Talk about dog

Feb 28, 2015

17 Soulful Pugs In The Midst Of An Existential Crisis About Food

You wanted it, the internet delivers!

1. Doug: “Was I a carrot in my former life?”

Image via @itsdougthepug

2. Homer: “I smell, therefore I am…”

Image via @homerpugalicious

3. Davie: “Does kibble exist if you’re not in the room with it????”

Image via @insitu

4. Otis: “Am I a cat in another dimension?”

Image via @otisthepugwalsh

5. Charlie: “I eat. I sleep. I eat. I sleep. THERE HAS TO BE MORE.”

Image via @charles_pugowski

6. Norm: “Nirvana shall never be achieved through table scraps. Damn it.”

Image via @jermzlee<

7. Prince: “Do I like Greenies? Or do I LOVE them?”

Image via @princereefer

8. Bruno: “I am often haunted by the great toy massacre of 2009.”

Image via @smerkoes

9. Lola: “There is no such thing as unconditional love. Exhibit A: The treat jar.”

Image via @itslolathepug

10. Loulou: “Every bully stick I chew is my last and my first.”

Image via @meetthepugs

11. Giles: “Free will is for fools. Give me regular meals in a crate any day.”

Image via @gilesthepug

12. Garcon & Manzo: “We know the secret to feeling full.”

Image via @lostintechnicolor

13. Kingston: “There is no meal not formal. There is no kibble not a celebration of life. There is no treat that is not a journey.”

Image via @kingstonthepug

14. Ernest: “I will taste all things in life. I do no discriminate. I do not judge.”

Image via @ernestthepug

15. Nutello: “Bacon is why I breathe, move, blink. Bacon is what I see. Bacon made me the pup I am today. Yet my soul is a barren wasteland.”

Image via @nutellothepug

16. Pickles: “I hate Pickles. So do I hate myself?”

Image via @pickles_da_pug

17. Tofu: “My soul is vegan. But my tastes are omnivore.”

Image via @tofu_pug

Dogs May Be Great Sniffers, But This Mammal Can Detect Scents 6 Miles Away

By Dr. Becker

There are about 20,000 genes in mammals responsible for sense of smell. Of these, only about half are functional and the number falls even lower depending on the species.

Each species has a different number of genes dedicated to scent, and the genes code for olfactory receptors, which detect different smells. Inside your nose are about 6 million olfactory receptors that allow you to recognize thousands of different smells¹ (although, some experts believe humans can smell closer to 1 trillion different odors, but have stopped noticing²).

It sounds like a lot, until you realize that inside your dog’s nose there are up to 300 million such receptors. While you can detect certain odors in parts per billion, a dog can detect them in parts per trillion. This, too, sounds like a lot… until you compare it to other creatures in the animal kingdom.

Other animals, including some you probably wouldn’t expect, contain far more olfactory receptor (OR) genes than dogs. What this means for certain is still being discovered… while it’s generally thought that a greater number of olfactory genes and receptors yields a better sense of smell, this is still being proven.

For now, however, the list that follows is still intriguing and shows the many mammals (and amphibians) that may rely on their sense of smell for survival even more so than your dog.

Top 10 Sniffers in the Animal Kingdom

If you’ve ever wondered which creatures have the keenest sniffers, researchers from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Applied Biological Chemistry set out to find out.

“Olfactory receptors (ORs) detect odors in the environment, and OR genes constitute the largest multigene family in mammals. Numbers of OR genes vary greatly among species--reflecting the respective species' lifestyles,” the researchers noted.³

Interestingly, most of the olfactory genes were unique among mammals, with only three genes in common, which the researchers suggest “may have physiologically important functions common to every placental mammal.” More than 10,000 unique genes were detected,⁴ but some species had significantly more dedicated scent genes than others. Who came out on top?

