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Top 10 Dirty Dog Contest Makeovers Revealed

Lori Ennis
by Lori Ennis
Published:  August 7th, 2019
Wahl Pet Products teamed up with GreaterGood.org to prove that beauty really doesn’t have to be skin deep–and that there’s nothing like a makeover to make a shelter dog look like a million bucks.


Wahl Pet Products and GreaterGood.org have teamed up for the eighth year to prove that dogs can have rags-to-riches stories too.


Steven Yde is the division vice president for Wahl. He said that sadly, millions of dogs enter shelters every year and barely half of them get the grooming they desperately need. They’re looked at as ‘damaged goods’ because of the way they look. Wahl Pet Products hopes their donations and sponsorships of these miraculous makeovers inspires people to look beyond what they see on the surface of shelter pups.

Wahl has donated pet shampoo since 2012 to transform more than 130,000 dogs nationwide. Their generous donations help get dogs ready for adoption and many have been part of the Dirty Dogs Contest. The Dirty Dogs Before & After Photo Gallery is unique because it gives people the opportunity to see what each dog looked like before they had their makeover. Visitors to the site can look for adoptable dogs in their areas and learn more about their favorite made-over dogs.


And speaking of favorite dogs, Wahl is also sponsoring the Dirty Dogs Contest. They’ve chosen ten of the most dramatic makeovers from the gallery and the public will get to vote on the top three winners. The animal shelters/rescue groups who are part of the winning transformations will win monetary grants to help their efforts. First place wins $5,000, with second place winning $2,000 and third place wins $1,000. The Dirty Dog Contest runs through August 19, 2019, so head over there and vote for your favorite.


To further support shelter dog efforts, Wahl will be donating a free bottle of shampoo to a shelter in need with every purchase you make of grooming products they have available on their site (use the code BUY1GIVE1).


And, now, without further ado…the Top 10 Dirtiest Dog Makeovers:

Griffin: Poor Griffin was saved by the local Humane Society in Dalron, Georgia. He turned into a different dog once he was free from all that fur and he’s living the good life in his forever home.

Gallagher: Gallagher originally was turned into animal control as a stray and lost much of his fur. He is from the Humane Society of Morgan County in Madison, Georgia, and he’s living his best life being regularly pampered.

Dexter: Dexter had been on the streets for a long while and his matted dreadlocks were so long he could barely see. He is from Cause for SB Paws in San Bernadino, California, and is living with his forever family who fell in love with his after pictures.

Arlo: Arlo was taken to a local shelter after he’d been found on a highway. He had painful mats and has some vision and hearing issues. He is very loved by his foster family with Lost Fantasy Rescue in Ceres, Virginia, but he’d really love a home of his own. Are you his forever family?

Berkeley: Berkeley was living with a family that didn’t allow him inside and he’d lost his best senior fur-buddy–a St. Bernard who passed. He was rescued with Paws-N-Claws Rescue and Rehab in Faros, Iowa and after losing five pounds of muddy fur, he’s looking for love in all the right places. Is your home it?

Ollie: Ollie was rescued from animal control by Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and is a happy dog with all that fur gone. He has been adopted and revels in treats and belly rubs, as it should be.

Gaston: Gaston did NOT look like a poodle when he arrived at National Mill Dog Rescue in Peyton, Colorado. But, a makeover was just what this poor neglected pup needed and he’s living with his forever family as a pampered pup.

Zorro: Poor Zorro was covered in crusty scabs and you couldn’t even tell what kind of dog he might have even been. He was cleaned and medicated for neglect issues and now the gentle German Shepherd from German Shepherd Rescue Orange County in Newport Beach, California is at home forever with one of the volunteers. Yay!

Odie: Odie’s owners not only lost their home, but had to surrender Odie as well. He was in desperate need of grooming and once he was, his true and happy character has come out. He is from Beagles and Buddies in Apple Valley, California and is looking for his new home and forever family. Maybe it’s you?

Jasper: Jasper was an owner surrender at two-years-old but bless him, he just needed some grooming and understanding that young dogs need to get energey out. He loves rolling in mud and then taking baths after. He’s from Women’s Animal Center in Bensalem, Pennsylvania and is looking for his forever family. Is this cutie your new best friend?

WOW
Lori Ennis
Lori Ennis

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What do you need to consider when planning the future care of your pets?

