Get the Family Dog Cloned 240
Anonymous writes "Some of you may have seen 'The 6th Day,' the movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger a few years back. If you recall there was a 're-pet' cloning service to get your dog back if you ever lost them. Enter 'Best Friends Again': 'A US biotech company on Wednesday announced it will auction off the right for five dog owners to have their furry best friend cloned, with bidding starting at 100,000 dollars. "BioArts International ... will sell five dog cloning service slots to the general public via a worldwide online auction," the California-based biotech start-up said in a statement.'"
my favorite pets (Score:5, Funny)
wonder if I can clone them too...
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At least then he can Terminate and Governate at the same time.
Ridiculous (Score:5, Funny)
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Here is where the reality kicks in. We may be hearing a similar slogan very, very soon. The Financial Times informs us that the first commercial sale of a pet cloning deal has been made. A disabled woman from California, has decided to give the South Korean company RNL Bio, the contract to clone her recently deceased Pitbull Terrier named Booger. The woman has trouble walking, and besides the love she has for Booger, she also misses all
Re:Ridiculous (Score:5, Funny)
"Now you can keep your Boogers forever!"
"Woman buys $50,000 artificial Booger"
"Chinese scientists follow God's nose, extract Booger"
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Hmm...when did I hear about this before? (Score:4, Informative)
(Yeah, I know that the wired article says "Dead cats", but Genetic Savings & Clone was also a dog cloning company)
Or you could just breed your dog (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:5, Interesting)
What I'm curious about is whether the cloned dog will smell exactly like the original to other dogs. Scent is more important to dogs than sight; that butt-sniffing ritual they perform when they meet each other lets them remember each other for a long time. Smelling another dog's urine will let a dog know who the other dog was, whether it was male/female (and if the latter, where it was in its menses), whether it was sick, etc.
So if I cloned Aloysius, would my other dogs think the new dog was him? If I cloned him while he was alive, would he think he was smelling himself?
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What about diet, etc? Diet is a major part of the metabolic pathway that goes into the smell of urine. Your dogs metabolism will change throughout its life so if it were alive it wouldn't thing the clone was it.
You're thinking like a human. :) We are very far away from understanding how dogs process smell. For one thing it's very difficult for us to comprehend the concept of smell being the dominant sense.
I read as an example somewhere to consider a pot of chili cooking on the stove. To us humans it smells like a pot of chili. To a dog, it smells like ground beef, tomatoes, individual spices, etc. They can pick out each individual ingredient by its smell, even after they're combined.
That's why you can't fool
Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:5, Funny)
Imagine that a demon with the face of your best friend. Muahahaha.
Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:5, Funny)
How is that different from dogs that aren't clones? *(Cat person)
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Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:5, Insightful)
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Because I don't remember the last time a dog ran up the curtains, got into the upper cabinets, or got him/herself stuck in a tree or on the roof. You never have to look up to find a dog.
And how affectionate is a cat that doesn't come when called?
Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:5, Funny)
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The damn cat knocked loose a loose air duct(it was only set into place), then crawled into the wall. I had to crawl into a 1 foot high crawl space to try and drag him back out. would the cat come when called? nope he stuck his head up so i could see him but no he wouldn't walk towards me until i reached in and dragged him out. 8 hours stuck in a vent and not a bit of thanks did I get.
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Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:4, Funny)
* Can't be potty trained for over a year. A dog takes a few days.
* Can't be left alone for a few hours. A dog is perfectly fine by himself.
* Are extremely expensive. Dogs are very cheap in comparison.
* Will turn into teenagers and dress in all black to spite you. Dogs are always affectionate.
Dogs are way better than human children, and they're a hell of a lot cuter, too. I have no idea why humans breed these days, at least here in the US.
I'd have to disagree that cats are 'just as affectionate' as dogs. I have lived with both. I have also lived with horses, rabbits, cattle, snakes, mice, fish, ferrets, and a few other critters. None of them are as affectionate or attentive as a dog. I would put horses or ferrets second.
Dogs are designed to be pack animals. Cats are designed to be independent loners. One is going to be more affectionate and social than the other by default. Sure, there are always exceptions, but in general, I've found this to be true.
Cats are great if all you want is a fuzzy companion walking about that doesn't require maintenance, and if your living space is limited. Dogs are great if you want more interaction, and don't mind the extra work and you have more room.
