Family dog tested Positive of Covid19

DURHAM, N.C. -- A pet dog tested positive for COVID-19 in North Carolina, in what researchers say is the first known novel coronavirus case in a canine.

The positive case comes from a research study being conducted at Duke University.

The Molecular and Epidemiological Study of Suspected Infection (MESSI) is testing how bodies respond to different types of infections. The goal of the study is to ultimately develop infection biomarkers to help treatment and prevention of illnesses.

During the MESSI research, a family who was participating in the study had its dog tested for the virus. The dog tested positive.

"To our knowledge, this is the first instance in which the virus has been detected in a dog. Little additional information is known at this time as we work to learn more about the exposure," MESSI principal investigator Dr. Chris Woods said in a statement.

Dr. Heather McLean is a Duke Health pediatrician. Her husband is an ER doctor. They, as well as their human son, all tested positive for the virus.

McLean said her family experienced very mild symptoms. She said the same was true of Winston, the family's pug. Winston lost his appetite for a day, but other than that, he appeared healthy.

The McLeans have two dogs and one cat. Winston is the only pet that tested positive for COVID-19.

As part of the study, the family will continue to be tested. McLean said her family thought it was important to do what they could to help researchers better understand this new virus.

"Just reading about it and hearing it in the news and going into the hospital it is a little creepy," McLean said. "Everyone is a little on edge and afraid, so this just gives us the ability to feel like we have something that we can contribute to society and help patients get better."

COVID-19 has been found in big cats and other felines.

There have been reports of COVID-19 in dogs in other parts of the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "CDC is aware of a small number of pets, including dogs and cats, reported to be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19."

MESSI started before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has since shifted its focus to help respond to the crisis.

The team is now working exclusively with people who tested positive for COVID-19 or were exposed to the virus.

The team hopes its research can help develop improved diagnostic tests for the earliest stages of the disease, track mutations of the virus over time, understand how the body responds to the virus' changes, evaluate using convalescent plasma for therapy, and create a vaccine.

Source: Abc7news.com

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A woman who visited and fed a dog chained to a tree for a year shares her joy at being able to adopt her.

A woman who visited and fed a dog that was chained to a tree for a year has shared her joy at finally being able to adopt her after the owner was forced to give her up.

Laura Seymour, believed to be from Virginia, went to see the friendly akita three times a week and topped up her bowl with nourishment.

She called animal control several times but was told the dog wasn't considered to be being maltreated provided it had a dog house, adequate food and water.

Knowing the owner wasn't caring for her properly, Laura spent a year visiting the pooch, which she named Takia, and regularly took videos of the happy hound greeting her with licks and a wagging tail.

After enduring a snowy winter, Laura became concerned for Takia's welfare in the summer, fearing she'd overheat in the hot sun.

Having taken her mother to visit the pooch, she was compelled to called animal control a final time, and they phoned her back a day later to explain the owner had been asked to surrender the dog.

After their initial encounter, Laura told how Takia began to recognise her car and get visibly excited every time she arrived.

She didn't think anyone lived at the house where the dog was chained up to the tree, and became increasingly attached as she fed her and gave her water.

'I'm like, "Oh my gosh I have to take this dog",' she told Dodo Soulmates. 'I'm gonna have to steal it, I'm gonna have to do something for it. I was like, "No I'll go to jail for this dog".'

She admitted to being 'pretty mad' when animal control visited and deemed the hound to be sufficiently looked after, and told them she'd continue to feed her because the owner clearly wasn't.

Laura jumped at the chance to take on the dog, and she's now thoroughly enjoying her new home

Since being widely shared on social media, Laura has received an outpouring of support from dog lovers across the world, with many praising her kind actions

A year later, worried Takia would be 'dying' in the heat, Laura's mother urged her to try animal control one more time. 

That was when she agreed to take her on - and revealed Takia is now 'so grateful' she gets to sleep in a bed at night.

'It's like, 100 per cent she is so appreciative of everything,' Laura said.

Since her video was widely shared on social media last week, Laura has received an outpouring of support from dog lovers across the world, with many praising her kind actions.

One person who commented on the Dodo video, which has notched up over 10 million views, claimed to be neighbours with the original owner.

