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"It was a relief": Rebecca Gibney opens up on mental health struggles

<p>Rebecca Gibney has revealed what a "relief" it was to finally open up about the mental health struggles she faced from 14 to 30-years-old. </p> <p>The New Zealand actress, 58, said she spent a lot of that time "pretending" she was okay despite growing up around domestic violence, as her mother suffered from abuse in the hands of Gibney's late father, Austin. </p> <p>In an interview with <em>Stellar</em> on Saturday, the <em>Packed to the Rafters </em>star shared that she is "loving" how mental health is now being framed. </p> <p>“When I started talking about my mental health struggles and anxiety ... it was a relief,” she told the publication. </p> <p>“I could drop the mask of pretending that I was OK. What I’m loving seeing is that more and more people are now going, ‘I’m not OK’”.</p> <p>Gibney first opened up about her struggles in 2017, when she opened up about the abuse her mother faced and how she was “beaten so badly she had bruises for six months on her legs.</p> <p>“She’d always shut the doors ... you’d hear the yelling and the shouting and the slapping, but you’d never actually see it," she told <em>Women's Day</em>, at the time. </p> <p>After Gibney's father died in 1982, the actress began seeing a therapist, but was "on Valium and in a dark place for quite a while”.</p> <p>In her latest interview with <em>Stellar</em>, Gibney also added that more needed to be done to prevent domestic violence and help survivors. </p> <p>“We still don’t want to talk about it. We need to really drill down (and question), ‘Why is this happening?’ We need more education, more centres," she said. </p> <p>“We need people to be able to get the help they need.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Mind

Rebecca Loos claims Beckham is "playing the victim" over affair scandal

<p>Rebecca Loos, the woman at the centre of the alleged <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/woman-at-the-centre-of-alleged-beckham-affair-breaks-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affair scandal</a> with iconic football legend David Beckham, has recently shared her thoughts on the new <em>Beckham</em> docuseries, which was released on Netflix.</p> <p>Loos, now 47 and residing in Norway with her husband and two children, expressed her concerns regarding the way the affair was handled in the docuseries, which was produced in collaboration with Beckham's production company.</p> <p>In the early 2000s, Loos gained notoriety for her claims of a romantic involvement with David Beckham during his time as a football superstar. In the docuseries, the Beckhams primarily discussed the media frenzy that ensued following Loos' revelations in 2003, but skirted around the specifics of the affair itself.</p> <p>It was during that tumultuous period that Loos had declared her connection with the football player while working as his personal assistant, even suggesting that the Beckhams had been dealing with marital issues before her involvement came to light. At the time, the celebrity couple vehemently denied any wrongdoing and even considered legal action against Loos.</p> <p>Victoria Beckham, 49, revealed in the docuseries, "It was the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life," while David Beckham, 48, tearfully stated, "Victoria is everything to me. To see her hurt was incredibly difficult… what we had was worth fighting for."</p> <p>Loos, however, took issue with David's statement. In a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12657157/rebecca-loos-affair-david-beckham-netflix.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candid interview with the Daily Mail</a>, she expressed her frustration: "The [worst] bit for me is that he says he didn't like seeing his wife suffer. That bothered me. Because he's the one that's caused the suffering. He can say whatever he likes, of course, and I understand he has an image to preserve, but he is portraying himself as the victim and he's making me look like a liar, like I've made up these stories. He is indirectly suggesting that I'm the one who has made Victoria suffer."</p> <p>Loos also argued that the docuseries had thrust the affair back into the spotlight, an issue that many had forgotten about since the news first broke 20 years ago, thereby further impacting her reputation. She emphasised, "Yes, the stories were horrible, but they're true. He talks in the documentary about this ultimately being his private life, shutting it down. I think it's one thing to keep your private life to yourself. It's another thing to mislead the public."</p> <p>She suggested that David could have chosen to acknowledge that it was not one of his proudest moments or characterised it as a challenging period and moved on from the subject. However, she felt that he continued to phrase his statements in a way that indirectly shifted the blame onto her.</p> <p>"If you don't want to take responsibility for things because of your family and your children, that's absolutely fine," Loos commented, "But he specifically made it look like… my fault, that he had nothing to do with this."</p> <p>Loos, after the 2003 allegations, embarked on a path as a media personality, participating in various English and Dutch TV shows. In 2008, while filming the Dutch TV show <em>71 Graden Noord</em>, she crossed paths with her future husband, Norwegian doctor Sven Christjar Skaiaa. After becoming pregnant, the couple decided to relocate to Norway in 2009. Today, she works as a yoga teacher and a massage therapist in Norway while raising her two sons and only occasionally making media appearances.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Why these dog breeds are ideal for seniors

