Seller:sidewaysstairsco✉️(1,180)100%,
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Item:203735860082CVS PHARMACY RECEIPT DOG TOY 25" funny humor playtime stuffed collectible pun. Check out my other new & used items>>>>>>HERE! (click me) FOR SALE: A too cute and too funny toy for your furry companion "CVS FURMACY RECEIPT" DOG TOY BY CVS PHARMACY/BARK DETAILS: A CVS Pharmacy receipt your dog can play with! Teach
your pet the value of saving and playtime with this adorable "CVS
Furmacy Receipt" dog toy. Created by Bark (makers of the BarkBox) this
pet toy celebrates the comically long receipts and/or coupons that
customers receive at CVS Pharmacy stores. The true length isn't shown in
the photos as the receipt dog toy is partially rolled up. A hook &
loop (velcro) circle assists in keeping the receipt completely rolled
up. The
toy receipt is filled with puns and wordplay that are sure to make you
laugh as your dog has a blast. The CVS Furmacy "chewpons" include:
Double Stuffed DOGOS (Double Stuffed Oreos), Sparkling Toilet Water
(sparking water), PlayQuil Cat Allergy Pills (Nyquil medicine). Ideal
for thrashers and chewers, this dog toy is a long Whip-N-Flip receipt
that is filled with a Crazy Crinkle and a large Squeaker (in the "roll")
to get your pet engaged in play. The "CVS Furmacy Receipt" is the ideal
length for canines who like to shake, flip, whip, fling and pull their
toys. For all dog sizes! Makes a great gift for pet parents! Dimensions: Flat Receipt Portion: approx. 22-1/8" x 3-1/2" Flat Receipt Portion With Roll: approx. 25-1/8" x 4-1/8" CONDITION: New with packaging. Packaging has some pen markings. Please see photos. *To ensure safe delivery items are carefully packaged before shipping out.* THANK YOU FOR LOOKING. QUESTIONS? JUST ASK. *ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF SIDEWAYS STAIRS CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.* "The
dog or domestic dog, (Canis familiaris[4][5] or Canis lupus
familiaris[5]) is a domesticated descendant of the wolf which is
characterized by an upturning tail. The dog derived from an ancient,
extinct wolf,[6][7] and the modern grey wolf is the dog's nearest living
relative.[8] The dog was the first species to be domesticated,[9][8] by
hunter–gatherers over 15,000 years ago,[7] before the development of
agriculture.[1] Due to their long association with humans, dogs
have expanded to a large number of domestic individuals[10] and gained
the ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for
other canids.[11] Over the millennia, dogs became uniquely adapted to
human behavior, and the human-canine bond has been a topic of frequent
study.[12] The dog has been selectively bred over millennia for
various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes.[13]
Dog breeds vary widely in shape, size, and color. They perform many
roles for humans, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection,
assisting police and the military, companionship, therapy, and aiding
disabled people. This influence on human society has given them the
sobriquet of "man's best friend.".... Taxonomy Further information: Canis lupus dingo § Taxonomic debate – the domestic dog, dingo, and New Guinea singing dog In
1758, the Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus published in his
Systema Naturae, the two-word naming of species (binomial
nomenclature). Canis is the Latin word meaning "dog,"[14] and under this
genus, he listed the domestic dog, the grey wolf, and the golden
jackal. He classified the domestic dog as Canis familiaris and, on the
next page, classified the grey wolf as Canis lupus.[2] Linnaeus
considered the dog to be a separate species from the wolf because of its
upturning tail (cauda recurvata), which is not found in any other
canid.[15] In 1999, a study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
indicated that the domestic dog may have originated from the grey wolf,
with the dingo and New Guinea singing dog breeds having developed at a
time when human communities were more isolated from each other.[16] In
the third edition of Mammal Species of the World published in 2005, the
mammalogist W. Christopher Wozencraft listed under the wolf Canis lupus
its wild subspecies and proposed two additional subspecies, which formed
the domestic dog clade: familiaris, as named by Linneaus in 1758 and,
dingo named by Meyer in 1793. Wozencraft included hallstromi (the New
Guinea singing dog) as another name (junior synonym) for the dingo.
Wozencraft referred to the mtDNA study as one of the guides informing
his decision.[3] Mammalogists have noted the inclusion of familiaris and
dingo together under the "domestic dog" clade[17] with some debating
it.[18] In 2019, a workshop hosted by the IUCN/Species Survival
Commission's Canid Specialist Group considered the dingo and the New
Guinea singing dog to be feral Canis familiaris and therefore did not
assess them for the IUCN Red List.[4] Evolution Main article: Evolution of the wolf Location
of a dog's carnassials; the inside of the 4th upper premolar aligns
with the outside of the 1st lower molar, working like scissor blades The
Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event occurred 65 million years ago and
brought an end to the dinosaurs and the appearance of the first
carnivorans.[19] The name carnivoran is given to a member of the order
Carnivora. Carnivorans possess a common arrangement of teeth called
carnassials, in which the first lower molar and the last upper premolar
possess blade-like enamel crowns that act similar to a pair of shears
for cutting meat. This dental arrangement has been modified by
adaptation over the past 60 million years for diets composed of meat,
for crushing vegetation, or for the loss of the carnassial function
altogether as in seals, sea lions, and walruses. Today, not all
carnivorans are carnivores, such as the insect-eating Aardwolf.[5] The
carnivoran ancestors of the dog-like caniforms and the cat-like
feliforms began their separate evolutionary paths just after the end of
the dinosaurs. The first members of the dog family Canidae appeared 40
million years ago,[20] of which only its subfamily the Caninae survives
today in the form of the wolf-like and fox-like canines. Within the
Caninae, the first members of genus Canis appeared six million years
ago,[14] the ancestors of modern domestic dogs, wolves, coyotes, and
golden jackals. Domestication Main article: Origin of the domestic dog The
earliest remains generally accepted to be those of a domesticated dog
were discovered in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany. Contextual, isotopic,
genetic, and morphological evidence shows that this dog was not a local
wolf.[21] The dog was dated to 14,223 years ago and was found buried
along with a man and a woman, all three having been sprayed with red
hematite powder and buried under large, thick basalt blocks. The dog had
died of canine distemper.[22] Earlier remains dating back to 30,000
years ago have been described as Paleolithic dogs but their status as
dogs or wolves remains debated[23] because considerable morphological
diversity existed among wolves during the Late Pleistocene.[1] This
timing indicates that the dog was the first species to be
domesticated[9][8] in the time of hunter–gatherers,[7] which predates
agriculture.[1] DNA sequences show that all ancient and modern dogs
share a common ancestry and descended from an ancient, extinct wolf
population which was distinct from the modern wolf lineage.[6][7] Most
dogs form a sister group to the remains of a Late Pleistocene wolf found
in the Kessleroch cave near Thayngen in the canton of Schaffhausen,
Switzerland, which dates to 14,500 years ago. The most recent common
ancestor of both is estimated to be from 32,100 years ago.[24] This
indicates that an extinct Late Pleistocene wolf may have been the
ancestor of the dog,[8][1][25] with the modern wolf being the dog's
nearest living relative.[8] The dog is a classic example of a
domestic animal that likely travelled a commensal pathway into
domestication.[23][26] The questions of when and where dogs were first
domesticated have taxed geneticists and archaeologists for decades.[9]
Genetic studies suggest a domestication process commencing over 25,000
years ago, in one or several wolf populations in either Europe, the high
Arctic, or eastern Asia.[10] In 2021, a literature review of the
current evidence infers that the dog was domesticated in Siberia 23,000
years ago by ancient North Siberians, then later dispersed eastward into
the Americas and westward across Eurasia.[21] Breeds Main article: Dog breed Further information: Dog type Dog breeds show a range of phenotypic variation Dogs
are the most variable mammal on earth with around 450 globally
recognized dog breeds.[10] In the Victorian era, directed human
selection developed the modern dog breeds, which resulted in a vast
range of phenotypes.[8] Most breeds were derived from small numbers of
founders within the last 200 years,[8][10] and since then dogs have
undergone rapid phenotypic change and were formed into today's modern
breeds due to artificial selection imposed by humans. The skull, body,
and limb proportions vary significantly between breeds, with dogs
displaying more phenotypic diversity than can be found within the entire
order of carnivores. These breeds possess distinct traits related to
morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur
type and colour.[8] Their behavioural traits include guarding, herding,
