Author: Paul Handover

The 20 Best Dry Dog Foods

Following on from yesterday’s post.

This was a link in the post and I thought it valuable to present the information.

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Best Dry Dog Foods 2019

The best dry dog foods listed below have been selected by The Dog Food Advisor because of their exceptional ingredient quality, nutritious design, and the superior safety practices of their manufacturers.

In addition, the labels of these products reveal…

  • Above-average meat content
  • Safe fat-to-protein ratio
  • Moderate carb levels
  • No high-risk ingredients
  • No anonymous meat

Tip: Please don’t overlook our 4-star selections. Many are made by some of the best companies in the industry. They also offer exceptional value for those on a budget.

The Best Dry Dog Foods
July 2019

Here are The Dog Food Advisor’s top 20 best dry dog foods for July 2019.

Dr. Tim’s Pursuit Active Dog Formula

Rating: *****

Dr. Tim’s Pursuit Active Dog Formula is one of 8 recipes included in our review of Dr. Tim’s dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, chicken fat, whole oat groats, dried beet pulp
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: All life stages
  • Best For: All adults and small/medium breed puppies
  • See all 8 available recipes

Dr. Tim’s Pursuit Active Dog Formula derives the bulk of its animal protein from chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 22% fat and 36% estimated carbs… creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 67%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Instinct Original with Real Beef Dry Dog Food

Rating: *****

Instinct Original with Real Beef is one of 6 recipes included in our review of Instinct Original dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Beef, chicken meal, white fish meal, peas, chicken fat
  • Type: Grain-free
  • Profile: All life stages
  • Best For: All adults and puppies
  • See all 6 available recipes

Instinct Original with Real Beef derives most of its animal protein from beef, chicken meal and fish meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 40% protein, 21% fat and 31% estimated carbs… producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 53%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Victor Hi-Pro Plus Formula Dry Dog Food

Rating: *****

Victor Hi-Pro Plus is one of 4 recipes included in our review of Victor Classic dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Beef meal, grain sorghum, chicken fat, pork meal, chicken meal
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: All life stages
  • Best For: All adults and small/medium breed puppies
  • See all 4 available recipes

Victor Hi-Pro Plus derives the majority of its animal protein from beef meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 22% fat and 37% estimated carbs… which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 67%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Annamaet Ultra Dry Dog Food

Rating: *****

Annamaet Ultra is one of 7 recipes included in our review of Annamaet dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, chicken fat, whole dry eggs, herring meal,
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: All life stages
  • Best For: All adults and puppies
  • See all 7 available recipes

Annamaet Ultra derives most of its animal protein from chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 22% fat and 34% estimated carbs… yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 63%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand

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Canidae Pure Real Salmon and Sweet Potato

Rating: *****

Canidae Pure Real Salmon and Sweet Potato is one of 11 recipes included in our review of Canidae Grain-Free Pure dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, peas
  • Type: Grain-free
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 11 available recipes

Canidae Pure Real Salmon and Sweet Potato derives the bulk of its animal protein from salmon. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 20% fat and 36% estimated carbs… resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Wellness Complete Health Adult Dry Dog Food

Rating: ****

Wellness Complete Health Adult is one of 14 recipes included in our review of Wellness Complete Health dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, oatmeal, ground barley, peas
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 14 available recipes

Wellness Complete Health Adult derives most of its animal protein from chicken. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 27% protein, 13% fat and 52% estimated carbs… which yields a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Orijen Original Dry Dog Food

Rating: *****

Orijen Original is one of 8 recipes included in our review of Orijen dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, deboned turkey, Atlantic flounder, cage-free eggs, whole Atlantic mackerel
  • Type: Grain-free
  • Profile: All life stages
  • Best For: All adults and puppies
  • See all 8 available recipes

Orijen Original derives the majority of its animal protein from deboned poultry and Atlantic fish. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 43% protein, 21% fat and 28% estimated carbs… which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete

Rating: *****

Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete is one of 12 recipes included in our review of Diamond Naturals dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, chicken, ground white rice, chicken fat, cracked pearled barley
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 12 available recipes

Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete derives the bulk of its animal protein from chicken. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 28% fat and 29% estimated carbs… resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 78%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Nature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal Feast

Rating: *****

Nature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal Feast is one of 9 recipes included in our review of Nature’s Logic dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, millet, chicken fat, pumpkin seed, yeast culture
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: All life stages
  • Best For: All adults and puppies
  • See all 9 available recipes

Nature’s Logic Canine Chicken Meal Feast derives most of its animal protein from chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 40% protein, 17% fat and 36% estimated carbs… which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 42%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Nulo Freestyle Adult Turkey and Sweet Potato

Rating: *****

Nulo Freestyle Turkey and Sweet Potato is one of 8 recipes included in our review of Nulo Freestyle dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Deboned turkey, turkey meal, salmon meal, chickpeas, chicken fat
  • Type: Grain-free
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 8 available recipes

Nulo Freestyle Turkey and Sweet Potato derives the bulk of its animal protein from poultry meal and salmon meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 37% protein, 20% fat and 35% estimated carbs… creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 55%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Nutro Ultra Adult Dry Dog Food

Rating: ****

Nutro Ultra Adult is one of 10 recipes included in our review of Nutro Ultra dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, whole brown rice, brewers rice, rice bran
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 10 available recipes

Nutro Ultra Adult derives most of its animal protein from chicken and chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 28% protein, 16% fat and 49% estimated carbs… producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Go! Solutions Carnivore Chicken, Turkey and Duck

Rating: ****

Go! Solutions Carnivore Chicken, Turkey and Duck is one of 5 recipes included in our review of Go! Solutions Carnivore dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, turkey meal, salmon meal, de-boned chicken, de-boned turkey
  • Type: Grain-free
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 5 available recipes

Go! Solutions Carnivore Chicken, Turkey and Duck derives the majority of its animal protein from poultry meal, salmon meal and deboned poultry. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 38% protein, 18% fat and 36% estimated carbs… yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Eagle Pack Power Adult Dry Dog Food

