Those incredibly 'unreliable' DOGS............again!

Man arrested after 'Twiglet' the dachshund stolen from home

Footage shows puppy wrestle with intruder who used a hammer to break patio doors

By Catherine Lough 10 August 2023 • 7:08pm


Twiglet barked and tried to escape from the intruder Credit: Hollie Ryder /Bishops Stortford Independent



A man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing a 16-month-old dachshund, after shattering a patio door with a hammer to enter the home.

CCTV footage showed a masked man climbing through the broken glass and picking up the frightened puppy after setting off the home’s burglar alarms in Catmere End, Essex, last month.

Twiglet, the dachshund, was reunited with her owner the next day after a member of the public contacted police following an appeal.

Less than 24 hours later Twiglet was returned to her owners, Jo Vindis, 43, husband Jamie, 47, and their two children aged 12 and 14. The family think that she became “too hot to handle” after so much attention from the media.

Mrs Vindis said: “People just kept going and kept going. Without them we wouldn’t have her back. It’s an absolutely amazing display of the compassion that sits within the human race.

“It shows the will and want that people have to rally to a cause and support each other.”





She added: “Without a shadow of a doubt the media storm is the reason we have her back and we would like to thank everyone involved.”

Essex Police said on Thursday that, following work with Bedfordshire Police, a 46-year-old man from Bedfordshire had been arrested on Aug 4 and questioned on suspicion of burglary.

He remained on police bail while an investigation continued, but police said he had been charged and remanded in custody over unrelated matters.

A spokesman for Braintree CID said: “We continue to work with colleagues in Bedfordshire as we pursue a number of key lines of inquiry in relation to this incident.

“I know there was a significant level of concern and sympathy for the victims of this burglary and our investigation is progressing.

“I would continue to ask anyone who may have relevant information or footage to come forward.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/10/man-arrested-dachshund-stolen-from-home/
....................

Twiglet .

Dogs with jobs: Four paw-fessions for a human’s best friend

They’re experts in the game of fetch, skilled diggers, and qualified to put a smile on your face – sometimes literally.

As long as dogs have been our companions, they’ve also been our colleagues and helpers. There is evidence that dogs were domesticated long before the development of written language and made for great natural alarms and hunting companions.

But what does the modern working dog do? Here are four awesome paw-fessions suited for the fast and the furriest.

Mindful pups: Therapy dogs


It's hard not to smile when Magnus is around!

Therapy dogs, also known as comfort dogs, are different to service dogs who assist their handlers with specific tasks. Therapy is a broad field for dogs just like it is for humans, but there are three main types:

Animal-assisted physical therapy: These dogs assist physical and occupational therapists and their patients by helping towards recovery goals. This can include regaining pet-care skills for people who have pets at home and are adjusting to new motor-skill or mobility challenges.
Facility therapy dogs: These dogs work in specialist care facilities such as hospices and care homes for people with Alzheimer’s disease to provide emotional support. They have even been shown to reduce pain in patients recovering from accidents, as interacting with them boosts oxytocin.
Visitation dogs: These dogs provide emotional support and comfort as part of an animal-assisted therapy plan. This can be as simple as cheering someone up with a bit of play and affection. They might even come to schools, courtrooms and universities to help assist people when they’re feeling stressed or anxious.

Not all dogs are suited to be therapists: they need lots of special training and a dog-ploma to prove that they have the temperament to work with people every day.

Thanks to social media, therapy dogs are able to extend their services outside of the facilities they work in. You might even recognise Magnus the therapy dog from your TikTok feed, as Covid-19 put all his in-person pet visits on hold. Now he brings smiles to millions of viewers online.

Olympic sniffers: search-and-rescue dogs


Something in this picture is factually incorrect

Dogs have assisted search-and-rescue efforts for thousands of years.

You may recognise the image of a St. Bernard with a keg under its chin and a red cross – these are based on Swiss monastery rescue dogs, who would dig people out of the snow and either warm them up until help could get there or carry them to safety (the keg around the neck is a myth, however, popularised by paintings and cartoons).

Nowadays search dogs are more likely to be breeds which are excellent sniffers with high speed and agility, such as Border Collies, German Shepherds and Bloodhounds, as they can track and trail a person’s scent to up to 500 metres.

Search-and-rescue dogs are likely to accompany police or emergency responders in disaster situations to help find missing people.

On high alert: Seizure response dogs

You may have heard of detection dogs sniffing out evidence in crime or disaster scenes, but there is another important skill which dogs have the upper paw on.

Seizure response dogs are trained to support a person with epilepsy, migraine or a seizure disorder when they’re having an episode of their condition. They do so in a variety of ways, such as putting their body between the seizing individual and the floor, or lying with them to prevent injury. In a facility, they might also ring an alarm or fetch someone to help.