<p><strong>Reasons why dogs are good for seniors </strong></p> <p>Affectionate, loyal, nurturing: There are lots of reasons why dogs make great companions for seniors. Not only do dogs provide comfort and friendship, but they also help keep seniors healthy and encourage sociability. In fact, a 2019 study found that people who owned dogs were more likely to maintain better heart health and be more active, than those without pets. “Dogs give seniors a reason to get up and move – and walking a dog keeps them fit,” explains veterinarian Dr Anita Kinscher-Juran. Another plus: When you get out of the house for that walk, you have more chances to be social, too, from greeting neighbours on the street to impromptu conversations with fellow dog owners.</p> <p>But adopting a dog is a big decision. Just like with a human companion, you need to understand what you’re looking for in a dog before committing to a long-term living arrangement.</p> <p>Some important points to think about as you search for the best dogs for seniors are energy levels (vets often recommend calm dog breeds for older folks), the size of your home (<a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/pets/13-best-apartment-dogs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">these are the best apartment dogs</a>) and the size of the dog, the breed’s socialness (some breeds, like Pomeranians, make the best emotional support dogs) and a dog’s age and temperament. Health and grooming needs and maintenance requirements (i.e. how often dogs need to be brushed, for instance) are also important considerations. Cocker spaniels, while super cute with their big, long ears, are also known for having frequent ear infections, for instance. And while Havanese, one of the cutest white dog breeds, are very portable, they also require a lot of grooming.</p> <p>The decision to adopt a pet is not one that should be taken lightly. “Bringing a pet into the household is a lifelong decision for that animal,” says Dr Kinscher-Juran. But after thoroughly considering your situation and needs, it’s comforting to know, as Dr Kinscher-Juran says “that there is a dog for everyone and every age.”</p> <p>Here are the top 15 best dogs for seniors.</p> <p><strong>Best overall: Bichon Frise </strong></p> <p>These white powder puffs of a dog are known for their sweet and friendly nature and are perfect for seniors seeking easy companionship – they also make <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/15-best-dogs-for-first-time-owners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">great pets for first-time dog owners</a>. These low-maintenance pups aren’t difficult to potty train and don’t shed much, which is why they are one of the best dogs for older people, Dr Kinscher-Juran says. (But to keep their snow-white hair looking fluffy, they do require grooming every five or so weeks.)</p> <p>Bichons are gentle and playful and they get along well with other pets and children, so you don’t need to put them in another room if the grandkids stop by! At an average of 5 to 8 kilograms, they are also super portable. Not to mention smart. “One of my favourite bichons knew how to give a kiss in three different languages, one of which was Portuguese,” says Dr Kinscher-Juran.</p> <p>Like the best toy dogs, they are perfectly content to sit on your lap for hours every morning, as you read the paper or watch the news. Bichon Frise’s don’t require long, five kilometre hikes to keep them happy, rather they’re fine with 20- to 30-minute leisurely strolls. What they crave most is attention, something seniors often have time to give.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 24 to 30 cms </p> <p>Weight: 5 to 8 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 14 to 15 years</p> <p><strong>Best lap dog: Cavalier King Charles spaniel</strong></p> <p>If you are looking for one of the best dogs for older people, cavalier King Charles spaniels should be high on your list. It’s easy to fall in love with their big eyes and long ears. And Cavalier King Charles spaniels, in turn, like nothing more than to kiss and cuddle with their owners. Cavalier King Charles spaniels have an eager to please personality, which makes them easier to train.</p> <p>They also only require a moderate amount of exercise, which can be good for less active seniors. Beauty, of course, requires attention. Dr Kinscher-Juran suggests brushing their long luxurious coats once a day, which isn’t hard to do, considering they’re one of the best lap dog breeds!</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 3.5 to 33 cms</p> <p>Weight: 5.8 to 8 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 12 to 15 years</p> <p><strong>Best apartment dog: Pug</strong></p> <p>If you are looking for one of the best dogs for older people, cavalier King Charles spaniels should be high on your list. It’s easy to fall in love with their big eyes and long ears. And Cavalier King Charles spaniels, in turn, like nothing more than to kiss and cuddle with their owners. Cavalier King Charles spaniels have an eager to please personality, which makes them easier to train.</p> <p>They also only require a moderate amount of exercise, which can be good for less active seniors. Beauty, of course, requires attention. Dr Kinscher-Juran suggests brushing their long luxurious coats once a day, which isn’t hard to do, considering they’re one of the best lap dog breeds!</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 3.5 to 33 cms</p> <p>Weight: 5.8 to 8 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 12 to 15 years</p> <p><strong>Best small dog: Maltese</strong></p> <p>One of the best small dogs for seniors is the Maltese. These adorable white toy dogs were specifically bred to be companions. Loyal, sweet-natured, calm and adaptable, it’s not hard for a Maltese to quickly become seniors’ best four-legged friend. Though they love following their owners around, all they really need for health is short easy walks. At an average of 2 kilograms, Malteses are also easily transportable (which is a good thing since Malteses don’t like to be left alone too long).</p> <p>Their small size also makes them well suited for apartments or homes with limited space. You can’t mention a Maltese without mentioning their long, silky, white mane, which can be braided or put into a bun. “For the person who wants a living Barbie doll, and loves playing with hair, Malteses are your dog,” Dr. Kinscher-Juran says. But if all that grooming becomes too much, you can have the hair trimmed or shaped down.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 17 to 22 cms</p> <p>Weight: Under 3 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 12 to 15 years</p> <p><strong>Most social dog: Havanese</strong></p> <p>Sweet, friendly and eager for attention: Havanese make great companions for seniors who find themselves at home more. As a breed, Haveneses don’t like to be alone for very long. (There’s a reason they’re called Velcro dogs). These super social dogs crave affection and get along well with other breeds and strangers.</p> <p>Their high intelligence makes them easier to train and potty train. And at about 5 kgs, they are easy to carry. Walks might take a bit longer with Haveneses because they will want to try to say hi to everyone. But for seniors, looking for sociability, this is not such a bad thing! That’s why Havaneses are one of the best dogs for seniors.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 22 to 30 cms</p> <p>Weight: 3 to 6 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 14 to 16 years</p> <p><strong>Best house dog: Miniature schnauzers</strong></p> <p>Miniature schnauzers are one of the most adaptable breeds of dogs. Originally bred as a farm dog in Germany, miniature schnauzers are just as content living in an assisted living facility as they are roaming outdoors. Small, sturdy, hypoallergenic and affectionate, miniature schnauzers are great with, say, rambunctious grandchildren.</p> <p>And their calmness – and attunement to the moods of humans – make them excellent therapy animals. Miniature schnauzers both play hard and relax hard. They need a moderate amount of daily exercise but are also good at simply lounging around, while their owners watch TV or make dinner.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 30.5 to 36 cms</p> <p>Weight: 5 to 9 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 12 to 15 years</p> <p><strong>Best large dog: Greyhound</strong></p> <p>With their lean bodies, flexible spines, and long legs, greyhounds are known for their athletic ability and for being the fastest dog breed. What is not as well-known is that their gentle and sensitive temperament and minimal grooming needs make them one of the best dogs for seniors. Older, retired racing greyhounds are often the best choice for seniors,. “As racing dogs, they often live on a track without much positive human and social interaction,” Dr Kinscher-Juran says. “When they’re adopted, they’re far more appreciative of the loving home you are providing, and don’t seem to take that for granted.”</p> <p>And though they do need daily exercise, greyhounds – perhaps surprisingly! – are renowned for their laziness. Weighing anywhere from 27 to 31.7 kgs, these gentle giants, are content to lounge around the house, accepting pets and back rubs.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 67 to 76 cms</p> <p>Weight: 27 to 31.7 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 10 to 13 years</p> <p><strong>Best with grandkids: Golden Retrievers</strong></p> <p>Golden retrievers are a large breed with an even larger heart. For seniors looking for gentle dog breeds, golden retrievers are loyal, friendly, intelligent, people-pleasers. They are easy to train, famous for their patience and great with the grandkids. Golden retrievers do require consistent, hard exercise every day, but they are more than content for part of that exercise to consist of finding and retrieving balls in the backyard.</p> <p>Though golden retrievers can weigh up to 34 kgs and more, they still think of themselves as lap dogs. “Golden retrievers are happy to sit with you on the patio at the end of the day, with their head on your lap, watching the sunset,” Dr Kinscher-Juran says.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 54.5 to 61 cms</p> <p>Weight: 25 to 34 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 10 to 12 years</p> <p><strong>Best hypoallergenic: Toy Poodle</strong></p> <p>For seniors with allergies or respiratory issues, poodles are one of the best hypoallergenic dog breeds. Poodles have a single-layer coat that doesn’t shed (though all that beautiful, naturally curly hair requires a lot of brushing and grooming!).</p> <p>They come in multiple sizes, from tiny teacup poodles, that weigh between 1.8 to 2.7 kgs to small toy poodles that weigh between 2.7 to 4 kgs to miniature poodles that weigh between 6.8 to 7.7 kgs to standard poodles that weigh between 20.4 to 31.75 kgs. Like the best sort of human companion, poodles are known for both their beauty and their brains. Their high intelligence makes them easy to train (helpful for seniors) and their affectionate personality makes them easy to love. The smaller toy poodle is a top choice for seniors.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 25 cms max</p> <p>Weight: 1.8 to 2.7 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 10 to 18 years</p> <p><strong>Best dog for those who like a clean house: Groodle</strong></p> <p>A cross between poodles and golden retrievers, groodles (or goldendoodles), which weigh between 22.6 to 40 kgs, are known for possessing the best traits of both breeds. They’re loyal, obedient and loving. For seniors with allergies, or those who prefer to avoid daily vacuuming, groodles, who mostly don’t shed and are hypoallergenic, make great companions.</p> <p>You don’t need to have been an experienced pet owner to adopt one: Groodle’s intelligence and easy-going temperament make them easy to train. Groodles do love exercise though, especially swimming. Bonus points if you’re a senior that lives by a body of water!</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 48 to 61 cms</p> <p>Weight: 13.6 to 20 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 10 to 15 years</p> <p><strong>Best for active seniors: Westies </strong></p> <p>Recognisable by their white mane and dark, almond-shaped eyes, the West Highland white terrier (aka Westie) are friendly, loving companions for active seniors. At 5.8 to 9 kgs, Westies are still small enough to handle and make good apartment dogs – as long as they get in their long, daily walks.</p> <p>Westies really, really like to play. Westies are no softies though: beneath their coat is a well-muscled body. Bred to be rodent killers, Westies require little pampering and they rarely shed. For seniors looking for a little bit of excitement in their days, westies will be sure to keep you on your toes.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 25.5 to 28 cms</p> <p>Weight: 6.8 to 9 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 13 to 15 years</p> <p><strong>Best dog that doesn't bark: Shih Tzu</strong></p> <p>The name Shih Tzu means little lion, but the most fierce thing about this breed is their love for the owner. Shih Tzus bond very quickly with humans, making them great choices for seniors looking for a close canine companion. Weighing an of average 4 to 7 kgs, Shih Tzus, known for their long coats, pack a lot of personality in their small frame.</p> <p>They are a confident, happy-go-lucky breed with a bit of a stubborn streak. But they are less demanding and less yappy than other smaller toy dogs, making them a good choice for seniors who live in apartments. They are also not very energetic and only need a couple of short walks a day, making them perfect for non-active seniors.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 23 to 26.5 cms</p> <p>Weight: 4 to 7 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 10 to 18 years</p> <p><strong>Easiest dog to care for: French bulldog</strong></p> <p>With their big eyes, adorable scrunchy faces, and short legs, there’s a reason why French bulldogs are increasing popular today and one of the easiest dog breeds. Their gentle personality and low energy make them one of the best dogs for seniors with a less active lifestyle. These dogs are not big athletes, a walk around the block is all the exercise they need for the day.</p> <p>French bulldogs’ small size (they weigh about 8.5 to 12.5 kgs) and the fact that they are not big barkers or yappers also make them one of the best apartment dogs. As an additional bonus, they are also excellent cuddlers and incredibly loyal.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 28 to 33 cms</p> <p>Weight: Under 12 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 10 to 12 years</p> <p><strong>Best guard dog: Pomeranian </strong></p> <p>At 1.4 to 3 kgs, Pomeranians look like tiny puffballs. Their small size and affectionate personality make them easy to love. And their ability to remain calm in busy situations also makes them one of the best emotional support dogs, Dr Kinscher-Juran says. Pomeranians – whose hair comes in a variety of colours from white to black to cream – don’t seem to realise their small size.</p> <p>They are very alert, with a tendency to bark, making them excellent guard dogs for seniors. Though Pomeranians are lap dogs, they also have an independent streak, so active seniors don’t need to worry about Pomeranians clinging, like a barnacle, to them all day. Sometimes it’s good to have space!</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 15 to 17.5 cms</p> <p>Weight: 1.4 to 3 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 12 to 16 years</p> <p><strong>Best dog for seniors with a backyard: Beagle </strong></p> <p>For seniors who love being outdoors and would like an impetus to exercise more, beagles are a good choice. Energetic, active and sociable, beagles love to play and take long walks. And unlike other smaller dogs, they don’t require a ton of babysitting. They’re fine – content even – being left alone for a while. For seniors who don’t love playing beautician, beagles, with their short, dense, wash-and-wear coat, are a good choice.</p> <p>They are pretty low maintenance when it comes to grooming. Younger beagles require consistent exercise – so seniors might find adopting an older beagle a less physically demanding choice, Dr Kinscher-Juran says.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Breed Overview</em></span></p> <p>Height: 33 to 38 cms</p> <p>Weight: 9 to 13.6 kgs</p> <p>Life expectancy: 10 to 15 years</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/15-best-dogs-for-seniors?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Family & Pets

Woman at the centre of alleged Beckham affair breaks silence

<p>Rebecca Loos has decided to speak out amidst the wave of criticism she's facing in light of her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/david-and-victoria-beckham-open-up-about-alleged-affair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged affair with David Beckham</a>. The former model, now 46, is pushing back against the 'disturbing' remarks being made about her on social media, which have resurfaced following the release of the Netflix series about Beckham.</p> <p>On October 6, a fan expressed their support for Loos amid the renewed attention and online harassment she's enduring. They voiced their disgust at some of the comments they had seen, stating, "Some of the comments on here are disgusting!!!" They went on to offer words of encouragement, saying, "Stay strong. You have a beautiful life with your gorgeous family, which, unlike others, doesn't have to involve Netflix!!!"</p> <p>Loos responded to this supportive message on Instagram, expressing her gratitude and resilience, stating, "Thank you 🙏🏼 am taking in the nasty comments with as much humour as I can," and ending her comment with a heartfelt red heart emoji.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx2cV7zMX2U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx2cV7zMX2U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by REBECCA LOOS (@rebeccaloosofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Numerous other users also came forward to support Loos on her most recent Instagram post, where she was pictured practicing yoga with the reflective caption: "Letting go and finding strength in the mountains of life."</p> <p>One individual commented, "I have always admired your strength Rebecca! Keep being strong!" while another person hoped she was doing well and encouraged her not to let the negativity of others affect her soul.</p> <p>Another fan commented on the renewed criticism and social media attacks on a woman they don't even know, urging people to "do better."</p> <p>Back in 2004, Loos was accused of having an affair with Manchester United star David Beckham while she was working as his personal assistant. At the time, Beckham had been married to Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham since 1999, and the allegations became a significant media sensation.</p> <p>On October 4, Netflix released the documentary series <em>Beckham</em>, which delves into the football player's career and marriage, including addressing the rumours of his infidelity in the early 2000s. Both David and Victoria Beckham discuss the impact of tabloid rumors on their marriage during the series.</p> <p>Victoria, in an individual interview for the series, admitted, "It was the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life," and she shared how challenging it was, especially because they felt pitted against each other. David also acknowledged the difficulty of that period, emphasising Victoria's importance in his life and how hard it was to see her hurt but doubling down on their determination to overcome it together.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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The 15 dog breeds perfect for first-time owners

