Scientists clone man's best friend

[emw]

Link

DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- Scientists for the first time have cloned a dog. But don't count on a better world populated by identical, well-behaved canines just yet.

That's because the dog duplicated by South Korea's cloning pioneer, Hwang Woo-suk, is an Afghan hound, a resplendent supermodel in a world of mutts, but ranked by dog trainers as the least companionable and most indifferent among the hundreds of canine breeds.

Well, at least it wasn't a pit bull or something...

 

[devilot]

Well, at least it wasn't a pit bull or something...

Hey, that's not fair! There are good and bad individuals of every breed. Hmph.

 

[zelmo]

There aren't enough stray cats and dogs around as it is. They need to clone some more?

EDIT: Sorrry, I didn't mean for that to sound quite so negative. I think it is truly impressive that we are able to perform such a feat, and understand that these types of experiments are necessary if we are to learn enough to move the tech forward to the point it can help develop cures for human diseases and conditions.

 

[emw]

Hey, that's not fair! There are good and bad individuals of every breed. Hmph.

You're right, that was perhaps a little harsh on my part. I'm a labrador man myself.

 

[devilot]

You're right, that was perhaps a little harsh on my part. I'm a labrador man myself.

mm, chocolate labs! They're so adorable. I don't know though, part of me is still hesitant to approach labs because I seem to always meet the especially large and overly-enthusiastic; ie on their hind legs they're taller than I am and always take me down.

 

[andiwm2003]

i don't think there is any reason to clone pets. there are enough pets available that nobody wants

but this research can become very useful in preserving species that are going to be extinct soon. and of course it's a milestone on the way for human therapeutics. that's actually what the scientists said.

 

[S14-Racer]

You're right, that was perhaps a little harsh on my part. I'm a labrador man myself.

yeah I had a monster of a lab weighing in at 160 lbs... He was a lab / retriever mix, and he definitely had something else thrown in the mix due to his shear size. He was a great dog though.

Currently I have both a chocolate lab and a pit bull. The lab is the sneakiest disloyal dog Ive owned, and I have spent a ton of time training her. The pit on the other hand is extremely docile and loyal.

Not bashing, but justifying the point

 

[leekohler]

i don't think there is any reason to clone pets. there are enough pets available that nobody wants

but this research can become very useful in preserving species that are going to be extinct soon. and of course it's a milestone on the way for human therapeutics. that's actually what the scientists said.

Agreed. PowerMac666- please make Marilyn's hair right again!

 

[mcarnes]

Scientists clone man's best friend. Next step, scientists clone man.

I vote for SJ to be cloned, that way he can run Apple forever. Then, clone the supermodels so they can wait on us hand and foot.

 

[AmigoMac]

Long life Steve!

 

[emw]

I vote for SJ to be cloned, that way he can run Apple forever.

Nah, I think we already know Steve's thoughts on clones.

 

[wdlove]

I love dogs. They are like part of the family to their owners. My concern is for the health of the dog. Causes sadness to see anything suffer.

 

[rainman::|:|]

There aren't enough stray cats and dogs around as it is. They need to clone some more?

EDIT: Sorrry, I didn't mean for that to sound quite so negative. I think it is truly impressive that we are able to perform such a feat, and understand that these types of experiments are necessary if we are to learn enough to move the tech forward to the point it can help develop cures for human diseases and conditions.

No no, you're right. Many of these projects (well, the ones in the US, since the actual groundbreaking research is now being done in south korea because we're play ostrich) are being done by Genetic Savings & Clone, which is an unfortunate company that, among other things, wants to clone people's pets when they die. I'm sorry, but it's just wrong on way too many levels. Cloning animals for research is one thing, cloning them for commerce is quite another.

 

[ham_man]

Do away with the need for Shelters and (sadly) euthinizations, and then I may begin to even toy with the idea that cloning dogs (or cats, for that matter) is right...

 

[wdlove]

No no, you're right. Many of these projects (well, the ones in the US, since the actual groundbreaking research is now being done in south korea because we're play ostrich) are being done by Genetic Savings & Clone, which is an unfortunate company that, among other things, wants to clone people's pets when they die. I'm sorry, but it's just wrong on way too many levels. Cloning animals for research is one thing, cloning them for commerce is quite another.

Currently I think that it's mainly for research. Doing it commercially would be wrong.

 

[devilot]

Currently I think that it's mainly for research. Doing it commercially would be wrong.

The local newspapers did a huge spread awhile back about a private company which will collect DNA of a pet and could/would clone that pet if anything were to happen to it. Kittens start at $100,000. One woman who had already used the service said that her kitten was already displaying unique characteristic traits of her deceased cat! Dogs cost more-- dunno why.

 

[Lacero]

Dunno why anyone would want to clone their pets. If I get a new dog, I'd always want to discover the new dog's personality. There's something intrinsic in our nature to welcome new life, as opposed to the "dark occult" of rehashing dead souls.

 

[devilot]

Dunno why anyone would want to clone their pets. If I get a new dog, I'd always want to discover the new dog's personality. There's something intrinsic in our nature to welcome new life, as opposed to the "dark occult" of rehashing dead souls.

I agree, a pet, is literally like a new family member-- it just would feel wrong to "create" a new one that was really, well, the old one. I'm much more inclined to adopt a new pet.