October 25, 2007

Enterprising News Vender Trains Dog to Peddle Papers (Apr, 1934)

Enterprising News Vender Trains Dog to Peddle Papers

CHICAGO has the ideal street corner newspaper vender. He can’t shout, because this “newsboy” is a dog—a well trained police dog that energetically goes about the business of peddling papers.

The dog has been trained by his master to carry a newspaper in his mouth in such a manner that the headlines are well displayed. The dog wears a little Swiss hat, which bears the legend, “Buy Your Papers From Me.” To a bit of harness is attached a tin cup. When a coin is dropped in the cup, the dog is trained to release the newspaper. As soon as one paper is sold, it is replaced by the dog’s owner.

September 28, 2007

DOGS NOW NOSEPRINTED TO PROVE OWNERSHIP (Feb, 1933)

Filed under: Dogs, General — @ 12:32 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Feb, 1933

I’m not sure how this prevents dog theft. If I steal your dog couldn’t I just make a noseprint of him and claim I had it all the time?

DOGS NOW NOSEPRINTED TO PROVE OWNERSHIP
Taking noseprints of dogs to guard them against loss or theft is the method being adopted by western owners. When two persons claim the same dog in court, ink noseprints, like the specimen illustrated, settle the matter. Like human fingerprints, the patterns on the nose of the dog are said not to change with age, and therefore a pet need submit but once to having its nostrils smeared with ink. No two dogs have identical patterns so a mistake is impossible.

August 29, 2007

DOGS BARK TONED DOWN BY OPERATION (Nov, 1936)

Filed under: Dogs, General — @ 12:01 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1936

Poor dog. Do vets still do this?

DOGS BARK TONED DOWN BY OPERATION
Toning down the barking of noisy dogs is the reported accomplishment of an Atlanta, Ga., veterinarian, who has performed the feat upon the pets of a number of apartment dwellers. In the simple, painless operation that he has devised, a dog’s vocal cord is relieved of a small V-shaped wedge on either side. No danger to the animal is involved, it is said, and the only after effect is that an ear-splitting bark is muffled to a dulcet tone that can cause no complaints from neighbors. In the photo at left, a pet is under treatment.

July 27, 2007

Canine Stable Boy Helps Train Racer (Sep, 1940)

Filed under: Dogs — @ 12:28 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Sep, 1940

Canine Stable Boy Helps Train Racer

High-strung, temperamental race horses often have mascots, whose playful companionship provides a diversion from the serious business of winning; turf events. Witness, for example, the friendship of Ba-ranca, a thoroughbred, and Flash, a pure-white dog. In the circle at the right, the trained mascot offers the racer a juicy carrot, and at left, he holds the halter and leads Baranca out for a light workout, at their Inglewood, Calif., home. Winner of his share of races, the horse could lead the dog a merry chase if he chose to set the pace instead of meekly obeying the “orders” of his affectionate canine trainer.

May 23, 2007

Science Remakes the Dog (Nov, 1936)

Filed under: Dogs, Science — @ 5:01 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1936

Science Remakes the Dog

How Breeders Are Changing The Appearance and Nature Of Our Canine Population To Bring Out the Qualities That Are Made Desirable By Modern Living Conditions

By Jesse F. Gelders

DOGS are getting smaller. Subject to style trends, the same as clothing, automobiles, and houses, they are adapting themselves— or, rather, being adapted—to the changed conditions of modern life.

People today are demanding dogs that can live in small homes or apartments, and ride in automobiles, without crowding out their human companions; dogs that can keep fit with a minimum of exercise; smart, good-natured dogs, and—an important consideration, sometimes—dogs that will not eat their masters out of house and home.