<p><strong>First-time pup parent</strong></p> <p>Becoming a first-time dog owner is a truly rewarding experience. You’re gaining a new loyal best friend and have a wonderful adventure before you. That said, we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that the process also comes with some little curveballs as you learn the ropes of pup parenthood.</p> <p>In addition to the dog’s size – be it a toy breed, medium breed, or giant breed – it’s also important to consider the dog’s personality. For example, do you want a <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/the-best-low-maintenance-dogs-for-busy-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low-maintenance dog</a> or a <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/11-dog-breeds-that-can-be-left-alone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dog breed that does well when left alone</a>? Or are you perhaps seeking the <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/the-best-dog-breeds-for-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best dog breeds for kids</a>?</p> <p>“When you are thinking about getting a dog for the first time, the first thing to ask yourself is what you envision your life with a dog looking like,” says Marissa Sunny, a canine behaviour specialist. “If you want a dog to get you out of the house and go running with, then a high-energy working breed may be for you! If you are looking for a Netflix buddy, then an adult or senior dog may be for you.” And while purebreds are wonderful, there are many mixed breeds available for adoption in your local shelters that make wonderful pets, even for first-time dog owners.</p> <p>To help you determine the best first dog for new owners – and avoid some of the worst dogs for first-time owners – we’re showcasing some of the most popular dog breeds that are easy to train, groom and bond with.</p> <p><strong>Bichon Frise</strong></p> <p>Known for its loving and playful personality, the Bichon Frise is an intelligent and charming lapdog who befriends just about everyone they meet. They are one of the best dogs for beginners since they’re typically easy to train and are great with kids.</p> <p>Another perk is that their fluffy white coat is hypoallergenic, making them ideal for those concerned about dog allergies. They do need to be bathed about once a month and benefit from a good brushing several times a week. A visit to the groomer every four to six weeks can also help keep them looking tip-top.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 4/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Golden retrievers </strong></p> <p>Arguably one of the easiest dog breeds for first-time owners, the golden retriever is one of the most beloved canines for good reason. This lovable pup is exceptionally friendly and devoted to its owners. They are also known for being obedient and easy to train, so teaching them to fetch, sit and stay is likely to be a breeze, which is one of the reasons many service dogs are golden retrievers.</p> <p>Perhaps most important, though, is their gregarious and outgoing personalities, which make them fantastic as first-time family dogs, as well. They benefit from a good brushing once a week and perhaps more during their twice-annual shedding spree.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 5/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Papillon</strong></p> <p>The papillon – which means butterfly in French – is another wee-sized pup weighing in at only 4.5kg tops. They are an affectionate dog breed and they also get along well with children. Though very small, this toy breed is surprisingly athletic and spritely and benefits greatly from playtime.</p> <p>One potential drawback is that they’re not too keen on hanging out with other animals. However, they are surprisingly easy to groom thanks to their lack of an undercoat. A good bath every few months and a once-monthly grooming session are all they need.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 4/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Labrador retriever </strong></p> <p>The Labrador retriever is another popular dog breed. They are most noted for their outgoing personality and friendly demeanour, and they are also one of the best-behaved dog breeds. These playful, easy-going pups – which come in chocolate, black, and yellow – are very sociable.</p> <p>This allows not only for easy bonding with the entire family but with other animals, too. Because they love to make their owners happy, labs are also one of the easiest dog breeds to train. Occasional baths and brushing are all this dog needs to keep it looking its best.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 5/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Cavalier King Charles spaniel </strong></p> <p>A sweet combination of a small toy breed and spaniel, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel is a gentle, graceful, athletic and high-spirited little pup. They make our list of the best first dogs for new owners because of their adaptability and smarts, which make them both easy to get along with and train. These unfailingly sweet pups are also keen on pleasing their humans, making them excellent for a broad ranch of owners, including couples, families, seniors, and individuals.</p> <p>They are also known for being effective therapy dogs, too. They do require a little more grooming than other pups on our list and need daily brushing, weekly ear-checks, and monthly nail trims.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 4/5 </em></span></p> <p><strong>German shepherd</strong></p> <p>The noble German shepherd is an excellent dog for first-time owners for many reasons. For starters, they are exceptionally smart pups that are easy to train, which is one reason why they are utilised in K-9 units.</p> <p>Second, they are gentle with their owners and unfailingly loyal – to the end that they make great watchdogs. Finally, German shepherds are easy to groom. The AKC says they benefit from brushing a few times a week to remove loose hairs and that they only need occasional baths.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 5/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Standard poodle</strong></p> <p>Recognised for their fluffy, pillow-like hypoallergenic coats, the poodle is a notably smart and athletic family companion. Because of these positive qualities, poodles have been bred with many other breeds to get designer breeds including the labradoodle, groodle, spoodle, and cavoodle.</p> <p>Do note that as puppies, poodles can be high-energy, so they’ll need to be able to run off that steam. They also should be brushed daily and professionally groomed about once every month or two to combat matting and keep their coats lustrous.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 4/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Basenji</strong></p> <p>You might not be too familiar with the Basenji, but this smart and adaptable quiet dog breed makes our list because of how easy-going and low-key it is. Some even describe this dog as “cat-like” in its independence and quiet demeanour. While it’s not overtly lovey-dovey like some breeds, the Basenji is perfect for first-time owners who tend to be gone often and prefer a pup that’s not always at their ankles.</p> <p>The AKC says their short coat is also simple to care for. Just give them a once-over every week or two – and no bathing required unless they get into something.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 4/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Yorkshire terrier</strong></p> <p>A truly petite-sized pup, the adorable Yorkie is a tiny terrier that weighs in at only seven pounds. Though tiny, they do have major personalities! This breed has a reputation for being brave, tenacious and sprightly. They are also exceptionally friendly.</p> <p>The breed’s long, low-allergen coat mimics human hair more than dog fur, making them one of the more popular dogs for those who deal with pet allergies. The trade-off is that their long hair does require daily brushing, weekly bathing and regular professional groomings.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 3/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Pugs</strong></p> <p>Survey any pug owner and they’ll likely be quick to tell you that this breed is one of the best family companions out there. The adaptable pug gets along with basically everyone – including kids, seniors and other animals – and thrives in both the city and country.</p> <p>Pugs also enjoy making their owners happy, which helps make training them a breeze. Another bonus: their coat is considered low maintenance and only needs weekly brushing to control light shedding.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 5/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Whippet</strong></p> <p>Don’t confuse the whippet for a greyhound! Though they do look similar, the whippet is its own breed (and actually quite a bit smaller). This lean and elegant pup is a lightning-quick runner that enjoys having a good chase in the backyard. As long as it’s getting plenty of exercise, this breed can fare well in an apartment or a house with a yard. Another perk is that these guys barely bark.</p> <p>Also, their short coat is very easy to care for and only requires weekly brushing and occasional baths. While smart, the whippet has a bit more of a mischievous personality that can be a little tricky to reign in when training.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 4/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Great Dane</strong></p> <p>Don’t be intimidated by the Great Dane’s mighty stature; this pup is a true gentle giant. This sweet-natured, patient, ultra-friendly pup bonds with its family owners quickly and remains loyal through and through – they’re even great with children. However gentle, the Great Dane also makes for a courageous and vigilant watchdog as well.</p> <p>Regarding training, this breed does benefit from professional obedience training in order to harness its full potential. They also should be brushed weekly, bathed occasionally, and have their nails trimmed monthly.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 3/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Irish setter</strong></p> <p>If you’re in the market for a lovable, friendly pup that’s perhaps not quite as well-known as other breeds, the Irish setter might just be your match. These sweet dogs get along with, and bond quickly, with everyone they meet – including kids, adults, seniors, and other animals.</p> <p>They do tend to be a bit on the rambunctious side, so a playful and active setting is ideal. They are also eager to please and respond well to patient training, notes the AKC. Moderate grooming is required, including twice-weekly brushing, monthly nail trims, and occasional baths.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 4/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Bernese mountain dog</strong></p> <p>The powerful and sweet-natured Bernese mountain dog is a family companion that will bring joy to any home. They’re on our list of the best dogs for beginners because they are easy to train, exceptionally patient with everyone (including kiddos), and get along easily with many personalities and even other animals.</p> <p>Their big size can be intimidating, but they’re big softies who love to stick close to their humans. In fact, they can be a little shy! Frequent shedding is more of an issue with this breed, and they require a good brushing two to three times a week.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: 4/5</em></span></p> <p><strong>Mixed breeds</strong></p> <p>We’ve included many purebreds on this list, but we don’t want to leave out mixed breeds and “mutts.” Though adoptable animals from the shelter can come with some specific needs, many will be forever grateful to have you as their owner.</p> <p>When seeking a pup to adopt, we recommend looking to their personalities – versus specific breed – to determine if they’re a fit for your lifestyle. “Your local shelter or rescue can help you find the perfect match for your family,” says Sunny.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Ease of care: varies</em></span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/15-best-dogs-for-first-time-owners?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Family & Pets

Queensland proposes ban on certain dog breeds

<p>Queensland is proposing stricter laws in a bid to bring down the number of dog attacks in the state.</p> <p>The laws would include increased jail time for owners after dog attacks, the potential banning of select breeds and for all dogs to be “effectively controlled” in public.</p> <p>The Palaszczuk government released a discussion paper on June 23 outlining the options as well as a survey asking Queenslanders to speak out about the issue before the legislation is put together.</p> <p>A significant number of dog attacks occurred in the state in April, with three children suffering severe injuries in separate incidents that involved several dogs.</p> <p>The major factor to consider for the paper is whether Queensland should ban animals from the Commonwealth’s restricted breed list, which would make owning them in any capacity illegal.</p> <p>The restricted dog breeds include the pit bull terrier, dogo argentino, fila brasilerio, japanese tosa and the presa canario.</p> <p>Currently, those who seek to own these breeds are required to apply for a permit, but that would be withdrawn if the proposed laws are put into place.</p> <p>The discussion paper says that any changes would include a “grandfather clause” that would allow individuals with a current permit to keep their pet.</p> <p>The government has also proposed to include imprisonment as a maximum penalty for more serious attacks.</p> <p>If an attack causes death or grievous bodily harm to a patron, according to present laws, the owner could be fined up to $43,125 but would not face jail time.</p> <p>“It is proposed to introduce a new criminal offence in the Act that captures conduct of an owner, or responsible person for a dog, who fails to take reasonable steps to effectively control their dog if the dog causes bodily harm, grievous bodily harm or death to a person,” the report states.</p> <p>“Including a proposed new offence for the most serious dog attacks would send a clear message to owners and people responsible for dogs that fail to take reasonable steps to protect people in the community from harm from serious dog attacks will not be tolerated.”</p> <p>The move would bring the state into line with the laws in the ACT, NSW, Victoria, NSW and Western Australia.</p> <p>In NSW, an owner who encourages a dangerous dog to attack another person faces up to five years in prison.</p> <p>Another proposal is to set up a new requirement for dogs to be “effectively controlled” in public, which would ban off-leash dog walking.</p> <p>“Effective control could be defined to include a person who is physically able to control the animal, it is on an appropriate leash and supervised or in a temporary enclosure adequate to contain the animal,” the paper reads.</p> <p>Instant fines would be issued to owners who failed to control their dogs in public and exceptions would be made for designated off-leash areas.</p> <p>Councils are urging for certain breeds to be banned and for tougher restrictions, according to Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Alison Smith.</p> <p>“Ratepayers would be alarmed to know that Queensland councils are being forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees because irresponsible owners are using the courts to drag out the fate of these dangerous animals after their dog has been impounded and a destruction order made,” she said.</p> <p>“For too long, irresponsible dog owners have been able to hold the community and councils to ransom. That needs to change.”</p> <p>Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Furner is calling on all Queenslanders to participate in the survey to “have their say” on the proposed reforms.</p> <p>“Community feedback on this discussion paper will be vital in drafting new legislation,” he said.</p> <p>“It is so important that we get this right to make sure any new laws meet community expectations.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