I would never, ever keep a dog in an apartment or a small house, not even one of those little ankle biters. Dogs need some room to run around.
That said, dogs really aren't all that much work. I have three dogs right now. I put out food for them to eat as they wish, I change the water twice a day, and they have a doggie door out into a fenced yard if they want to pee or whatever. Check over the yard every day or two and pick up any poop, only takes a few minutes to clean up. It works really well.
I've also never seen a cat play fetch, play tug of war, warn strangers, get my slippers, etc., etc. Dogs have a more advanced brain (I'm not going to dig up the articles, but you can find them if you want) and are simply capable of more. Cats are more hard wired. Granted, automatic potty training is a plus, but beyond that your options are limited.
Another reason I prefer dogs? They're awesome kissers. (o:
Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:5, Funny)
--
Love sees no species.
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"Human children are the stickiest, most-secretive children in the entire galaxy."
(That was "secretive" pronounced as in "secrete", not "secret".)
Pecking order (Score:2)
So yeah, they're pretty much
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I don't have a pet myself as i come and go all summer long so I am rarely home(IE to sleep and shower, and occasionally eat). i think it would be unfair to the animal.
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A pig looks you in the eyes and recognizes you as an equal,
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I love dogs and cats, but they each have their place.
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On the other hand, check this [qadesh.com] out.
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Re:Or you could just breed your dog (Score:4, Informative)
No. It would be better to just adopt a dog. There is a massive overpopulation problem for dogs and cats, with over three million killed in shelters every year for lack of a home.
Please please please please please please spay or neuter, and don't patronize breeders.
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exact replica of a pet is impossible (Score:4, Informative)
To most pet lovers, that cherished "once-in-a-lifetime" dog or cat should remain just that. In February of 2004, the AAVS (American Anti-Vivisection Society) commissioned Opinion Research Corporation to conduct a national survey to assess public opinion about cloning pets. Eighty percent of the respondents were not in favor of cloning companion animals or the selling of genetically altered animals as pets. But for the 13% of respondents that are in favor of pet cloning, financial issues may well be the obstacle.
Genetic Savings & Clone, a gene banking and cloning service for pets, is currently offering to store a treasured pet's genetic material in the hopes that the owner will take advantage of cloning that pet in the future. Currently the cost to "bank" a pet's DNA, or genetic material, with GSC (Genetic Savings & Clone) varies from $295 to $1,395 plus $100-$150 annually for storage fees. The cost for cloning is a different story. According to the GSC website, expect to pay $32,000. And to date they have only been successful with cloning cats.
Yet, for all of the technology and expense involved, exact replicas of cloned animals are not always produced. In fact, due to unusual genetics, calico cats will rarely produce clones that physically resemble the donor. Cloning opponents contend that an exact replica of a pet is impossible, as training, experience, and environment are keys to an individual's behavior and personality. Even worse animal that have been cloned often have severe health problems, and a short life expectancy.
The industry is almost totally unregulated and strong opinions on both sides of the cloning issue seek to educate the public about the benefits, or lack thereof, of pet cloning. While tremendous publicity accompanies cloning successes, the public rarely hears about animal cloning failures.
The greatest publicity surrounds the cloning of pets when actually the majority of cloning is intended for agriculture, biomedical research, and propagation of endangered species. But in all cases, there are potential commercial applications.
For example, HorseCloning.com will make a clone of your horse for $375,000 per 100 mares implanted plus a patent royalty fee of 15%, based on the estimated value of each clone. According to their web site information, "All sales are final," and "even though no one can guarantee a specific result, you could hit the jackpot." Last but not least, "due to the complexity of the science, results cannot be guaranteed."
The cloning science is similar in most species, although there are some challenges with the cloning of dogs. Dogs have poorly understood reproductive physiology compared to other species and fewer estrus cycles.
Basically, the cloning procedure begins with collecting the DNA of the animal to be cloned. The tissue is grown and the cells are preserved while being treated to prevent them from differentiating into a particular cell type (hair, skin, nerve cell).
Eggs are taken from random females for implantation, and the genetic material from these eggs is removed. Cells and eggs are fused together to become cloned embryos. Surrogate females are then hormonally treated to synchronize their fertile periods and are then implanted with the cloned embryos. In the best scenario, the surrogate pregnancy produces a live, healthy offspring.