and hunting,[8] retrieving, and scent detection. Their personality
traits include hypersocial behavior, boldness, and aggression,[10] which
demonstrates the functional and behavioral diversity of dogs.[8] As a
result, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are
dispersed around the world.[10] The most striking example of this
dispersal is that of the numerous modern breeds of European lineage
during the Victorian era.[7] Biology Anatomy Main article: Dog anatomy Skeleton A lateral view of a dog skeleton All
healthy dogs, regardless of their size and type, have an identical
skeletal structure with the exception of the number of bones in the
tail, although there is significant skeletal variation between dogs of
different types.[27][28] The dog’s skeleton is well adapted for running;
the vertebrae on the neck and back have extensions for powerful back
muscles to connect to, the long ribs provide plenty of room for the
heart and lungs, and the shoulders are unattached to the skeleton
allowing great flexibility.[27][28] Compared to the dog's
wolf-like ancestors, selective breeding since domestication has seen the
dog’s skeleton greatly enhanced in size for larger types as mastiffs
and miniaturised for smaller types such as terriers; dwarfism has been
selectively utilised for some types where short legs are advantageous
such as dachshunds and corgis.[28] Most dogs naturally have 26 vertebrae
in their tails, but some with naturally short tails have as few as
three.[27] The dog's skull has identical components regardless of
breed type, but there is significant divergence in terms of skull shape
between types.[28][29] The three basic skull shapes are the elongated
dolichocephalic type as seen in sighthounds, the intermediate
mesocephalic or mesaticephalic type, and the very short and broad
brachycephalic type exemplified by mastiff type skulls.[28][29] Senses Further information: Dog anatomy § Senses A
dog's senses include vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and
sensitivity to Earth's magnetic field. Another study has suggested that
dogs can see Earth's magnetic field.[30] Coat Main article: Coat (dog) Dogs display wide variation in coat type, density, length, color, and composition The
coats of domestic dogs are of two varieties: "double" being familiar
with dogs (as well as wolves) originating from colder climates, made up
of a coarse guard hair and a soft down hair, or "single," with the
topcoat only. Breeds may have an occasional "blaze," stripe, or "star"
of white fur on their chest or underside.[31] Premature graying can
occur in dogs from as early as one year of age; this is associated with
impulsive behaviors, anxiety behaviors, fear of noise, and fear of
unfamiliar people or animals.[32] Tail There are many
different shapes for dog tails: straight, straight up, sickle, curled,
or corkscrew. As with many canids, one of the primary functions of a
dog's tail is to communicate their emotional state, which can be crucial
in getting along with others. In some hunting dogs the tail is
traditionally docked to avoid injuries. Health Main article: Dog health Some
breeds of dogs are prone to specific genetic ailments such as elbow and
hip dysplasia, blindness, deafness, pulmonic stenosis, cleft palate,
and trick knees. Two severe medical conditions significantly affecting
dogs are pyometra, affecting unspayed females of all breeds and ages,
and Gastric dilatation volvulus (bloat), which affects larger breeds or
deep-chested dogs. Both of these are acute conditions and can kill
rapidly. Dogs are also susceptible to parasites such as fleas, ticks,
mites, hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and heartworms, which is a
roundworm species that lives in the hearts of dogs. Several human
foods and household ingestibles are toxic to dogs, including chocolate
solids, causing theobromine poisoning, onions and garlic, causing
thiosulphate, sulfoxide or disulfide poisoning, grapes and raisins,
macadamia nuts, and xylitol.[33] The nicotine in tobacco can also be
dangerous to dogs. Signs of ingestion can include copious vomiting
(e.g., from eating cigar butts) or diarrhea. Some other symptoms are
abdominal pain, loss of coordination, collapse, or death.[34][page
needed] Dogs are also vulnerable to some of the same health
conditions as humans, including diabetes, dental and heart disease,
epilepsy, cancer, hypothyroidism, and arthritis.[citation needed] Lifespan Further information: Aging in dogs The
typical lifespan of dogs varies widely among breeds, but for most, the
median longevity (the age at which half the dogs in a population have
died and half are still alive) ranges from 10 to 13 years.[35][36] The
median longevity of mixed-breed dogs, taken as an average of all sizes,
is one or more years longer than that of purebred dogs when all breeds
are averaged.[35][36][37] For dogs in England, increased body weight has
been found to be negatively correlated with longevity (i.e., the
heavier the dog, the shorter its lifespan), and mixed-breed dogs live on
average 1.2 years longer than purebred dogs.[38] Reproduction Main article: Canine reproduction A female dog nursing newborn puppies In
domestic dogs, sexual maturity happens around six months to one year
for both males and females, although this can be delayed until up to two
years of age for some large breeds, and is the time at which female
dogs will have their first estrous cycle. They will experience
subsequent estrous cycles semiannually, during which the body prepares
for pregnancy. At the peak of the cycle, females will become estrous,
mentally and physically receptive to copulation. Because the ova survive
and can be fertilized for a week after ovulation, more than one male
can sire the same litter.[13] Fertilization typically occurs two
to five days after ovulation; 14–16 days after ovulation, the embryo
attaches to the uterus and after seven to eight more days, a heartbeat
is detectable.[39][40] Dogs bear their litters roughly 58 to 68
days after fertilization,[13][41] with an average of 63 days, although
the length of gestation can vary. An average litter consists of about
six puppies.[42] Neutering Neutering refers to the
sterilization of animals, usually by removing the male's testicles or
the female's ovaries and uterus, to eliminate the ability to procreate
and reduce sex drive. Because of dogs' overpopulation in some countries,
many animal control agencies, such as the American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), advise that dogs not intended
for further breeding should be neutered, so that they do not have
undesired puppies that may later be euthanized.[43] According to
the Humane Society of the United States, three to four million dogs and
cats are euthanized each year.[44] Many more are confined to cages in
shelters because there are many more animals than there are homes.
Spaying or castrating dogs helps keep overpopulation down.[45] Neutering
reduces problems caused by hypersexuality, especially in male dogs.[46]
Spayed female dogs are less likely to develop cancers affecting the
mammary glands, ovaries, and other reproductive organs.[47][page needed]
However, neutering increases the risk of urinary incontinence in female
dogs[48] and prostate cancer in males[49] and osteosarcoma,
hemangiosarcoma, cruciate ligament rupture, obesity, and diabetes
mellitus in either sex.[50] Inbreeding depression A common
breeding practice for pet dogs is mating between close relatives (e.g.,
between half and full siblings).[51] Inbreeding depression is considered
to be due mainly to the expression of homozygous deleterious recessive
mutations.[52] Outcrossing between unrelated individuals, including dogs
of different breeds, results in the beneficial masking of deleterious
recessive mutations in progeny.[53] In a study of seven dog
breeds (the Bernese Mountain Dog, Basset Hound, Cairn Terrier, Brittany,
German Shepherd Dog, Leonberger, and West Highland White Terrier), it
was found that inbreeding decreases litter size and survival.[54]
Another analysis of data on 42,855 Dachshund litters found that as the
inbreeding coefficient increased, litter size decreased and the
percentage of stillborn puppies increased, thus indicating inbreeding
depression.[55] In a study of Boxer litters, 22% of puppies died before
reaching 7 weeks of age. Stillbirth was the most frequent cause of
death, followed by infection. Mortality due to infection increased
significantly with increases in inbreeding.[56] Behavior Main article: Dog behavior See also: Dog behavior § Behavior compared with other canids Dog
behavior is the internally coordinated responses (actions or inactions)
of the domestic dog (individuals or groups) to internal and external
stimuli.[57] As the oldest domesticated species, dogs' minds inevitably
have been shaped by millennia of contact with humans. As a result of
this physical and social evolution, dogs have acquired the ability to
understand and communicate with humans more than any other species and
they are uniquely attuned to human behaviors.[12] Behavioral scientists
have uncovered a surprising set of social-cognitive abilities in
domestic dogs. These abilities are not possessed by the dog's closest
canine relatives or other highly intelligent mammals, such as great
apes, but rather parallel to children's social-cognitive skills.[58] Unlike
other domestic species selected for production-related traits, dogs
were initially selected for their behaviors.[59][60] In 2016, a study
found that only 11 fixed genes showed variation between wolves and dogs.
