Lucy, the World's Smallest Working Dog, Is a Rescue Sucess

See cute photos of the Yorkie who holds the Guinness World Record as a therapy dog.

So after the bummer news on Thursday, we all kind of sat around in shock. Then the Dogster team decided, "Aw fluff it, let's go get lunch." So we did. After lunch, we had a group hug. And me, being the shortest of the group, got everyone's armpit in my face. Fortunately, everyone had remembered to wear deodorant. (Yours truly, however ... )

You might call me the "smallest employee of Dogster," and then Lucy the Yorkie and I would have something in common. Lucy is the Guinness World Record holder of Smallest Working Dog. The pint-size rescue is a certified therapy animal, AKC Good Canine Citizen, and certified caring hospice volunteer.

But Lucy's story almost didn't have such a happy ending! Lucy was one of a few dogs her former owner was trying desperately to rehome, going so far as taking the dogs door to door to see if anyone would adopt them. She walked into the shop in which the person who would become her new owner, Sally, was working; however, Lucy was hidden in a carrier. Sally asked to see Lucy, and the woman resisted -- Lucy was tiny and sickly with dirty, matted fur. But once Sally saw the pup, that was that. She took the dog, unsure of what would happen next except that she'd just made a promise. Fortunately, it all worked out well, and after some grooming and a trip to the vet, the little dog perked right up, and now gives back to her community.

Even though she is tiny, Lucy brings tremendous joy to the people and patients she works with, performing agility tricks that, at least for a little while, distract people from whatever might be ailing them. And for people like me, she's an inspiration, a reminder that even the smallest among us can do great, great things.

And anyway! There are benefits to being petite, such as:

Okay, sometimes the styles are a little childish, but hey! They're almost always cheaper!

And that includes plane seats!

It's cuddly warm in there!

Yay! Sunshine!

And when you lose just, like, a pound, you look great!

All photos via Lucy's Facebook page -- go check it out and tell her that Dogster sent you!

Check out these adorable stories on Dogster:

About Liz Acosta: Dogster's former Cuteness Correspondent, Liz still manages the site's daily "Awws," only now she also wrangles Dogster's social media. That's why she wants you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and -- her personal favorite -- Instagram. See ya there!

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Meet the World's Ugliest Dogs

You might be asking why a Cuteness Correspondent might be at the 2012 World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin County Fair in Petaluma, California. I was certainly asking myself this as I packed my camera and my notebook and set off on the hour-long drive from the city of San Francisco to the suburban farmlands of Petaluma. Grabbing my press pass and heading to the Kiwanis Stage, I wondered what would be in store. I claimed a perch among the camera crews (at my stunning 4'11", I never get in anyone's way), dialed in my camera settings, and waited as a crowd gathered on an overcast but comfortable day.

Looking back, I noticed the competitors' enclosure, crowded with humans and their ugly dogs. And that's when I got it.

Darling Daisy and her drooling, droopy tongue.

There's something about a flat-faced Pug with her tongue dangling helplessly from her mouth as she cuddles in her person's arms that is overwhelmingly endearing. It makes your heart inflate with warmth even as you might feel mildly repulsed.

For dogs, love is blind -- they don't care if we have a bad hair day, they don't care if our skin has broken out like a slice of pizza, and they definitely don't care if we haven't showered in a couple of days because a bout of depression has laid us out on the couch (in fact, they'll come lick the salty sweat right off of our faces). Though we're the ones with opposable thumbs, we are humbled by their capacity for unconditional love and devotion. And even with her massive drooping tongue, Daisy the Pug looked on to the people around her with an eagerness to please and adore.

Floppy-eared and arthritic Addison is adorable in her own way.

Hosted by pet psychic Sonya Fitzpatrick alongside a panel of judges, the dogs competed for a trophy, a $1,000 cash prize, a VIP (Very Important Pup) stay at the Petaluma Sheraton, a glamorous photo shoot with Nuena Photography, and a year's supply of Doggie Dollar$ dog cookies. That and bragging rights as the World's Ugliest Dog -- who wouldn't want that? In a world where everyone is clamoring for beauty and perfection, to be its ugliest is no small feat.

Sipan's got a face only a mother could love ... so that makes us all his mom.