The 12 smartest cat breeds that are equally cute and clever

<h2>How smart is your cat?</h2> <p>Cats are delightfully complex creatures. If we dare to sleep in a few minutes late, they paw at our faces and meow, demanding breakfast. They can be warm and affectionate yet aloof when we’ve been away from the house too long. Even some of the smartest cat breeds display unusual cat behaviour. But there’s no need for standardised tests to verify what we already know – cats are smart! Whether they’re mixed breed or purebred, small cat breeds or large cat breeds, the reality is that there’s no one accurate way to measure the intelligence of individual cats. However, recent research gives us some compelling evidence to back up what we know in our hearts: feline intelligence is unique.</p> <p>Are you clawing to find out which cat breeds are the smartest? Do they happen to be sleek black cat breeds, gorgeous orange cat breeds or all of the above? Experts say the ones on our list stand out when it comes to their trainability, insatiable curiosity, investigative skills and puzzle-solving brain power.</p> <h2>Do cats have a high IQ?</h2> <p>Before we reveal the smartest cat breeds, let’s take a closer look at just how clever these little lions are. We know that a cat’s brain is almost as structurally complex as a human brain. Cats have around 250 million neurons (tiny information processors) in their cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that solves problems, makes decisions, decodes emotions and creates complex behaviour, like why cats purr or why cats sleep so much. (In comparison, dogs have about 429 million neurons, and humans house an average of 86 billion.) And while more neurons in the brain does equal more cognitive ability, it isn’t necessarily a good indicator of intelligence. That’s because cognition can involve other areas outside the cerebral cortex.</p> <p>So why are dogs generally thought to be smarter than cats? Is it because they have more neurons? Nerdy science aside, there are a host of theories. For starters, dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years and have been living and learning social tasks from humans longer than cats. Temperament wise, dogs are more patient and generally eager to please their humans. In contrast, cats are typically less eager to please, though some are exceptionally cooperative. They tend to be more impulsive, have far less patience and get frustrated and lose interest in something that’s boring to them.</p> <p>However, cats are highly attuned to their surroundings, and how they interact and respond is expressing intelligence, says Teresa Keiger, an all-breed judge with the Cat Fanciers’ Association. That awareness is what helped cats survive for thousands of years in the wild. “I notice that cats who were rescued from outdoor living situations tend to be more intelligent, since they’ve had to learn to think on their feet,” says veterinarian, Dr Stephanie Wolf. Whether a mixed breed or pedigree, rare cat breed or fluffy cat breed, one thing is certain: cats are smart and trainable; they just might not all be interested.</p> <h2>1. Russian blue</h2> <p>When it comes to the smartest cat breeds, the Russian blue is so clever that it’s more apt to train you than the other way around. Like an alarm, the Russian blue will wake you up to feed it breakfast and remind you when it’s dinnertime. In fact, if you’re looking for an accountability partner to maintain a strict schedule, this might be the cat for you. “This quiet breed is very attuned to its household,” says Keiger. “They’re incredibly smart, and they wait to make certain that any stranger is not a threat to safety.” Once they’ve issued your security clearance, they form a tight bond and are regarded as an affectionate cat breed with their humans – so much so that they’re known for hitching a ride on their human’s shoulders.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Russian blue</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>25 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>3–7 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>15–20 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>Abyssinian</h2> <p>This gorgeous cat looks like it stepped out of the jungle and into your living room. From the forward-tilting ears to the large almond-shaped eyes and the stunning colours of its coat, it resembles a cougar. “Abyssinians are incredibly intelligent, good problem solvers and full of an insatiable curiosity,” says Keiger.</p> <p>Perpetually alert and busy, the Aby is happiest when patrolling its environment and playing with challenging interactive puzzle toys. “I always think of Abys as the MacGyver of cats – if they had thumbs, they’d figure out how to fix anything,” Keiger says. Intelligence aside, Abys are highly social cats and love people and other felines. Plus, they are one of the cat breeds that gets along with dogds. Who knows? Maybe the Aby could teach your old dog a few new tricks.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Abyssinian</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>30–40 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>3–5 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>9–15 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>3. Egyptian mau</h2> <p>The key to this exotic beauty’s happiness is sharpening its mental and physical skills. “Being able to offer enrichment is key to ensuring your cat is getting the best level of stimulation and exercise,” says veterinarian, Dr Julie Andino. That goes for all breeds, but this cat craves cat toys and activities that showcase its lightning-fast physical and mental responses. They’re so clever that they can even turn on the faucet to play in water – although we may never understand why some cats hate water when the mau wouldn’t miss an opportunity to splash their paws in it. After they’ve expended their energy figuring out the day’s puzzles, this cutie loves to snuggle up with their human.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Egyptian mau</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>17–28 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>4–6 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>9–13 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>4. Burmese</h2> <p>One of the smartest cat breeds, the Burmese craves attention, something you can learn from its body language. “This intelligent breed loves to entertain its resident humans so much that it often checks to make certain someone is watching,” says Keiger. They’re also known for being dog-like and enjoy a rousing game of fetch, an unusually quirky cat behaviour. And they’re adorably stubborn. “When they make up their minds that they want something, they simply don’t take no for an answer and usually figure out a way to get it.” And that includes attention from you. Burmese cats are all about give-and-take when it comes to affection, but if you’re busy and ignore them too long, they might take it upon themselves to follow you around the house, rub against your leg or plop down on your lap and snuggle, all to remind you that you have a cat that needs some loving.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Burmese</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>25–30 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>4–6 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>9–13 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>5. American bobtail</h2> <p>It’s one thing for the smartest cat breeds to learn new tricks, but when a cat also has emotional intelligence, that’s an impressive combo. These cute stubby-tailed felines are noted for their empathy and for providing a calming and assuring presence that’s equal to emotional support dogs. “They are also very in tune with their household and owners, offering a shoulder to cry on when needed,” says Keiger.</p> <p>They even act like dogs – playing fetch, walking on a leash and rushing to greet guests when there’s a knock on the door. Devoted companion, a lover of people and other animals, the American bobtail is an adorable and lovable companion.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">American bobtail</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>22–25 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>3–7 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>13–15 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>6. Japanese bobtail</h2> <p>The smartest cat breeds are often breeds we have never heard of before. Take the Japanese bobtail, one of the rarest cat breeds in the world. Every Japanese bobtail has its own unique tail. Yes, you read that right. No two tails are ever alike. They consider themselves family members and are always ready to help, even if that means sitting on your sitting on your laptop. “They are active, intelligent, talkative cats who delight in mischief-making,” says Keiger. They love to travel, stay in hotels and quite literally jump through hoops and over hurdles to impress you – and entertain themselves. As brain power goes, it’s that human-like personality that makes them seem so bright. “Life is never dull with a Japanese bobtail,” Keiger says.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Japanese bobtail</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>20–23 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>3–5 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>15–18 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>7. Siamese</h2> <p>The Siamese is wicked smart and loves to learn new tricks, Dr Andino says. If you don’t provide interesting and challenging outlets to exercise its noggin, it will find its own stimulating activities, whether you approve or not. If there’s one thing that competes with utilising its brain power, it’s the love and affection it craves from humans. If this cat had a daily schedule, “get affection from human” would be a top priority. And Siamese cats will let you know by that infamous yowling. “The Siamese are very vocal and communicative with their human,” says Dr Andino. They’re likely to talk your ear off, especially if they want something. One of the smartest cat breeds, the Siamese gets along well with people of all ages, as well as other animals. Bonus: if you take any stock in choosing cats most compatible with your zodiac sign, the Siamese happens to be very compatible with Libras.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Siamese</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>20–25 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>3–7 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>15–20 years</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>8. Bengal</h2> <p>The Bengal sports a jaw-dropping, highly contrasted coat of distinctive marbling – very similar to what you see on leopards and jaguars. Its striking beauty is why you should keep close tabs on your Bengal, as it’s the cat breed most often stolen. Beauty aside, this very confident and curious cat isn’t shy about asking you to play. Bengals tend to get a little set in their ways, so introducing new people and furry friends should be done at an early age, if possible. Need to lay down a few new house rules or teach it some tricks? No problem. Bengals pick those up lickety-split. Their athletic prowess is unmatched, but they need plenty of space to run, pounce, roam and jump – some even love to walk on a leash and explore the outdoors. Bengals are super sweet and often very chatty (here’s what their meows may mean) and happy to engage you in a conversation.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Bengal</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>20–25 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>4–7 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>12–16 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>9. Korat</h2> <p>Did you know that the smartest cat breeds could also bring you good fortune? The Korat is one of Thailand’s good luck cats, and no, they don’t mind if you pet them several times a day to increase your luck! Korats are freakishly observant and will watch everything you do. Don’t be surprised if they learn how to open their own box of treats. They’re a devoted companion, an outgoing feline and enjoy having guests in the house. One reason is they love to snoop. Like the nosy houseguest who peeks in your medicine cabinet, the Korat returns the favour, sniffing and investigating your guest’s shoes, purses, coats and anything else that piques their interest. Because Korats thrive when they are around people, being alone may cause cat anxiety.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Korat</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>23–30 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>3–5 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>10–15 years</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>10. Bombay</h2> <p>Bred to look like the Indian black leopard, this midnight-black kitty walks with a sway much like its wild counterpart and is equally gorgeous and clever. Bombay cats are exceptionally friendly, outgoing and lovey-dovey. Family life is their jam, including younger humans and furry siblings. “The Bombay kitty is great at being trained, and they’re very motivated to show their people what they are capable of learning,” says Dr Andino. These cats thrive with continuous education, learning new tricks and solving challenging interactive puzzles. And when the love bug hits them, watch out. They will hunt for your lap and crash there until they get enough pets and belly rubs.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Bombay</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>23–30 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>3–5 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>12–16 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>11. Havana brown</h2> <p>The brownie, as its fans dub it, is deeply connected to humans and savours affectionate companionship. (Havana browns insist on being involved in whatever you’re doing, yet they are remarkably sensitive and use both their paws to gently touch their humans. They share DNA with the Siamese, but their meows are quieter, charming and almost flirty. They might prefer the company of one favourite human over others in the family but tend to get along with humans of all ages, as well as furry roommates. Perhaps the most interesting characteristic is how they investigate. While most felines examine things with their nose, Havana browns use both their paws to check out trinkets and treasures.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Havana brown</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>23–28 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>4–6 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>8–13 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>12. Singapura</h2> <p>The Singapura is the smallest domestic cat breed, with a whole lot of feisty goodness in a tiny package. If those big saucer eyes and adorable face aren’t captivating enough to get your attention, you might need some catnip. And don’t let the small frame fool you. Under that fur lies a muscular and athletic body. The Singapura is a social butterfly, always looking to be the centre of attention, in the cutest, playful ways. They are the life of any party, whether they’re invited or not. Conversations with Singapuras are a pure delight as well and never get stale – you could listen to their sweet meows for hours, and they’ll love your high-pitched baby talk just as much. Keenly observant, intelligent and extroverted, these cats still act like kittens well into adulthood.</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">Breed overview</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2">Singapura</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Height</td> <td>15–20 centimetres</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Weight</td> <td>2–4 kilograms</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Life expectancy</td> <td>11–15 years</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/the-12-smartest-cat-breeds-that-are-equally-cute-and-clever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Family & Pets