Seizures can be very emotionally traumatic as well as physically traumatic, so having a furry friend on hand might help provide comfort after an episode.

In some cases, specially trained dogs may be able to alert their handler that they might be about to have a seizure – these are known as seizure alert dogs. Max, a German Shepherd seizure dog, went viral when his owner Tina shared a TikTok of him alerting her to a seizure by jumping up on the counter while she was washing dishes, and cushioning her as she got down to the floor before collapsing.

On the walk of fame: Dog actors


Can we have your pawtograph?

On the walk of fame: Dog actors

If your dog is particularly good at tricks, they might have it in them to make it on the big screen. From Toto to Beethoven, many canine companions have been on adventures with iconic characters, and even have their own list of profiles on IMDB. Acting dogs need to be particularly patient and consistent in performing repetitive commands. Nowadays, dogs have casting calls and auditions like any other actors, but can be specially trained by talent organisations too.

One famous rags-to-riches dog star in history is Rin Tin Tin, who even inspired his own TV show. Rin Tin Tin was rescued as a puppy by soldier Lee Duncan from a WWI battlefield, and then went on to star in 27 silent films in the early 1900s. Although he passed away a film legend in 1932, several waggy-tailed successors went on to play the character Rin Tin Tin right up until 2012.

If you don’t fancy dealing with the on-set drama as their co-star, training dogs as actors is also a valuable behind-the-scenes career!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zrvg9ty

Earthquake in Morrocco 

Britain is sending 60 Search and rescue specialists,
4 Search dogs
And team of medics, - we assume to tell the International Press and everyone in the area how unreliable the dogs are

Cocker spaniel Glen completes Scottish Munro challenge

   Published

7 hours ago



A cocker spaniel from Stonehaven has joined an exclusive group of canines who have reached the top of every Munro in Scotland.

Six-year-old Glen and his owner George Creighton have climbed 282 Munros across the country.

The pair completed the challenge, which they started in 2018, on Saturday after scaling their final peak, Ben More on Mull.

George said having a canine companion made it a special achievement.

He said: "I am so proud of Glen. It is an achievement for me too, but to do it with my dog, it truly has been such a special experience.


George and Glen reached the peak of their final Munro, Ben More, on the Isle of Mull on Saturday

"I certainly have mixed emotions. I am so glad we have managed to complete all 282 but at the same time, I'm sad it's over."

Munros are Scottish peaks of more than 3,000ft (914m).

The 70-year-old began scaling the mountains in his retirement, and was inspired by a guide to get a four-legged companion to join him on his adventures.

"It has been a great activity for us both; for me to keep me fit, and for Glen, well it is always good to have company and what is better than an energetic spaniel," he said.

   Running up that hill: The Munro-bagging dogs
   Climber, 82, completes 282 mountain challenge
   Girl, 10, conquers all Munros in Scotland

Over the past five years, George and Glen have taken on some of the more precarious summits, including scaling the famed inaccessible pinnacle in Skye's Cuillin mountain range.

But for George it has brought about many smiles and laughter which he says he "wouldn't trade for the world".

"I certainly have mixed emotions. I am so glad we have managed to complete all 282 but at the same time, I'm sad it's over."

Munros are Scottish peaks of more than 3,000ft (914m).

The 70-year-old began scaling the mountains in his retirement, and was inspired by a guide to get a four-legged companion to join him on his adventures.

"It has been a great activity for us both; for me to keep me fit, and for Glen, well it is always good to have company and what is better than an energetic spaniel," he said.

   Running up that hill: The Munro-bagging dogs
   Climber, 82, completes 282 mountain challenge
   Girl, 10, conquers all Munros in Scotland

Over the past five years, George and Glen have taken on some of the more precarious summits, including scaling the famed inaccessible pinnacle in Skye's Cuillin mountain range.

But for George it has brought about many smiles and laughter which he says he "wouldn't trade for the world".



He continued: "Getting Glen was the best decision I have ever made. His energy is just terrific. He certainly keeps me on my toes.

"Sometimes I take the bike with me to take some of the pressure off the legs, but Glen is off and away.

"He has eased off a bit in his older age, and knows when we are up early, he has a big day ahead of him."

When asked what lies in wait next for the duo, George joked: "Who knows, we might even take on Kilimanjaro one afternoon."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66843045

The British sniffer dogs on the front line of Paris' battle against bedbugs

With France in a state of panic over the insects, business is booming for dog masters

By Henry Samuel 8 October 2023 • 3:46pm


S‌niffer dogs Thunder and Troy



A pair of British and Irish sniffer dogs have joined Paris’s front line battle against bed bugs, whose eradication has become priority number one.

