Welcome to the Scoop – our weekly round up of dog news. This week we get to know the Corgi who’s mad for goldfish, meet the very, very tall dogs who are world record contenders and reveal that it’s not just us humans who go prematurely because of stress.
Corgi has mad love for goldfish
Before you mourn a dead goldfish – don’t worry, they’re just fish shaped biscuits.
Possibly our favourite video from this last week was this one featuring Brady the Corgi who lives the high life in Chicago. Literally – he lives up a skyscraper.
This week, Brady was spotted snapping up goldfish at an impressive rate. Watch and enjoy (you’ll want the sound on!).
Let’s take another look at that!
Dogs go grey due to stress
Have you ever spotted one of those before and after montages of politicians? Apart from a bit of weight gain (or loss!), perhaps dark circles around their eyes and a rising hairline, the one thing these all have in common is the difference in their hair colour. Sure, they’re a bit older, but the grey speckles in their hair have increased. Sometimes, in the case of Tony Blair, they’ve gone entirely grey.
A recent study of more than 400 dogs discovered that pooches that exhibit signs of stress or anxiety tend to go grey faster. Research was conducted by scientists from Northern Illinois University, by the same team who proved that Thundershirts do have a positive effect on dog anxiety levels. Lead researcher Camille King said “I’ve long had a suspicion that dogs with higher levels of anxiety and impulsiveness also show increased muzzle greyness”. It’s a hunch that her study, which examined hundreds of dogs, visiting their homes and surveying veterinary clinics, has confirmed.
There are lots of contributing factors to doggy anxiety, including abuse and abandonment. That’s why we want to see more dogs get adopted into loving homes and so we’re supporting the amazing work of the RSPCA. Find out more and make a festive donation here.
Meet the UK’s tallest dogs
Say a very big hello to Freddy. He’s a Great Dane. And he’s taller than some basketball players. He’s one of the UK’s tallest dog, measuring a whopping 7 feet and 4 inches when he stands on his hind legs and that makes him a contender to be crowned the world’s tallest dog. Zeus, who previously held this auspicious title, sadly passed away in 2014. Now, that torch has passed to Major (see picture below – Major is the one in the middle, in case you’re wondering!), a 22 stone Great Dane living in Swansea, Wales.
But watch out Major, Freddy is only 18 months old – he could get even bigger!