While moral and ethical issues of cloning pets continue to be argued, both sides seem to be closer concerning the problem of endangered species. Betty Dresser, Director of the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans says, "Saving habitat may not be enough. Any tool for saving endangered species is important. Cloning is just another reproductive tool, like in-vitro
Here is the thing... (Score:5, Insightful)
I have seen this stuff before and remember the pet may not even come back looking the same. Even if they got it looking EXACTLY THE SAME, the memories, the personality, the... soul will not be the same.
All it will do is leave you missing your loved one more. Just let it go, and keep them in your heart. Mittens / Fido will always live on inside you *Yes yes sappy but it's true and you KNOW IT*
Re:Here is the thing... (Score:5, Interesting)
But Fido could be brought back once we perfect that brain-scanning thingy in the 6th Day movie. Genotype, phenotype, and, uh...brainotype would be so close to the original Fido, that Fido 2.0 would seem almost identical. But without the scanner doohicky, Fido 2.0 will be just another dog.
Re:Here is the thing... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Here is the thing... (Score:4, Interesting)
As an example, I know two women who are identical twins, but because the split was so early, they developed in two different placental sacks (*) which means they don't look like identical twins. They look very similar, but only as much as two sisters might.
They have the same genes, but their phenotypes are definitely not identical.
(*) That's how they explained it to me, but I might have misunderstood or misremembered.
Screw Fido! I want to get my ass to Mars! (Score:2)
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Wasn't that part of the plot of "Pet Sematary"? I would really hate it if the clone is evil!
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I'm missing a comma, it was "...run down, in a...", goes to show one shouldn't be
Dog was hit on the road out the front of the house, and the ancient indian burial ground was down the backyard. Of course they just bought the house, and didn't notice the spooky burial ground, and naturally the prior owners didn't give them the heads up about the bring-back-the-dead-machine sitting out in the ole '
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Have you seen the commercial [youtube.com]?
Okay...I admit, this is from a movie [imdb.com]. Clearly the idea of cloning our pets is the first one that's really going to sell the technology (other than the obvious - organs).
Presumably, a lot of instinctive behaviour (if not most) is genetic. So your cloned dog will be a lot more like your old one than a cloned person might be
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Did they solve the coloring issue? (Score:5, Informative)
When it comes to dogs; my mother breeds, judges, and shows, a certain purebred; the bulk of good dog / bad dog behavior that owners see is largely governed by how much time the puppy had with its mother. Ideally it should be twelve weeks. This is not saying you can't breed in aggressiveness as it had been done to shepherds and the respectable breeders spent a generations (of dogs) trying to get it out.
The first few weeks in the care of a new owner will set the new puppy on his path to an individual personality. The key to getting a good dog versus a bad dog is : treat it nicely and give it space. If the new dog needs the reassurance of your company it will seek you out. Don't yell at the dog or around it. The pet is looking for acceptance and if you yell at your kids/spouse/tv etc it will affect the dog. About the "space" item, if a dog wants to get away the let it; provided of course its safe. I have seen more than one puppy returned as a nervous wreck to my parents because one kid or adult in the new owner family simply would not let the dog alone, the interesting side story is that these people took their kid to a psychiatrist who basically told them the kid was not mature enough for a pet but they tried anyway . They have their needs for rest too.
Am I against cloning pets or animals. Not if its used to protect a breed from extinction. I still would not have much qualms about it being done for the end owner. Now if cloning of pets is done for wholesale retail then that I would is nothing better than having mills. Worse is the number of bitches needed and who are basically abused to deliver the pups (I assume it still requires a womb)
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The thing is that one of the things that makes life so special is that it is temporary. Why are slasher movies so popular with teenagers on dates? Basically, because it makes the girl (and boy) scared, which in turn makes them feel closer to each other.
I find our _selective_ emotional attachement to life to be almost amusing. If its cute or looks like us or it has some other kind of emotional attachment (eg, bald e
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What about a dead friend, relative, spouse, etc.? Do you think the same owuld be true?
Disclosure: I happen to believe in the existence of a soul, but perhaps not in the way a typical Judaeo-Christ
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As to, can we bring someone back to life? Well no, transferring the mind of someone to another "shell" is not bringing them back to life. It is creating a copy of them.
It probably won't be an exact copy either, because you would have to force grow the clone, wipe it's present memories and implant the other ones.