These gene variations were unlikely to have been the result of natural
evolution and indicate selection on both morphology and behavior during
dog domestication. These genes have been shown to affect the
catecholamine synthesis pathway, with the majority of the genes
affecting the fight-or-flight response[60][61] (i.e., selection for
tameness) and emotional processing.[60] Dogs generally show reduced fear
and aggression compared with wolves.[60][62] Some of these genes have
been associated with aggression in some dog breeds, indicating their
importance in both the initial domestication and later in breed
formation.[60] Traits of high sociability and lack of fear in dogs may
include genetic modifications related to Williams-Beuren syndrome in
humans, which cause hypersociability at the expense of problem-solving
ability.[63] Intelligence Main article: Dog intelligence Dog
intelligence is the dog's ability to perceive information and retain it
as knowledge for applying to solve problems. Studies of two dogs
suggest that dogs can learn by inference and have advanced memory
skills. A study with Rico, a Border Collie, showed that he knew the
labels of over 200 different items. He inferred the names of novel
things by exclusion learning and correctly retrieved those new items
immediately and four weeks after the initial exposure. A study of
another Border Collie, "Chaser," documented his learning and memory
capabilities. He had learned the names and could associate by verbal
command over 1,000 words.[64] Dogs can read and react appropriately to
human body language such as gesturing and pointing and human voice
commands. One study of canine cognitive abilities found that
dogs' capabilities are no more exceptional than those of other animals,
such as horses, chimpanzees, or cats.[65] One limited study of 18
household dogs found that they lacked spatial memory, and were more
focussed on the "what" of a task rather than the "where".[66] Dogs
demonstrate a theory of mind by engaging in deception.[67] An
experimental study showed compelling evidence that Australian dingos can
outperform domestic dogs in non-social problem-solving, indicating that
domestic dogs may have lost much of their original problem-solving
abilities once they joined up with humans.[68] Another study revealed
that after undergoing training to solve a simple manipulation task, dogs
faced with an insoluble version of the same problem look at the human,
while socialized wolves do not.[69] Communication Main article: Dog communication Dog sounds (0:14) Menu 0:00 A dog making noises and barking Problems playing this file? See media help. Dog
communication is how dogs convey information to other dogs, understand
messages from humans and translate the information that dogs are
transmitting.[70]: xii Communication behaviors of dogs include eye
gaze, facial expression, vocalization, body posture (including movements
of bodies and limbs), and gustatory communication (scents, pheromones,
and taste). Humans communicate to dogs by using vocalization, hand
signals, and body posture. Ecology Population The dog is
probably the most widely abundant large carnivoran living in the human
environment.[71][72] In 2013, the estimated global dog population was
between 700 million[73] and 987 million.[74] About 20% of dogs live as
pets in developed countries.[75] In the developing world, dogs are more
commonly feral or communally owned, with pet dogs uncommon. Most of
these dogs live their lives as scavengers and have never been owned by
humans, with one study showing their most common response when
approached by strangers is to run away (52%) or respond aggressively
(11%).[76] Little is known about these dogs, or the dogs in developed
countries that are feral, strays, or are in shelters because the great
majority of modern research on dog cognition has focused on pet dogs
living in human homes.[77] Competitors and predators Although
dogs are the most abundant and widely distributed terrestrial
carnivores, feral and free-ranging dogs' potential to compete with other
large carnivores is limited by their strong association with
humans.[71] For example, a review of the studies in dogs' competitive
effects on sympatric carnivores did not mention any research on
competition between dogs and wolves.[78][79] Although wolves are known
to kill dogs, they tend to live in pairs or in small packs in areas
where they are highly persecuted, giving them a disadvantage facing
large dog groups.[78][80] Wolves kill dogs wherever they are
found together.[81] In some instances, wolves have displayed an
uncharacteristic fearlessness of humans and buildings when attacking
dogs to the extent that they have to be beaten off or killed.[82]
Although the numbers of dogs killed each year are relatively low, it
induces a fear of wolves entering villages and farmyards to take dogs
and losses of dogs to wolves have led to demands for more liberal wolf
hunting regulations.[78] Coyotes and big cats have also been
known to attack dogs. In particular, leopards are known to have a
preference for dogs and have been recorded to kill and consume them, no
matter what their size.[83] Siberian tigers in the Amur river region
have killed dogs in the middle of villages. This indicates that the dogs
were targeted. Amur tigers will not tolerate wolves as competitors
within their territories, and the tigers could be considering dogs in
the same way.[84] Striped hyenas are known to kill dogs in their
range.[85] Diet See also: Dog food A Golden Retriever gnawing on a pig's foot Dogs
have been described as omnivores.[13][86][87] Compared to wolves, dogs
from agricultural societies have extra copies of amylase and other genes
involved in starch digestion that contribute to an increased ability to
thrive on a starch-rich diet.[11] Similar to humans, some dog breeds
produce amylase in their saliva and are classified as having a high
starch diet.[88] However, more like cats and less like other omnivores,
dogs can only produce bile acid with taurine and they cannot produce
vitamin D, which they obtain from animal flesh. Also, more like cats,
dogs require arginine to maintain its nitrogen balance. These
nutritional requirements place dogs halfway between carnivores and
omnivores.[89] Range As a domesticated or semi-domesticated
animal, the dog is nearly universal among human societies. Notable
exceptions once included: The Aboriginal Tasmanians, who were separated from Australia before the arrival of dingos on that continent The Andamanese peoples, who were isolated when rising sea levels covered the land bridge to Myanmar The Fuegians, who instead domesticated the Fuegian dog, a different canid species
Individual Pacific islands whose maritime settlers did not bring dogs,
or where dogs died out after original settlement, notably the Mariana
Islands,[90] Palau[91] and most of the Caroline Islands with exceptions
such as Fais Island and Nukuoro,[92] the Marshall Islands,[93] the
Gilbert Islands,[93] New Caledonia,[94] Vanuatu,[94][95] Tonga,[95]
Marquesas,[95] Mangaia in the Cook Islands, Rapa Iti in French
Polynesia, Easter Island,[95] the Chatham Islands[96] and Pitcairn
Island (settled by the Bounty mutineers, who killed off their dogs to
escape discovery by passing ships).[97] Dogs were introduced to
Antarctica as sled dogs, but were later outlawed by international
agreement due to the possible risk of spreading infections.[98] Roles with humans Domestic
dogs inherited complex behaviors, such as bite inhibition, from their
wolf ancestors, which would have been pack hunters with a complex body
language. These sophisticated forms of social cognition and
communication may account for their trainability, playfulness and
ability to fit into human households and social situations. These
attributes have given dogs a relationship with humans that has enabled
them to become one of the most successful animals today.[99] The
dogs' value to early human hunter-gatherers led to them quickly becoming
ubiquitous across world cultures. Dogs perform many roles for people,
such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police
and the military, companionship and aiding disabled individuals. This
influence on human society has given them the nickname "man's best
friend" in the Western world. In some cultures, however, dogs are also a
source of meat.[100][101] Pets Siberian Huskies are pack animals that still enjoy some human companionship It
is estimated that three-quarters of the world's dog population lives in
the developing world as feral, village, or community dogs, with pet
dogs uncommon.[102][page needed] "The most widespread form of
interspecies bonding occurs between humans and dogs"[103] and the
keeping of dogs as companions, particularly by elites, has a long
history.[104] Pet dog populations grew significantly after World War II
as suburbanization increased.[104] In the 1950s and 1960s, dogs were
kept outside more often than they tend to be today[105](the expression
"in the doghouse" - recorded since 1932[106] - to describe exclusion
from the group implies a distance between the doghouse and the home) and
were still primarily functional, acting as a guard, children's
playmate, or walking companion. From the 1980s, there have been changes
in the pet dog's role, such as the increased role of dogs in the
emotional support of their human guardians.[107][page needed] People and
their dogs have become increasingly integrated and implicated in each
other's lives[108][page needed] to the point where pet dogs actively
shape how a family and home are experienced.[109] There have been
two significant trends occurring within the second half of the 20th
century in pet dogs' changing status. The first has been
"commodification," shaping it to conform to social expectations of
personality and behavior.[109]The second has been the broadening of the
family's concept and the home to include dogs-as-dogs within everyday
routines and practices.[109] A vast range of commodity forms aims
to transform a pet dog into an ideal companion.[110] The list of goods,
services, and places available is enormous: from dog perfumes, couture,
furniture and housing to dog groomers, therapists, trainers and
caretakers, dog cafes, spas, parks and beaches and dog hotels, airlines
and cemeteries.[110] Dog training books, classes, and television
programs proliferated as the process of commodifying the pet dog
continued.[111] The majority of contemporary dog owners describe
their pet as part of the family, although some ambivalence about the
relationship is evident in the popular reconceptualization of the
dog-human family as a pack.[109] Some dog trainers, such as on the
television program Dog Whisperer, have promoted a dominance model of
dog-human relationships. However, it has been disputed that "trying to
achieve status" is characteristic of dog-human interactions.[112] Pet
dogs play an active role in family life; for example, a study of
conversations in dog-human families showed how family members use the
dog as a resource, talking to the dog, or talking through the dog; to
mediate their interactions with each other.[113] Increasingly,
human family-members engage in activities centered on the dog's
perceived needs and interests, or in which the dog is an integral
partner, such as dog dancing and dog yoga.[110] According to
statistics published by the American Pet Products Manufacturers
Association in the National Pet Owner Survey in 2009–2010, an estimated
77.5 million people in the United States have pet dogs.[114] The same
source shows that nearly 40% of American households own at least one
dog, of which 67% own just one dog, 25% two dogs and nearly 9% more than
two dogs. There does not seem to be any gender preference among dogs as
pets, as the statistical data reveal an equal number of male and female
pet dogs. Although several programs promote pet adoption, less than
one-fifth of the owned dogs come from shelters.[114] A study
using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare humans and dogs showed
that dogs have the same response to voices and use the same parts of
the brain as humans do. This gives dogs the ability to recognize human
emotional sounds, making them friendly social pets to humans.[115] Workers Dogs
have lived and worked with humans in many roles. In addition to dogs'
role as companion animals, dogs have been bred for herding livestock
(collies, sheepdogs),[116][page needed][13] hunting (hounds,
pointers)[117][page needed] and rodent control (terriers).[13] Other
types of working dogs include search and rescue dogs,[118] detection
dogs trained to detect illicit drugs[119] or chemical weapons;[120]
guard dogs; dogs who assist fishermen with the use of nets; and dogs
that pull loads.[13] In 1957, the dog Laika became the first animal to
be launched into Earth orbit, aboard the Soviets' Sputnik 2; she died
during the flight.[121][122] Various kinds of service dogs and
assistance dogs, including guide dogs, hearing dogs, mobility assistance
dogs and psychiatric service dogs, assist individuals with
disabilities.[123][124] Some dogs owned by people with epilepsy have
been shown to alert their handler when the handler shows signs of an
impending seizure, sometimes well in advance of onset, allowing the
guardian to seek safety, medication, or medical care.[125] Athletes and models See also: Conformation show People
often enter their dogs in competitions, such as breed-conformation
shows or sports, including racing, sledding and agility competitions. In
conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, a judge familiar
with the specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for
conformity with their established breed type as described in the breed
standard. As the breed standard only deals with the dog's externally
observable qualities (such as appearance, movement and temperament),
separately tested qualities (such as ability or health) are not part of
the judging in conformation shows. Food Main article: Dog meat Dog
meat is consumed in some East Asian countries, including
Korea,[126][page needed] China[100] Vietnam[101] and the
Philippines,[127] which dates back to antiquity.[128] Based on limited
data, it is estimated that 13–16 million dogs are killed and consumed in
Asia every year.[129] In China, debates have ensued over banning the
consumption of dog meat.[130] Following the Sui and Tang dynasties of
the first millennium, however, people living on northern China's plains
began to eschew eating dogs, which is likely due to Buddhism and Islam's
spread, two religions that forbade the consumption of certain animals,
including the dog. As members of the upper classes shunned dog meat, it
gradually became a social taboo to eat it, even though the general
population continued to consume it for centuries afterward.[131] Dog
meat is also consumed in some parts of Switzerland.[132] Other cultures,
such as Polynesia and pre-Columbian Mexico, also consumed dog meat in
their history. Dog fat is also reportedly believed to be beneficial for
the lungs in some parts of Poland[133][134] and Central Asia.[135][136]
Proponents of eating dog meat have argued that placing a distinction
between livestock and dogs is Western hypocrisy and that there is no
difference in eating different animals' meat.[137][138][139][140] In
Korea, the primary dog breed raised for meat, the Nureongi, differs
from those breeds raised for pets that Koreans may keep in their
homes.[141] The most popular Korean dog dish is called bosintang,
a spicy stew meant to balance the body's heat during the summer months.
