Dog Tidbits

Did the Domestication of Dogs Help Create This City Skyline?

I read an interesting article about the domestication of dogs recently in The New York Times. Until recently, most scholars thought that the domestication of dogs took place in East Asia. But, according to The New York Times, an article in the March edition of Nature threw that theory for a loop. It turns out that the domestication of dogs probably took place in the Middle East instead.

So what’s the big deal about that? Plenty, as it turns out. A Middle Eastern origin of dogs lets scientists place the domestication of dogs… Continue reading

If you’re like me, sometimes finding a healthy, high-quality dog food makes me feel as if I’m shopping for a used car. Like the clean, shiny exterior of a used car, the label on the can of dog food might display a dog food name that seems enticing — such as Hobo Chili, Prime Slices, Grilled Chicken Primavera, or Grammy’s Pot Pie™. And the picture of the food on the label might make the contents look appetizing enough to eat yourself.

But with a used car, you have to look under the hood to see what condition the engine is in. And with dog food, you have to look under the hood — evaluate what’s inside the can or bag… Continue reading

Have you ever wondered who determines dog food standards? We buy cans of wet food and bags of dry food, along with boxes of treats and other goodies, for our four-pawed companions. The names on the dog food labels — such as “Grilled Chicken Primavera in Sauce” or “Cuts in Gravy with Wholesome Beef” — sound tasty and the pictures on the labels look enticing.

But the list of ingredients that make up the dog food can be confusing:

• Meat by-products
• Animal digest
• Chicken by-product meal
• Digest of beef
• Kibbled corn

Then you see the blurb on the label that the contents inside the container of dog food or dog treats “is formulated… Continue reading