cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war

Pigroast + wild flowers + canola field

Nosework and dogblr folk! (East coast people especially) Want to help stop the spread of an invasive species and save some crops? Do the thing!

Free webinar for upcoming Citizen Science Detection Dog Project Weds 5pm CT/ 6pm ET.

First off- Perhaps you have "spotted" our recent papers on canine detection of spotted lanternfly egg masses (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105816 and https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105880 or Penn Vet Working Dog Center's awesome paper: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250945 ). If not, we will cover this in the webinar.

The quick story:

The problem: SLF are beautiful but invasive destroyers of all things delicious. Wine lovers- they are coming for you. They are causing havoc in the north east. Luckily, they don't fly very far themselves, but they lay inconspicuous egg masses on woody things (like shipping pallets or trees). To stop the spread, we need to stop accidental transport....

The solution: You! Well, your dog really (but you get to tag along). We think groups like NACSW have actually been building a nationwide agricultural biodetection capacity waiting to be deployed. That's where the citizen science part comes in. We have painstakingly done the lab work to show the dogs can do it and developed a method to deploy training materials, now we need help to see if we have agricultural detection dogs in every nook and cranny of the US to support farmers and help secure our food supply.

The call: we need detection trainers and handlers to join the citizen science team. We are building teams to train together all across the US. The project will end with double blind odor recognition tests and a double blind operational search. And yes, there will be ribbons!

To start: sign up for the webinar here: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtc-mrrD4tGNCXqnC3Amdql_I2wgqRTRZa#/registration

This project was supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Competitive Grant no. 2021–67013–33715 from the Tactical Sciences for Agricultural Biosecurity from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

This is really cool. Does anyone know if SLFs are a problem in upstate SC? It'd be cool to help but I'd want to make sure it's something we even could help with.

SLFs are established in North Carolina and Clemson is actively monitoring and keeping watch for them! They have asked SC residents to be on lookout for SLF as of last year. So Kiwi could absolutely be a very useful sentinel tool against early invasion. There have been sightings along the NC/SC border, and it's just a matter of time before they cross into SC and hit the peach industry.

Here is the most recent map I could find (March 2023) of known SLF infestations:

And here is an interactive map, for anyone curious or who wants more details about their region.

The potential map of SLF distribution, which is defined by the ecological conditions where they can survive and create new infestations within the continental US, can be found below:

So if you're in the eastern Midwest or anywhere in the South or Northeast, it might still be worth tagging along or following this project to see if it might be useful to train your dogs to alert to lanternflies. California and the PNW are not currently at risk, but if the infestation spreads widely enough they might be--and if that happens, our fruit tree industries are in trouble.

Thank you for the extra info!! Shark loves nosework and she's a very thorough and accurate searcher at Barn Hunt most of the time so this would be really cool to put it to good use to help the environment!

How have your dog goals/views changed since you were a kid? Or even over the past couple of years?

Mountain hiking ppl of dogblr - we're gonna (attempt to) hike up a ~1.5km big mountain in late May, any general or gear tips?

More water than you think you need, and human and canine snacks! Correctly-fitting hiking boots that go up around your ankle are ideal, but sturdy sneakers with good traction might be ok depending on the hike difficulty. Whatever you wear just make sure you break them in well before the hike so you don't get blisters! Good socks help to prevent rubbing too.

For the hike itself, start as early as you can so you're not in a rush. Take your time and take as many breaks as you and your dog need!

If there are really steep "scramble" sections and you trust your dog off-leash, it's sometimes safer to briefly let them off leash to find their own way up - that way you don't risk the leash catching on things, or slipping and pulling your dog down with you (or vice versa).

A commission I had pleasure to create for Emily of her amazing Cricket!

Thank you again! I'm over the moon with this ❤️

Here's my spicy hot take on some discourse floating around the doggosphere-

Most complaints about doodles and shelters are problems people have with new/inexperienced/"casual" dog owners. The rest are issues that are not exclusive to or even dominated by doodles/shelter dogs.

Ma'am

digdigdigdig hee hee hee! oho ho ho!! haha hee hee! chew chew digdigdig

as usual if you have cute anecdotes or pictures to share feel free to reply and add to the post!

Tristan carries around a supper dish when an anticipated activity is as exciting as mealtimes. So greeting residents/known guests, Go See the Ponies, that sort of thing.

Guinevere carries a toy when she goes towards the door out of habit, so if you come in our door, Gwyn is there with a toy.

as usual if you have cute anecdotes or pictures to share feel free to reply and add to the post!

Tristan carries around a supper dish when an anticipated activity is as exciting as mealtimes. So greeting residents/known guests, Go See the Ponies, that sort of thing.

Guinevere carries a toy when she goes towards the door out of habit, so if you come in our door, Gwyn is there with a toy.

Seeing her

Pike's best features are her slightly oversized ears, the little eyebrows, and her wiggle and cuddle mode.

Rb with a breed you would own from herding, sporting, non sporting, hound, terrier, toy and working groups. You must either answer to all 7 or none at all <3

Various examples of my work, and a color chart for available colors!

I take Biothane commissions and can make just about anything* requested! I make custom collars, leashes, and other gear for pets, and I’m happy to make chokers, collars, belts, etc. for humans too! I can add some simple painted designs or paint splatter/speckles, and in the future hope to be able to do heat stamping patterns too.

Please note that since I have a very small operation and do not source supplies in bulk, all commissioned pieces will be priced individually based on my costs in sourcing the material/hardware needed for that project. Everything I make is completely custom and I am happy to give you a price quote for any request, so you can decide if that’s something you want and can afford. I greatly appreciate any and all commissions or shares!! :3

*As a policy I will not make e-collar straps, prong collar covers, or full-slip collars/leashes, so please do not ask for these. Thank you for understanding! At this time I am not able to make dog harnesses or muzzles, but I hope to be able to in the future.

Y’all I picked up these chilly penguins from a local store and they’re a life saver.

I prefer them to the traditional cone kongs because they last longer and lay on their back. Filled those little suckers up with rehydrated kibble, low-sodium chicken broth and stuck a cookie in the middle.

Voila, my dogs are happy for the next 45 minutes! Plus, they’re only $8.95 on Amazon. Good stuff.

Here’s our resident 5 month old croc chowing down on hers. We’ve named him beef penguin.

8/10