The bow is a nice distraction from Josie's face -- just kidding!

A couple of the dogs brought entourages of supporters outfitted in t-shirts emblazoned with the mutts' mugs. Fan favorites, such as Icky and his human, Jon Alder, drew enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. When Peruvian Inca Orchid Sipan proudly addressed the audience with his elegant stance, we couldn't help but cry out in admiration.

Harley brought his entourage.

Icky and his human sport similar hairdos -- only one is intentional and the other is not.

Who ya callin' "ugly," huh?

Competing in two classes -- pedigrees and mutts -- a winner was decided on from each to go head to snout against each other for a $600 cash prize. The 2012 winner was then hedged against previous years' Ring of Champions to be declared the World's Ugliest Dog.

Reggie stole my heart with that patchy coat and lazy eye.

One of my favorites was Reggie, a mixed breed rescue whose patchy coat, dangling tongue, and bug eyes won my heart. The competition was ruff, with Chinese Crested and U.K.-based therapy dog Mugly winning the pedigree class and 10-year-old Mexican Hairless mix Creature earning the blue ribbon for the mutt category.

Mugly attempts to look dignified in his goofy attire.

Placed side by side, Mugly topped Creature for the 2012 title, and became overall champion against 2002 winner Rascal and 2010's reigning matriarch Princess Abby to become the World's Ugliest Dog. It was a British invasion of the gnarliest kind, but we all agreed that everyone at the contest was a winner even if they didn't take home a prize.

Long live Mugly, the Ugliest Dog in the World!

Creature's ugliness is definitely otherworldly.

The Ring of Champions from left to right: Princess Abby, Rascal, and Mugly.

Congrats to Mugly, who has to now figure out how to get those darn trophies home on the plane.

Photos by Liz Acosta Photography 

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Guinness World Records Names the Dog with the World's Largest Eyes

That's not a wide-eyed gaze of surprise. It's just how this dog always looks.

Bruschi. Photograph courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Guinness World Records has just announced the world record-holder for "dog with the largest eyes" -- and it's a four-year-old black-and-white Boston Terrier named Bruschi who lives with eighteen-year-old Victoria Reed in Grapevine, TX.

Reed discussed this exciting news with the Huffington Post, explaining that when she first learned of it at 2 a.m. Wednesday, she immediately told Bruschi.

"He started barking," she said. "He shook his body. He can't shake his tail because it was broken and then set wrong."

Reed told the interviewer that she first saw the pup three years ago while working at Operation Kindness, a no-kill shelter near Arlington, TX. Their eyes met -- granted, Bruschi's eyes would be hard to avoid -- and "he jumped up in my arms and wouldn't leave," she said.

Bruschi as a puppy. Image courtesy Guinness World Records.

The then-high-school student adopted the dog, whose eyes measure a whopping 28 millimeters (1.1 inches) in diameter each, and who was named after former New England Patriots linebacker and current ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi.

"The eyes are big on a Boston Terrier anyway, but when I'd bring him out in public, people would say, 'Wow, he has huge eyes,'" Reed said.  "My vet joked a few months ago about submitting his photo to the Guinness World Records and I just went for it."

And won. No other pooch in all the world boasts bigger peepers.

Bruschi's eyes sometimes scare other dogs -- and even some people, according to Reed, who hopes her dog's win can help raise publicity for Operation Kindness and similar shelters.

“Some people do make fun of him for his looks,” Reed told the Guinness World Records website, as reported by MSNBC.com. "But I feel like he would go up to them and say, 'Haha, look where I am now, I've got a record for my looks!’"

Sources: Huffington Post, MSNBC.com

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Meet Kathy Sdao, One of the Dog Training World’s Rock Stars

If you ask the majority of pet owners to name a well-known dog trainer, you’ll probably get only one or two responses: Cesar Millan or Victoria Stilwell. Newbies need only know that my own training techniques and preferences are much more in the style of Stilwell’s “It’s Me or the Dog” than Millan’s “The Dog Whisperer.”

This year on Dogster, I plan to introduce you, some of the world’s best pet parents, to some of the biggest names in the training industry, the ones professionals consult for the most relevant training information and best standards and practices. And I think they ought to have their own TV shows on Animal Planet too!