'I am so glad she got her!' she wrote. 'I live next door and we also fed her and called animal control and they would tell us the same thing about the house. My husband would bring her food and water and my sister-in-law across the street would too. 

'So animal control must have thought the owner was but they never did. They just yelled at her. I'm so happy she has a good home!' 

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Dog Training Tips - Part One

Here are 10 dog training tips every dog owner ought to know.

1. EARLIER TRAINING. 

Immediately you get a dog, you should begin training in some capacity. It may take some time to catch up if you should start training late. The key to remember is that training is often nothing more than reversing bad habits and behaviors. If you have a young dog, they haven’t had a chance to develop a significant number of these bad behaviors then training will be much easier. If you have an older dog, you really have to unteach, everything the dog knows about behavior and start to reteach behaviors that you want.

2. FOCUS ON WHAT YOUR DOG IS DOING RIGHT. 

Professional dog trainers advice their students to reward their dogs when they do something right. This “positive training” method is in contrast to training that centers on punishment. Dog owners should praise and reward their dogs with treats, new toys or affection for good behavior instead of just scolding them for bad behavior.

 

3. BE PROACTIVE, KEEP YOUR DOG FROM

BEHAVING BADLY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

One of the most important tips that a professional dog trainer will tell his or her students is that good behavior is not just the responsibility of the dog. The owner must make every effort to avoid giving the dog the ability to engage in bad behavior while they are still learning the ropes. For example, if you notice that your dog likes to chew, it’s important to make sure that everyone in the home puts their shoes behind closed closet doors to remove temptation.

 

4. STOP SAYING NO!

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when training their dogs is saying NO without giving the dog an explanation of some type. Dogs, much like children, will become confused with a simple command of NO! Here’s what you should do instead. If your dog is stealing the cat’s food, tell him NO and then gently guide him to his own food dish. Or, if your dog is chewing on a table leg tell him NO and give him rawhide or another toy on which he can chew. Once your dog begins to actually use the new behavior, reward him with treats, toys and praise.

5. BE KIND AND GENTLE FOR BEST RESULTS. 

If you're a dog owner who constantly punishes his or her dog for bad behaviors is bound to be a lot less successful than an owner who is gentle and kind, rewarding his or her dog for acceptable behaviors. Consider offering your dog plenty of praise, and be gentle when redirecting his attention from a bad behavior to one that is more acceptable to you.

6. USE THE ONE COMMAND RULE. 

Only give your dog each command at a time. If you want your dog to come, tell him COME! if you want him to sit, just say SIT! If your dog decides to ignore the command the first time, gently place him into the sit position and then praise him or give him a treat. Do this with every command, so that your dog doesn’t think that your commands are optional. Stick to the one command rule, and your dog will quickly learn to take your commands seriously.

7. ALWAYS ENFORCE YOUR COMMANDS.

If you give commands, but do not enforce them, your dog will learn that there is no reason to listen to you. On the other hand, if you back up your commands with reinforcement he will quickly learn that you mean business. For example, if you tell your dog to sit and he ignores you, gently push him into the desired position and praise him. Always praise good behavior as a means of enforcing your commands.

8. CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR COMMANDS. 

If you expect your dog to follow commands, then it is imperative that he understands what it is that you want him to do. For example, if you are trying to teach him to sit you will only confuse him if one time you use the command SIT and the next time SIT DOWN. If he’s confused he’ll most likely just ignore you. And this can lead to a vicious cycle. So, pay attention to the commands you are teaching and don’t confuse your dog by being inconsistent.

 

9. TEACH YOUR DOG TO READ YOUR TONE. Tone is just as important as the actual command that you are giving. Therefore, try to always use a consistent tone when issuing a command. Yelling a command will be less effective than just using a firm and authoritative tone. Pick a tone, and stick with it. Your dog will begin to recognize that tone, and respond to what you are telling him more effectively.

10.  ANALYZE STUBBORNNESS.

If you find that your dog is stubborn and does not want to listen to your commands, there may be a simple explanation. Look for signs to see whether you are giving commands that your dog understands, whether your dog knows what to do when they hear a certain command and whether the command is creating an uncomfortable feeling in your dog. Most likely, you need to simply repeat training for a specific command and make your dog feel more comfortable through rewards and praise.

Stay connected, on our next Dog training tips article...

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