10. Guinea Pigs: 796 OR genes

9. Dogs: 811 OR genes

8. Western Clawed Frogs: 824 OR genes

7. Horses: 1,066 OR genes

6. Mice: 1,130 OR genes

5. Chinese Softshell turtles: 1,137 OR genes

4. Cows: 1,186 OR genes

3. Opossums: 1,188 OR genes

2. Rats: 1,207 OR genes

1. African Elephants: 1,948 OR genes

With their long trunks, it might not be entirely surprising that elephants ranked number one. What is fascinating is that elephants may be able to distinguish between odor molecules with extremely subtle differences,⁵ such that an elephant’s world of scents is far bigger than our own. The study’s lead researcher noted:

“Because their body is so large, they have evolved a dexterous long trunk, which functions like a hand. It can grasp foods or other things. Therefore, they always use olfaction when they search the outer world, maybe driving a superior sense of smell.”

Some additional interesting facts...⁶

Cows can detect scents that are up to six miles away

Dogs may not be able to detect as many different odors as some other animals, but they may be very sensitive to the odors they can detect

The Chinese softshell turtle likely developed its keen sense of smell since it must find food in marshes and other murky water… at night

African rats are trained to sniff out landmines

Where Did Humans Rank on the List?

Ranking just under guinea pigs were rabbits… followed by humans, with 396 OR genes. Humans actually ranked highest among the primates analyzed. Wrapping up the list were chimpanzees, marmosets, macaques, and orangutans.

Primates may have a relatively poor sense of smell because they prioritize sight or smell. There’s still much left to be discovered, however, and the number of OR genes or receptors likely doesn’t tell the whole story.

For instance, your dog has a part of his brain devoted to analyzing smells that’s about 40 times larger, proportionally, than the same area in your brain.⁷ A tracking dog may be able to, for instance, follow the trail of a single human from 24 hours before, even if tens of thousands of people had crossed the same path.⁸

And while we often think of dogs when we think of creatures with a phenomenal sense of smell, there are many others. Insects, particularly fruit flies, have a wide range of highly developed and sensitive odorant receptors. Even bees, it turns out, have the sensitivity to sniff out bomb residue to a part-per-trillion ratio, and an albatross can smell fish while flying in the air, even from miles away.⁹

And eastern American moles, which are blind, have the unique talent of being able to smell in stereo, which means they can detect different scents coming in each nostril.¹⁰

Perhaps most fascinating of all, certain animals including dogs can sniff out chemicals in humans’ breath, urine, skin, blood, and feces that may be able to detect cancer, changes in blood sugar levels, an oncoming seizure and more.

Dogs can even detect scents from certain hormones, along with other body chemicals released, to essentially smell certain emotions, like sadness or fear. So if you’ve ever wondered how your dog seems to just know that you’re having a bad day, it may be his nose telling him so.

Feb 27, 2015

Year of the Sheep? Bahh. Here are 20 Prosperous Pups for Chinese New Year

Today marks the start of the Chinese New Year, and although it IS the year of the sheep, these pooches don’t seem to mind. Celebrations in the United Kingdom tend to last just three days instead of the full fifteen, but luckily for the pups, the second day is all about them! On day two, believed to the birthday of all dogs, the pups of the households are honored with special treats and gifts.

Here are 22 Pups ready to sweep away last year’s bad luck and welcome pawesome vibes into 2015!

1) “Raise the woof for the New Year.”

2) “May you have the cuddling strength of a dragon all year.” pintrest

Image via Pinterest

3) “Unleash your happiness. No need to cur-tail it.”

flickrbugbunnybambam Image via Flickr/bugbunnybambam

4) “Remember all your lasting fur-riendships during the festivities.”

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Image via BBC News

5) “Leave the treats here and I can promise you a good year.”

lauralobdell Image via Laura Lobdell

6) “My shirt reads, “Will trade belly rubs for good luck.”

shana97deviantart Image via Deviantart/shana97

7) Came for the party. Stayed for the treats.