Scientists Finally Know Why Cats Love Tuna So Much

No food is more synonymous with cats than tuna. Even the pickiest of cats can’t resist the tuna’s fishy flavor. Finally, scientists have learned why cats love tuna so much. In the study published in the journal Chemical Sense, scientists report that cats, like humans, have receptors needed to detect umami flavor. Along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, umami is one of the five basic tastes.Umami seems to be the cats’ favorite flavor. Considering that umami gives food a deep and savory meaty aroma, it’s no surprise that an obligate carnivore like a cat would prefer it over all other flavors.The research team also found that cats’ taste receptors bind to two chemicals found in high concentrations in tuna. These chemicals boost the umami flavor, making cats obsessed with tuna. “This is an important study that will help us better understand the preferences of our familiar pers,” says Yasuka Toda, a molecular biologist at Meiji University. According to Toda, this study could help cat food manufacturers create healthier food and more palatable medication for cats. Previous studies showed that cats have a unique palate. Cats can’t taste sugar, because their sweet receptor gene is dysfunctional. Scientists believe that felines lose the ability to taste sweeteners and carbs because they don’t need these macronutrients to survive. Cats also have fewer bitter flavor receptors than humans. This trait is commonly seen in obligated carnivores. “Since discovering that cats don’t have a functional sweet taste receptor, we did wonder what they would respond to instead,” study lead author Scott McGrane, a sensory science expert at Waltham Petcare Science Institute, told Live Science. Humans and other animals possess two genes - Tas1r1 and Tas1r3 that work together to detect umami flavor. Previous research has shown that cats express the umami-related Tas1r3 gene in their taste buds, but it was unclear whether they possess both genes needed to detect umami flavor. The research team led by McGrane discovered that cats expressed both Tas1r1 and Tas1r3 genes in their taste buds. To learn this, the scientist biopsied the tongue of a six-year-old male cat that had been euthanized for health reasons unrelated to this study. However, a closer look at the protein sequences encoded by these genes showed that they are very different from human genes. As it turned out, the main amino acids that activate umami flavor in people - glutamic and aspartic acid - were mutated in cats. “So I began thinking, maybe cats can’t taste umami,” said McGrane. But, as it turned out, amino acids don’t bind to the cat umami receptor alone. Nucleotides, which are common in meat and yeast, bind to the cat receptor and glutamic and aspartic acid then have an enhancing effect. “That’s the exact opposite of what we see in people,” explained McGrane. Cats love tuna because it contains the nucleotide inosine monophosphate. Tuna also contains large quantities of L-histidine, an essential amino acid for cats, that enhances umami flavor. “The L-histidine content of tuna is much higher than of other fish species and meat sources.”These new findings could be used for the development of tastier cat food and pharmaceuticals. Although cat food manufacturers already knew that cats prefer meaty flavors, they now have much more details about the compounds they can start working with. It’s essential for manufacturers to ensure that animals want to eat the food they formulate and find it appealing. “I think umami is as important for cats as sweet is for humans,” said Toda. Dogs, she explained, can taste both sweet and umami, which may explain why they’re not such fussy eaters. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

When is the Best Time to Start Puppy Training?

Training your pet is a very important task as it will shape them into a friendly, obedient dog that’s a pleasure to be around. While it does require a lot of patience and effort, training your dog on time makes your life as an owner much easier and prevents a myriad of behavior issues and other problems down the road. Of course, it goes without saying that you should start training early, while your doggo is still a puppy. That is the time when they gladly soak up all the information and eagerly learn. But when exactly is the best time to start puppy training? You can’t do it while they are still teeny-tiny, nor should you wait too long. What is the ideal middle ground? Let’s find out.When is the Best Time to Start Puppy Training?Puppies are like sponges, soaking up information from their environment and their owner, so early training can set a solid foundation for good behavior and establish obedience throughout their lives. Ideally, you can start basic training such as housebreaking, socialization, and simple commands like "sit" and "stay" when your puppy is around 8 weeks old. This is the general “golden rule” that many owners stick by. When they reach that 2-month mark, it’s considered the ideal time for them to quickly grasp the commands you teach them. If you think that this could be “too early” to start training, you are wrong. There are numerous benefits to early training, and all of them are critical for your dog’s well-being and normal behavior. Here are just a few of them:SocializationEarly socialization is so important for puppies. It allows them to learn how to properly interact with other dogs and humans and prevents aggression and behavioral problems later in life. During this period you should expose your pet to new environments, sounds, and sights.BondingTraining sessions are a great way to strengthen the bond between you and your puppy. Spending time together, teaching them new things, and rewarding good behavior builds trust and a positive relationship.Preventing Behavioral IssuesIf you spot behavior issues while your dog is still a puppy, it is easier to prevent them from becoming nasty habits. As you teach your pet proper behavior and as you set up boundaries, you will prevent many nasty issues from forming, such as excess chewing, barking, or disobedience. If you already notice chewing issues that stem from teething, make sure to redirect their attention to an appropriate chew toy and use  puppy no-chew deterrent sprays to help you shift their focus.

How Do I Fix My Cat's Matted Fur?

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