Rating: *****

Eagle Pack Power Adult is one of 7 recipes included in our review of Eagle Pack dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, pork meal, ground brown rice, peas, chicken fat
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 7 available recipes

Eagle Pack Power Adult derives most of its animal protein from chicken meal and pork meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 21% fat and 38% estimated carbs… resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 63%

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Wellness Core Original Formula Dry Dog Food

Rating:

Wellness Core Original is one of 12 recipes included in our review of Wellness Core dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, peas, potatoes
  • Type: Grain-free
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 12 available recipes

Wellness Core Original derives the bulk of its animal protein from chicken. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 38% protein, 18% fat and 36% estimated carbs… which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Whole Earth Farms Adult Recipe

Rating: ****

Whole Earth Farms Adult Recipe is one of 2 recipes included in our review of Whole Earth Farms dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice, oatmeal, barley
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See both available recipes

Whole Earth Farms Adult Recipe derives the majority of its animal protein from poultry meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 29% protein, 15% fat and 48% estimated carbs… resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken and Brown Rice

Rating: ****

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken and Brown Rice is one of 23 recipes included in our review of Blue Buffalo Life Protection dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oatmeal
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 23 available recipes

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken and Brown Rice derives the majority of its animal protein from deboned chicken and chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 27% protein, 16% fat and 50% estimated carbs… which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 58%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Holistic Select Grain-Free Adult and Puppy Health

Rating: ****

Holistic Select Grain-Free Adult and Puppy Health is one of 10 recipes included in our review of Holistic Select Grain-Free dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Salmon, anchovy and sardine meal, potatoes, peas, menhaden fish meal
  • Type: Grain-free
  • Profile: All life stages
  • Best For: All adults and small/medium breed puppies
  • See all 10 available recipes

Holistic Select Grain-Free Adult and Puppy Health derives most of its animal protein from salmon and fish meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 32% protein, 16% fat and 44% estimated carbs… producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Blackwood 3000 All Life Stages Everyday Diet Dry Dog Food

Rating: ****

Blackwood 3000 All Life Stages Everyday Diet is one of 5 recipes included in our review of Blackwood Everyday Recipes.

  • First 5 ingredients: Lamb meal, brown rice, oat groats, millet, chicken meal
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: All life stages
  • Best For: All adults and puppies
  • See all 5 available recipes

Blackwood 3000 All Life Stages Everyday Diet derives the majority of its animal protein from lamb meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 27% protein, 16% fat and 50% estimated carbs… creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 58%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Sport Dog Food Active Series Tracking Dog

Rating: ****

Sport Dog Food Active Series Tracking Dog is one of 5 recipes included in our review of Sport Dog Active Series dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Buffalo meal, oatmeal, dried sweet potato, pork meal, coconut oil
  • Type: Grain-inclusive (contains grain)
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)
  • See all 5 available recipes

Sport Dog Active Series Tracking Dog derives most of its animal protein from buffalo meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 22% fat and 37% estimated carbs… yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 67%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Natural Balance Synergy Dry Dog Food

Rating: ****

This sole recipe is included in our review of Natural Balance Synergy dog food.

  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, chicken fat, dried beet pulp,
  • Type: Grain-inclusive
  • Profile: Maintenance
  • Best For: Adults only (not for puppies)

Natural Balance Synergy derives the bulk of its animal protein from chicken and chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 31% protein, 18% fat and 43% estimated carbs… which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.

Check Price at an Online Retailer

Read Our Full Brand Review

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Important FDA Alert

The FDA is investigating a potential link between grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs. Click here for details.

A Final Word

The Dog Food Advisor is privately owned and is not affiliated (in any way) with pet food manufacturers. We do not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.

However, we do receive an affiliate fee from certain online retailers when readers click over to their website from ours. This policy helps support the operation of our blog and keeps access to all our content free to the public.

In any case, it is always our intention to remain objective, impartial and unbiased when conducting our analysis.

For complete information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.

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Now a couple of cautions.

  1. I couldn’t copy the ratings properly and some of the four-star ratings were actually four and a half stars.
  2. I couldn’t copy and paste the section at the end of each review that had key points under the title of Why We Like This Brand so please consider reading the Full Brand Review.

Nonetheless, I sincerely hope you find this useful.

UPDATE

In response the Irene’s question, that you will find in the comments section, I have now had a reply to my email. It is posted below.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your message. I understand your concerns about grain free diets.

Please keep in mind, the FDA`s latest update regarding its investigation into the possible link between grain free dog food and DCM is still not conclusive. So, we`re just as anxious as you are to know the true causes behind these cases.

In case you haven`t already done so, please take a moment to check out our most recent update about this important topic.

Still, the FDA reminds readers in its most recent report…

“It’s important to note that the reports include dogs that have eaten grain-free and grain containing foods and also include vegetarian or vegan formulations. They also include all forms of diets: kibble, canned, raw and home-cooked.

“Therefore, we do not think these cases can be explained simply by whether or not they contain grains, or by brand or manufacturer.”

“… the FDA has received reports of about 560 dogs diagnosed with DCM suspected to be linked to diet. Tens of millions of dogs have been eating dog food without developing DCM.”

So at this time, we`re still including BOTH grain-inclusive and grain-free recipes on every “best” dog foods list.
If you`re still concerned, simply choose one of the grain-inclusive options on one of our many “Best Dog Foods” pages.
Hope this helps.

Jackie B.
Community Support
The Dog Food Advisor

Yet another dog food alert

This came in yesterday.

The Food and Drug Administration has named 16 dog food brands with an increased risk of a type of canine heart disease known as dilated cardiomyopathy… or DCM.

To learn which dog food brands are affected and 8 things you can do right now to lower your dog’s risk, please visit the following link:FDA Investigating Possible Link Between Diet and Heart Disease in Dogs

Important Best Dry Dog Foods Update

We’ve recently updated our Best Dry Dog Foods page to reflect the FDA’s latest report. Here are 5 of The Advisor’s Top 20 Best Dry Dog Foods for July 2019.

