The Dog Aging Project … In the adoption photos, little Rascal looks confused and suspicious of his new surroundings but it is easy to see that I was already smitten. Rascal continues to accompany me around town to errands, medical appointments, and to the dog park when I can manage it. My former boss said, right after we got you from the Seattle Animal Shelter in December of 2011, that you had “landed in butter,” and we like to think that was the truth when you lived with us. It just so happens that we are big fans of pet health insurance. and settled on Finnegan which is Gaelic for ‘fair one’. She has been exposed to simple walks in the park, to night time urban excursions, to paths along heavy traffic, to horse travels and various water scenarios. The longitudinal study portion of the Dog Aging Project bears some similarity to the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study of the Morris Animal Foundation although with much larger phenotypic diversity. A longitudinal study is a type of research study in which individuals are closely monitored for a long period of time. “Rascally fair one” seemed exactly right for the handsome little pup. He was allegedly an English Springer Spaniel/German Shepherd puppy, along with a few other things. No idea how old he was or where he came from. He was a rare dog. The 40 researchers behind the Dog Aging Project want many of man's furry companions to be enrolled in a 10-year study of what helps canines live long, healthy lives. I did not want to see her suffer any longer. Actually, yes! Recently she was diagnosed with high liver enzymes and high white blood count. In trying different places we were trying to find our way of defining our own family dog-training philosophy and commitment to our pack; we take seriously our responsibility to our pack. Dexter was a rescue from our local San Diego County Animal Shelter. Medic will do anything for you if you have a ball to throw! Jack is a very sweet boy with tons of personality. The Dog Aging Project will have four key endeavors: 1. When we first adopted him he was rather a wild dog but I decided I could out-stubborn him if I trained him as a therapy dog. We believe that enhancing the longevity and healthspan - the healthy period of life - in peoples' pets will have a major impact on our lives. He wasn’t too sure until we got in the water too, but then he swam right to us. Unfortunately, two things happened then which would change Rascal’s life – and mine – forever. It sounds like the goals of the project are right in line with what most of us pet owners want for our dogs. Lucy is trained to absorb and make good decisions in a variety of circumstances. Rascal was going to be smarter than me and most other humans. In other words, citizens, scholars, and researchers from around the world can review and use the data collected. Someday we will be together on the other side of the rainbow. The investigators have committed to releasing all anonymized research data to the public domain. You are loved, and forever will be Princess. Purebred dogs have been bred for predictable physical … Dogs enrolled in studies within the Dog Aging Project will continue to live and play in their home environments and continue to see their regular veterinarians. He was a blessing and made us better people; we miss him every day. I am not sure why. Together with Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Kate Creevy, the project primarily focuses on research to understand dog aging through the collection and analysis of big data. Just when I thought the dog had figured some of it out, he snuck off and left me a ‘present’. Ultimately, we hope to determine why some dogs develop disease or die at younger ages, while others live disease-free into later life. She also made us cry, especially when we lost her at just 7 years old. Mr. B, our sweet, feisty, first (but not last!) What I thought I heard him say: “That’s no small moon … that’s a battle station!” Because holy cow, I didn’t know much about dogs but I did know that Border Collies are the smartest most intensely hard-working dogs of all the hundreds of dog breeds. Sign up and get the answers to your questions. The Dog Aging Project is a Citizen Science project, and all of the data will be available as an open resource (while ensuring the privacy of the participants). The Dog Aging Project is a long-term biological study of aging in dogs, centered at the University of Washington. Goodbye Laika, we loved you so much. She never did this to my children or husband just me. Besides riding in convertibles with her Doggles and harness- Rayna loves chasing tennis balls in and out of the water (Marymoor Off-Leash Area especially) – and spending quality time with us and her BFF Maddie (our 9-year-old Australian Shepherd). Within a few months of that decision I have diagnosed with a medical disability myself, and consequently determined that Rascal’s new path would not be as a therapy dog but instead would be: Service Dog! It has helped immensely to know what caused him to get so very big and fast because while his obedience training was going quite well – smart little dog, as soon as he figured out what you were asking for, he’d give it to you in spades – if there was a furry critter in motion around, you’d lose him. She was prescribed an antibiotic and Denamarin which seemed to help her the next day but as the days passed she was not getting any better. ( Since Rascal had grown so big by then he barely fit in the back seat of my tiny car. (Dog Aging Project / UW / Texas A&M Photo) Scientists are looking for 10,000 good dogs to take part in a 10-year effort aimed at tracking their health and … Where there’s a will, there’s a way! In an interventional study, subjects are randomly assigned either to receive or not to receive a particular treatment. Apollo is a 9-year-old Siberian Husky that I’ve had since he was 10 weeks old, he loves walks, runs, and cheese! We hope to discover the underlying processes through which genes and lifetime experiences influence aging. He was always by our sides. [5] It is an example of crowdfunding. Our household is re-learning those new-puppy