Read the rest of this entry »

May 19, 2007

TEST NEW PARACHUTE FOR THE DOGS OF WAR (Nov, 1935)

Filed under: Dogs, War — @ 8:15 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1935

TEST NEW PARACHUTE FOR THE DOGS OF WAR
Foreseeing that troops may be dropped with parachutes from speeding planes, in future wars, Soviet experimenters are trying out a similar means of landing the dogs used in army service. A recent invention is a cylindrical coop for the dog, provided with a parachute that opens automatically when it is tossed from a plane. The shell of the coop, locked closed during the descent, springs open of its own accord when the device strikes the ground. The photographs reproduced here show the device in action during recent successful tests by Soviet aviators.

May 16, 2007

BAKING AS CURE FOR DOG ILLS IS TRIED IN GERMANY (May, 1924)

Filed under: Dogs, Scary — @ 12:13 am
Source: Popular Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: May, 1924

This scares me. Besides just being a generally bad idea, am I the only one who immediately thinks of the holocaust when I see this?
It’s not quite as scary as this one though.

BAKING AS CURE FOR DOG ILLS IS TRIED IN GERMANY
Ills of dogs are being treated by baking in Germany. For this purpose, and to aid in scientific research, gas ovens have been installed in the Berlin veterinary university’s clinic. The application of heat to animals is said to act in the same way that a steam bath does to the human body.

April 10, 2007

Death Chamber for Dogs Is Built into Truck (Nov, 1937)

Filed under: Dogs, Scary — @ 10:40 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1937

Yes, every little girl should have the character building experience of watching her dog’s execution. She seems to be taking it well.

Death Chamber for Dogs Is Built into Truck
A death chamber for dogs is a feature of a truck operated by the Animal Protective Association of Washington, D. C. Incurably sick or injured animals are placed in the compartment and destroyed by carbon monoxide gas.

February 21, 2007

Ventilator for Auto Trunk Makes It Safe for Dogs (Aug, 1938)

Filed under: Automotive, Dogs — @ 9:49 am
Source: Popular Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1938

Ventilator for Auto Trunk Makes It Safe for Dogs
Hunters’ dogs and other pets can be carried safely in the automobile trunk if a ventilator is provided. A vent which resembles the cap of the gasoline tank can be installed at the side of the trunk, well above the exhaust fumes. It is adjustable so that the proper supply of air can be supplied the dogs in warm or cold weather.

February 12, 2007

Dog Rides Tricycle, Drinks Pop (Nov, 1933)

Filed under: Dogs, Toys and Games — @ 10:25 am
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Nov, 1933

Dog Rides Tricycle, Drinks Pop

A Terrier, that rides a tricycle and drinks pop through a straw, has been trained by his boy master.

The dog has been taught to sit on the cycle seat without fear. He balances himself by putting his rear paws on the bars supporting the rear wheels. He rests his front paws on the handle bars. His legs are a bit too short for pedaling, but his young trainer enjoys pushing him around.

While the boy cools off with a drink of pop, his dog also goes through the act of sucking through the straw.

How well the terrier knows his stunt is shown in the photo on the right.

December 24, 2006

Police Dog Responds To Radio Commands (Jun, 1939)

Police Dog Responds To Radio Commands
ZOE, an Alsatian police dog attached to the Sydney (Australia) Police Force, is shown performing tricks in response to commands issued to her via short-wave radio. A miniature radio receiver was strapped to the animal’s back and a police officer whispered instructions into the microphone of a transmitter located some distance away. Hearing her master’s voice, Zoe dutifully carried out the commands.

December 20, 2006

Car Exercises Dogs (Sep, 1955)

This seems like a really good way to kill your dogs, not to mention just cruel. I don’t really know how fast dogs can run, but 35 mph seems a bit high, doesn’t it?

Car Exercises Dogs

With six racing dogs to keep in top shape, Dewey Blanton of Columbus, Ohio, has developed a “canine exerciser” that fastens to his station wagon. Blanton built a frame to support a long plank beside the vehicle. Springs fastened to the plank are attached to the dogs’ collars, permitting the dogs to run wide. Longer chains keep the dogs in check. The broad plank bumper prevents injury to the dogs as they race along at 35 miles per hour. Best of all, the dogs seem to love the exerciser.

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