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THIS WEEK'S TOPICS:

• 🎂 Find out how old your dog really is

• 💥 Dog breed battle royale

• 📸 2023 Dog photography awards - winners

🎂 FIND OUT HOW OLD YOUR DOG REALLY IS

In every dog lover's journey, there comes a moment when one pauses and wonders - just how old is my best friend in human years?

The age-old multiplication by seven rule has been a go-to for many, but recent scientific findings have brought a more accurate formula to the spotlight.

This newfound method doesn't merely revamp the old rule; it enhances our understanding of our dogs' aging process, enabling us to provide better care tailored to their life stage.

Unveiled in 2019 by a group of researchers, this formula stems from an analysis of the DNA methylation process—a biological mechanism associated with aging.

The meticulous examination of this process across humans and dogs revealed a more nuanced correspondence between dog years and human years.

The formula is as simple as three steps:

1. Find the natural logarithm (a mathematical function usually available on calculators (TI-83 anyone?) or this free online calculator) of your dog’s age.

2. Multiply that number by 16.

3. Add 31 to the result.

To put it into a single equation, it looks like this:

Human Age = 16 x ln(Dog Age)+31

Here’s a brief walkthrough: suppose your dog is 2 years old. First, find the natural logarithm of 2, which is approximately 0.693. Now, multiply this by 16, giving you about 11.088.

Finally, add 31 to this sum, and voila! Your 2-year-old dog is akin to a 42-year-old human.

This formula highlights a fascinating reality: dogs mature at a drastically different pace compared to humans.

A 2-year-old dog is already a young adult, whereas a 2-year-old human is clearly still a toddler.

The silver lining in this is as dogs mature, their aging process slows down, aligning more closely with the human aging rhythm.

Armed with this new formula, you can now celebrate your dog's birthdays with a renewed sense of understanding and joy.

Knowing your dog's human age equivalent provides a clearer insight into their physical and emotional needs, which change as they grow older.

For instance, a 62-human-year-old dog (~7 dog years old) may require a diet rich in proteins to maintain muscle mass and regular check-ups to monitor their health, just as a 62-year-old human would.

Keep in mind

While this changes the way we may calculate our dog’s age in human years, there are many other factors to consider when thinking about your dog’s lifespan.

Things like environmental factors, exercise, genetics, diet, etc.

Besides the practical implications, this formula is a testament to the ever-evolving knowledge about our beloved companions. It's a reminder of the beautiful complexity of life shared between humans and dogs. Each day with your dog is a day worth understanding better.

 💥 DOG BREED BATTLE ROYALE

We almost didn't create this segment because we know a lot of you out there are about to get mad 🤬.

The reason is, we came across an interesting ranking of which dog breeds are the "best.”

The ranking put breeds into four categories;

1. Hot Dogs

2. Overlooked Treasures

3. Rightly Ignored

4. Inexplicably Overrated

And we have the feeling that no one is going to think their dog's breed is anything but amazing (and why wouldn't you?), and anyone saying otherwise is due a verbal lashing.

But, in the spirit of pot stirring, let's just see what we have:

Now let's all take a deep breath and talk about where this came from.

As part of his book Information is Beautiful, journalist David McCandless used data from American Kennel Club, the Canine Inherited Disorders Database, and other sources to score breeds according to 6 categories:

• Intelligence

• Costs

• Longevity

• Grooming

• Ailments

• Appetite

He then visualized the scores into the matrix we see above in comparison with the breeds popularity. We also assume he laughed maniacally as he shared it, knowing full well people were going to flip out.

The big results were the border collie being crowned the "best" and the bulldog being dubbed the most "overrated".

Some other interesting things we noticed:

• It seems like larger breeds (shepherds, mastiffs, hounds) have lower scores, most likely due to cost and health issues.

• Bloodhounds are dumb!?

• "Working" dogs also seem to be on the lower end of scores, which is interesting b/c we think of working dogs as historically helpful dogs.

David is on record saying he hopes no one took the results personally.

Too late David, too late.

📸 2023 DOG PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS - WINNERS

The 2023 dog photography award winners are here!

Winning images were chosen in four categories:

1. Portrait & landscape

2. Action

3. Studio

4. Dogs & people

This year’s competition received 1,440 entries from more than 50 countries. Prizes included £2,000 in cash, as well as photo equipment from competition partners.

Portrait & Landscape

🏆 First place:

2nd Place:

Action

🏆 First place:

2nd Place:

Studio

🏆 First place:

2nd Place:

Dogs & People

🏆 First place:

2nd Place:

DOGGYDEX™

Winner 🏆: BITCOIN

Proudly introducing the DoggyDex™, an index comprised of 10 publicly traded companies whose primary focus is the dog/pet industry.

List of tickers used can be found at the very bottom of the newsletter.

The yellow line-plot in the chart represents these companies above (DoggyDex™) and their combined performance against both the S&P 500 and Bitcoin on a weekly basis.

Pawformance is measured by % gains & losses.

• 🥮 Make a replica cake of your dog: This cake looks a little too real to want to eat, but maybe we could nibble on the ear.

• 🚌 Dave Bautista’s pitties get picked up for school by a bus: Actor Dave Bautista, sends his pitties to school most days to socialize, and work on obedience.

• 🚫 UK bans XL Bully dogs: The UK has decided to ban an unofficial breed of dog, American XL Bully. It’s more of a look than it is a standard breed. The gov’t’s official definition is, features including a 'heavy, large and broad' head and a 'blocky or slightly squared' muzzle.

DOGGY B-DAY

• $CHWY - Chewy: E-commerce platform for pet supplies

• $IDXX - Idexx Labs: Vet point of care instruments and vet software

• $FRPT - Fresh Pet: Pet food company

• $PETQ - PetIQ: Pet health products and medicines

• $PETS - PetMeds: Online pet pharmacy

• $ZTS - Zoetis: World's largest producer of meds and vaccines for pets and livestock

• $TRUP - Trupanion: Pet insurance company

• $WOOF - Petco Health & Wellness co.: Pet health & wellness company

• $BARK - BarkBox: Subscription service providing dog products, services, and experiences

• $PET - Wag! Group Co.: Tech platform that allows pet owners to connect with industry professionals for services such as, walking, training, etc.