Followers of the custom claim this is done to ensure good health by
balancing one's gi, or the body's vital energy. A 19th-century version
of bosintang explains that the dish is prepared by boiling dog meat with
scallions and chili powder. Variations of the dish contain chicken and
bamboo shoots. While the dishes are still prevalent in Korea with a
segment of the population, dog is not as widely consumed as beef, pork
and chicken.[141] Health risks Further information: Dog attack, Canine vector-borne disease, and Dog bite prevention In
2018, the WHO reported that 59,000 people died globally from rabies,
with 59.6% in Asia and 36.4% in Africa. Rabies is a disease for which
dogs are the most important vector.[142] Significant dog bites affect
tens of millions of people globally each year. Children in mid-to-late
childhood are the largest percentage bitten by dogs, with a greater risk
of injury to the head and neck. They are more likely to need medical
treatment and have the highest death rate. [143] Sharp claws with
powerful muscles behind them can lacerate flesh in a scratch that can
lead to serious infections.[144] In the U.S., cats and dogs are a
factor in more than 86,000 falls each year.[145] It has been estimated
that around 2% of dog-related injuries treated in U.K. hospitals are
domestic accidents. The same study found that while dog involvement in
road traffic accidents was difficult to quantify, dog-associated road
accidents involving injury more commonly involved two-wheeled
vehicles.[146] Toxocara canis (dog roundworm) eggs in dog feces
can cause toxocariasis. In the United States, about 10,000 cases of
Toxocara infection are reported in humans each year, and almost 14% of
the U.S. population is infected.[147] Untreated toxocariasis can cause
retinal damage and decreased vision.[148] Dog feces can also contain
hookworms that cause cutaneous larva migrans in humans.[149][150] Health benefits Walking a dog Dogs
suffer from the same common disorders as humans; these include cancer,
diabetes, heart disease and neurologic disorders. Their pathology is
similar to humans, as is their response to treatment and their outcomes.
Researchers are identifying the genes associated with dog diseases
similar to human disorders, but lack mouse models to find cures for both
dogs and humans. The genes involved in canine obsessive-compulsive
disorders led to the detection of four genes in humans' related
pathways.[10] The scientific evidence is mixed as to whether a
dog's companionship can enhance human physical health and psychological
well-being.[151] Studies suggesting that there are benefits to physical
health and psychological well-being[152] have been criticized for being
poorly controlled.[153] It found that "the health of elderly people is
related to their health habits and social supports but not to their
ownership of, or attachment to, a companion animal." Earlier studies
have shown that people who keep pet dogs or cats exhibit better mental
and physical health than those who do not, making fewer visits to the
doctor and being less likely to be on medication than
non-guardians.[154] A 2005 paper states "recent research has
failed to support earlier findings that pet ownership is associated with
a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a reduced use of general
practitioner services, or any psychological or physical benefits on
health for community dwelling older people. Research has, however,
pointed to significantly less absenteeism from school through sickness
among children who live with pets."[151] In one study, new guardians
reported a highly significant reduction in minor health problems during
the first month following pet acquisition. This effect was sustained in
those with dogs through to the end of the study.[155] People with
pet dogs took considerably more physical exercise than those with cats
and those without pets. The results provide evidence that keeping pets
may have positive effects on human health and behavior and that for
guardians of dogs, these effects are relatively long-term.[155] Pet
guardianship has also been associated with increased coronary artery
disease survival. Human guardians are significantly less likely to die
within one year of an acute myocardial infarction than those who did not
own dogs.[156] The health benefits of dogs can result from
contact with dogs in general, not solely from having dogs as pets. For
example, when in a pet dog's presence, people show reductions in
cardiovascular, behavioral and psychological indicators of anxiety.[157]
Other health benefits are gained from exposure to immune-stimulating
microorganisms, which can protect against allergies and autoimmune
diseases according to the hygiene hypothesis. The benefits of contact
with a dog also include social support, as dogs cannot only provide
companionship and social support themselves but also act as facilitators
of social interactions between humans.[158] One study indicated that
wheelchair users experience more positive social interactions with
strangers when accompanied by a dog than when they are not.[159] In
2015, a study found that pet owners were significantly more likely to
get to know people in their neighborhood than non-pet owners.[160] Using
dogs and other animals as a part of therapy dates back to the late 18th
century, when animals were introduced into mental institutions to help
socialize patients with mental disorders.[161] Animal-assisted
intervention research has shown that animal-assisted therapy with a dog
can increase social behaviors, such as smiling and laughing, among
people with Alzheimer's disease.[162] One study demonstrated that
children with ADHD and conduct disorders who participated in an
education program with dogs and other animals showed increased
attendance, increased knowledge and skill objectives and decreased
antisocial and violent behavior compared with those not in an
animal-assisted program.[163] Cultural importance Main articles: Cultural depictions of dogs and Dogs in religion Further information: List of fictional dogs Cerberus, with the gluttons in Dante's Third Circle of Hell. William Blake. Dogs
were depicted to symbolize guidance, protection, loyalty, fidelity,
faithfulness, alertness, and love.[164] In ancient Mesopotamia, from the
Old Babylonian period until the Neo-Babylonian, dogs were the symbol of
Ninisina, the goddess of healing and medicine,[165] and her worshippers
frequently dedicated small models of seated dogs to her.[165] In the
Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian periods, dogs were used as emblems of
magical protection.[165] In China, Korea and Japan, dogs are viewed as
kind protectors.[166] In mythology, dogs often serve as pets or
as watchdogs.[166] Stories of dogs guarding the gates of the underworld
recur throughout Indo-European mythologies[167][168] and may originate
from Proto-Indo-European religion.[167][168] In Greek mythology,
Cerberus is a three-headed, dragon-tailed watchdog who guards the gates
of Hades.[166] In Norse mythology, a bloody, four-eyed dog called Garmr
guards Helheim.[166] In Persian mythology, two four-eyed dogs guard the
Chinvat Bridge.[166] In Welsh mythology, Annwn is guarded by Cŵn
Annwn.[166] In Hindu mythology, Yama, the god of death, owns two
watchdogs who have four eyes. They are said to watch over the gates of
Naraka.[169] In Christianity, dogs represent faithfulness.[166]
Within the Roman Catholic denomination specifically, the iconography of
Saint Dominic includes a dog, after the hallow's mother dreamt of a dog
springing from her womb and becoming pregnant shortly after that.[170]
As such, the Dominican Order (Ecclesiastical Latin: Domini canis) means
"dog of the Lord" or "hound of the Lord" (Ecclesiastical Latin: Domini
canis).[170] In Christian folklore, a church grim often takes the form
of a black dog to guard Christian churches and their churchyards from
sacrilege.[171] Jewish law does not prohibit keeping dogs and other
pets.[172] Jewish law requires Jews to feed dogs (and other animals that
they own) before themselves and make arrangements for feeding them
before obtaining them.[172] The view on dogs in Islam is mixed, with
some schools of thought viewing it as unclean,[166] although Khaled Abou
El Fadl states that this view is based on "pre-Islamic Arab mythology"
and "a tradition to be falsely attributed to the Prophet."[173]
Therefore, Sunni Malaki and Hanafi jurists permit the trade of and