  • Wellness Complete Health Dog Food
  • Victor Hi-Pro Plus Formula
  • Nulo Freestyle Dog Food
  • Eagle Pack Natural Dog Food
  • Canidae Grain-Free Pure

Please be sure to share the news of this alert with other pet owners.

Mike Sagman, Editor
The Dog Food Advisor

Now if one goes to that first link then you will read the following.

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FDA Investigating Potential Link Between Diet and Heart Disease in Dogs

This Report Has Been Updated

June 27, 2019 — The FDA has published its third status report regarding a potential connection between grain-free diets and a type of heart disease in dogs known as dilated cardiomyopathy… or DCM.

The Dog Food Advisor initially alerted readers about this issue on July 12, 2018, the day it was first announced by the FDA… and continues to update this report on an ongoing basis.

About DCM

DCM is a disease of a dog’s heart muscle that results in weakened contractions and poor pumping ability…

Which can lead to an enlarged heart and congestive heart failure.

Even death.

Which Breeds Are Affected?

Although the root cause of DCM remains unknown…

And even though initially the condition appeared to be more common in certain breeds…

The FDA has received reports of DCM in a wide range of breeds, including many not genetically prone to the disease.

Likely Linked to Diet

Since announcing its investigation in July 2018…

FDA researchers have observed that most of these DCM cases were associated with animals eating dry dog foods.

However…

Dogs eating raw, semi-moist, and wet diets were also affected.

What Types of Dog Food?

Researchers found that over 90 percent of the reported recipes were grain-free.

And that…

Most of these animals ate diets that appeared to contain high concentrations of peas, chickpeas, lentils… or various types of potatoes.

Yet some dogs consumed diets that contained grain, too.

Which Brands?

Brands named most frequently in these reports are depicted in the following FDA graphic…

The FDA reminds readers…

“It’s important to note that the reports include dogs that have eaten grain-free and grain containing foods and also include vegetarian or vegan formulations. They also include all forms of diets: kibble, canned, raw and home-cooked.

“Therefore, we do not think these cases can be explained simply by whether or not they contain grains, or by brand or manufacturer.

The Agency goes on to assure dog owners…

“To put this issue into proper context, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that there are 77 million pet dogs in the United States.

“As of April 30, 2019, the FDA has received reports about 560 dogs diagnosed with DCM suspected to be linked to diet. Tens of millions of dogs have been eating dog food without developing DCM.”

The FDA also makes the following logical observation…

The prevalence of reports in dogs eating a grain-free diet might correlate also to market share: these products have become exceedingly popular over the last several years.

Which would certainly explain the higher number of DCM cases associated with these same brands.

What’s the Cause?

Based on its latest update…

The FDA has still not discovered why certain dog foods may be associated with the development of DCM. In fact, the Agency now believes the connection between diet and DCM is a complex scientific issue involving multiple factors.

Still…

Even though it’s not clear exactly what it is about these diets that may be connected to DCM in dogs, there are a number of possible causes.

For example…

Taurine deficiency is a well-documented, potential cause of some cases of DCM. Yet it’s not likely to be the only cause.

In fact…

According to Dr. Lisa Freeman, a veterinary nutritionist at Tufts University, “most dogs being diagnosed with DCM do not have low taurine levels”.

Which means…

It’s not reasonable to assume a taurine deficiency is the definitive cause of DCM.

The One Common Thread

According to the FDA, researchers have uncovered one dietary feature common to a large number of DCM cases…

“The common thread appears to be legumes, pulses (seeds of legumes), and/or potatoes as main ingredients in the food. This also includes protein, starch and fiber derivatives of these ingredients…

“Some reports… indicate that the pets were not eating any other foods for several months to years prior to exhibiting signs of DCM.

Editor’s comment: As previously noted, most of these animals appeared to eat diets that contain high concentrations of plant-based protein “boosters”. These include items like pea protein, dried peas, and potato protein. Or a number of legumes (ingredient splitting) located near the top of the ingredients list.

8 Things You Can Do Right Now to Lower Your Dog’s Risk

Until the FDA completes its study and releases its final report…

The Dog Food Advisor believes it makes good sense to apply science and logic to all your feeding decisions.

So, consider these commonsense tips…

  1. Since vegetable protein tends to be incomplete (deficient in certain essential amino acids needed by a dog to sustain life), avoid brands that derive most of their protein from legumes and other plant-based protein boosters
  2. Don’t avoid any brand just because it contains peas, legumes or potatoes. In reasonable amounts, studies have not found these ingredients to be toxic
  3. Avoid brands that list pea protein, potato protein, or other plant-based protein concentrates among their first few ingredients
  4. Avoid brands that use the deceptive practice of ingredient splitting to hide the fact their recipes are dominated by non-meat components… like corn, rice or legumes
  5. Consider switching your dog to a quality grain-inclusive product
  6. Focus on the recipe. Not the brand. To satisfy consumer demand, companies sometimes replace the meat in certain products with cheaper plant-based alternatives. Yet they still offer other recipes with superior, meat-rich designs
  7. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify. Since no dog food can ever be perfect, consider using diet rotation to lower the risk of endlessly feeding your pet the same imperfect product
  8. Need help? Consider switching your dog’s current diet to one of the many found on our best dog foods lists

What We’re Doing to Help

Since the FDA’s latest status report was published on June 27, 2019, The Dog Food Advisor research team has been working on 3 important projects…

  1. We’re updating all our Best Dog Foods lists to reflect the FDA’s latest findings. This process is tedious and time-consuming. So, please allow up to 3 weeks
  2. We’re revisiting all our grain-free dog food reviews and making changes (when appropriate). You can expect most recipes to retain their current ratings while others will be lowered by up to 1-star
  3. We’re creating a list of “Best Dog Foods with Grain” to help pet parents find a sensible alternative to grain-free diets

There are hundreds of painstakingly prepared reviews and lists that need to be manually edited. You should expect this total project to take months to complete.

