All articles tagged with #dog breed
The U.K. has implemented a ban on American XL bully dogs following a series of deadly attacks, requiring owners to apply for exemptions with proof of neutering and liability insurance. The breed, a mix of several dog breeds, has been involved in at least 23 fatal dog attacks since 2021. The ban poses logistical challenges for law enforcement, with over 35,000 dogs already registered for exemptions.
A DNA study of Balto, a sled dog who helped carry life-saving medicine through blizzards in 1925, has revealed that he had fewer potentially dangerous mutations than modern breeds of dogs, suggesting he was healthier. Contrary to a legend that held that Balto was half wolf, the analysis found no evidence he had wolf blood. Balto shared ancestors with modern-day Siberian Huskies and the sled dogs of Alaska and Greenland. The study also compared Balto's genes with the genomes of 240 other species of mammals, allowing researchers to determine which DNA fragments were common across all those species.