‌Cocker Spaniels Thunder, 10, and Troy, 5, cost their owners €15,000 (£12,000) apiece but they are worth their weight in gold as cinemas, luxury hotels, and Parisian households vie for their impressive bug detection skills.

‌With France in the throes of national psychosis over the rise of the dreaded “punaise de lit” business is booming for the dogs’ masters, American-Italian couple Kristina Pankus and Aldo Massaglia from Doggybug.

“It’s absolutely mad right now. We can’t keep up. Since bedbugs hit the headlines about three weeks ago, business is up around 45 per cent,” said Mr Massaglia.

They charge between €260 and €350 for a private flat but large hotel searches can run into the thousands.

In the past fortnight, the pair have been called into eight Parisian cinemas, four theatres and two schools as well as a five-floor lawyers’ firm in a plush district.

They have also searched five hotels, dressing smartly to pass off as guests travelling with dogs to avoid panic.

A film producer about to visit Paris hired them to pre-emptively check six hotel rooms to make sure there were no nasty surprises for his crew.



But their most frequent customers are Parisian households. In around two-thirds of callouts, they do detect bed bugs.

At a bourgeois four-bedroom apartment in the French capital’s eastern 11th arrondissement, the dogs waited impatiently as their masters explained the drill to the flat’s owner, Valérie, 60, an aeronautical engineer.

Her son Emmanuel, 21, spotted what he thought was a bedbug a few nights ago and has since found several specimens in his bed, which the family have stored in a glass container.

“These are adolescent bedbugs,” said Mr Massaglia after zooming in on the pests with his iPhone.

The dogs, he added, would inspect each room and if they smelled their quarry would come to a total stop.

The Spaniels had followed an intensive eight months’ training in Miami, Florida.

The course was designed for the military and police to teach dogs to sniff out drugs, explosives, mobile phones in prison cells and Covid.

The couple take Thunder and Troy back to Florida for a refresher course every three months at a cost of $1,000 a trip. The dogs fly cabin class.
‘Playing ball’

They also receive sealed vials of live and dead bed bugs from a UK-based entomologist so the dogs can smell the difference between the two.

Holding up a tennis ball, Mr Massaglia, said: “The dog associates bedbugs with this ball. When they stop, they believe they have found a new ball, and they get to play with this one as a reward.”



Thunder bolted into the living room, sniffing the sofa and TV before abruptly slowing down at a chair Valérie uses while teleworking. “He has issued an alert,” said Mr Massaglia.

Inspection of Emmanuel’s bedroom proved unequivocal as the dog stopped dead in its tracks once at the bedhead. He also froze at his mother’s pillow in her bedroom.

The rest of the flat was bug-free. Troy was then brought in for a second opinion and stopped at the exact same locations.

Valérie said she had no idea how the bugs got there. “I recently travelled to Montreal. We all take the metro. My son often has friends sleep over. They could have come from anywhere. Who knows?,” she said.

‌Her son said his greatest fear was contaminating his father’s flat, where he lives every other week. “Last time, I changed all my clothes before going through the front door,” he said.

His mother expressed “relief” to have pinpointed their presence. “When I told friends and family, they said how terrible it was but nobody’s died. It’s not that I’ve got cancer. We’ll just follow the instructions.”

Once inspection was complete, the bug detectives suggested the family wash and dry all clothes at high temperatures.

They were also advised to hire a steam gun for the bed and furniture or get a pest control company to do it for them at a cost of around €200 an hour. Chemicals, they said, were harmful, far more costly and mostly useless as the bugs were largely resistant to most types.



Mr Massaglia added: “But many companies claim the contrary so they can sell their wares and just spray homes in a short time and pocket the gains.”

With Paris readying to host the Olympic Games in nine months, the French government is struggling to contain nationwide panic over the pests.

Last Friday, it held an emergency meeting and transport minister Clément Beaune pledged to send sniffer dogs into trains to check for their presence.‌

But had the dog handlers noticed an explosive rise?‌

Mr Massaglia said: “Frankly no. We’ve been in the business for more than a decade and we’ve always been called to hotels, schools and cinemas. But now people are scared, the unions are getting involved and demanding action.”‌
‘Damage the reputation of the country’

“People need to calm down or they’ll end up putting us back in lockdown at this rate! It’s as if someone was seeking to damage the reputation of the country before the Olympics,” he said.‌

“There is always an increase at this time of year, particularly after a hot summer,” added Ms Pankus. That said, the influx of an estimated two million people during the Games would likely result in an “explosion” of cases, she predicted.‌

Bed bugs are in all big cities in France but Paris is “quite bad”, she conceded.