The Bottom Line

Final results are still not available.

And there’s no way to know how long the FDA’s investigation will take. Yet the Agency is hopeful that as more data becomes known, its scientists will gain a better understanding of the possible connection between diet and DCM.

Until we know the answer…

Be patient.

Don’t overreact.

And don’t be frightened by all the well-meaning yet misguided advice you’ll surely encounter on the Internet.

Even from uninformed professionals.

Base your feeding decisions on facts and science.

Including accurate label analysis.

Keep in mind…

The Dog Food Advisor has never favored any recipe just because it’s grain free.

Nor should you.

Instead…

Our ratings are heavily weighted in favor of our estimate of each recipe’s apparent meat content.

In fact…

Ratings are automatically reduced anytime we find excessive amounts plant-based protein “boosters” (like peas, legumes or non-meat protein concentrates) too close to the top of any ingredients list.

Finally…

Many of the very best dog foods on the market are grain free…

And they’re made by some of the most respected companies in the USA and Canada.

We’re confident the industry will quickly adapt its recipes to any decisive conclusions reached by the FDA’s future findings.

And of course, we’ll make any relevant adjustments to our content as needed to reflect these scientific findings (once they become available).

In the meantime…

Our Very Best Advice

Since there’s no such thing as a perfect dog food…

And because built-in flaws tend to be magnified when the same food is fed endlessly… day after day for a lifetime.

You may wish to consider diet rotation when feeding your pet.

Most importantly…

Stay informed.

Keep in mind…

We can update you the moment the FDA releases its findings.

Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Dog Food Advisor’s emergency recall notification system.

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Related Posts

What rubbish!

No dog is ever ugly!

There was a recent item on The Smithsonian ‘Smart News’ that spoke of a dog winning the prize as the world’s ugliest dog!

I’m sure it was to gain headlines because no dog can be described as ugly.

Read the article yourself.

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Meet Scamp the Tramp, the World’s Ugliest Dog

Scamp took home the top prize in an annual competition that seeks to promote dog adoption

Yvonne Morones embraces her dog Scamp the Tramp after he wins the World’s Ugliest Dog contest. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

By Brigit Katz
smithsonian.com
June 24, 2019
Nineteen canine competitors flocked to California’s Sonoma County last Friday, all pawing for the coveted title of World’s Ugliest Dog. Among them was Willie Wonka, an American Staffordshire Terrier mix born with twisted legs and deformed front paws; Rascal Deux, a hairless, dentally challenged “mutant”; and Josie, an eight-time veteran of the contest, which has been taking place for nearly three decades, with bulging eyes and a too-long tongue. But only one pooch could be crowned the ugliest of them all. And that pooch was Scamp the Tramp.

Scamp, according to Derrick Bryson Taylor of the New York Times, is a dog of unknown breeding, with a plump body and two-inch-long legs. He has Yoda-like ears and wild hair that grows naturally in dreadlocks. His tongue lolls perpetually. Now, Scamp and his human, Yvonne Morones, are the recipients of a towering trophy and $1,500.

“He’s Scamp the Champ, no longer Scamp the Tramp,” Morones quips in an interview with Andrew Beale of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.

The Ugliest Dog Contest’s pool of competitors was especially strong this year, so much so that the judges had a hard time picking just one pup. Once they had narrowed the contestants down to four, the judges asked the audience to cheer loudly for their favorite. Scamp was the clear winner.

Climbing to the top of the ugliest dog totem pole is no easy feat. Boasting a wonky appearance isn’t enough; dogs must also impress the judges and audience with their personalities and accomplishments. Scamp, according to his biography, regularly visits a local senior center and volunteers as a “reading dog,” letting first-graders read stories to him. His favorite book, his bio notes, is Go Dog Go.

“I think the audience saw his beautiful spirit and everything he’s given back to the community,” Morones tells Beale.

The competition’s second-place honor went to Wild Thang, a bushy-haired Pekingese who once contracted distemper, a viral disease that left Wild Thang with slight paralysis of the jaw and a front leg that never stops paddling. Tostito, a chihuahua who lacks teeth and a lower jaw, won third place and the Spirit Award, according to John Rogers of the Associated Press. As champion, Scamp joins the ranks of previous competition winners including Zsa Zsa the English bulldog and Martha the Neapolitan mastiff.

Scamp was found wandering the streets of Compton—“licking Taco Bell wrappers,” according to Taylor of the Times—and was adopted by Morones in 2014.

“It was on the way home that I knew I made the right choice,” she says. “There we were, two strangers in a car on the way home to a new start. Bob Marley was playing … and I looked over and little Scamp was bobbing his head. It was like he knew he had found his forever home.”

The Ugliest Dog Contest is without a doubt entertaining, but it also hopes to impart a serious message: Even dogs without a pedigree, or dogs that don’t quite measure up to standards of conventional canine beauty, are worthy of love and celebration. Many of the contestants, according to the competition’s website, have been rescued from shelters or puppy mills, and the contest organizers seek to promote adoption as an option for potential pet owners—“no matter [the dogs’] physical detractions.”

As part of their prize, Morones and Scamp were flown to New York for an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show.” There, Morones revealed that she was the owner of two previous Ugliest Dog winners—one of whom, Nana, took home the title six times.

In her opinion, Morones said, she doesn’t believe that her latest prize-winning pooch is ugly at all.

“He’s absolutely adorable,” she said. “When people first meet him, they go, ‘Oh, he’s kind of scary’ and then he wins them over with his sparkling personality.”

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Now that is not a particularly good photograph of Scamp in the article so I looked for an alternative.

Scamp the Tramp won the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest Friday evening in Petaluma.

Now he is not smart as in smooth-coated but he is a long way from being ugly. Reminds me a little of our own Sweeny.

Here’s a video of the champion.

Welcome to July!

Picture Parade Two Hundred and Ninety-Four

About as far away from dogs as one can get!