Today, I’m talking to Kathy Sdao, one of dog training’s rock stars. She is an associate-certified applied animal behaviorist who came to dog training after a career that included work with the U.S. military on training dolphins for work in the open ocean.

I first met her a few years ago at a seminar hosted at our facility (“Cujo vs. Pavlov,” on working with aggressive dogs), and have since seen her at ClickerExpo and APDT conferences. I even invited her back to Rewarding Behaviors for her S.M.A.R.T. rewards seminar. Kathy is a phenomenal presenter with great enthusiasm and energy. She presents information in a manner which is humorous, entertaining, and engaging.

Casey: You started your career working with marine mammals. What made you transition to dog training?

Kathy: I switched from training large wet animals — whales, dolphins, porpoises, walruses, sea lions, and seals — to training smaller, drier animals in 1996. I did this because I wanted to start a business and be self-employed. Though I loved working at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium [in Tacoma, WA], it was physically grueling work. In addition, because I have pretty strong opinions about the best ways to train and to care for animals, I figured I’d have more control over these decisions in my own business.

I was incredibly naive in assuming that my twelve years of experience with marine mammals would make me a good dog trainer. I knew so little about dog behavior!

A dear and generous friend allowed me to shadow her during the dog training classes she taught and to observe her dog daycare business. This, plus a lot of research, gave me the courage to create a dog daycare business of my own, assisted by another former zookeeper, Marcye Miller. Running a dog daycare allowed me to immerse myself in ten hours per day of the full range of dog behavior. This was the beginning of my endless fascination with watching dogs interact, play, resolve conflicts, and learn.

I rarely miss working with marine mammals. I was blessed to have had the opportunity at all, and now I truly enjoy my work with dogs and their people.

How is a behaviorist different from a dog trainer?

These two categories overlap, of course. I consider myself both a behaviorist and a dog trainer. And the definitions vary from country to country. In the United States, anyone except a veterinarian can legally call herself a “behaviorist.” (Veterinary behaviorists must meet stringent requirements to receive their board certification.) So the term doesn’t actually convey any specific credential.

My certification as an associate-certified applied animal behaviorist (ACAAB) was granted to me by the Animal Behavior Society (ABS). The requirements include a master’s degree or Ph.D in a behavioral science with specific courses in animal learning and ethology, along with extensive hands-on experience working with animals under the supervision of a qualified mentor.

To me, these two categories — the board-certified veterinary behaviorists and the ABS-certified “psychological” behaviorists, each with a post-graduate education in behavior science — are the professionals best qualified to resolve serious dog-behavior problems such as aggression and anxiety.

What are the top three things pet owners can do to improve their relationships with their dogs?

1. Put more emphasis on being a skilled, generous, creative “feeder” than on being a strict leader. That is, understand that the main “job” of a great pet owner is to repeatedly reinforce all the dog behaviors you want to see more of. This is a much greater priority than being “commander-in-chief.”

2. Walk the dog! Aim for a 45-to-60-minute walk at least three times a week. (Get approval from your veterinarian if you think your dog’s health might preclude this.)

Just changing this one thing can make an enormous difference in the relationship between dogs and dog owners. This long-duration, low-impact exercise boosts serotonin levels, stimulates the dog’s olfactory senses, exposes the dog to novelty, and provides an opportunity for ongoing training.

If your dog pulls on-leash, try using a front-attachment harness or a head halter. If your dog lunges at bikers or other dogs, choose a boring walking location where you can avoid these triggers (e.g. an empty parking lot, an unused school track) — and contact a qualified dog trainer to help you resolve this issue.

3. Play with your dog every day. Use one of the standard games — fetch, tug, hide and seek — or create a ritual of your own. Make sure there are rules to keep everyone safe; young children need lots of supervision and coaching. But honest play, where both participants are really having fun, is mutually exclusive with stress and anxiety. It creates resilient bonds between dogs and people.

Tell us more about your new projects. You have a book and some new videos coming out.