lessons from Rascal’s early days plus learning a few new ones! Rascal has what we like to call ‘Puppy-Snow-Angel-Impulse-Control-Issues’. Stay up to date on the Dog Aging Project and grow with the community. There are such tests in older human adults, like moving from seated to standing, grip devices, or age-specific normal ranges on blood chemistry values. Then he scampered around and came back for another round of play, eventual sit, then treat. I love him with all my heart! He loves to swim and see all of his favorite people, walking through the Pike Street Market and getting treats from the different vendors! Arlo was definitely special. In the corner where he got the liverwurst earlier. This work … We rounded out Rascal’s first year by attending some Dog Yoga (Doga?) The Dog Aging Project is recruiting dogs to participate in the largest canine health study ever conducted. Then, the two groups are followed to compare their health outcomes. Intense, loving, and a forever-resident in our hearts. He was my protector, very smart, extremely loyal, calm, sweet and diplomatic. on disease risk. To be fair I set him down and tried out a few of the other puppies. Rascal began accompanying me to my job at Microsoft, then later Amazon, until my disability symptoms increased in severity and prevented me from working. Ruh-roh, I thought, since we’re still not done with housetraining. I didn’t know anything about dogs, mind you – but somehow I knew that baby Rascal belonged with me. He never failed to “sing” to us when Louis Armstrong’s “Black and Blue” was played. He was clearly a puppy because he more than doubled in size from 50lbs when I took him home to 117lbs in his prime. He was a sweet, gentle, kind soul who liked nothing better than a soft sofa with a warm human to rest his head on. To celebrate, we upgraded our existing little sedan to an SUV Hybrid with a personalized license plate of Rascal’s name. The 10,000 dogs wanted was “a goal, not a limit!” the newsletter reports. (I was in my late 30s and had never had a dog before, but the universe works in mysterious ways and forces aligned just in time for baby Rascal to be delivered into my life). So, Dr. Creevy, what is the Dog Aging Project anyway? This type of study is observational, meaning that our canine participants are not assigned to receive any type of drug or other treatment. Rayna just turned 10 years old and is our 3rd Golden Retriever since 1980. Rascal Finnegan Bigham was born at a rescue shelter in Yakima, WA in September 2006. For dogs, however, aside … One thing that gives some people pause when considering a mixed-breed dog is that you have less information about what the personality of that dog might be like. In order to access the Dog Aging Project participant portal, you must first nominate your dog at dogagingproject.org. At that point, you will be able to use this page to log in to your personal portal. The charismatic Sipowicz came to us as a rescue from the streets of Valparaiso, Indiana shortly before (what we assumed to be) his first birthday. The initiatives are each managed to ensure the data can be integrated into a powerful master data set. I got up and dashed in the same direction that Rascal had gone and found him. classes, having Rascal groomed professionally for the first time, and proudly watching as Rascal passed his AKC Canine Good Citizenship certification just shy of his first birthday in September 2007. Finn is a 10 year old German Shepherd mix, originally from central Washington. Quinn joined our family as a rescued greyhound racetrack dog. The Dog Aging Project has now been up and running for a little less than two years, but it’s not too late to enroll your pup (but only one per household). Rascal took right to the sheep and we learned that he could indeed take up sheepherding as a hobby if need be. Emily Bray, a postdoctoral associate at The University of Arizona, plans to spend the next year with the Dog Aging Project working to develop a set of short and engaging problem-solving games that can be incorporated into our study, testing for skills like memory and impulse control and specifically tailored to helping us detect early signs of cognitive decline. He would much rather be acting as your co-pilot on some grand adventure – even if it’s only to the park or to get his nails trimmed. A small subset of those dogs (approximately 500) will be enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the pharmaceutical rapamycin, which has shown signs of extending longevity in species such as mice. This will launch a brief nomination survey. [6] As of 2018, the National Institute on Aging has awarded the Dog Aging Project a five year grant to support its studies. He loves to go for car rides, to the beach and will swim until we have to drag him in because the waves are too big. She was also stubborn towards me. There are such tests in older human adults, like moving from seated to standing, grip devices, or age-specific normal ranges on blood chemistry values. Jameson was a really sweet boy! Instead, they go about their lives as usual, while our team of researchers periodically collects information about them from questionnaires, physical examinations, or diagnostic tests. This is my sweet baby girl Hershey that turned 11 years old on May 7, 2015. Within a few months of Rascal’s first birthday – in January 2008 – we both got certified by the Delta Society (now called Pet Partners) as at therapy dog team. Since she was young, her owners have a goal of her as therapy dog. It was so heartbreaking. “In fact, the number of dogs we can enroll in the Dog Aging Project Pack is actually UNLIMITED, and we wholeheartedly welcome continued nominations!” You can nominate your dog to participate whether they’re old or young, big or small, a purebred or a mixed-breed. A premise of the project is that dogs may be a sentinel species for humans since they live in the same environment as humans. For dogs, however, aside … The project engages the general public to register their dogs in the studies, and therefore the project is an example of citizen science. “Yay!” said Rascal. We were thrilled to learn of the Dog Aging