Accessibility links
dogs dogs
Stories About

dogs

Sunday

Do your kids want a dog? Science may be on their side

Kids who have dogs get a boost in physical activity - especially young girls. Kristina Kamburova Photography/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Kristina Kamburova Photography/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Do your kids want a dog? Science may be on their side

Kids who have dogs get significantly more physical activity, compared to kids who don't. Researchers followed 600 children over three years, and found young girls got the biggest exercise boost.

Do your kids want a dog? Science may be on their side

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1228472495/1228677186" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Saturday

A French bulldog licks her mouth before being groomed.

A French bulldog licks her mouth before being groomed. Sakchai Lalit/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Sakchai Lalit/AP

Opinion

Simon Says

Opinion: Being robbed of a dog is a theft from the heart of our lives

Thefts of French bulldogs are up nationwide, possibly because they're like jewelry: small, cute and expensive.

Opinion: Being robbed of a dog is a theft from the heart of our lives

Listen · 2:29
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1224541620/1224585679" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Friday

Veterinarians say fears about 'mystery' dog illness may be overblown. Here's why

Many dog owners are worried about reports of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs. THEPALMER/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
THEPALMER/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Veterinarians say fears about 'mystery' dog illness may be overblown. Here's why

Reports of an "outbreak" of some as yet unidentified canine respiratory illness are scaring dog owners. But veterinarians and researchers aren't panicking.

Veterinarians say fears about 'mystery' dog illness may be overblown. Here's why

Listen · 3:46
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1216209026/1216340324" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Could a 'funky' pathogen be sickening dogs? Scientists search for clues

Healthy dogs romp in Brooklyn's Prospect Park in early October, after a storm caused severe flooding. Around the country a mysterious respiratory illness is making some dogs sick. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Could a 'funky' pathogen be sickening dogs? Scientists search for clues

Dogs around the country are becoming sick with an unknown respiratory illness. Some veterinarians are warning dog owners to take precautions. A strange bacterium could be involved.

Could a 'funky' pathogen be sickening dogs? Scientists search for clues

Listen · 4:10
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1214951367/1215031506" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

When disaster strikes, these good boys and girls are your rescue crew

Parker is all about the task at hand. Haiyun Jiang for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Haiyun Jiang for NPR

Animals

When disaster strikes, these good boys and girls are your rescue crew

FEMA has 280 certified detection dogs trained to find people in disasters, and it has another 80 that look for human remains. And they are the goodest boys and girls.

When disaster strikes, these good boys and girls are your rescue crew

Listen · 8:08
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1209466148/1210559615" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

We're spending $700 million on pet costumes in the costliest Halloween ever

Charlie the superdog is the only member of the King family who got two Halloween outfits this year. His other costume is a doughnut. Joelyne King hide caption

toggle caption
Joelyne King

Business

We're spending $700 million on pet costumes in the costliest Halloween ever

More U.S. shoppers are buying into Halloween this year, scaring up a new spending record for costumes, decorations, candy and cute outfits for pets.

We're spending $700 million on pet costumes in the costliest Halloween ever

Listen · 3:08
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1209521178/1209644576" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Saturday

Presidential pets can breed controversy. A dog was once suspected of being a spy

Clockwise from top left: Pushinka, a gift to President John F. Kennedy from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev; Bo, President Barack Obama's Portuguese water dog; Commander, President Biden's German shepherd; and Socks, President Bill Clinton's cat. William J. Smith/AP Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images (2), Marcy Nighswander/AP hide caption

toggle caption
William J. Smith/AP Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images (2), Marcy Nighswander/AP

Animals

Presidential pets can breed controversy. A dog was once suspected of being a spy

Historically, pets — everything from birds to cats to dogs — have been part of the White House. And Biden's dog Commander isn't alone. More than a few have ended up embroiled in some controversy.

Wednesday

8 loving ways to honor a pet's memory: Write an obit, grow a garden, dedicate a day
Clockwise from top left: Edele Brennan, Beth Fadely, Linda Smith, Jason Bauerschmidt, Marie Hernandez

Life Kit

8 loving ways to honor a pet's memory: Write an obit, grow a garden, dedicate a day

How do you deal with the heartbreak of losing a beloved pet? Our audience shares creative and inspiring ways to process grief — and celebrate the lives of our animal companions.

8 loving ways to honor a pet's memory: Write an obit, grow a garden, dedicate a day

Listen · 21:53
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198493559/1198494441" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Thursday

Wouldn't it be great if pets could talk? This might be the next best thing

A pug reacts to the camera on the first day of the Festival of Dogs weekend at Castle Howard on May 21, 2022 in York, England. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Humor & Fun

Wouldn't it be great if pets could talk? This might be the next best thing

A voiceover artist adds hilarious voices to pet videos submitted by his fans on social media.

Wouldn't it be great if pets could talk? This might be the next best thing

Listen · 2:13
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198992060/1199516178" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Monday

Owner reunited with her dog that roamed the Atlanta airport for 3 weeks

Paula Rodriguez and her dog, Maia, were separated while on their way from the Dominican Republic to San Francisco on Aug. 18. Rodriguez was turned away by border agents and forced to catch a flight home without Maia, who was lost by Delta Air Lines staff. @ATLairport/Twitter hide caption

toggle caption
@ATLairport/Twitter

Animals

Owner reunited with her dog that roamed the Atlanta airport for 3 weeks

Maia the dog escaped from her carrier last month while being loaded onto a plane at the busiest airport in the world. An online community banded together to reunite her with her owner.

Thursday

Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health

When humans interact with dogs, the feel-good hormone oxytocin increases — in the person and the dog. Sally Anscombe/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Sally Anscombe/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health

You don't even have to own one. Research shows just 5 to 20 minutes interacting with other people's pooches can reduce stress hormones and increase well-being.

Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health

Listen · 4:08
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1190728554/1191938777" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Saturday

Thursday

A lost dog treks 150 miles across Alaskan sea ice before he's reunited with his family

One-year-old Australian shepherd Nanuq, in the middle with Brooklyn Faith, was returned to Gambell, Alaska, on April 6 after he disappeared for a month and walked on the Bering Sea ice 150 miles to Wales, Alaska. On the left are Brooklyn Faith's sister Zoey with Starlight and on the right is brother Ty with Kujo. Mandy Iworrigan via AP hide caption

toggle caption
Mandy Iworrigan via AP

Animals

A lost dog treks 150 miles across Alaskan sea ice before he's reunited with his family

Nanuq, a 1-year-old Australian shepherd, went missing last month while his family was visiting relatives. Except for a swollen leg, with bite marks from a seal or polar bear, Nanuq was in good health.

Wednesday