Internet in stitches at one woman’s dog breed blunder

<p dir="ltr">A woman in the US received quite the surprise when she set out to pick up her new furry friend, expecting to find a fluff ball in the form of a Shih-Tzu-cross-Bichon ‘Shichon’ puppy waiting for her.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Melissa Windsor’s dreams took a turn when she met the mutt destined to capture her heart, and learned that things don’t always look exactly like they did online. </p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to Facebook to share her story, Melissa posted two pictures - one of the caramel teddy bear puppy she’d been seeking, and another of what she’d received, a scruffy little fellow with an alarming case of bedhead. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Little Roosevelt is four-months-old and looks more like a llama than a teddy bear,” she captioned her post, and the image of the sweet-faced Roosevelt in his pyjamas, “but I love him just the same.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em>Daily Paws</em>, ‘shichons’ are generally small and fluffy, although the cross bread has the potential to produce puppies that have “totally different” appearances across just one litter.</p> <p dir="ltr">The post drew in over 1,000 views, and more than 200 other comments from fellow What I Asked For vs What I Got users. And while some took the opportunity to suggest that Melissa had brought the case of ‘dogfishing’ upon herself, most were every bit as amused as the proud new owner, and took to the comments to share their delight at the tale. </p> <p dir="ltr">One spoke for the masses when they declared that “he’s such a cute mess!” </p> <p dir="ltr">“He's awesomely cute,” another agreed, before elaborating that it was “in a manic Einstein kinda way”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“His hair looks like Kramer from Seinfeld,” one remarked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Looks like he’s been electrocuted,” someone noted. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Poor buddy looks like me when the coffee hasn't kicked in,” another shared, “fighting with four kids.”</p> <p dir="ltr">One user went on to tell Melissa that their dog looked just like her beloved Roosevelt, asking if it was “possible that he's a mini Aussie doodle?” </p> <p dir="ltr">Some groomers, however, suggested that he just didn’t look like Melissa expected as he hadn’t had his fur tended to just yet. </p> <p dir="ltr">Melissa then shared that she was going to get a DNA test for the precious pup, as “at this point anything is possible”, and that she would like to know if her little friend would actually have the traits and qualities expected of his supposed breed.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

Vet reveals 5 dog breeds he would never own

<p dir="ltr">Choosing a dog breed is a difficult decision and it is important to research the breed you intend to get. </p> <p dir="ltr">Not every dog is going to be the right fit, and one UK vet has named the 5 breeds he’d never own and why. </p> <p dir="ltr">The vet, known as Ben the Vet on TikTok, posted the video alongside the caption, "I love dogs, I promise, I'm just fussy!" </p> <p dir="ltr">"All I can say is that I think working in veterinary just makes you really fussy when it comes to dog breeds.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The first on his list was the Dobermann.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Now, I've met many lovely, lovely Dobermanns but it is shocking how many of them get a kind of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The next breed on Ben’s list was the Border collie. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Now, they are quite healthy, they are a bit prone to epilepsy, but I just find they're a dog breed that doesn't adapt very well to the sedentary life of being a pet,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The vet noted that Border collies require constant stimulation as they want to work and be active.</p> <p dir="ltr">The third breed was a boxer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Although he admitted he has met lots of “sweet ones,” there is a long list of problems. </p> <p dir="ltr">He showed a book containing data on the health conditions dog breeds have and explained, ”The boxer has 74 diseases in their section, yes, 74.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"I've seen too many boxers with all of these problems to count," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Number four on the list was the Great Dane. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I think I'm just not a 'big dog' person at heart," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ben listed a few reasons including the size of his car and house, as well as the hefty vet bills due to all medical drugs being dosed according to weight, so a lot of procedures would cost more for Great Dane owners. </p> <p dir="ltr">He also noted that Great Danes often don’t live to the age of 7, saying it would be "quite hard to love a dog and then lose them in that short space of time."</p> <p dir="ltr">The last breed to make the cut were flat-coated retrievers. </p> <p dir="ltr">"This is a really hard one," he said, "they're a wonderful family dog, but I just know too much.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The vet said those dogs were prone to a type of aggressive cancer called histiocytic sarcoma.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They are the poster child of this disease. Around 50 per cent of all flat coats die of cancer," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">TikTok users were quick to flood the comments, with many agreeing with Ben’s list.</p> <p dir="ltr">"100% agree on the border collie. I have a border collie/Kelpie mix, he was bred to herd cattle. He is not a typical pet. He needs a job to be happy," one wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another Border Collie weighed in, writing, "They're not for the faint hearted. We didn't do our research and thus our lives had to change dramatically!”</p> <p dir="ltr">"100% on the boxers, we've lost too many too young," another dog owner commented. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-65ee70b6-7fff-f53a-c316-79f2a6013593"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

15 dumbest dog breeds that are lovably dopey

<p><strong>1. Afghan hound</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">The Afghan hound has the lowest IQ of all dog breeds, per Coren’s research. But since these hounds are known as independent and strong willed, perhaps they just can’t be bothered to learn commands; what’s in it for them, after all? Afghans would rather spend their time loving on family members, entertaining kids with glamorous hair-flip pyrotechnics and playing well with other pups.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Energetic, playful and open to strangers, your Afghan hound may never master much beyond the easiest dog tricks, but there are plenty of positives, including their luxurious coats. Afghans hardly shed, which might be surprising considering their silky hair requires near-daily grooming.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>2. Basenji </strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Ranked by Coren as only slightly less dumb than the Afghan hound, the basenji may not actually be “dumb” so much as not particularly interested in the sort of interactions that obedience training tends to require. One of the <a style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d90000; text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/pets/13-quietest-dog-breeds-wont-bark-too-much" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quieter dog breeds</a>, the basenji doesn’t bark to get attention. In fact, the basenji doesn’t seem to need that much attention at all, which can be a good thing for some humans.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">It may be that independent streak, combined with its fastidious grooming habits, that have led some to describe the basenji as “catlike.” But everyone knows cats aren’t dumb; they simply cannot be bothered to learn tricks for the sole purpose of entertaining humans. Perhaps the basenji ought to be accorded similar latitude?</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>3. English bulldog</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Lots of people are bullish on bulldog breeds. And that includes the English bulldog, which Coren’s research regards as the third dumbest among dog breeds. Known for its sweet and docile temperament, the English bulldog is among Novack’s favourites. It also happens to be one of the dog breeds least likely to bite.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">English bulldogs score low by Coren’s canine intelligence standards, but it may simply be a matter of laziness, a quality for which they are renowned. And while a lazy dog may be less inclined to do the work required to learn new commands, does that really make for a dumb dog? English bulldog lovers might disagree.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>4. Chow chow</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">While it is a dog that looks like a lion, the chow chow is far from the king of the jungle – or even the dog park. To wit, Coren ranked the chow chow as one of the dumbest dog breeds, adding that, “There is probably furniture out there that is more trainable than chows.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">But according to Coren, one factor to consider when assessing canine intelligence is a dog’s ability to do what it was bred to do. And as it turns out, chow chows are quite adept at that. Unfortunately, however, one of the things chows were originally bred for was to be eaten as food—at least in some countries.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>5. Borzoi</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">One of the <a style="font-family: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d90000; text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/13-of-the-fastest-dog-breeds-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fastest dogs in the world</a>, the borzoi is also known as one of the dumbest dog breeds, per Coren’s rubric. Although the swift borzoi needs a lot of mental stimulation, this shaggy, lanky breed is also notoriously challenging to train. As the American Kennel Club (AKC) puts it, “in their quiet, catlike way, [borzois] can be stubborn, and training is best accomplished with patience, consistency and good humour.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">So while they may not hand over a paw when asked, these dignified pups are also very accomplished at what they were bred for: hunting.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>6. Bloodhound</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Docile and affectionate with its people, the bloodhound (also called the sleuth hound) does one thing better than any creature on earth: locate missing persons. And yet, the bloodhound comes in at just slightly less dumb than the borzoi, at least using Coren’s standards of canine intelligence. Not coincidentally, both the borzoi and the bloodhound are master hunters, and therein may lie the rub.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Whereas the borzoi leverages its keen sight, the bloodhound makes use of its prodigious sense of smell. In both cases, unless the individual dog is engaged in an actual hunt, these talents and inclinations can make the dog appear distractible. And distractibility does not bode well when it comes to learning commands. But whether it means the bloodhound is actually dumb is something we’ll question. Plus, there’s just something about dogs with big ears that makes us fall in love.</p> <p><strong>7.<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> Pekingese</span></strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Pekingese dogs tend to lavish affection on their families. Peeks are also well behaved and friendly toward children and strangers, as well as other dogs. But will a Pekingese reliably play fetch with you? Not likely, based on Coren’s methodology, which places this Chinese dog breed among the dumbest dog breeds on the planet.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">But Coren’s research also makes room for nuance. Pekingese dogs, which were bred to be lapdogs, are very accomplished at that. And if that makes them dopey, then, do we really want this dog to be smart? It’s also a quality that makes it one of the <a style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d90000; text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/15-best-dogs-for-seniors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best dogs for seniors</a>.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>8. Beagle</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Fans of dogs with floppy ears often flock to the sweet-faced beagle. Indeed, those soulful eyes and clownish demeanour help make the beagle a much-loved breed. Conversely, they’re also one of the dog breeds most likely to be found in a shelter. One reason is that the beagle, like its bloodhound cousin, is easily distracted by scents. If allowed off-leash, the risk of separation from its people is high.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Beagles are well known for their stubborn streak, which makes training challenging. And the hard truth is that an untrained dog makes a difficult housemate. The beagle’s tendency to stand on ceremony rather than sitting and staying, as well as its tendency to follow its nose, places it among the so-called dumbest dog breeds. But we don’t fault them for their love of exploring. This happy-go-lucky dog just wants to experience the world.</p> <p><strong>9. Mastiff</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">The mastiff is one of the <a style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d90000; text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/the-best-guard-dog-breeds-for-protection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finest guard dogs</a>, but it doesn’t get there by stealth. The docile but dignified mastiff is one of the world’s <a style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d90000; text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/pets/worlds-largest-dog-breeds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest domesticated dog breeds</a>, and for giant dog breeds, training is a must. Ironically, mastiffs aren’t all that great at learning commands. They do so rather slowly, and even when they do, they’re not particularly consistent when it comes to performing them. That’s why mastiffs are ranked among the dumbest dog breeds, per Coren’s research.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">It also raises the question: How is one to live harmoniously with this adorably gigantic, drooly supposed dope? Mastiffs take best to gentle training, and the earlier you can start on that, the better.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>10. Basset hound</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">“Why the long face?” one might be inclined to inquire of a basset hound. But that meltingly droopy face, flanked by velvety floor-sweeping ears, is in no way a reflection of the basset’s chill temperament. Great with children and other dogs, and one of the dogs that get along with cats, the basset hound is believed by some experts to be second only to its hound cousin, the bloodhound, in its scent-tracking skills. But does that earn it IQ points?</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Not so much, at least according to Coren’s canine intelligence rubric, which ranks the basset as one of the top 10 dumbest dog breeds. Like other scent hounds, it’s easily distracted by smell, and like the beagle, in particular, the basset is stubborn. Both qualities combine to make it less than receptive to training. But is it really fair to call this dog breed dumb when it’s so good at what it was bred to do? We’ll always love this sniffing pooch.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>11. Shih tzu</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">One of the most popular toy dog breeds, the shih tzu, Mandarin for “little lion,” was bred hundreds of years ago as an indoor lap dog. And that’s precisely what it excels at. What the shih tzu does not excel at is learning commands with speed and consistency. Specifically, Coren’s research found that on average, the dog breed obeys a first command less than 25% of the time. This puts it squarely into the category of dumbest dog breeds. But remember, the shih tzu is known to be most affectionate with family, nice with children and playful with other dogs – and some might argue there’s nothing dumb about that.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>12. Bullmastiff</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Another of the giant dog breeds, the bullmastiff was bred as a bulldog and mastiff hybrid. Like the mastiff, it was bred as a guard dog that’s nevertheless docile with its humans. And at this, the bullmastiff excels, thanks to its sheer size and its relative wariness of strangers. What the bullmastiff hasn’t necessarily mastered as a breed is the art of quickly learning commands and performing them consistently. For that reason, it’s considered by Coren’s criteria to be one of the dumbest dog breeds. However, Bullmastiff lovers will claim that this breed is highly intelligent, but simply strong-willed. You have been warned.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>13. Lhasa aspo</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Despite its small size and glamorous cascade of long, flowing hair, the lhasa apso, whose name means “Tibetan long-haired dog,” was bred as a guard dog – and has been doing a top-notch job as such since ancient times. In fact, many canine intelligence experts regard it as an intelligent breed. So why then does Coren’s research categorise the lhasa apso as a dumb dog? It isn’t a fast learner or a consistent performer when it comes to mastering commands.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">If only this tiny lion-like sentinel were just a little less stubborn and independent-minded (not for nothing, lhasas are among the <a style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d90000; text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/11-dog-breeds-that-can-be-left-alone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dog breeds that are comfortable being left alone</a>), perhaps it would have scored higher. Alas, it is what it is, and accordingly, the lhasa apso must endure its reputation. We, however, will trust their thousand-year-old reputation as smart, aristocratic family comedians.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>14. Chihuahua </strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">If you’re a budget-conscious pet owner, the Chihuahua is one of the cheapest dog breeds simply because its small size means it’s not expensive to feed and its short hair doesn’t require much in the way of grooming. In fact, the Chihuahua is yet another adorable dog breed that doesn’t shed that much, which means you may also save on dry cleaning and lint roller tape.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">Nevertheless, experts recommend obedience training for this yippy, barky, high-energy “purse dog,” lest it rule your household like a little Napoleon. And that may cost you, because training a Chihuahua requires time and patience. Per Coren’s research, it takes up to 80 repetitions to teach a Chihuahua a command, and even when it does, it obeys the first time it’s asked to do something less than 30% of the time.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;"><strong>15. St Bernard</strong></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">One of the most popular mountain dog breeds, the St Bernard isn’t known for its intelligence so much as its enormous size and gentle temperament. But as with many of the so-called dopey dog breeds, these pups aren’t exactly stupid either. In fact, the St Bernard was bred methodically by monks during the Middle Ages specifically for alpine search and rescue. Are St Bernards good at what they were bred for? Absolutely, they are. But they’re also notoriously difficult to train – for anything but search and rescue, that is.</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 26px; color: #444444; background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial !important;">On the other hand, St Bernards are among the <a style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #d90000; text-decoration-line: none;" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/17-calm-dog-breeds-with-easygoing-personalities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calmest dogs, known for their easygoing personalities</a>. The dog is sweet, affectionate, observant, watchful and great with people of all ages, as well as with other dogs. And anyone who has ever been rescued by a St Bernard isn’t likely focusing on its propensity to sit and stay.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p> <p><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/15-dumbest-dog-breeds-that-are-lovably-dopey?pages=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>This article originally appeared on Reader's Digest.</em></a></p>

