Dog Mystery
Charlotte's real-life inspiration and her kid sister have their favourite places in the house: their spot by the fire and on the bed while I write. But their top favourite is ... the stairs. They could be guarding the first floor (even when there's no one there), or it may just be a good vantage point (being higher up in relation to human family members). We have no clue. If you find dogs fascinating and like them in fiction, click on this pin to follow Charlotte through a time portal!
Cyber Crime-Busting Dogs
Charlotte's real-life inspiration refused to wear a policeman's helmet and her kid sister didn't look suitably solemn, so here (I believe) is an actual police dog from London Cyber Crime. Apparently, every digital storage device has a specific scent, and the capital's police train dogs to sniff them out. Criminals' sim cards, USB sticks … the determined hounds will track them down. Connecticut State Police have cyber-trained dogs too. Click on this pin to find out more!
Dogs SMELL Our Stress
In 2022, a respected study proved that dogs can sniff out stress in people (you probably guessed this). Treo, Winnie, Fingal, and Soot noticed changes in human breath and sweat, and — with 94% accuracy — identified chemical odors people emit when stressed. Charlotte's human companions in Exile get pretty stressed (no spoilers), but to paraphrase Freddy: before, as a normal dog, she was still remarkable. Click on this pin to join Charlotte as she goes through the time portal with her owner!
Dogs shed tears of joy when their owners return
If you have a dog, I suspect you won't find this surprising. A previous study found that dogs use their 'inner' eyebrows to look cuter. Charlotte's inspiration (see pic) definitely knows the eyebrow trick! Click on this pin to check out both studies in a 2022 fun article in the UK Guardian newspaper!
Phones for dogs?
Sounds crazy, right? Until dogs evolve fingers and opposable thumbs, they can't hit those pesky icons. I suspect Charlotte the labradoodle from the Shorten Chronicles might find a way, but in the meantime, Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas (Glasgow University in Scotland) has designed one that works for regular dogs. Click on this pin to check out Ilyena's invention!
Charlotte's Inspiration
Charlotte the labradoodle is the only character in the Shorten Chronicles that's based on a real individual. That's her in the pic. She doesn't chase balls (thinks it silly). Our vet's view (borrowed from Mary Poppins): "practically perfect in every way." Even as a puppy she was remarkably smart, loyal and brave. So, her literary counterpart has a lot to live up to. Click on this pin to check out her adventure!
Dogs sense the earth's magnetic field
Have you ever wondered why dogs turn in a circle before doing their business? They're finding the earth's magnetic field to align their bowels and bladder movements and very much prefer a north-south axis. Other animals can sense the magnetic field, perhaps including us. Humans have a protein in our retina which may allow us to sense it, but we haven't used it for millennia. Click on this pin to follow a very clever dog's adventures through a time portal!