I’m excited about my new book: Plenty in Life Is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace. It’s been in the works for two years and is somewhat unusual. It’s part memoir and part training manual, and even discusses the impact spirituality has on the decisions we make as trainers. It presents an effective alternative to the various rank-based dog-training paradigms we’ve used for the past few decades. I hope this will help foster more cooperative partnerships between people and dogs, replacing the standard “master vs. subordinate” model we’ve inherited.

I also have two new DVDs, available through Tawzer Dog. One of these is based on a brief lecture I gave in Orlando in January on the topic of my book.

The other is a longer lecture given at the same venue titled “What Not to Err: Training Mistakes that Create Headaches for Dogs.” It reviews ten errors common to dog-friendly trainers. Topics include ineffective cues, backward sequences, poisoned reinforcers, misunderstood training transitions, and more. Understanding how to avoid or resolve these issues makes training fairer for our dogs and more fun for everyone.

Photos of Kathy are courtesy of Jon Smith.

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Uggie Is Top Dog at Golden Collar Awards — The Dog World’s Version of the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Emmys

Uggie looking downright heavenly on the "red" carpet at last night's Golden Collar Awards (Photo by Maria Goodavage)

The inaugural Golden Collar Awards, held last night in Los Angeles, paid homage to Tinseltown’s four-legged set, with six talented dogs trotting away with dazzling trophies and lots of stories to tell their pooch pals about the A-list human celebs they shook paws with on the red carpet.

Uggie, the talented and adorable 10-year-old Jack Russell co-star of The Artist, was the paws-down winner for Best Dog in a Theatrical Film. He is retiring from the film business soon after the upcoming Oscars, so this was his penultimate swansong.

“He is a great family member as well as a great performer, and he will be enjoying a lot more couch time now,” Uggie’s owner-trainer, Omar Von Muller, told me after the ceremony, with Uggie trembling lightly in his arms. (Uggie has a mystery neurological syndrome vets haven’t yet been able to diagnose.) “He has helped pave the way for other dogs and trainers to get the recognition they deserve for their hard work in the future.”

Uggie is expected to take his final bow-wow at the Oscars, where he will reportedly open the show beside host Billy Crystal. I don’t normally glue myself to the Oscars, but I’ll definitely be watching this year’s from the start.

The evening's stand-ins for Blackie, of "Hugo" fame, did not mind sharing the spotlight with each other or the more physically diminutive Uggie, who won in their category. (Photo by Maria Goodavage)

Acceptance speeches at the Golden Canine Awards were blissfully short, with no sentimental gushing. The award-winning dogs didn’t go on and on about their gratitude to their mothers, directors, and spouses, and their people had just a few well-chosen words for the audience, who braved an ice-cold banquet hall for the awards portion of the event.

The dogs who didn’t win anything didn’t seem to care. There was no dismay, no dashing of self-worth, no back-stabbing. When Wendy Malick from Hot in Cleveland announced Uggie as the winner of the night’s big award (pronouncing his name “You-gie” — oops), the two Dobies who were the evening’s stand-ins for Blackie, of Hugo fame, slept right through it. They only roused when they heard the name “Blackie” in the nominee list, but they went right back to sleep a few feet away from me when Blackie didn’t win. I am pretty sure I even heard one of them snoring.

What all the dogs — winners and otherwise (there are no losers in the dog world) really wanted was to know what goodies were inside the Natural Balance swag bags that seemed to smell insanely appealing to them. It was not uncommon at the end of the ceremony to witness a famous dog’s head buried in a blue bag, snortling around the sample packets of treats and kibbles. This is not something we generally see human celebs do at the end of the Oscars or Emmys. They wait until they’re in the car on the way home.

It was a quirky event, with its share of little gaffes (eg, no envelope for the very first winner, announced by actress Pauley Perrette, who handled the problem with aplomb), but that’s part of what made it a refreshing break from a typical Hollywood awards ceremony.

Even veterans of awards events were smitten by the Golden Collars.

Elizabeth Snead, one of last night's judges and a 15-year veteran of Hollywood awards shows, says the Golden Canines were the most fun. She atteneded the event with Posy, one of her six little Malteses. (Photo by Maria Goodavage)

“This is more fun than I’ve had the whole time I’ve been covering the Oscars and Golden Globes,” said Elizabeth Snead, contributing editor at The Hollywood Reporter, who helped judge the Golden Collars. “Dogs make the awards season much more human.”