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Best photos of the Mercury-Mars conjunction

Posted by in ASTRONOMY ESSENTIALS | TODAY’S IMAGE June 23, 2019

It was the closest conjunction of 2 planets in 2019, between Mercury and Mars. It happened low in the evening twilight – and was best seen from Earth’s Southern Hemisphere. Check out these photos from EarthSky Community members.

Dr Ski in Valencia, Philippines, caught Mars and Mercury on the day following their conjunction, June 19, 2019. The nearby stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini are a great comparison. Those 2 stars are noticeable for being bright and close together. Mercury and Mars were much closer! Thanks, Dr Ski!
Wow! You can really see the color difference between red Mars (on the left) and Mercury in this photo from the day of the conjunction – June 18, 2019 – by Peter Lowenstein in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Thanks, Peter!
Here’s a June 17 photo from Jose Lagos in Vaals, Netherlands. He wrote, “This was the last image I could get before June 18, when it was too cloudy near the horizon, but you can see that the conjunction is nearly perfected. It was beautiful to behold even this much of it. Thank you for your time and your great work at Earth Sky.” Thank you for your photo and kind words, Jose!
Gilbert Vancell caught the planets on June 18, too, and wrote: “Mercury (top) and Mars setting behind Comino Tower. Shot from Armier, Malta.”
Helio C. Vital captured in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 18, 2019. He wrote, “Despite the fact that many clouds were floating over my western horizon this evening, I could get some photos of Mercury and Mars only 14 arcminutes apart over Rio de Janeiro at dusk (from 17:45 to 18:30 UTC-3h, June 18, 2019).Forming a beautiful close pair through binoculars, Mercury was an easy naked-eye target while Mars (4.4 times dimmer) required the use of averted vision to be briefly spotted. Hope my images can help give you an idea of what the interesting event looked like.”

Bottom line: Photos from the night of and around the June 18, 2019, conjunction of Mercury and Mars, closest conjunction of two planets this year.

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I hope a few of you enjoyed today’s Picture Parade.

Here’s to July!

The power of a photograph

No words to say how I feel!

The bodies of Salvadoran migrant Oscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his daughter lie on the bank of the Rio Grande in Matamoros, Mexico. AP Photo/Julia Le Duc

This is a terrible photograph. It has been widely shown but that doesn’t make it any less terrible.

Patrice Ayme recently wrote about the tragedy but for today I am republishing the article in The Conversation.

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How much power can one image actually have?

By

Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon

Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon

When the Associated Press published Julia Le Duc’s photograph of a drowned Salvadoran man, Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez, and his 23-month old daughter Valeria, it sparked outrage on social media. According to Le Duc, Ramírez had attempted to cross the Rio Grande after realizing he couldn’t present himself to U.S. authorities to request asylum.

But beyond raising awareness via Twitter and Facebook feeds, does an image like this one have the power to sway public opinion or spur politicians to take action?

As journalism and psychology scholars interested in the effects of imagery, we study the ability of jarring photos and videos to move people from complacency to action. While graphic imagery can have an immediate impact, the window of action – and caring – is smaller than you’d think.

A political catalyst?

Photographs and videos – through their perceived authenticity – can have an effect on people.

Research suggests that the graphic photo of slain Emmett Till in his open casket served as a “political catalyst” in mobilizing Americans to action in the civil rights movement. Similarly, news images have been credited as playing an important role in ending the Vietnam War.

But not all scholars agree. A recent article argued that it was a “myth” that the iconic “napalm girl” photo swayed public opinion and hastened the end of the Vietnam War.

Did the ‘napalm girl’ significantly shift public opinion on the Vietnam War? manhhai/flickr, CC BY

We must also look to psychology to understand the impacts of emotional news content. Research demonstrates that audiences need an emotional connection – and not merely a “just-the-facts” reporting approach – as “prerequisite for political action” when it comes to appreciating the importance of distant mass suffering. And imagery can trigger this emotional connection by overcoming the psychic numbing that occurs when casualties mount, images blur and lost lives become merely dry statistics.

Images from Syria

In April 2017, gut-wrenching images seem to have awakened the world to the human atrocities happening in Syria. Following a chemical bomb attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, graphic photos and videos documented the horrific effects of the banned nerve agent sarin. Millions bore witness to excruciating human suffering: gasping, choking, writhing and dying. More than 500 people were injured, with at least 86 deaths, including 28 children.

The vivid, closeup images of sarin attack victims were resonant enough to break through the complacency of people and politicians accustomed to bad news emerging from the war-torn nation. In President Trump’s response – which included a retaliatory missile strike – he seemed to recognize the value of the Syrian lives depicted in the horrific photos and videos.

Syrian doctors treat a child following a suspected chemical attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, northern Idlib province, Syria. Edlib Media Center, via AP, File

“When you kill innocent children,” he said during a news conference, “that crosses many, many lines, beyond a red line – many, many lines.”

The limits of an image

Nonetheless, even though the attacks may have briefly heightened U.S. concerns over the wars in Syria, the photographic documentation of the suffering in Syria wasn’t new.

The 2015 photos of a tiny Syrian boy’s lifeless body resting face down in the sand similarly stirred the world’s collective consciousness. Within hours of its release, the photo had reached 20 million people through Twitter, with many more millions seeing it on the front pages of newspapers the next day. Afterwards, government restrictions on accepting refugees were loosened while private donations to organizations like the Red Cross spiked dramatically.

A year later haunting images of a young boy in the back of an ambulance, caked in dirt and blood, galvanized the world.

But the emotional and compassionate responses to both photographs were short-lived. The bombing of civilians in Syria continued. Refugees continued risking their lives to escape the war zone.

After a photograph of a dead Syrian boy went viral in 2015, the number of daily donations to a Swedish Red Cross campaign designated specifically for aiding Syrian refugees spiked dramatically – but only for a brief window. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, CC BY-SA

Since the publication of Le Duc’s photo of the dead migrants, supportive politicians may feel emboldened to sound the alarm on the plight of Central American migrants. Donations to immigrant aid organizations might briefly spike.