Family & Pets

Top 10 dog breeds revealed

<p dir="ltr">The ten most popular dog breeds have been revealed, with the Cavoodle coming out on top. </p> <p dir="ltr">Poodle crosses were a popular choice overall, as the Groodle and Labradoodle also made the list.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cavoodles were just in front of the Golden Retriever, followed by the French Bulldog, Golden Doodle or Groodle and the Border Collie.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pet Insure Australia compiled the list based on dog breeds born and insured throughout 2022. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia said the statistics give a “lovely insight” into the types of pets Aussies are welcoming into their homes, with a “great” combination of purebred and mixed breeds. </p> <p dir="ltr">Crighton said it’s important for people looking to adopt a pet to research different types of breeds to see if they’re suited to their lifestyle. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Particularly with dogs, different breeds require different levels of exercise. Some simply adore a Netflix binge on the couch, while others will require a decent amount of exercise to keep them happy and healthy,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We always encourage people to look past the atheistic qualities of a pet and make sure their typical breed traits suit your household.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Chrighton also recommended considering adopting a pet even if you have a particular breed in mind. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Contact local breeders who offer rehoming services or call your local shelter can allow you to offer a pet a forever home while obtaining the pet of your dreams,” she said. </p>

Family & Pets

“There was a hole inside of me”: Rebecca Gibney's secret struggles

<p dir="ltr">TV star Rebecca Gibney has opened up about her mental health, revealing she has battled with crippling panic attacks.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Kiwi actress spoke about her struggles during Monday’s episode of <em>This Is Your Life</em>, saying her mental health began to falter in the 1990s when she was rising to fame and her marriage to musician Irwin Thomas broke down.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was pretty tough,” she told the program.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And that was the hard thing, you do put on a front. My career was going great guns.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I just couldn't verbalise there was a hole inside of me and I was tumbling into it."</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Packed to the Rafters</em> star said that at one point she was having 15 panic attacks a day, and recalled one of her lowest moments on a flight from France to Australia on which she said she needed five Valium to “survive”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I had anxiety attack after anxiety attack. I was in such a hole, and I thought I'm not going to make it," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I was struggling, and I couldn't verbalise what was wrong. I just knew there was a hole inside me and it was getting bigger and bigger, and I was tumbling into it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I didn't even tell Mum, I couldn't even tell my family, because I couldn't explain it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's so important that now, people talk about their struggles. Because if you get the help, you can get through it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Now I know that if I start to slide into that pit, I know that there's a way out of it."</p> <p dir="ltr">The 57-year-old credits therapy for helping in her recovery.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-58e7b796-7fff-eab8-667a-e0031a7b6340">Following the airing of Gibney’s episode of <em>This Is Your Life</em>, the actress took to Instagram to thank those involved and described it as a “joyous and humbling experience”.</span></p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkoYi8TBQkK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkoYi8TBQkK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rebecca Gibney (@rebeccagibney_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“So much laughter, so many tears,” she wrote, sharing a collection of snaps from the show.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you to all the beautiful people that showed up on the night and continue to show up in my life. I was blown away by the love - such a joyous and humbling experience.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Host Melissa Doyle also took to social media both to praise Gibney, describing her as “one of the world’s loveliest people”, and shared how the star was told she would be on the show.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2f54a39c-7fff-3060-fc51-41c74782b608"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“The surprise is always the best part! We sprung @rebeccagibney_ in stunning New Zealand, on the set of ‘Under the Vines’,” Doyle wrote.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckpnq5wrPmz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckpnq5wrPmz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Melissa Doyle (@melissadoyleofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I hid in the lighting truck waiting for the low-loader with her car on the back to arrive. To say she was surprised is an under statement (sic)!</p> <p dir="ltr">“Rebecca is truly one of the world’s loveliest people. The applause on set from her colleagues is testament to how much she is loved.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-839cbd24-7fff-55a7-89e6-a7f9dd273fbc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @rebeccagibney_ (Instagram)</em></p>

Caring

Sam Mac calls out stalker live on air

<p dir="ltr">Sam Mac has jokingly called out his partner Rebecca James as a stalker live on air. </p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Sunrise</em> weatherman was at Luna Park in Sydney reporting on the weather before saying he liked meeting new people. </p> <p dir="ltr">He then points to his partner who is holding their newborn baby daughter Margot before joking saying “apparently it’s my child”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I must be honest, sometimes you do have - look, stalker is a strong word - but people just hang around and loiter wherever you are,” he said during Monday’s segment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Like this lady over here, she’s just been following me around,” he continued as the camera panned to Rebecca holding baby Margot. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Apparently it’s my child as well, but I’ve got to give a little shoutout.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Good morning Bec! And Margot who is actually seven weeks old yesterday, so today Margot is 50 days old - not that I’m counting, but there we go, we’ve made it this far.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Sunrise</em> co-host Natalie Barr commented that Sam and Rebecca are “experienced parents now! You totally know what you’re doing”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ll write a book on it, I’ll do a TED talk, it’s easy,” Sam responded.</p> <p dir="ltr">Margot has been making a few appearances on Sunrise, with her first one being when she was just days old. </p> <p dir="ltr">The new parents also regularly share updates to Instagram of the milestones they’ve achieved with Margot. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Sunrise</em></p>