She’s right. There’s something about dogs that humanizes so many situations — even war. With a dog at your side, barriers break down, and people can see everything from a different perspective — a kinder, less judgmental one with admiration for the silent loyalty and love dogs bring with them. It’s hard to explain, but I think my regular readers know exactly what I’m talking about.

Uggie, who brought a strong dose of humanity to The Artist and to the evening’s festivities, was more than happy to share the spotlight with his “brother,” Dash, who will be taking over the family’s acting legacy. Uggie was often content to be in his handler’s arms while Dash did way-cute tricks on the red carpet. Move over, Barrymores!

There were plenty of other winners as well last night.

• The Best Dog in a Foreign Film category was won by Koko from the Australian film Red Dog, which is definitely on my list of must-see dog films. In Australia, Koko is just as famous as Uggie. A tongue-in-cheek video by Koko’s people said Koko wasn’t at the Golden Collars because the people of Australia refuse to let the dog leave the country.

• The Best Dog in a Television Series category went to the uber cute French bulldog Brigitte from the ever-popular TV series, Modern Family.

Shorty Rossi and Hercules, of Pit Boss fame. Shorty was happy Hercules won an award, because he's all about bringing awareness to pit bulls being great dogs. (Photo by Maria Goodavage)

• There was a tie in the Best Dog in a Reality Television Series category, with Hercules from Pit Boss and Giggy from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills sharing the award. After the ceremony, Pit Boss star Shorty Rossi told me he hoped that his loveable, mellow pit bull’s win would help the public see pit bulls as “the fantastic dogs they are.” A side note: Hercules has the world’s softest fur on his forehead, and it’s hard to stop petting it, especially when he looks at you with those soulful eyes.

• For Best Dog in a Direct-to-DVD Film category, the two nominees from Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, which was the predicted winner, probably split up the votes for that DVD, which gave the win to Rody, the cuddly yellow Lab pup Rody, from Marley & Me: The Puppy Years.

I have a feeling that with the recognition brought to canine thespians by this show and by Uggie himself, we’ll be seeing more dogs in future productions. I have a feeling I’m going to have plenty of excuses to go to the movies in upcoming years. (“Honey, it’s for work! We have to go see (fill in the blank future movie title starring dog) tonight.”)

Dogster will shortly be featuring a fun photo post of the evening’s festivities, with images by our photographer-for-the-evening, Nanette Gonzales. Keep your eyes peeled for more celebrity canines.

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George the Great Dane, World’s Largest Dog, Scared of Small Dogs

George is a gentle giant, a would-be lapdog

Dogsters, we’ve done a story or two about George, the world’s largest dog, in the past. But now that he’s coming out with his very own book, I thought you might want to get reacquainted with this gentle giant. Below is an excerpt from his upcoming book, Giant George, which will be available August 4. You can sign up now at Amazon to be notified when it’s available.

Excerpt from Giant George: Life With the World’s Biggest Dog

By Dave Nasser, with Lynne Barrett-Lee

Though it didn’t really register, George’s paws were comically large even then. But all we saw was this cute puppy.

We certainly never dreamed he would one day become the biggest dog in the world, standing nearly 4ft high at the shoulder, 7ft long and weighing nearly 18 stone. Right now, he just looked bewildered.

He came into our lives in January 2006, just a few months after we had married and set up home in Arizona. We both had busy jobs, Christie selling medical equipment while I was a property developer, but she had always planned that, once she had a house of her own, she would also have a dog.

She wanted a Great Dane as they make great family pets, so we tracked down a litter of 13, born 1,000 miles away in Oregon. Their owner emailed us a photo showing a chaotic jumble of paws, snouts and tails.

Twelve were entangled with one another, but our eyes were drawn to one pup standing apart from the rest. He was clearly the runt, endearing him to Christie immediately.

George made the long journey from Oregon to Phoenix by plane and we picked him up from the freight area, tired but unshaken.

As soon as George settled into our home, we discovered our plans to be fair but firm parents were wishful thinking.

All the things that make Great Danes wonderful pets — their lack of aggression and their attachment to humans — make them more emotionally sensitive than other dogs.