But it seems that a photograph, no matter how emotionally devastating, can only do so much.

Yes, it can create a window of time when we’re motivated to act, and we’ll usually do so if we have effective options to pursue. This could mean a charitable donation at the individual level or, collectively, a surge of political will. However, psychology research from the “arithmetic of compassion” suggests that sympathy for distant human suffering declines when we’re presented with rising body counts. Sometimes we’re discouraged by the scope of the problem and this stops us from doing things that actually make a difference – even if partial solutions can save lives. Other times, if the options for helping others seem too narrow or ineffective, we’ll turn away and stop caring.

Images can alert us to the horrors of violence, mass migration and poverty. But as we have seen time and again, photographs and news footage of human suffering generally precipitate a short-term emotional reaction, rather than a sustained humanitarian response.

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As one reads the article it is much more than a comment on a single image despite how terrible that photograph may be.

The two scientists set out to show that the period that we are alarmed or terrified or just plain sad at the state of nations is rather short.

Maybe it’s the self-protective nature of our species that does this.

But it still doesn’t diminish the horror of that top photograph.

How a dog saved a family

This is a story of a very real emergency.

I have taken it from BoredPanda, not a site that I frequent, but this is such a marvellous account of how dogs make, every day, a real difference to the lives of people.

It’s been taken from a Twitter account so my apologies for the ‘staccato’ effect.

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Man Shares A Heartwarming Story About How His Dog Saved His House From Burning Down

Dogs… if only there was a word that would show how much we adore these adorable creatures that we get to call our most loyal friends and also beloved family members. Here at Bored Panda, dogs (amongst other animals) have a very special place, despite the fact that they can do the worst things, we still adore them. Also, today’s story teaches us that just because your puppy did something wrong, don’t be too quick to punish them since they might compensate it by doing something truly heroic.

Recently, one Twitter user shared a heartwarming story about his dog Hank saving his entire family from fire

Hank even got some presents dedicated to his heroic act

People online were not only touched by this story, but they also think Hank deserves to chew all of the shoes in the world.

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What would we do without our dear dogs!

Being a lover of dogs shows no constraints!

Try a pharmacist from Turkey!

I love this recent story from the Daily Dodo.

It concerns a Turkish pharmacist who is also a dog lover.

Look, here’s the story:

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Pharmacist Sees Stray Dog At The Door And Realizes She’s Asking For Help”

“She was saying, ‘I trust you.'”

BY
PUBLISHED ON 06/21/2019

Photo Credit: Banu Cengiz

This is Banu Cengiz, a pharmacist from Turkey.

She’s also a dog lover — and it shows.

Not only did Cengiz rescue her beloved pet from the streets years ago, she also maintains a cozy little oasis in front of her pharmacy for all the homeless dogs she’s unable to adopt herself.

Cengiz does it out of kindness, not for attention — but evidently word has spread among the local strays that she’s someone who truly cares.

Photo Credit: Banu Cengiz

Last week, Cengiz was at work like usual when she noticed a dog outside acting unlike the rest. Rather than, say, lounging in the beds she kindly provides to them, this pup was standing expectantly at the door.

“She was looking at me,” Cengiz told The Dodo. “I said, ‘Baby, is there a problem?'”

She welcomed the dog inside and realized there indeed was a problem: The poor pup was bleeding from a small cut on her paw.

She was asking for help — and as seen in a sweet video of what happened next, Cengiz was more than happy to provide it.

Photo Credit: Twitter/Badores

The pharmacist cleaned the pup’s wound with antiseptic and, when the bleeding stopped, gave her antibiotics. All the while, the dog appeared to understand Cengiz’s good intentions, acting like the perfect patient.

“When I was done, she laid down as if to thank me,” Cengiz said. “She was saying, ‘I trust you.'”

For the remainder of the day, Cengiz’s pharmacy served as a little recovery area of sorts, giving the weary dog a chance to rest in peace.

Cengiz gave the dog food and water, and use of a dog bed she keeps inside.

She’d come to the right place — and she knew it.

By closing time, the furry patient appeared to be on the mend, her eyes and energies compelling her back to the street outside — sadly, the setting of life to which she seemed well-acquainted.

Cengiz had helped the dog more than most. Yet she still wished she could do more.

Photo Credit: Banu Cengiz

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t take her home,” Cengiz said, no doubt a frequent lament for one so compassionate in a region where strays are far from uncommon. “I’ve been dealing with street animals for years. I feed them and heal them, and help them find homes when I can.”

In the meantime, the little refuge in front of her pharmacy serves as the next best thing. It’s Cengiz’s way of letting less-fortunate dogs, like her patient that day, know they’re still loved.

“I do it because they feel. We need to help those who need it,” Cengiz said. “People should teach their children to love and respect animals and nature. Then we can all live together in a beautiful world.”

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It’s stories like this that make my day. Plus sharing them with you means a great deal and is the reason I stay with Learning from Dogs. To that end it won’t be very long before this blog is 10 years old!

 

Back to those eyes!

A recent item on Healthy Pets offers some more information.

Yesterday Belinda, who is local to us in Merlin, Oregon, sent me a link to a further article about dogs’ eyes.

In an email to me, Belinda wrote:

I read your blog on a dog’s eyes and now I know why they have such expressive eyes.  I read this and didn’t know if you have any interest in a follow-up to that blog.

Well of course we do! 🙂

The only comment I would make is whether or not Dr. Becker is up-to-date with the latest science.

But here is the article.