It took scientists 100 years to track these eels to their breeding ground

<p>The life of a European eel isn’t an easy one. They’re critically endangered, must travel up to 10,000 km to get to their spawning point and then when they get there they <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eel_life_history#European_eel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">probably die</a>. </p> <p>But they’re also incredibly difficult to keep track of. In the 1920s a Danish biologist named Johannes Schmidt, discovered the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargasso_Sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sargasso Sea</a> – due east of North America – had eel larvae. He spent the next 20 years trying to confirm his finding. But in the century since, researchers have been unable to sample either eggs or spawning adults.</p> <p>Now, a team from Europe has published a paper in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-19248-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a> that shows the first direct evidence of adult European eels migrating to the Sargasso Sea to breed. This provides vitally needed information on the life cycle of these slippery suckers.</p> <p>“The European Eel is critically endangered, so it is important that we solve the mystery surrounding their complete life-cycle to support efforts to protect the spawning area of this important species,” <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ancient-mystery-of-european-eel-migration-unravelled-to-help-combat-decline-of-critically-endangered-species" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says project lead Ros Wright from the UK Environment Agency.</a></p> <p>“This is the first time we’ve been able to track eels to the Sargasso Sea … Their journey will reveal information about eel migration that has never been known before.”</p> <p>The team attached satellite tags to 26 female eels that were in rivers in the Azores archipelago – an autonomous region of Portugal in the North Atlantic Ocean – and then waited.</p> <p>When tracking had been done before in areas within Europe, like the Baltic and North Sea, the migratory routes were tracked up to 5000 kilometres, but the tracking had not gone for long enough, and the eels were heading in the right direction, but never made it all the way to the Sargasso Sea.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p219813-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/nature/animals/european-eels-life-cycle-tracking-schmidt-sargasso-sea/#wpcf7-f6-p219813-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <p style="display: none !important;"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/" aria-invalid="false" /></span></p> <p></form> </div> </div> <p>“The data from the tags were used to identify migratory routes that extended up to 5000 km from release, and which suggested routes taken by eels migrating from different countries converge when passing the Azores,” <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-19248-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the team wrote in their paper.</a></p> <p>“However, although eels were tracked for six months or more, their migration speed was insufficient to reach the Sargasso Sea for the first presumed spawning period after migration commenced, prompting the hypothesis that the spawning migration period of eels may extend to more than 18 months.”</p> <p>So, the team went directly to Azores to try and get the last leg of the journey, tracking 26 of the female eels with ‘X tags’. These collect data every two minutes and when the tag releases from the eel and bobs to the surface it then connects to the ARGOS satellite. Of course, not every single one worked. Only 23 tags communicated with the system; two became detached from the eels within a week. But the remainder provided a wealth of data to the team.</p> <p>Average migration speed was between 3 and 12 kilometres a day, and they were tracked from 40 days all the way to 366 days. Five of the eels ended up in within the Sargasso Sea boundaries while one eel made it all the way to the presumed breeding area Schmidt discovered those many years before.</p> <p>This isn’t the first time that eels have been tracked in this way. A study published last year, also in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-02325-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a>, which Cosmos covered at the time, looked at the spawning migrations of the Australasian short-finned eel. They found that the eels travelled for five months, around 2,620 km from south-Eastern Australia, as far north as the Coral Sea in Northern Queensland.</p> <p>The researchers in the European eel case still have much to do. The eels didn’t move fast enough to be able to make it to the spawning period on time, which means we still don’t really understand the life cycle. </p> <p>“Rather than make a rapid migration to spawn at the earliest opportunity, European eels may instead make a long, slow spawning migration at depth that conserves their energy and reduces mortality risk,” the team wrote.</p> <p>There’s also questions of what mechanisms the eels use to be able to correctly navigate to the Sargasso Sea. As usual in science, one answer has led to plenty more questions. </p> <p></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=219813&title=It+took+scientists+100+years+to+track+these+eels+to+their+breeding+ground" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/european-eels-life-cycle-tracking-schmidt-sargasso-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Jacinta Bowler.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

Sam Mac’s emotional tribute to one-month-old daughter

<p dir="ltr">Sam Mac has shared a heartwarming one-month tribute to his baby daughter Margot.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Sunrise</em> weatherman and his girlfriend, Rebecca James, welcomed Margot Grace McMillan on September 10 following a whirlwind pregnancy.</p> <p dir="ltr">One month on since her arrival, Sam shared a new photo of baby Margot in the bath with a beautiful tribute, jokingly describing her as a “wrecking ball”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dear Margot, You’re 1 month old today! & my goodness, you came in like a wrecking ball!” Sam’s post read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was always going to take a lot to see me relegated to 2nd biggest diva in the house, but you managed that in your first few hours. When you want something, oh my, do you let us know!</p> <p dir="ltr">“Your face turns redder than Barnaby Joyce & your scream reaches 2 octaves higher than Jimmy Barnes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sam then described the realities of being parents when babies “shoot out” of their mouths and bottoms, calling Margot a “mini Bellagio fountain”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He went on to thank Margot for picking him and Rebecca to be her parents, saying they are “just so eternally grateful”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are the most important person in our world. We both can’t stop staring at you. Your tiny fingers, your little ear lobes, the fat rolls on your neck. Every part of you is perfect to us. We even stare at you while you’re sleeping (an activity that would normally have us placed on a watch-list).</p> <p dir="ltr">“Your Mum is giving you absolutely everything she’s got right now. Sometimes she’s exhausted & in pain, but she doesn’t let you see that. She shows you nothing but love. It’s a privilege to see both of you grow together. You’ll be tough like your Mum one day, I have no doubt.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjfPcw2u2le/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjfPcw2u2le/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sam Mac (@sammacinsta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Sam continued to get more candid with his post, confessing that he is unable to do as much as his partner but that he is trying.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Think of me as best supporting actor. I’m 2IC for Nappy Duties, Head Pram Steerer (setting lap records & already off-roading) & my favourite role of all… is Bath Boss. Everyday, 5pm, just you & me at Daddy’s Day Spa (tm).</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s very early days. We’re a brand new family working it all out together, bit by bit. It’s daunting, it’s tiring, but it’s mostly exhilarating.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So much fun ahead for the 3 of us. & do you know what, I feel like you already have more in common with your dad than you might think. We’re both extremely grumpy when woken up & we both have an unhealthy fixation on boobs. That’s my girl.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Happy 1 Month Margot X</p> <p dir="ltr">“(Bec just informed me that 1 month olds can’t read & apparently Margot isn’t even on insta yet, so I’ll store this here in safe keeping & read it to her in a few years).”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

“I’m a Dad!”: Sam Mac shares emotional news

<p dir="ltr"><em>Sunrise</em> weatherman Sam Mac and his girlfriend, Rebecca James, have welcomed their first child: a baby girl named Margot Grace McMillan.</p> <p dir="ltr">The proud new dad took to Instagram to share the news on Sunday night, sharing that he was “overwhelmed” and “still processing it all”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a girl 💖Margot Grace McMillan,” he began the post, sharing a family photo with Jess and Margot along with it.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-383d32fc-7fff-db9f-96d7-2c04595920e8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"This is a love I never even knew existed. I'm overwhelmed & still processing it all right now. My girls. Wow.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiW2hWhJb9a/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiW2hWhJb9a/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sam Mac (@sammacinsta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Mac went on to shower his partner with praise and thank the delivery ward who helped bring Margot into the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">"@rebeccajames_stylist was (& is) a warrior. I will never forget what she endured over the past 9 months, & particularly the past few days for our little family. Unbelievable strength. What a woman 🙌🏼 There will be a separate post about that soon,” he continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">"In the meantime I just want to say a heartfelt thanks to @drmorris_sydneymotherandbaby (the rock star of the delivery ward) & team. I'm the happiest man on the planet right now 🌎 if anyone needs me, my schedule for the next little while will be, looking in awe at Bec, looking in awe at Margot, crying & repeat 🤷🏽‍♂️ I'm a Dad! #MacDaddy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In a follow-up post, Mac shared a photo of James and their daughter seven minutes after she gave birth with a caption paying tribute to her and “the Mums out there” for what they endure during pregnancy and childbirth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve all heard stories of how incredible women are in birth, but I don’t think you truly understand it until you’re in the room,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-16ef144c-7fff-fd3c-1b18-ac5769d314f3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I watched Bec put her body on the line for 2 whole days. She was poked, grabbed, injected, stretched & essentially thrown around until we got our baby out. It was brutal (the epidural didn’t work 😳) But she gritted her teeth & found something I didn’t even know existed. She was always going to win.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiXLHVVO4oz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CiXLHVVO4oz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sam Mac (@sammacinsta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Just when it seemed like she couldn’t possibly give another push, she found another 50. Honestly remarkable.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can’t explain how confronting it was to see someone I love enduring such pain,</p> <p dir="ltr">but she had a calm determination & focus on what needed to be done for our little family. I’ll never forget that.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Clearly it’s been a long day (I’m delirious) but I wanted to pay tribute to the Mums out there. We can never truly understand or thank you enough. Warriors.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mac ended his emotional post by joking that James would be using his “confession as bargaining power” to hit him with “a lifetime of nappy duties”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple first announced they were expecting their first child together on Instagram in April, and that the due date would be sometime in September.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wowsers! Mini Mac coming soon 👶 & Bec just can’t wipe the joy off her face 👏🏼,” he captioned the April post.</p> <p dir="ltr">James also shared the news with her fans at the time, writing, “Well this escalated 😳</p> <p dir="ltr">See you in September baby Mac 👶🍔❤️”.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><em>Image: @sammacinsta (Instagram)</em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-670d1231-7fff-2389-7b8c-fd66ea4f62e0"></span></span></p>

Family & Pets

Dan Andrews accused of "victim-blaming" in spat with Rebecca Judd

<p>Victoria's premier Dan Andrews has been accused of "victim-blaming" by his political opponents, as he responded to an influencer's claim she feels "unsafe".</p> <p>Social media influencer Rebecca Judd, who is married to AFL star Chris Judd, took to social media last week to say she felt "unsafe" due to a rise in crime in the Brighton area, where she lives in a $7.3 million mansion. </p> <p>"So sick of the rapes, bashings and home invasions at the hands of gangs in Bayside," she wrote on Instagram last Thursday.</p> <p>"The state government don't seem to care. We feel unsafe."</p> <p>In response to her comments, Dan Andrews said that he was area of the rise in crime in the Melbourne suburb, with Victoria Police being utilised accordingly. </p> <p>In a press conference on Sunday, he said, "I'm also obliged to point out, though. I think there are more than 70 additional police in the Bayside area."</p> <p>"She might have missed this, others might have missed this, 502 additional sworn officers and 50 PSOs.</p> <p>"Victoria Police being properly resourced."</p> <p>Brighton MP James Newbury said the premier's comments were unacceptable, and said more should be done to curb the recent crimes. </p> <p>"No woman should be dismissed or victim blamed because they're scared after a string of home invasions in their community," he said.</p> <p>Andrews said the crime rate in the area did not reflect the influencer's concerns.</p> <p>"I'm sorry she feels that way; the data will tell a different story," he said.</p> <p>"But it is about personal feelings and your sense of safety, and I hope that knowing those things, or perhaps learning those things, puts her mind at ease."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

"Hey, we're Aussies": Bec Maddern's classic response to leaked Djokovic footage

<p>7News anchor Rebecca Maddern has spoken out about her leaked comments about Novak Djokovic with co-host Mike Amor. </p><p>The pair of news reporters were captured speaking candidly about the Serbian tennis champion's recent deportation from Australia over his vaccination status, with Rebecca calling Novak an "a**hole".</p><p>The footage of the seemingly off-air comments was leaked by an external Channel Seven staffer, with both reporters staying quiet about the blunder until now. </p><p>Speaking with <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/rebecca-madderns-one-regret-about-viral-novak-outburst/news-story/2eae792fb5c679a41b412d36e990e0c8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stellar magazine</a>, Rebecca said her and Mike had been friends "long before" their news program together, and were simply exchanging casual banter between mates. </p><p>"I'm 100 percent sure that the exact same conversation was actually happening in a pub. And lounge rooms. And workplaces," she said. </p><p>"Whether you agree with what I was saying or not is actually irrelevant. Everybody was talking about this and so were we. My language was questionable, but hey, we're Aussies."</p><p>The expletive-ridden rant about Novak quickly went viral on social media, with many Australians feeling divided over Mike and Rebecca's views.</p><p>Rebecca hit back at critics that called her and Mike "unprofessional" and "biased", as she said the idea of impartial journalists was "antiquated".</p><p>"We are human beings and part of the same community as everybody else. Just because I have an opinion on a topic doesn’t mean I can’t present or write about a topic without bias. It’s called training.</p><p>"When I’m on air, I’m a professional and I don’t use that language. I’ll be presenting the news straighty-180 from now on."</p><p><em>Image credits: 7News / Channel Nine</em></p>

Source of nasty Novak leak revealed!