keeping of dogs as pets.[174] Terminology Dog – the species (or subspecies) as a whole, also any male member of the same.[175] Bitch – any female member of the species (or subspecies).[176] Puppy or pup – a young member of the species (or subspecies) under 12 months old.[177] Sire – the male parent of a litter.[177] Dam – the female parent of a litter.[177] Litter – all of the puppies resulting from a single whelping.[177] Whelping – the act of a bitch giving birth.[177] Whelps – puppies still dependent upon their dam." (wikipedia.org) "A
dog toy is a toy that is specifically for dogs to play with. Dog toys
come in many varieties, including dog bones, puppy toys, balls, tug
toys, training aids, squeaky toys, discs and frisbees, plush toys, and
sticks. Dog toys serve different purposes. Puppies, for instance,
need toys they can chew on when they are teething because their gums
and jaws become very sore and chewing on things provides them
relief.Playing with different toys also, encourages exercise, which
benefits the pet's overall health; stimulate dogs' minds; discourage
problem behavior resulting from boredom and excess energy; and promote
dental health. There are a wide variety of dog toys on the market
that are designed for different purposes and depending on the dog's
characteristics such as size, activity level, chewing habits, and play
style. ... Multifunctional Labrador pup with plush squeaky toy, ball, and knotted rope that can be thrown, tugged or chewed Some
toys can serve multiple functions for dogs to interact with, combining
common play behaviors into a single toy. Some can adapt to other toys
and objects, and be combined by the dog owner to create new toys for
dogs to play with. Whereas a hard ball is not well-suited for chewing,
and a plush toy is difficult to throw, wrapping the ball in a plush
exterior creates a toy that can be thrown and chewed on. Such toys may
provide more entertainment value for dogs and their owners. Distraction toys Kong dog toy can be thrown, stuffed with treats, or chewed These
toys can be useful for extremely active dogs who need mental
stimulation as well as physical exercise. Some examples are food
delivery toys, Kongs stuffed with dog food, frozen peanut butter and/or
treats, chew challenge toys, and puzzle toys.[1] Bones The
term "bones" can include animal bones as well as manufactured bones and
dental bones. Animal bones offer a lot of chewing potential but the true
nutritional benefits are derived from the soft tissues attached to the
bone such as meat, cartilage, fat and connective tissue, not from the
bones themselves.[2] There are dangers associated with animal bones,
including broken teeth and possible ingestion of large fragments of bone
which can cause serious injury or death.[2] It is important to
supervise dogs when they are chewing bones and make sure to remove the
bone when it is reduced to a size that could possibly be swallowed. Make
sure dogs have plenty of fresh water. Latex and rubber Main article: Chew toy Latex
and rubber dog toys are great for dog entertainment. With these kind of
toys, dogs that are aggressive chewers have a safe way to satisfy their
biting instincts. These toys also help keep dogs' gums and teeth clean
and healthy. In general, hard rubber bones and other latex dog toys help
improve dogs' overall oral hygiene. Blue bone-shaped toy manufactured in China Labrador retriever with rubber squeaky toy resembling a baby's pacifier Sticks Dogs
often enjoy gnawing on small tree branches and pinecones. Sticks can
also be thrown for the dog to retrieve but this is not recommended due
to potential health problems that can develop, including punctures in
the mouth. Dog owners should consult their veterinarians if they have
any doubts over whether a toy is safe. Balls Pup with pink tennis ball Balls
of all shapes and sizes help keep dogs active and fit. They are a great
way to play, and exercise a dog at the same time.[3] Safety Dogs should always be supervised when chewing edible rawhide toys Dog
toys are not safe if small pieces can be chewed or pulled off as these
could be swallowed by the dog. The toy should also be adequate for the
dog, taking into consideration their size and activity levels. When
choosing a dog toy, it is important that pet owners choose those made
with non-toxic materials. Dog owners should avoid giving their dogs
objects with small parts that could be chewed off and ingested (such as
cooked chicken bones)." (wikipedia.org) "A
squeaky toy, squeak toy, squeaker toy, or squeeze toy, is a soft,
hollow toy made from flexible materials such as rubber or vinyl, and
usually equipped with a small device known as a squeaker.... How it works Squeaky toy in the shape of a submarine sandwich When
the toy is squeezed, air is forced through the squeaker, resulting in a
high-pitched sound, such as a squeak, or the sound of a toy horn or
whistle. The tone and duration of the sound may depend on the size of
the squeaker, the amount of air squeezed out of the toy, and the speed
with which it is squeezed. When the toy is not being squeezed, it
resumes its normal shape and re-inflates. Air returning into the toy
through the squeaker may or may not make a sound, depending on the
design of the squeaker and the speed at which air re-enters. The
high-pitched noise produced by squeaky toys quickly attracts the
attention of infants and small children, while their soft, squeezable
nature makes them safe for young children to handle. Squeaky toys are
also popular with pets, and examples shaped like bones or small furry
animals are commonly marketed for dogs. History The first
squeaky toys were simple rubber balls which produced a high pitched
noise when air was squeezed through a hole, without a special noise
maker. Later examples contained a metal noisemaker known as a "whistle
disk." Brightly colored rubber squeaky toys molded in various shapes
became common during the 1940s. Later examples were molded from durable
vinyl, and plastic squeakers replaced metal whistles.[1] Squeaky
toys may be modeled after popular cartoon characters, or used as
promotional advertising. There are squeaky toy collectors, and published
guides with typical selling prices.[1] Nature's squeaky toys A western kingbird. Small
animals are sometimes compared with squeaky toys. A particularly apt
example is the desert rain frog, the subject of a widely viewed video
titled "World's Cutest Frog," regularly described as making a noise like
a squeaky toy. The resemblance is enhanced by the fact that the frog
vocalizes by inflating its body, and then exhaling (relatively) large
quantities of air, as if being squeezed.[2] The calls of certain birds
have also been compared to squeaky toys; in particular those of the
western kingbird, Mississippi kite, and sulphur-bellied flycatcher of
North America, and the blue nuthatch of southeast Asia. In popular culture Several
squeaky toys play prominent roles in Pixar's Toy Story movies. The
three-eyed alien toys first encountered in the claw machine at Pizza
Planet are squeaky toys; they appear in all four films, and rescue the
other toys from an incinerator in Toy Story 3. Another squeaky toy
character is Wheezy, a penguin with a broken squeaker in Toy Story 2.
Consigned to a yard sale, his rescue by Woody sets in motion the
remainder of the movie's plot. Henry Dagg used squeaky toys in
the shape of cats to build a "katklavier" (cat organ). This unusual
instrument came to public attention in 2010, when Dagg used it to
perform Over the Rainbow at a charity event held by Prince Charles. Both
the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall were reduced to tears of
laughter by the performance." (wikipedia.org) "A
chew toy is designed to be chewed by animals for purposes of
stimulation and relief from boredom.[1] The act of gnawing on a chew toy
is meant to be soothing and to assist small animals, like puppies, in
event of easing the pain when breaking in their adult teeth as the
chewing process releases feel-good chemicals from the brain.[2] There
are several different types of chew toys, including rawhide, wood, paper
and mineral. Chew toys are commonly associated with dogs, though they
are also used by birds, rodents, and rabbits. In addition to
providing entertainment, chew toys allow the animal to work out anxiety
and boredom by being occupied with chewing a toy. Chew toys also
distract small animals from chewing on other "forbidden" items, and they
assist in maintaining healthy teeth.[3] A similar toy called a teether is also given to human children as a soothing tool for inflamed gums during teething. ... Rawhide A dog with a rawhide chew toy. Rawhide
chew toys are most often associated with dogs, though rawhide toys are
plentiful in the bird toy section of most pet stores. Rawhide is
suitable for all animals except vegans, as it is made of animal skin.
