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Apparently man’s best friend is taking on a whole new meaning…lifesavers! I’m not talking about Lassie, seeing eye dogs, or Newfoundland rescue dogs. I’m talking about trained “health care professionals.”

About five years ago, research began as an investigation done by an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. John Hunt. He was curious about numerous reports of dogs pestering their owners repeatedly on parts of their bodies that were later found to be cancerous. Hunt’s research showed that dogs’ hypersensitive noses are capable of detecting cancer cells and abnormalities in humans. Recently, the case of Paul Jackson, who suffers from diabetes, revealed that dogs can also warn their owners when their sugar levels get too low.

These findings led to British dogs specifically being trained to sniff out certain health dangers in humans at the Cancer and Bio-Detection Dogs research centre in Aylesburg, England. This Reuters article offers great insight on the details of how dogs are capable of having this innate skill.

So, is this the beginning of a new means for patient diagnosis? It may not be practical to have a dog in every doctor’s office, but researchers are attempting to invent an electronic nose that will be capable of mimicking this ability. The device is currently said to be about 15 years behind. Either way, these findings definitely prove that man’s best friend offers much more than companionship.

Contributed by: Ashley Hollingsworth

Every heard of the saying that a dog looks like its owner? Let’s test this old wives tale. Please match the Addison Whitney employee with his/her dog!

Wanna see the matchups? Click here.

By: Trista Thielker

While I was on the verge of purchasing a puppy it got me thinking about puppy names. I could go with the standard cool name like Bruiser, to the more traditional name like Baxter, to the type of breed. Each breed of dog has its own characteristics, attributes and benefits, similar to that of a brand. Now, a dog that was once considered just a cute mutt has transitioned into its very own brand category … a “designer breed”, which has me completely baffled. Just to give you an idea of how many of “designer breeds” exist, I compiled a list of registered names from the ACHC.

• Yorkshire Terrier + Poddle = YorkiePoo
• Jack Russell Terrier + Poodle = Jack-A-Poo
• Labrador Retriever = Labrodoodle
• Chihuahua + Dachshund = Chiwinie
• Poodle + Westie = Wee-Poo
• Bulldog + Pug = Buggs
• Pomeranien + Poddle = PomaPoo
• Affenpinscher + Chihuahua = Affenhuahua
• Affenpinscher + Poddle = Affenpoo
• American Bulldog + Boxer = Bulloxer
• American Bulldog + Mastif = MastiBull
• Alaskan Malamute + Siberian Husky = Alusky
• American Eskimo + Cocker Spaniel = Cock-A-Mo
• American Eskimo + Shih Tzu = Shih-Mo
• American Rat Terrier + Boston Terrier = Brat
• Beagle + Jack Russell Terrier = Jack-A-Bee

And two of my personal favorites…

• Basset Hound + Miniature Schnauzer = Bowzer
• Chihuahua + Toy Fox Terrier = Taco Terrier

…believe me the list goes on and on

Moreover, I have noticed that in the corporate world, the “breeding” of two brand names often takes a more conservative approach to naming.

MillerCoors (perhaps “Cooller” possibly could of work due to the environment in which their product lives).

Thomson Reuters (Reuterson ehh maybe that is just a bad last name, ie Tom Reuterson).

Is this good “brandalosophy”? Or should a new name be developed opening the door to refined characteristics and benefits giving birth to a new “designer brand?”

By: Nick Irwin

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Man’s best friend has become a marketer’s dream. It’s no longer simply designer carriers and rhinestone-studded leashes. Today’s pups are surrounded by as many luxury labels and fashion trends as the rest of us. With clever brand names to boot.
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