Image via Jama Rattigan

8) “May your happiness be without tail wagging limits.”

hssvaccblogspotcouk Image via Blogspot/hssvacc

9) “Let your family hound over you today!”

10) “Um, Mom? A little help with the costume here?”

little_project Image via Little-Project

11) “May all your wishes and tummies be fulfilled.”

chuckhubpages Image via Hubpages/chuck

12) “Just peed in the middle of the parade… mum was not pleased.”

blogselfstorage Image via Self Storage

13) “May your days be filled with smiles, belly rubs, and butt sniffs.”

hssvaccblogspotcouk2 Image via Blogspot/hssvacc

14) “Birthday smooches for the prettiest pooches on this day!”

photo 1 (16) Image via Instagram/nutella_the_frenchie

15) “Sorry kitties, your fortune does not look good.”

photo 2 (15) Image via Instagram/rosalynmonkeypug

16) “When wealth is acquired, delicious objects follow.”

bighoneydog Image via Big Honey Dog

17) “May a small investment bring ten-thousand biscuits.”

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Image via Getty Images

18) “The Dragon Dance brings good weather for good digging.”

Image via Flickr/jannachan

19) “The more envelopes I get, the better your outlook, bub.”

flckr324 Image via Flickr/wilsonsvision

20) “Banish evil with a fancy dance!”

18 Times Dogs Gave Dudes Extra Points on Tinder

You’re scrolling through Tinder and your swipe left game is strong, maybe too strong, until you happen across a set of pictures where an average looking guy is made spectacularly attractive by one small addition: his handsome, big-eyed dog. Maybe it’s because it makes him look responsible or like a sensitive soul. Or maybe, and lets admit it ladies, it’s because you want a chance to snuggle with that pup.

Here are 18 guys whose four-legged wingman help them get closer to that swipe right!

1. Size TOTALLY matters.

Image via Tumblr

2. Because why not lift a puppy to get that flex in?

tumblr_mvjghi0zAE1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

3. Quick! Grab the nearest puppy! The girls will go wild!

tumblr_mvqt3oReae1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

4. Even Betsy was swerving John’s advances.

tumblr_mvj7j9b3KN1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

5. “Get out of my way Hooman! The girls are only interested in me.”

tumblr_mw1n6nJ8uu1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

6. Both man and dog: “This could be you, ladies.”

tumblr_mzal13qSLD1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

7. The unimpressed face on this pooch says it all.

tumblr_mvg0hjquij1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

8. If in doubt, give a puppy center stage.

tumblr_mxhmowUHar1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

9. Swipe right, swipe right, swipe right!!!

tumblr_mveg5nTX0g1smszuco1_400 Image via Tumblr

10. Only thing better than a well-traveled dog lover is a well-traveled dog.

tumblr_mva9ybCh0A1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

11. Hey, nice lap.

tumblr_myrwejy5vX1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

12. Nuthin like a well-trained man + dog duo.

tumblr_mw9s1hweh51smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

13. Twinsies!

B47tbwNIcAAi3Oh Image via Twitter

14. And the prize goes to…

tumblr_mwfgsn6Hpa1smszuco1_500 Image via Tumblr

15. Giz a kiss!

B3PdG6rCEAAILav Image via Twitter

16. Dean and Bruno: Such pensive.

B2R0B31IcAEyL81 Image via Twitter

17. Living the Pug life!

B9TyMztIYAAhODm Image via Twitter

18. “Check it out… We had our nails did.”

B4QA650IIAAq9nh Image via Twitter

15 Dogs Who Are Just Showing Off Their Superior Yoga Skillz

It doesn’t get better than chilling on your couch in yoga pants for a Netflix marathon, but there comes a point when you actually have to do some goga to justify wearing them, even if it is just one class. We don’t know much about being a yogi, but these pups can definitely help you brush up on your downward facing dog (had to)… and other such moves.

1. “Namaste, I will be your guide today.”

Yoga_dog Image via Flickr