Rabbits, which only eat vegetation, cannot have rawhide toys because
their digestive systems cannot process them. This is a rather sturdy
kind of chew toy and it can take weeks or even months for a small animal
or bird to destroy. Examples of rawhide chew toys are twists and
rawhide bones. Chew toys made of leather are not recommended for dogs as
they cannot be properly digested in the stomach and may cause blockage
in the intestines.[4] Wood Wood chew toys are made of a safe,
non-poisonous, softer wood and are often coated in bright,
vegetable-based dyes or paints. Wooden chew toys are given in place of
the wood that small animals would find in the wild. They are a safe
alternative for a small animal owner to purchase if the owner has no
knowledge of the trees and shrubs growing in their area. They are
generally used as either small rodents toys or rabbit toys. Wooden chew
toys help to keep teeth trimmed down, preventing eating difficulties in
pets and unnecessary trips to a vet for teeth clipping. An example of a
wooden chew toy is the commercial product toy ropes Paper Paper
chew toys are made of non bleached non-toxic paper. They are an
inexpensive, or often free, option for small pet owners and can provide
hours of stimulation and play for small animals. One common paper chew
toy is an empty toilet paper tube. These can double as tunnels for very
small rodents, and can also be used as modified piñatas for larger small
animals. Wadded up newspaper pages, old spineless books, and the
commercial product Chubes are other commonly used paper chew toys. Mineral Mineral
chew toys are made of flavored animal-safe minerals. These range from
flavored fruit-shaped blocks for birds to ice-cream cone shaped mineral
treats for rabbits. They also come shaped as bowls with fluffy minerals
inside. A common mineral chew toy is the cuttlebone, a toy for birds
that helps to keep nails and beaks trimmed and healthy. Rubber A dog eating treats out of a Kong, a rubber chew toy. There
is a variety of rubber chew toys for dogs on the market that are molded
into different shapes. Some of them are hollowed so that treats can be
placed in them. This way, the dog has to "work" to get a treat. "
(wikipedia.org) "CVS
Pharmacy, Inc. (stylized as Heart corazón.svgCVSpharmacy, previously
CVS/pharmacy) is an American retail corporation. A subsidiary of CVS
Health, it is headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.[6] It was also
known as, and originally named, the Consumer Value Store and was founded
in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1963.[7] The chain was owned by its
original holding company Melville Corporation from its inception until
its current parent company (CVS Health) was spun off into its own
company in 1996. CVS Pharmacy is currently the largest pharmacy chain in
the United States by number of locations (over 9,600 as of 2016) and
total prescription revenue.[8][5][9] Its parent company ranks as the
fifth largest U.S. corporation by FY2020 revenues in the Fortune 500.[4]
The parent company of CVS Pharmacy's leading competitor (Walgreens)
ranked 19th for the same time period.[10] CVS sells prescription drugs
and a wide assortment of general merchandise, including over-the-counter
drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, film and photo finishing
services, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, and convenience foods
through their CVS Pharmacy and Longs Drugs retail stores and online
through CVS.com. It also provides healthcare services through its more
than 1,100 MinuteClinic medical clinics[11] as well as their Diabetes
Care Centers. Most of these clinics are located within or outside CVS
stores.... Overview A "shield" logo typical of early Consumer Value Stores, c. 1965 CVS
Pharmacy used to be a subsidiary of Melville Corporation, where its
full name was initially Consumer Value Stores. Melville later changed
its name to CVS Corporation in 1996[12][13] after Melville sold off many
of its nonpharmacy stores.[14] The last of its nondrugstore operations
were sold in 1997.[12] Former CEO Tom Ryan has said he considers "CVS" to stand for "Convenience, Value, and Service".[15] During
the company's days as a regional chain in the Northeast, many CVS
stores did not include pharmacies. Today, the company seldom builds new
stores without pharmacies and outside of New England is gradually
phasing out any such shops. Any new non-pharmacy store is usually built
in a more urban setting where another CVS with a pharmacy exists within
walking distance such as downtown Boston, Massachusetts or Providence,
Rhode Island. These stores usually lack a pharmacy and a photo center
but carry most of the general merchandise items that a normal CVS
Pharmacy carries such as health and beauty items, sundries, and food
items.[citation needed] Acquisitions and growth A CVS storefront typical of the mid-20th century, as shown in the company's 1971 annual report 1960s The name "CVS" was used for the first time in 1964. That year, they had 17 retail locations, and 40 stores five years later.[16] In
1967, CVS began operation of its first stores with pharmacy
departments, opening locations in Warwick and Cumberland, Rhode Island.
CVS was acquired by the now-defunct Melville Corporation in 1969,
boosting its growth.[17] 1970s This section does not cite
any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to
reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
(October 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) By 1970, CVS operated 100 stores in New England and the Northeast. In
early 1972, CVS introduced America's first refillable plastic
bottle[citation needed] - with its CVS private-label shampoo. Customers
paid $.79 for a bottle of CVS private-label shampoo and when they
returned the empty bottle and cap, could buy another bottle of the same
shampoo for $.69 (a 10 cent saving). This practice created a
cause-related repeat-purchase cycle, wherein the customer saved $.10 as
they bought another bottle of CVS shampoo and avoided using (and CVS
producing) a new plastic bottle. Each initial PVC bottle, flip-top cap
and label cost CVS $11.5 cents. Thus, the process paid for itself and
CVS empowered customers to make a greener purchase decision and reduce
their carbon footprint. In 1972, CVS acquired 84 Clinton Drug and
Discount Stores, which introduced CVS to Indiana and the Midwest. By
1974, CVS had 232 stores and sales of $100 million. In 1977, CVS
acquired the 36-store New Jersey-based Mack Drug chain. 1980s The
chain had more than 400 stores by 1981. Sales reached $1 billion in
1985, partly due to the pharmacies being added to many of CVS's older
stores.[16] In 1980, CVS became the 15th largest pharmacy chain
in the U.S., with 408 stores and $414 million in sales. In 1988 CVS
celebrated its 25th anniversary, finishing the year with nearly 750
stores and sales of about $1.6 billion. 1990s In 1990 CVS
acquired the 490-store Peoples Drug chain from Imasco, which established
the company in new mid-Atlantic markets including Washington, D.C.,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. In 1994 CVS started PharmaCare
Management Services. The parent company decided to focus on CVS in 1995,
selling off Marshalls and This End Up. The following year, they let go
of Footaction/Footstar, Meldisco, Linens 'n Things, and KB Toys. The
company, then decided to change its name from Melville Corporation to
CVS Corporation. In 1997, Bob's Stores were also sold, and CVS nearly
tripled its 1,400 stores after purchasing the 2,500-store Revco chain.
CVS bought 200 Arbor Drugs locations in 1998, opened approximately 180
new stores, closed about 160 stores, and relocated nearly 200 existing
stores from strip malls to freestanding locations. In 1999 CVS acquired
Soma.com, the first online pharmacy, and renamed it CVS.com. The same
year, CVS launched their CVS ProCare Pharmacy for complex drug
therapies.[16] In 1990 CVS bought the 23-store Rix Dunnington
chain. In 1993, CVS withdrew from the southern California market.
Formerly traded as MVL on the New York Stock Exchange, the company now
trades as CVS. 2000–08: Acquisition of Eckerd and other acquisitions A CVS Pharmacy (Store #6240) in Southside Place, Texas (Greater Houston) that was formerly an Eckerd. CVS
bought Stadtlander Pharmacy of Pittsburgh from Bergen
Brunswig/AmerisourceBergen in 2000.[16][18] As of December 2009, CVS
Caremark had over 7,000 locations.[19] In 2004 CVS purchased
1,268 Eckerd drug stores and Eckerd Health Services, a PBM/mail-order
pharmacy business, from J. C. Penney.[20] Most of the former Eckerd
stores, which were converted to CVS stores by June, are located in
Florida, Texas, and other southern states. Because JCPenney credit cards
were accepted at Eckerd locations, CVS continued to accept them until
July 2014. A CVS Pharmacy on Canal Street in Downtown New Orleans Typical CVS in Coventry, CT. A typical 2000s CVS in Coventry, Connecticut. On
January 23, 2006, CVS announced that it had agreed to acquire the
freestanding drug store operations of supermarket chain Albertsons.[21]
The deal included the acquisition of 700 drug stores trading under the
Osco Drug and Sav-On Drugs banners, mostly in the midwestern and
southwestern United States (with a concentration of stores in southern
California and the Chicago area), and was formally completed on June 2,
2006.[22] Transition of Sav-On and Osco stores to the CVS brand was
completed by December 2006. CVS now dominates the southern California
market. Also included were Albertsons Health'n'Home (now CVS Home
Health) durable medical equipment stores. Approximately 28 CVS Home
Health locations are present in Arizona, California, and the Kansas City
area, representing CVS's first venture into the specialized DME market. CVS
had previously operated stores in southern California but completely
withdrew from the market in 1993. CVS sold virtually all of the
locations to Sav-On's then owner American Stores, who operated them
under the name American Drug Stores. Many of the stores CVS gained in
January 2006 had been the stores it owned prior to 1993. Before their
re-acquisition, these stores were operated under the name Sav-On Express
(the Express name was used to help customers identify these stores that
did not carry all the lines of merchandise as compared to the larger,
traditional Sav-On Drugs locations). CVS now operates over 6,200 stores
in 43 states and the District of Columbia.[23] In some locations, CVS
has two stores less than two blocks apart. On July 13, 2006, CVS
announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire
Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic, the pioneer and largest provider of
retail-based health clinics in the U.S. MinuteClinic operates as a
wholly owned subsidiary of CVS Corporation. MinuteClinic health care
centers are staffed by board-certified nurse practitioners and physician
assistants who are trained to diagnose and treat common family
illnesses such as throat, ear, eye, sinus, bladder, and bronchial
infections, and provide prescriptions when clinically appropriate.