She was more worried about the rise in the number of “cowboy” outfits charging high prices for ineffective treatment. She said it has become a dog-eat-dog industry.

“We once had to hire a private detective to identify anonymous threats that turned out to be coming from a rival.”‌

She said that once she witnessed one UK-based company, that she chose not to name, introducing bugs into a hotel to drum up business.

‌As for sniffer dogs, “there are more and more of them but in the vast majority of cases, they and particularly their masters have not had proper training and I worry that could damage our reputation,” she said.

‌For now, at least, Thunder and Troy have got their bug-busting work cut out for them.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/10/08/france-bedbugs-sniffer-dog-teams-disguise-as-guests/

CaKeLoveR wrote:The bed bugs will be here soon, so we will need the dogs back.

They are already here .... in the Houses of Parliament. the bugs that is, not the dogs.

K9 Accused Of Stealing Fellow Officer's Sandwich


Rumbled  

ALL police dogs matter.

Robot police dog shot multiple times credited with avoiding bloodshed

Massachusetts state police say a robotic dog helped avert a tragedy

A robotic dog is being thanked by state police in Massachusetts for helping avert a tragedy involving a person barricaded in a home.

The robotic dog named Roscoe was part of the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad and deployed on March 6 in a Barnstable house after police were fired upon. Police sent in two other robots often used for bomb disposal into the house to find the suspect along with the robotic dog.

Controlled remotely by state troopers, it first checked the two main floors before finding someone in the basement. The person, armed with a rifle, twice knocked over the robotic dog before shooting it three times and disabling its communication.

The person then shot at one of the other robots and an outdoor swimming pool before police deployed tear gas and arrested them.

“The incident provided a stark example of the benefits of mobile platforms capable of opening doors and ascending stairs in tactical missions involving armed suspects,” state police said in a statement. “In addition to providing critically important room clearance and situational awareness capabilities, the insertion of Roscoe into the suspect residence prevented the need, at that stage of response, from inserting human operators, and may have prevented a police officer from being involved in an exchange of gunfire.”

Boston Dynamics, the company that made the robotic dog known as a SPOT robot, said in a statement that it was the first time one of them had been shot.

“We are relieved that the only casualty that day was our robot,” the company said. “It’s a great example of how mobile robots like Spot can be used to save lives.”

Authorities have not identified the shooter or said what charges they face.

The robotic dog was sent to Boston Dynamics to remove the bullets. It will remain with the company and a new unit will be sent to state police.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/boston-dynamics-police-robot-dog-b2519914.html

Dogs to start lifeguard training on Costa del Sol beach

Torre del Mar will be hosting a course for 12 Labradors and Newfoundlands and their handlers ahead of the summer season and there will be a public demonstration of their skills on the last day

Eugenio Cabezas
Wednesday, 24 April 2024, 14:13

Following the announcement earlier this month that Vélez-Málaga on the eastern stretch of the Costa del Sol will have lifeguard dogs on its beaches for the first time this summer, from 2 to 5 May the dogs and their handlers will be taking part in a training course on Torre del Mar’s dog beach.
This national initiative aims to improve safety on beaches during the summer season by using dogs that are specially trained for water rescue work, from rescuing swimmers in distress to transporting floats or life saving rings where needed.

The project has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Canine Aquatic Rescue Association and is organised by lifeguard company Servical.
The courses will run from 9am to 9pm each day and will be given by Miguel Sánchez-Merenciano García at the Torre del Mar dog beach. Twelve dogs, all of which are Newfoundlands and Labradors, along with their respective handlers, will take part.

Invitation to watch demonstration

Councillor for beaches Jesús Pérez Atencia said, “Torre del Mar’s mayor's office and the beaches department are very proud as this is the first course of its kind to be held in Andalucía."
Manuel Durán, coordinator of the municipal beaches department said, “There are going to be workshops in the water and also on land with canine rescue, rescue from boats, obedience courses, and adapted bathing, among others.”
He added, “On the last day of the course I recommend everyone to visit Torre del Mar’s dog beach as there will be a demonstration that is sure to be of interest to everyone, where you can see how they work with these animals.”

https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/dogs-start-lifeguard-training-costa-sol-beach-20240424141345-nt.html


What's the point? They're "notoriously unreliable" 

Peter sent me this picture of a Nottinghamshire Police Dog and his human assistant.
Peter is a former Nottinghamshire police officer.

I love how awesome German Shepherd Police Dogs look.
Don't mess with the dogs 
The nose knows.

This is PD Quga and I reckon she must have the best track record in @MerPolTraffic as we're always being told about her achievements on twitter/X.

I just love her. What a face, what a nose, what awesome paws!

#incrediblyunreliable  

Here she is again...so soon!
Her human police assistant (aka handler) must be very proud of her.