They need to be with their ‘pack’ at all times and at night the cute pup with intensely blue eyes turned into a caterwauling banshee whenever we tried to leave him alone in the kitchen.

No matter how much we reminded ourselves that he had every home comfort (warm dog bed, warm blanket, warm kitchen, squeaky bone), each whimper created a picture in our heads of a tragic, abandoned pup, desperate for his mother.

Eventually, we gave in and shunted George’s dog bed into our bedroom. In the coming months, Christie really threw herself into being a mum to George. As well as a photo album, he had a growth chart — we were soon reading it in awe.

At five months he still acted like a puppy, chasing his tail and playing games of fetch and tug-of-war with his favourite bit of rope. But he was already the size of a fully-grown Labrador.

He was putting on more than a pound a day and he bounded around like Bambi, skittering on our wooden floors and hurling himself at everything he fancied, including us humans. His displays of affection could leave you pinned temporarily against a wall or a piece of furniture.

His size did not go unnoticed in the outside world. Our local park had a section for puppies but we were bullied out of it by other owners, who were scared George would hurt their pups, — but the opposite was true.

The smaller dogs ran around and under him, and he’d be constantly sidestepping them, obviously anxious and jittery. Slowly we realised that our enormous puppy was a big softie. Besides his terror of being left alone, he had a fear of water.

He’d growl anxiously at the side of our swimming pool, alarmed that his ‘pack’ members would so willingly place themselves in danger of drowning.

If the pool was his most-hated place, his favourite was our bedroom. Eventually he outgrew the single mattress we placed there for him and preferred instead the comfort of our king-sized bed — sprawling between us like some over-indulged prince while we spent half the night clinging onto the edges.

In the summer of 2006, we solved this problem by buying him his own queen-sized mattress, which he still sleeps on today at the bottom of our bed.

But soon we encountered another challenge as George reached doggie puberty. Once he had grabbed life by the lapels, now he was grabbing onto legs — table legs, chair legs, human legs, he wasn’t picky — and doing what all male dogs do with the vigour of a canine giant.

George was built for counter surfing

A sausage on the barbecue was like a siren to a passing sailor. You couldn’t turn your back for a minute. And he was so tall that he actually had to bend down to pinch food off kitchen counters.

He could reach the high shelves as well, so we had to hide everything away in cupboards. Soon, he was getting through around 100lb of dry dog food every month.

As he approached his first birthday in November 2006, weighing about 14 stone, it was getting physically impossible to make him go anywhere he didn’t want to — including the vet’s surgery. He had not forgotten the time he went there in possession of his manhood — and came out less than whole.

As soon as he recognised the entrance, he  refused to move. So I had to take him around to the less familiar back door instead.

For all these troubles, George gave us plenty in return, not least the following year when Christie lost the baby she was carrying.

Evidently tuned in to her grief, George was a constant presence at her side. When she sat, he sat too. When she stood, he stood and padded alongside her to wherever she was going.

(Continued in the book, Giant George, by Dave Nasser, to be published by Simon & Schuster on August 4, Excerpt © 2011 Dave Nasser. For more on George or the book, go to George’s website.)

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Cool News: World’s First Dog with Four Bionic Limbs

Naki'o with his four bionic paws

Bionic man, meet the bionic dog. Naki’o is reportedly the world’s first dog to be fitted with four bionic legs. He gets along on them super well, and is able to run, jump, and even swim.

The poor pooch had a rough puppyhood. IncredibleFeatures.net reports that his family abandoned him and his siblings as very young pups when they moved from their foreclosed Nebraska home. With their dog mother dead, and a very harsh winter, the pups were malnourished and barely surviving. A weakened Naki’o apparently stepped in a nearly frozen puddle in the basement of the home and couldn’t move.

The bionic man: A prototype?

Someone found the red heeler pups when they were a mere 5 weeks old, and took them to an animal rescue center. Nakio’s paws were slayed by frostbite and veterinarians had to amputate. He was left with four stumps. When they healed, he was able to walk around on them for a while, but as he grew it was too much, and he could only crawl around on his belly.

Veterinary technician Christie Tomlinson adopted him, and raised funds to get him fitted with two prosthetic rear legs. They worked out so well that OrthoPets decided to give him two more limbs free of charge.