MinuteClinic also offers common vaccinations, such as flu shots,
tetanus, and Hepatitis A & B. The clinics are supported by
physicians who collaborate with the staff. There are over 550 locations
across the United States, most of which are within CVS Pharmacy
locations. On November 1, 2006, CVS announced that it was
entering into a purchase agreement with Nashville-based Caremark Rx
Inc., a pharmacy benefits manager. The new company is called CVS
Caremark Corporation and the corporate headquarters remains in
Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The new pharmacy services business, including
the combined pharmacy benefits management (PBM), specialty pharmacy, and
disease management businesses, is headquartered in Nashville,
Tennessee. The new CVS Caremark Corporation is expected to achieve about
$75 billion in yearly revenue for 2007. The merger was formally
completed on March 22, 2007.[24] Tom Ryan, CVS's Chairman and CEO,
remains president and CEO of the combined company, while Caremark's
president and CEO, Mac Crawford, is Chairman of the Board.[24] On
November 7, 2007, Mac Crawford stepped down as Chairman of the Board
for CVS Caremark. He was replaced by President and CEO of CVS Caremark,
Tom Ryan.[25] On August 12, 2008, CVS Pharmacy announced that it
would acquire Longs Drugs for $2.9 billion. Walgreens made a
counteroffer but dropped it. The deal closed October 30, 2008.[26][27]
Longs Drugs stores outside Hawaii were rebranded to CVS Pharmacy by the
summer of 2009. 2012–present: Acquisitions and conversion to CVS Health Logo until 2016 CVS inside Target. (Warwick, RI) A normal CVS location inside Target located in the Warwick Mall. In 2012 CVS Caremark received 59 percent of Rhode Island's tax credits.[28] On
July 14, 2014, it was announced that CVS Caremark would acquire the
Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacies when the deal closes, the 33
stores will remain untouched and will stay under the Navarro name.[29] On September 3, 2014, CVS Caremark changed its name to CVS Health and announced that it would stop selling tobacco products.[30] On
October 25, 2014, CVS Health disabled near field communication NFC
payments, disallowing customers from using Apple Pay or Google Wallet
payment methods. A reason was not immediately given. Analysts suggested
that it was a way to favor the MCX system, which was still under
development, and of which CVS was a founding member.[31] They eventually
re-enabled NFC on their registers after the MCX system failed to take
off. On May 21, 2015, it was announced that CVS Health would
acquire Omnicare, Inc. the leading provider of pharmacy services to
long-term care facilities, for $98.00 per share in cash, for a total
enterprise value of approximately $12.7 billion, which includes
approximately $2.3 billion in debt. The transaction was expected to
close near the end of 2015. On June 15, 2015, CVS Health
announced its agreement to acquire Target Corporation's pharmacy and
retail clinic businesses. The deal expanded CVS to new markets in
Seattle, Denver, Portland and Salt Lake City. The acquisition includes
more than 1,660 pharmacies in 47 states.[32] CVS will operate them
through a store-within-a-store format. Target's nearly 80 clinic
locations will be rebranded as MinuteClinic, and CVS plans to open up to
20 new clinics in their stores within three years.[33] CVS started
rebranding the pharmacies within the Target stores on February 3,
2016.[34] In December 2017 CVS Health announced a deal to acquire
Aetna.[35] On October 10, 2018, CVS Health received approval from the
United States Department of Justice to acquire Aetna, for $69
billion.[36] CVS announced it would close 46 "underperforming
stores" in 2019, and a further 22 in 2020, without disclosing their
locations.[37] In May 2020 CVS Health announced a partnership
with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to more than 60 CVS pharmacies that will
conduct 50 or more In November 2021, CVS announced it would be closing
approximately 900 stores over the next 3 years due to declining sales in
underperforming and failing stores. Online The domain CVS.com attracted at least 26 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a Compete.com survey.[39] CVS
no longer owns the soma.com domain name, which it acquired with the
purchase of online drugstore pioneer Soma; that domain now resides with
the lingerie brand of the same name owned by clothing retailer Chico's. By 2004, all CVS stores were able to receive electronic prescriptions.[40] CVS Pharmacy y más In
2015 CVS Pharmacy launched an alternative version of their CVS Pharmacy
stores called CVS Pharmacy y más specifically aimed at attracting
Hispanic shoppers.[41] The first stores were launched in Florida and
have since expanded to California, Puerto Rico, Texas, and New
Jersey.[42][43][44] Environmental record In 2005 CVS
participated in a program to reduce the pollution of Maine's waterways.
CVS agreed to accept drugs for disposal so that people would not dispose
of them in ways that reach rivers and other bodies of
waters.[45][46][47] In 2013 CVS agreed to pay Connecticut
$800,000 due to alleged mismanagement of hazardous waste. The
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection agency
found that CVS had improperly identified, managed, and disposed of
hazardous materials.... Receipt length CVS
has drawn ire for the length of its receipts, specifically receipts
given to people who have signed up for their ExtraCare rewards
program.[79] Due to CVS's practice of placing numerous targeted coupons
on the front, these receipts can be up to 5 feet in length.[80][81] CVS
CEO Larry Merlo responded by saying that they were working on ways to
reduce the length of the receipts by 25% and mentioned that customers
can get their receipts and coupons digitally through CVS's mobile app,
which requires the customer to sign up for digital coupons and receipts.
However, despite this, Merlo admitted that CVS still could do a better
job of making the instructions to opt out of paper receipts more
clear.[82] The story has since become an internet meme." (wikipedia.org) "Humour
(Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of
experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives
from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the
balance of fluids in the human body, known as humours (Latin: humor,
"body fluid"), controlled human health and emotion. People of all
ages and cultures respond to humour. Most people are able to experience
humour—be amused, smile or laugh at something funny (such as a pun or
joke)—and thus are considered to have a sense of humour. The
hypothetical person lacking a sense of humour would likely find the
behaviour inducing it to be inexplicable, strange, or even irrational.
Though ultimately decided by personal taste, the extent to which a
person finds something humorous depends on a host of variables,
including geographical location, culture, maturity, level of education,
intelligence and context. For example, young children may favour
slapstick such as Punch and Judy puppet shows or the Tom and Jerry
cartoons, whose physical nature makes it accessible to them. By
contrast, more sophisticated forms of humour such as satire require an
understanding of its social meaning and context, and thus tend to appeal
to a more mature audience.... Theories Main article: Theories of humour Many
theories exist about what humour is and what social function it serves.
The prevailing types of theories attempting to account for the
existence of humour include psychological theories, the vast majority of
which consider humour-induced behaviour to be very healthy; spiritual
theories, which may, for instance, consider humour to be a "gift from
God"; and theories which consider humour to be an unexplainable mystery,
very much like a mystical experience.[1] The benign-violation
theory, endorsed by Peter McGraw, attempts to explain humour's
existence. The theory says 'humour only occurs when something seems
wrong, unsettling, or threatening, but simultaneously seems okay,
acceptable or safe'.[2] Humour can be used as a method to easily engage
in social interaction by taking away that awkward, uncomfortable, or
uneasy feeling of social interactions. Others believe that 'the appropriate use of humour can facilitate social interactions'.[3] Views Some
claim that humour should not be explained. Author E.B. White once said,
"Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but the thing dies in the
process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific
mind."[4] Counter to this argument, protests against "offensive"
cartoons invite the dissection of humour or its lack by aggrieved
individuals and communities. This process of dissecting humour does not
necessarily banish a sense of humour but directs attention towards its
politics and assumed universality (Khanduri 2014).[5] Arthur
Schopenhauer lamented the misuse of humour (a German loanword from
English) to mean any type of comedy. However, both humour and comic are
often used when theorising about the subject. The connotations of humour
as opposed to comic are said to be that of response versus stimulus.
Additionally, humour was thought to include a combination of
ridiculousness and wit in an individual; the paradigmatic case being
Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff. The French were slow to adopt the term
humour; in French, humeur and humour are still two different words, the
former referring to a person's mood or to the archaic concept of the
four humours.[citation needed] Non-satirical humour can be specifically termed droll humour or recreational drollery.... Studies Richard Nixon laughing. Main article: Humor research Laughter One
of the main focuses of modern psychological humour theory and research
is to establish and clarify the correlation between humour and laughter.