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just one day after video footage was leaked of two Seven newsreaders slamming Novak Djokovic, an investigation by the television network </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/channel-7-identify-caption-company-aimedia-as-behind-rebecca-maddern-and-mike-amor-leak/news-story/e8dbb4eac4bd14079d3ea6baa8e3f3df" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has identified the culprit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All Channel 7 employees have been cleared of leaking the brutal footage, as reported by </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Australian</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, with one key detail identifying the external company who was responsible.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The footage emerged on Wednesday of Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern calling the tennis star an “a**hole” before the airing of the 6pm bulletin, prompting the pair to </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/caught-out-leaked-audio-as-channel-7-stars-slam-novak" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">make headlines</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> around the country.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Whatever way you look at it, Novak Djokovic is a lying, sneaky a**hole,” Maddern said in the clip.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That’s it, I mean he’s an areshole. He got a bulls*** f***ing excuse and then fell over his own f***ing lies. It’s just what happens, right, that’s what happened,” Amor said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rumours began to swirl as some attempted to identify the source of the leak, with some speculating it was a disgruntled colleague, mischievous audio director, or even a PR ploy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a timestamp visible in the top corner of the footage led Seven’s internal investigators to caption company Ai-Media, which provides captions for the hard of hearing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Australian</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reported that high-level discussions between Seven and Ai-Media have occurred after the discovery of the timestamp - which doesn’t appear on internal Seven video outputs - led bosses to the company.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846787/novak-news2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d4dc1b4344a340598b9f19cbf15bb8a9" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">A timestamp in the top, right corner of the footage led investigators to identify who was responsible. Image: Twitter</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Staff interviews and thorough IT network tracing are currently underway to determine who recorded and distributed the footage, according to the publication.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tony Abrahams, the chief executive of Ai-Media, is reportedly leading the investigation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seven Network Director of News and Public Affairs, Craig McPherson, said in a statement that the act of leaking the footage was “underhanded” and “cowardly”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The illegal recording was of a private conversation between two colleagues,” Mr McPherson said on Wednesday morning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was an underhanded, cowardly act in breach of the Victorian Listening Devices legislation the perpetrator of which will be accordingly dealt with when found.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Channel 7 managing director Lewis Martin followed up with reassurance while appearing on 3AW radio, saying the incident was “being looked at thoroughly”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are going to have an outcome. What has happened here is illegal,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is understood that the investigation will be finalised on Thursday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Maddern herself has apologised for the rant, a number of viewers have seemingly <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/viewers-rally-around-rebecca-maddern-for-calling-novak-djokovic-an-ahole/news-story/9d6711693a0f61d7cf6f2c8a1dbb5a63" target="_blank">deemed it unnecessary</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It fact, some have claimed it was the best news segment they’d seen in a long time given it reflected the mood of a number of frustrated Aussies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every Australian needs to stand by Rebecca Maddern & Mike Amor. They are only saying what we – & the rest of the world is thinking,” one wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Great watch. Just saying what 90% of Australians think,” another agreed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Now this is news I’d watch. Rebecca Maddern has certainly made a strong return to Channel 7 hey,” was another response.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I hope Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern are promoted on the basis of that leaked video,” added another.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Twitter</span></em></p>

Can selective breeding of ‘super kelp’ save our cold water reefs from hotter seas?

<p>Australia’s vital kelp forests are disappearing in many areas as our waters warm and our climate changes.</p> <p>While we wait for rapid action to slash carbon emissions – including the United Nations climate talks now underway in Glasgow – we urgently need to buy time for these vital ecosystems.</p> <p>How? By ‘future-proofing’ our kelp forests to be more resilient and adaptable to changing ocean conditions. Our recent trials have shown selectively bred kelp with higher heat tolerance can be successfully replanted and used in restoration.</p> <p>This matters because these large seaweed species are the foundation of Australia’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-other-reef-is-worth-more-than-10-billion-a-year-but-have-you-heard-of-it-45600">Great Southern Reef</a>, a vast but little-known <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-19/great-southern-reef-needs-more-attention-scientists-say/12227998">temperate reef system</a> and a global hotspot of biodiversity.</p> <p>The reef’s kelp forests run along 8000 km of Australia’s southern coastline, from Geraldton in Western Australia to the Queensland border with New South Wales. These underwater forests support coastal food-webs and fisheries. Think of the famous mass-spawning of Australian Giant Cuttlefish off Whyalla, the rock lobster and abalone fisheries, or our iconic weedy and leafy seadragons.</p> <p>Unfortunately, these seas are hotspots in the literal sense, with the nation’s southeast and southwest waters <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11160-013-9326-6">warming several times faster than the global average </a>and suffering from some of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-do-marine-heatwaves-cost-the-economic-losses-amount-to-billions-and-billions-of-dollars-170008">worst marine heatwaves recorded</a>.</p> <p>These increasing temperatures and other climate change impacts are devastating our kelp, including shrinking forests and permanent losses of golden kelp (<em>Ecklonia radiata</em>) on the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-22/tropical-fish-sea-urchins/100396162">east</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-marine-heatwave-has-wiped-out-a-swathe-of-was-undersea-kelp-forest-62042">west coasts</a>, and <a href="https://www.imas.utas.edu.au/news/news-items/satellite-images-track-decline-of-tasmanias-giant-kelp-forests">staggering declines</a> of the now-endangered giant kelp (<em>Macrocystis pyrifera</em>) forests in Tasmania.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429669/original/file-20211102-27-9dqafn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429669/original/file-20211102-27-9dqafn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Golden kelp forest" /></a> <span class="caption"></span>We need novel measures to buy time for climate action</p> <p>Australian researchers are leading the way to try to find ways of future-proofing our critical ocean ecosystems, such as kelp forests and <a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-the-super-corals-that-can-handle-acid-heat-and-suffocation-122637">coral reefs</a>. In part, that’s because climate change is hitting our ecosystems early and hard.</p> <p>Climate change is moving much faster than kelp species can adapt. In turn, that threatens all the species that rely on these forests, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3810891/">including us</a>.</p> <p>If climate change wasn’t happening, we could try to halt or reverse the losses of kelp forests by using traditional restoration methods. But in a world getting hotter and hotter, that is futile in many cases. Even if we slash carbon emissions soon, decades more warming are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/09/climate/climate-change-report-ipcc-un.html">already locked in</a>.</p> <p>If we want to keep these forests of the sea alive, we must now consider cutting-edge methods to help kelp survive current and future ocean conditions while governments pursue the urgent goal of reducing emissions.</p> <h2>How to future proof an underwater forest</h2> <p>Together and separately, we’ve been exploring techniques to speed up the natural rate of evolution to boost kelp resilience. Along with other researchers, we’ve put several techniques to the test in the real world, with promising results. Others remain hypothetical.</p> <p>At present, there are <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00237/full">several broad approaches</a> to future-proofing restoration work. These include:</p> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Genetic rescue</strong> focuses on enhancing the genetic diversity of genetically compromised populations to boost their potential to adapt to future conditions. This involves planting and restoring a mix of kelp from <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.13707">disconnected populations</a> of the same species. Improved genetic diversity can boost the ability of these forests to respond to change. We expect this approach to be especially useful in areas where climate change poses a limited threat at present.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Assisted gene flow</strong> strategies introduce naturally adapted or tolerant kelp individuals into threatened populations to increase their ability to survive specific threats, like hotter seas. This could help kelp forests in areas affected by climate change now or in the near future. In these situations, the genetic rescue technique could be counterproductive if the new genetic diversity introduced isn’t able to cope with the heat.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Selective breeding</strong> is a well-known agricultural technique, and can be used to identify the best kelp to use in these cases. In short, we try to identify kelp with naturally higher tolerance, and then use these as the basis for restoration efforts. These can be transplanted into ailing kelp forests. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-13/kelp-forests-off-tasmania-regrowing-a-year-since-project-began/100532756">Trials are presently underway</a> in Tasmania using giant kelp. Early results are exciting, with the largest ‘super kelp’ growing over 12 metres high a year after being planted.</p> </li> </ul> <p>In the future, we may have to explore more cutting-edge strategies to deal with the changing conditions. These include:</p> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Genetic manipulation.</strong> This technique extends what is possible with selective breeding by directly manipulating genes to enhance the traits or characteristics that might further boost kelp’s ability to thrive in hotter waters.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Assisted expansion</strong> is when species with little chance of survival are relocated to better but novel locations, assuming these exist. This technique could also see new species of kelp being planted to replace existing species, guided by the need to protect the forest ecosystem as a whole, rather than save specific species.</p> </li> </ul> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429674/original/file-20211102-13-1o4uuod.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429674/original/file-20211102-13-1o4uuod.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Scientist experimenting on kelp" /></a></p> <h2>Are these approaches ethical?</h2> <p>Each of these techniques – tested or untested – pose challenging ethical questions. That’s because we are not undertaking traditional conservation, where we work to restore a historic kelp ecosystem. Instead, we are modifying these ecosystems in the hope they can better cope with conditions at the extremes of their current survival limits.</p> <p>That means we must move carefully, weighing potential downsides like genetic pollution and maladaptation (accidental poor adaptation to other stressors) against the probability of further kelp forest destruction from doing nothing.</p> <p>Such future-proofing interventions could be well suited to areas already hit hard by severe kelp forest losses, those that will be threatened in the near future, or where kelp losses would be particularly damaging environmentally, socially, or economically.</p> <p>What is certain is that communities that live and rely on our southern coasts must now talk about what they value from kelp forests, and how they want them to look and function into the future.</p> <p>Our view is that traditional approaches focused on recreating previous ecosystems are likely to be increasingly challenging, given the rate and scale of ongoing disruption in our oceans.</p> <p>It is crucial that we do not restore nostalgically for ocean conditions which are quickly changing, but instead, work to ensure the long-term survival of these spectacular underwater forests while we wait for rapid action to reduce carbon emissions.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170271/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cayne-layton-104355">Cayne Layton</a>, Postdoctoral fellow and lecturer, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melinda-coleman-1285592">Melinda Coleman</a>, Principal Research Scientist</span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-selective-breeding-of-super-kelp-save-our-cold-water-reefs-from-hotter-seas-170271">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies</em></p>

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