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What does it mean when your dog gives you the ‘side-eye’?

by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker

June 25, 2019

Story at-a-glance

  • The term side-eye denotes a greater amount of “white” in a dog’s eyes, which is more pronounced when the dog averts his head slightly, but keeps his eyes fixed on something or someone at the same time
  • Some dogs, particularly brachycephalic dogs (dogs with short muzzles), appear to show the whites of their eyes most of the time, which doesn’t necessarily mean they’re feeling anything in particular
  • The side-eye may be a way for dogs to say “Back off,” and may precede some sort of aggression, especially if they’ve been guarding something like a toy — or food — and suddenly feel threatened
  • In studies of other types of canines, dingoes were found to initiate eye contact with a familiar human more often than wolves, but the duration was found to be shorter than the eye contact between humans and dogs
  • Dogs’ demeanor might appear to be excitement when they bark, whine, pant or pace, so it’s important to know your dog but also assess the situation that might be causing it

It’s been called the “whale eye,” that sidelong glance your dog gives you that communicates very strongly that something’s up. Also called the “side-eye,” it’s when the color white appears in a half-moon shape on either the right or left side of their eyes.

You may have seen dogs and their cute side-eye looks on social media. They can be quite comical, especially when the accompanying expressions match the captions. Nevertheless, it’s wise to know what your dog’s body language is trying to tell you, because as much as dogs might want to speak in human terms, they’re not able to.

So what does the whale eye mean? Trainers are said to use the term to describe a greater amount of “white” in a dog’s eyes as a means to communicate. It’s more pronounced when the dog averts his head slightly, but keeps his eyes fixed on something or someone at the same time.

Some dogs, particularly brachycephalic dogs (dogs with short muzzles), appear to show the whites of their eyes most of the time, which doesn’t necessarily mean they’re feeling anything in particular. Other examples of a dog’s body language, especially if you know what to look for, signify very specific things. Depending on the situation, you might be able to discern what it means fairly quickly.

Side-eye may be a way for dogs to say “Back off,” and usually precedes some sort of aggression, especially if they’ve been guarding something like a toy — or food — and suddenly feel threatened.1 According to Bark Post:

“This is pretty common behavior for dogs to exhibit. Obviously, that doesn’t mean we want them to keep doing it, but it’s important to realize this doesn’t mean you have a defective pup. He’s still the adorable, hilarious, wonderful … little guy or girl you love.

When coming across this sort of behavior, you should definitely give your pup the space they’re asking for. Back up and analyze the situation. Did you get too close to the bone they’ve been hiding for 72 hours?”2

Signs your dog is trying to tell you something

If your dog is giving the side-eye to another person the dog may not be familiar with, experts advise dog owners to be aware of the behavior and try to diffuse it. “Much of what’s required in mitigating this behavior is just removing the cause from the situation.”3

If your dog’s side-eye response is accompanied by a rigid stance or visible tension, it happens more than once and it’s evident it’s not just a sidelong glance, it could be stress-related, and it wouldn’t hurt to contact a positive dog trainer or behaviorist. In many ways, like people, there are a number of ways dogs communicate stress, tension and anxiety.

Sometimes their demeanor might appear to be excitement, such as behavior like barking, whining, panting or pacing. Dogs that feel uncomfortable or nervous might communicate it by hiding, relieving themselves in the house, cowering or shaking. At times, however, the signs may be much more subtle, such as if you notice them blinking, yawning, licking, swallowing or shedding more than usual.

If your pup shows the side-eye or other signs of stress, petting him gently with long, smooth strokes from their chest, shoulder and base of their tail will help relax him.4,5 It helps relieve tension and could even serve as a sort of “maintenance” to help keep them calm in out-of-the-ordinary situations.

How eye contact in other canine species denotes communication

While wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) may not seem to have much in common with domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), experts place them in the same species. That great Danes and Chihuahuas are related to each other, not to mention these feral varieties, seems hard to believe, but domestic dogs came from wolves, and scientists say some wolf varieties may be coyote hybrids.

Dingoes, placed for years in the same canine designation as dogs, wolves and coyotes, have been deemed their own distinct species. They’re now formally called Canis dingo,6 even though they bear a remarkable resemblance to other canines. Over the last few centuries, their scientific names, such as Canis lupus dingo and Canis familiaris dingo, wrongly related them to the others.

Interestingly, a study7 on the origins of dog and human eye contact included all of the above species. It determined that dingoes establish eye contact less often than dogs do, but more often than wolves. In addition, dingoes were found to initiate eye contact with a familiar human more often than wolves, but the duration was found to be shorter than the eye contact between humans and dogs.

While words are the preferred mode of communication between humans, your dog may pay more attention to your posture, gestures and eye contact, possibly because they often use body language to communicate more than any other tool. They’re also in tune with your tone, and pick up from you more of your mindset than you might imagine.

Dogs’ body language changes around humans

Not only do dogs communicate with their humans with body language, they also do so with other dogs, especially when there’s more than one dog or several in a household. But the journal Nature cited a study8 showing that a dog literally “produces” more facial expressions when they’re looking straight at their significant humans. In fact, it:

“Support(s) for the idea that dogs do indeed produce facial expressions to communicate with people — although perhaps just to engage us, rather than to manipulate us. The dogs in the study produced more than twice as many facial expressions (‘puppy dog eyes’ was one of the most common) when a researcher was facing them than when she was turned away …

(It) adds to a growing body of work that shows how sensitive dogs are to human attention. It also provides the first evidence in a non-primate species that facial expressions can be used actively to communicate.”9

Psychology Today affirms that eyes are the “window to the soul.”10 If you’re a dog lover, you know you can share thoughts and feelings just by looking into your beloved pet’s eyes. It’s one of the signs that the bond between you is strong, and communicates mutual respect, as well. One more thing those eyes reveal is that the love your dog has for you is unconditional. Just watch out for those side-eyes.

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The numbered references do not appear to relate to any further details as a footnote to the article. Maybe one has to be a subscriber to gain access to them?

Anyway, the article was of interest and follows on very nicely to the article published on June 22nd: Those Eyes.

32,000 years ago!

A wolf became buried.

This is a wonderful story and one that I shall go straight into. Reason I have software problems that I’m trying to fix today!

This article was first published by The Smithsonian magazine.