While maybe possible in the future, it ain't going to happen any time soon.
So yeah, we could ha
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As a science geek (degree in physics) it's an open question to me and if you take a stand in EITHER direction I'd say the burden of proof is on you.
Now, that's different from the way I might handle many scientific questions, but not different from all.
For example, it was once assumed that there existed an "ether" in which everything moved. The ether provided the frame of reference for every object in the universe. In fact, the existence of the ether was so accepted that the scientific world
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It does look rather silly when you actually spell it out, doesn't it?
Judeo-Christian is a cheap adjective born of (American) political expediency and promotes ignorance (factual and discriminatory) under the veil of
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dead puppies (Score:4, Insightful)
(Can you tell I am totally against this.)
Re:dead puppies (Score:5, Funny)
Dick Cheney has to get his liquid refreshment from somewhere.
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(Can you tell I am totally against human reproduction?)
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No, but I could call you "speciest", if it was a real word.
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Not lossless (Score:3, Insightful)
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I'm honestly struggling to see why someone would really want to clone a domestic animal, even whizz bang rare breed 5.0 would produce better offspring being bred with a similiar stud rather than it's own clone if the per
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It may even be the case that we will be able to submit genetic samples from two partners, regardless of gender, and have a technological process create the new genome and begin its gestation. We may even be able to select parameters in the process, such as selecting gender and which traits to inherit.
I prefer to see this as the next step up for medicine, not as "playin
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Anyway, I don't believe that people against cloning are restricted to just those two groups. The fundamentalists and conservatives are just the most verbal about it.
-For example, someone could be against cloning/gene choosing because it shows the fickleness and shallowness of society, ranking
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better things to do with cloning resources (Score:4, Interesting)
I saw them try this with a bull in the first TV episode of This American Life. The results were not good.
Synopsis: The original bull was nice. The cloned bull was irritable, short-tempered and just not quite right. Also, he kicked the owner in the balls.
I suppose you could just take from that the irony that the cloned animal managed to block its cloner's own ability to reproduce conventionally. But you could also just note that cloned bull was really ugly. You probably won't get what you wanted, unless you delude yourself into thinking you have it.
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Hmm. Sounds like my first wife. Glad I didn't get her cloned.
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Obligatory quote ... (Score:2)
*crying*
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Dogs are arguably the most difficult mammal ... (Score:2)
More difficult than primates? Why is that?
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That's why.
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Doesn't make much sense for me (Score:2, Insightful)
Change the color (Score:2)
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An advance of wider use than originally thought (Score:2)
This incredible technological advance could be of unparalleled value to people like my neighbor, as well as to certain endangered species. The neighbor owned a horrid little chihuahua that never learned either to shut up or, apparently, to look up.
We live on a major hawk migration route.
Get a Lab (Score:3, Insightful)
Or just brave the wilds of adopting a new random dog. There's already way too many of them for anyone's good, without cloning up more in the world.
These cloning fees should include a $1000 donation to a programme that neuters 20 other dogs. If we're going to clone biodiversity out of the gene pool, we might as well get aggressive. After all, it's a dog eat dog world.
Oh sweet Jesus... (Score:2)
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OTOH, the lead for this piece writes "If you recall there was a 're-pet' cloning service to get your dog back if you ever lost them." which isn't true. The euphemism "lost" for "died" is confuses the tale.
Ain't pedantry fun?
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2) Cemetery. Again.
3) "Ain't" is not in the English language. The contraction "Isn't" would be more suitable.
Yes, it is!
Lifespan and telomere problem: clone an old dog? (Score:2, Informative)
What would you need in order to clone a pet? (Score:2)
What would you need of the pet's... remains... in order to produce a successful clone? Fur? Saliva? Blood cells? Seriously, I'm asking.
If you make too many copies (Score:2)
But seriously, I think some people with more money than brains are going to extremely disappointed with the results. A cat cloned at Texas A&M [cbsnews.com] didn't look any more like the mother than a normally bred kitten would. It also had a totally different personality--which most people wanting a clone of a particular pet would be to get the identical personality. Clones at this stage are not carbon copies--I suspect there's a lot more to the breakdown of the genome than
They need to go watch/listen to This American Life (Score:2)
I'm willing to bet that the people who get these cloned pets won't get what they bargained for.
All I want (Score:2, Interesting)
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