Project and overjoyed to discover that Rascal’s age and size met the criteria for the Phase I study. By following 10,000 companion dogs from homes throughout the United States over their lifetime, the Dog Aging Project … Absolutely! For each of the dogs enrolled in the Dog Aging Project, we will collect information about their health, habits, activity levels, environment, lifestyle, and many other things. It’s worked out really well for us, having a sort of action-figure superhero dog. I miss seeing her wag her tail like crazy when we get home from work because she is exciting to see us. Nearly everyday we would go to Fiesta Island here in San Diego and he would immediate head out and carefully walk in the water hunting for fish. Join at https://dogagingproject.org. The largest, dog-centric, longitudinal, non-invasive research project in the world is going on in our backyard at … Pets that feed on a balanced and complete diet generally live longer and are healthier than those that are … If I called her name when she was out in the front yard or back yard to do her business. Some of his favorite things include eating, taking naps, going for long car rides, his human mama and getting to spend time with all of his furrriends. His litter of siblings were all born healthy at the rescue and were put up for adoption at the end of November. basenji was rescue dog who was found wandering in the woods in Joliet, Illinois. Then, the two groups are followed to compare their health outcomes. As a Labrador Retriever/German Shorthaired Pointer cross she’s always been a smart, sweet, fabulous, bundle of energy! New metrics of canine aging: The research team will develop tests to measure each dog’s changes in physical function as it gets older. Lani, somewhere between 13 and 14 years old, is a lively and active Husky mix who frequently outsmarts her owner. courses, we did find time for fun along the way: when Rascal was about 8 months old he met SHEEP for the first time and we got to see whether he possess the border collie ‘eye’; he DOES. Whidbey loves her daily trail walks and has her owners wrapped around her paw! This is an awesome arrangement and ‘pairing’ because Maddie’s necessary dog job is to keep track of Rayna – and (in typical Golden Retriever fashion) Rayna doesn’t mind and enjoys the attention and Maddie’s company. I rescued Medic in 2007 from a local animal shelter when she was less than a year old. “Dogs are good models for humans,” said Ruple, who is one of more than 40 scientists and researchers participating in the study. Upon completion, you will receive an invitation via email to set up your personal portal. As her owners tend to travel throughout the PNW. [2] A further premise is that the longitudinal portion of the project seeks to understand the underlying biology of aging, as opposed to understanding individual age-related diseases. We plan to enroll tens of thousands of companion dogs throughout the US into a longitudinal study, which will be the largest ever of its kind. His litter had all been given western-themed names – Bandit, Curly, Rascal – we thought Rascal was a suitable name for the impish little pup. That pup was darn cute, and my second choice. The local pharmacy and grocery store know Rascal quite well these days. There is no way that we can collect this level of detailed information about so many dogs by ourselves. Chief was a friend and companion. The Dog Aging Project will look at dogs from all breeds and mixes from across the nation. Rascal (and his newbie mom) did several obedience courses that the first year, trying out several dog training facilities and trainers nearby. [7], Study of aging in dogs with human implications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Healthy Aging and Longevity Research Institute, "The Dog Aging Project Wants to Help Your Pet Live Longer", "Dogs Test Drugs Aimed at Humans' Biggest Killer: Age", "UW Scientists Seek to Extend Dogs' Lives with Anti-Aging Drug", "Wanted: 10,000 Dogs for the Largest-Ever Study on Aging in Canines", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dog_Aging_Project&oldid=976317173, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 September 2020, at 09:15. This was the hardest decision in my life I had to make. “They have similar genetics, share our environment, … The Dog Aging Project is a bold national study into the healthy aging of our best friends and what that could mean for human aging. She is a little more sedate these days but still friendly, outgoing, playful and animated. Medic is very aware of her surroundings, she is a great guard dog at home and also an amazing best friend who knows when you have had a hard day. He just turned 11 in September and we have had him since he was 7 weeks old. They are both dog lovers themselves. If there are differences, it is likely that the treatment caused those effects. If you and your companion dog would like to be part of the Dog Aging Project, click here to enroll. Professors Daniel Promislow and Matt Kaeberlein are the co-directors of the project. During Rascal’s first Winter we learned that he LOSES HIS MIND when there is snow on the ground. I quickly trained Rascal to assist me in navigating crowds and to help propel me along on a shorter leash. W00t! What we didn’t know right away was how very TALL and LONG and FAST Rascal would turn out to be. "The Dog Aging Project came in as an innovative approach to understand this process of aging. [3][4] The entire project also shares operational similarities to Darwin's Ark, a citizen science initiative of companion animals with more specific focus on genetics. Jay was loving, gentle, and special in every way — truly a “good boy” and our beloved friend. In this respect, if the aging process itself is addressed, then several age-related diseases could be delayed or avoided simultaneously. It’s you who’ll actually … The Dog Aging Project isn’t promising eternal canine life, but it is working to find ways to increase the canine lifespan. My friend who’d accompanied me was pushing pretty hard for one puppy that resembled his own dogs in coloring.
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