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A Perfectly Preserved 32,000-Year-Old Wolf Head Was Found in Siberian Permafrost

Given the head’s state of preservation, researchers are hopeful that they can extract viable DNA and use it to sequence the wolf’s genome.

Screen Shot 2019-06-14 at 11.38.50 AM.png
The specimen is the first (partial) carcass of an adult Pleistocene steppe wolf—an extinct lineage distinct from modern wolves—ever found (Courtesy of Dr. Tori Herridge)
By Meilan Solly
smithsonian.com

Last summer, a mammoth tusk hunter exploring the shores of the Tirekhtyak River in Siberia’s Yakutia region unearthed the fully intact head of a prehistoric wolf. Preserved by the region’s permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, for some 32,000 years, the specimen is the first partial carcass of an adult Pleistocene steppe wolf—an extinct lineage distinct from modern wolves—ever found.

The discovery, first reported by the Siberian Times, is poised to help researchers better understand how steppe wolves compared with their contemporary counterparts, as well as why the species eventually died out.

As Marisa Iati writes for the Washington Post, the wolf in question was fully grown, likely aged 2 to 4 years old, at the time of its death. Although photographs of the severed head, still boasting clumps of fur, fangs and a well-preserved snout, place its size at 15.7 inches long—the modern gray wolf’s head, in comparison, measures 9.1 to 11 inches—Love Dalén, an evolutionary geneticist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History who was filming a documentary in Siberia when the tusk hunter arrived on the scene with the head in tow, says that media reports touting the find as a “giant wolf” are inaccurate.

“It is not that much bigger than a modern wolf if you discount the frozen clump of permafrost stuck to where the neck would [normally] have been,” Dalén explains to Smithsonian.com.

According to CNN, a Russian team led by Albert Protopopov of the Republic of Sakha’s Academy of Sciences is currently building a digital model of the animal’s brain and the interior of its skull.

David Stanton, a researcher at the Swedish Museum of Natural History who is leading genetic analysis of the remains, tells Smithsonian.com that given the head’s state of preservation, he and his colleagues are hopeful that they can extract viable DNA and use it to sequence the wolf’s genome. This work, expected to last at least another year, will eventually be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

A Russian team is currently building a digital model of the animal’s brain and the interior of its skull
A Russian team is currently building a digital model of the animal’s brain and the interior of its skull (Albert Protopopov)

For now, it remains unclear exactly how the wolf’s head became separated from the rest of its body. Speaking with Smithsonian.com, Tori Herridge, an evolutionary biologist at London’s Natural History Museum who was part of the team filming in Siberia at the time of the discovery, says that a colleague, Dan Fisher of the University of Michigan, thinks scans of the animal’s head may reveal evidence of it being deliberately severed by humans—perhaps “contemporaneously with the wolf dying.” If so, Herridge notes, the find would offer “a unique example of human interaction with carnivores.” Still, she concludes in a post on Twitter, “I am reserving judgment until more investigation [is] done.”

Dalén echoes Herridge’s hesitancy, saying that he has “seen no evidence convincing” him that humans cut off the head. After all, it’s not uncommon to find partial sets of remains in the Siberian permafrost. If an animal was only partially buried and subsequently frozen, for example, the rest of its body could have decomposed or been eaten by scavengers. Alternatively, it’s possible that shifts within the permafrost over thousands of years led the carcass to break into multiple pieces.

According to Stanton, steppe wolves were “probably slightly larger and more robust than modern wolves.” The animals had a strong, wide jaw equipped for hunting large herbivores such as woolly mammoths and rhinos, and as Stanton tells USA Today’s N’dea Yancey-Bragg, went extinct between 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, or roughly the time when modern wolves first arrived on the scene. If the researchers successfully extract DNA from the wolf’s head, they will attempt to use it to determine whether the ancient wolves mated with modern ones, how inbred the older species was, and if the lineage had—or lacked—any genetic adaptations that contributed to its demise.

To date, the Siberian permafrost has yielded an array of well-preserved prehistoric creatures: among others, a 42,000-year-old foal, a cave lion cub, an “exquisite ice bird complete with feathers,” as Herridge notes, and “even a delicate Ice Age moth.” According to Dalén, these finds can largely be attributed to a surge in mammoth tusk hunting and increased melting of permafrost linked with global warming.

Speaking with Smithsonian.com, Stanton concludes, “The warming climate … means that more and more of these specimens are likely to be found in the future.”

At the same time, he points out, “It is also likely that many of [them] will thaw out and decompose (and therefore be lost) before anyone can find … and study them.”

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It’s an ill wind that blows no-one any good. That saying comes to mind when I read about the warming climate and more specimens being found.

Fascinating!

Picture Parade Two Hundred and Ninety-Three

These photographs are a few that were carried by The Guardian.

Thanks to Neil.

A selection of works at the exhibition Photographic Dog Show includes images from some of the world’s finest photographers, including Elliott Erwitt, Bruce Weber, Martin Usborne among others, who all happen to have a love of canines

  • Christ Church & St Stephen, Battersea Park Road, London, from 20-23 June. Proceeds go to Battersea Dogs

Maus
Photograph: Martin Usborne

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John Boorman at the Museum of the Moving Image
Photograph: Barry Lewis

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My neighbor John Hoiland and his dog, Zippy, McLeod, Montana 1997
Photograph: Bruce Weber

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Sex workers keeping a lookout for their pet terrier playing outside their brothel which faced the Krupp works, Rhur Valley, Germany, 1985
Photograph: Barry Lewis

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South Beach, Miami: a polecat is held up to a labrador by a woman as her daughter looks on
Photograph: Barry Lewis/Network

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Tony Lambrianou, enforcer for the Krays with his dog outside his mum’s flat in the Elephant & Castle where he was staying in 1983 after his release from 15 years in prison
Photograph: Barry Lewis

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Dog waiting in car, North Circular Road, Wembley, 1979
Photograph: Barry Lewis

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Old Hastings pier
Photograph: Richard Hamilton

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Dolly and Nora
Photograph: Rory Carnegie

Beautiful photographs!