog raises his nose in the air and tries to find the source of a smell, those tend to be the retrievers, the hunting dogs."

Retrievers have been bred to be "trainable," and are often better at working off-leash than the scent-crazy bloodhounds.

University of Pennsylvania Working Dog Center

Dr. Cindy Otto of the Penn Working Dog Center with McBaine

Sensing cancer, infection, and seizures

Scientists have already shown dogs to be effective at detecting infections, and in 2004 a team of British scientists found dogs could detect bladder cancer just by sniffing a patient's urine. Dogs can also "predict" seizures in epileptics and potentially life-threatening "superbug" infections.

The field has exploded in the last decade. Now it seems, dogs are being used for everything.

The University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology trains dogs to keeps tabs on wildlife populations and by sniffing out animal scat. They have even put dogs on boats and trained them to track killer whales by sniffing for their dung.

Biologists are also using them to track invasive or dangerous species, like the pythons that are slithering through Florida.

"Someone was telling me that there are over 180 applications for dog detection," Otto said. "It's so exciting to think about the opportunities."

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