Dogs

In the dog mushing world, 44-year-old Lance Mackey is like Michael Jordan. The sled dog racing veteran returns to the Yukon Quest this year.

Sports

Facing 1,000 Miles Of Frigid Winds With Loyal Dogs And Willpower

9:29pm February 07, 2015

by Daniel Hajek

The 1,000-mile-long Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race is underway Saturday. It's not so much a race as it is a test of survival — and veteran musher Lance Mackey knows all about fighting for the finish.

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Sled dogs prefer below-zero weather for running, says musher Cody Strathe. Some mushers now train at night, when it's colder.

Climate Change Puts Alaska's Sled Dog Races On Thin Ice

4:20pm February 07, 2015

by Emily Schwing

Warm temperatures and dwindling snow have shaken even the toughest mushers. Alaskans are worried about the future of their state sport.

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A dog named Sky activates the tug sensor on the FIDO vest. The vest is a piece of wearable technology designed to allow working dogs to perform more tasks and communicate more information.

Sit. Stay. Call 911: FIDO Vest Gives Service Dogs An Upgrade

7:31pm January 17, 2015

by NPR Staff

Wearable tech is popping up everywhere, and now there's a new vest that has GPS, can make phone calls and can talk back like Siri. But it's not for people — it's for service dogs.

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National

How Urbane: Dog Rides Seattle Bus To Get To The Park

7:01pm January 13, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A well-mannered dog has charmed her fellow bus riders by using Seattle's transit system to get to the dog park.

Miami-Dade County's animal shelter takes in more than 28,000 dogs and cats each year. In 2012, the county adopted a resolution that the shelter would become a no-kill facility. But even no-kill shelters can euthanize up to 10 percent of their animals.

National

No-Kill Shelters Save Millions Of Unwanted Pets — But Not All Of Them

11:22pm January 04, 2015

by Greg Allen

In the 20 years since San Francisco's SPCA guaranteed adoption for healthy dogs, shelters and rescue groups have embraced the no-kill approach. But the term means different things to different people.

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Laurie McCannon, director of the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, Mass., with a dog named Trina. Three-quarters of the dogs adopted from the shelter in 2013 were from out of state.

National

With Rescue Dogs In Demand, More Shelters Look Far Afield For Fido

10:37am January 02, 2015

by Greg Allen

In many parts of the country, demand for adoptive pets outstrips the supply of healthy dogs. Many shelters and rescue groups now import dogs from other states — and even other countries.

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Do you want to go to the park? Mango Doucleff, of San Francisco, responds to her favorite command by perking up her ears and tilting her head.

How Dogs Understand What We Say

11:42am December 01, 2014

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Dogs pay close attention to the emotion in our voices, but what about the meaning of words? A clever experiment with 250 canines shows that dogs understand more of our speech than previously thought.

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The story of Arthur, a stray who adopted a team of Swedish athletes competing in Ecuador, spread quickly after he refused to be left behind.

Dog Follows Athletes Through Mud And Water, And Melts Hearts

7:46am November 26, 2014

by Bill Chappell

After a stray dog met a team of Swedish adventure athletes in Ecuador, he ran for miles through rough terrain and swam to keep up. Now Arthur the dog is famous — and it all started with a meatball.

David Roberts says the Cyber-Enhanced Working Dog harness will allow humans to monitor dogs' physical and emotional states remotely, such as in search and rescue operations.

Science

Weekly Innovation: Harness Could Allow Dogs, Humans To Communicate

6:46pm November 06, 2014

by Samantha Raphelson

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a dog harness, equipped with speakers and vibrating motors, that could be used in search and rescue or to improve dog training.

National

In More Cities, That Doggie In The Window Is Not For Sale

11:47am October 22, 2014

by Greg Allen

Almost 50 U.S. cities and towns have banned pet stores from selling puppies. The laws are aimed at cracking down on substandard, large-scale breeders, but many store owners say the bans are unfair.

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