“We wanted Naki’o to enjoy his life to the fullest,” said OrthoPets co-founder Martin Kaufmann. “We wanted him to run as fast as he could, to be able to hold a bone to chew. This breed of dog needs to run, jump and hike big mountains. I knew having the best quality of life possible would also prolong his life greatly.”

These prosthetic limbs are anything but peg legs. They’re high-tech wonders constructed to mimic a dog’s natural legs. Check out this short video of Naki’o below, and see just how well this amazing dog is doing with his super cool new set of gams. For some great pics of Naki’o, check out this IncredibleFeatures.net page.

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Meet Brewster, the world’s tallest puppy

How does one really prepare their home and backyard for a visit by a
215-pound celebrity dog? Fortunately, when the 36-foot tour bus pulled in front of my house recently and out its door lumbered a mellow Great Dane named Brewster, I decided to exhale and simply enjoy this magnificent (and still growing) dog who is on a mission to raise money and awareness to combat cancer in dogs and cats.

Brewster belongs to Sandy Hall, a determined pet cancer awareness advocate from northern California. He is also the nephew of Hall’s previous famous Great Dane named Gibson, deemed the World’s Tallest Dog by the officials from “Guinness Book of World Records.” Gibson stood 42.2 inches high at the shoulders and soared more than 7 feet high when standing on his hind legs. Sadly, Gibson died from osteosarcoma two years ago.

In his memory, Hall is touring the United States with Brewster throughout the entire month of May in hopes of raising $1 million in donations to be made to the Morris Animal Foundation to fund research to find a cure for cancer. The tour is funded by Petco and Blue Buffalo pet food. Back to the backyard, though. The combined weight of my four pets (two cats named Murphy and Zeki and two dogs named Cleo and Chipper) barely tips the scales at 90 pounds. So all of them put together are less than half of Brewster’s weight. Despite being a mere 60 pounds, Chipper, my golden retriever-Husky, needed to do a parallel walk with Brewster and Hall down my street to silence what I refer to “doggy air guitar” and calmly transform into a polite canine host. The mutual side-by-side walk worked.

The biggest surprise meet-and-greet, however, occurred between Brewster and Zeki, my 9-pound Turkish Van mix. I adopted Zeki about a year ago after she survived a brutal knifing as a stray and then endured eye-related health issues in a foster home. She has every right to be a nasty, anti-social feline, but she has yet to meet a stranger, and that includes the many dog visitors who come into my home. Brewster’s only cat experience sparked a swat and hiss from a less-than-welcoming cat, according to Hall.

Zeki, relaxed and cradled in my arms, leaned over to a weary Brewster and delicately touched noses. Size wasn’t an issue for this confident cat. She was more focused on getting turkey treats than fussy about this giant canine in her backyard. Zeki has proven to be an excellent feline ambassador who is always up to meeting people and traveling to new places.

Brewster and Hall will be covering thousands of miles throughout the month of May inside a bus that gets a whopping eight miles to the gallon. I don’t even want to calculate that hefty bill at the pump, but you can’t put a price on the damage cancer causes. Cancer claims about as many dogs and cats at the same rate as people, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. The Morris Animal Foundation officials drive it home with the sobering statistic that one in every four dogs die of cancer.

May is Pet Cancer Awareness Month. You can help by rounding up your receipts at Petco or making donations online at Pet Cancer Awareness. If you want to learn more about Brewster, billed as the World’s Tallest Puppy (yet to be officially sanctioned by the Guinness guys), just dash over to his site.
Brewster’s arrival drew curious interest from my neighbors, many of
whom were wowed by his towering stature. The most heartfelt response came from my neighbor, Flo Frum. Nearly 87 and possessing the same energy and wit as another senior (Betty White), Flo lost her husband Frank to lung cancer just six months shy of their 60th wedding anniversary six years ago. Her home is now shared by a spirited miniature Schnauzer named Buddy. She eyed Brewster, gave him a big hug, dismissed the drool he deposited on her pant leg and then hugged Hall.

“I hate cancer,” she quietly told Hall. “I love dogs. Thank you for making this trip. I just wish Frank was alive to see it.”

Photo credits: Arden Moore

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