The major empirical findings here are that laughter and humour do not
always have a one-to-one association. While most previous theories
assumed the connection between the two almost to the point of them being
synonymous, psychology has been able to scientifically and empirically
investigate the supposed connection, its implications, and significance. In
2009, Diana Szameitat conducted a study to examine the differentiation
of emotions in laughter. They hired actors and told them to laugh with
one of four different emotional associations by using auto-induction,
where they would focus exclusively on the internal emotion and not on
the expression of laughter itself. They found an overall recognition
rate of 44%, with joy correctly classified at 44%, tickle 45%,
schadenfreude 37%, and taunt 50%.[38]: 399 Their second experiment
tested the behavioural recognition of laughter during an induced
emotional state and they found that different laughter types did differ
with respect to emotional dimensions.[38]: 401–402 In addition, the
four emotional states displayed a full range of high and low sender
arousal and valence.[38]: 403 This study showed that laughter can be
correlated with both positive (joy and tickle) and negative
(schadenfreude and taunt) emotions with varying degrees of arousal in
the subject. This brings into question the definition of humour,
then. If it is to be defined by the cognitive processes which display
laughter, then humour itself can encompass a variety of negative as well
as positive emotions. However, if humour is limited to positive
emotions and things which cause positive affect, it must be delimited
from laughter and their relationship should be further defined. Health Humour
has shown to be effective for increasing resilience in dealing with
distress and also effective in undoing negative affects. Madeljin
Strick, Rob Holland, Rick van Baaren, and Ad van Knippenberg (2009) of
Radboud University conducted a study that showed the distracting nature
of a joke on bereaved individuals.[39]: 574–578 Subjects were presented
with a wide range of negative pictures and sentences. Their findings
showed that humorous therapy attenuated the negative emotions elicited
after negative pictures and sentences were presented. In addition, the
humour therapy was more effective in reducing negative affect as the
degree of affect increased in intensity.[39]: 575–576 Humour was
immediately effective in helping to deal with distress. The escapist
nature of humour as a coping mechanism suggests that it is most useful
in dealing with momentary stresses. Stronger negative stimuli requires a
different therapeutic approach.[citation needed] Humour is an
underlying character trait associated with the positive emotions used in
the broaden-and-build theory of cognitive development. Studies,
such as those testing the undoing hypothesis,[40]: 313 have shown
several positive outcomes of humour as an underlying positive trait in
amusement and playfulness. Several studies have shown that positive
emotions can restore autonomic quiescence after negative affect. For
example, Frederickson and Levinson showed that individuals who expressed
Duchenne smiles during the negative arousal of a sad and troubling
event recovered from the negative affect approximately 20% faster than
individuals who didn't smile.[40]: 314 Using humour judiciously can have a positive influence on cancer treatment.[41] Humour
can serve as a strong distancing mechanism in coping with adversity. In
1997 Kelter and Bonanno found that Duchenne laughter correlated with
reduced awareness of distress.[42] Positive emotion is able to loosen
the grip of negative emotions on peoples’ thinking. A distancing of
thought leads to a distancing of the unilateral responses people often
have to negative arousal. In parallel with the distancing role plays in
coping with distress, it supports the broaden and build theory that
positive emotions lead to increased multilateral cognitive pathway and
social resource building. Ageing Humour has been shown to
improve and help the ageing process in three areas. The areas are
improving physical health, improving social communications, and helping
to achieve a sense of satisfaction in life. Studies have shown
that constant humour in the ageing process gives health benefits to
individuals. Such benefits as higher self-esteem, lower levels of
depression, anxiety, and perceived stress, and a more positive
self-concept as well as other health benefits which have been recorded
and acknowledged through various studies.[43][44] Even patients with
specific diseases have shown improvement with ageing using humour.[45]
Overall there is a strong correlation through constant humour in ageing
and better health in the individuals. Another way that research
indicates that humour helps with the ageing process, is through helping
the individual to create and maintain strong social relationship during
transitory periods in their lives.[45] One such example is when people
are moved into nursing homes or other facilities of care. With this
transition certain social interactions with friend and family may be
limited forcing the individual to look else where for these social
interactions. Humour has been shown to make transitions easier, as
humour is shown reduce stress and facilitate socialisation and serves as
a social bonding function.[46] Humour may also help the transition in
helping the individual to maintain positive feelings towards those who
are enforcing the changes in their lives. These new social interactions
can be critical for these transitions in their lives and humour will
help these new social interactions to take place making these
transitions easier. Humour can also help ageing individuals
maintain a sense of satisfaction in their lives. Through the ageing
process many changes will occur, such as losing the right to drive a
car. This can cause a decrease in satisfaction in the lives of the
individual. Humour helps to alleviate this decrease of satisfaction by
allowing the humour to release stress and anxiety caused by changes in
the individuals life.[45] Laughing and humour can be a substitute for
the decrease in satisfaction by allowing individuals to feel better
about their situations by alleviating the stress.[43] This, in turn, can
help them to maintain a sense of satisfaction towards their new and
changing life style. Physiology In an article published in
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, it is reported that a study's results
indicate that humour is rooted in the frontal lobe of the cerebral
cortex. The study states, in part: "Humour seems to engage a
core network of cortical and subcortical structures, including
temporo-occipito-parietal areas involved in detecting and resolving
incongruity (mismatch between expected and presented stimuli); and the
mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system and the amygdala, key structures
for reward and salience processing."[47] Formula Surprise is a component of humour. Humour
can be verbal, visual, or physical. Non-verbal forms of
communication–for example, music or visual art–can also be humorous. Root components Being reflective of or imitative of reality Surprise/misdirection, contradiction/paradox, ambiguity. Methods Farce Hyperbole Metaphor Pun Reframing Timing Behaviour, place and size Rowan
Atkinson explains in his lecture in the documentary Funny Business[48]
that an object or a person can become funny in three ways: by behaving in an unusual way, by being in an unusual place, by being the wrong size. Most sight gags fit into one or more of these categories. Exaggeration Main article: Exaggeration Some
theoreticians of the comic consider exaggeration to be a universal
comic device.[49] It may take different forms in different genres, but
all rely on the fact that the easiest way to make things laughable is to
exaggerate to the point of absurdity their salient traits.[50] Taxonomy There are many taxonomies of humor; the following is used to classify humorous tweets in (Rayz 2012).[51] Anecdotes Fantasy Insult Irony Jokes Observational Quote Role play Self-deprecation Vulgarity Word play Other Culture Different
cultures have different typical expectations of humour so comedy shows
are not always successful when transplanted into another culture. For
example, a 2004 BBC News article discusses a stereotype among British
comedians that Americans and Germans do not understand irony, and
therefore UK sitcoms are not appreciated by them." (wikipedia.org) "A
practical joke device is a prop or toy intended to confuse, frighten,
or amuse individuals as a prank. Often, these objects are harmless
facsimiles of disgusting or terrifying objects, such as vomit or spilled
nail polish. In other instances, they are created as seemingly harmless
items designed to humorously malfunction in such a way as to confuse or
harm the target of a prank. The devices are frequently sold in magic or
specialty shops, purchased over the Internet, or crafted for oneself.
Perhaps the most notable such device is the whoopee cushion. Though
commonly employed at events and gatherings, practical joke devices are
sometimes seen in everyday life, either as a mechanism of play by
children, or among adult co-workers in a work environment. In addition
to commercially manufactured practical joke devices, everyday objects
have been converted into joke devices by purveyors of pranks.... Types of practical joke devices Excrement Fake excrement Excrement pile Soiled diaper Vomit Snot (for attaching to the nose) "New, lemon yellow Ty-D-Bol"[1] Body parts Artificial
body parts can be, for example, attached on or under autos (to pretend
as if someone's lost a limb after they're run over). artificial arm, foot or hand jammed finger oversized feet protruding eyes (accessory or on glasses) Truck nutz Horror devices Arrow in head Arrow and fake blood[2] Nail through finger or head Knife in head Fake animals A fake shark dorsal fin to appear to onlookers as a live shark pursuing a swimmer at a public beach or pool[citation needed] Vermin: mice, rats, snakes, spiders, worms, etc. Partial (or injured) stuffed toy animals
A stuffed-animal tiger's tail as a promotional gimmick for "a tiger in
your tank" (Esso oil company slogan)[citation needed] Partial
animals such as a half cat, designed to appear so that the rest of the
animal is trapped in a closed/latched door or storage
compartment[citation needed] Roadkill animals or fake remains
of injured animals. One such "Dead Dog Prop", billed as a "foam filled
latex prop of a skinned dog with large tire track squished through its
mid torso, chain attached for dragging purposes," was pulled from Sears,
Walmart and Amazon websites a few days before Halloween 2013.[3][4] Clothing Scare masks (particularly ones made of latex) Scare teeth (such as Dracula teeth, monster teeth, yellow teeth) that are similar to dentures Smoking articles Lit cigarette lookalike device Bang-producing matches Exploding cigars Exploding cigarette inserts Cigarette burn sticker Squirting cigarette Lighters (with electric shock, squirting, or bang-producing) Everlasting ash (the ash does not fall off) Nail polish Liquids Fake blood Magic ink (disappears after a short time) Stink bomb Broken egg with shell Fake spilled liquid with container, such as nail polish, chocolate syrup, red wine, etc. Squirting flower or camera Embarrassment Whoopee cushion Fart Machine (a remote-controlled battery-powered speaker that sets off sounds of various farts) Fart spray Sneezing powder Itching powder Exhaust-pipe whistle tips (for the muffler of an auto) Fart powder Fake leg Breast-shaped shower gel/shampoo dispenser Everyday objects Pen (with electric shock, or to set off a cap) Camera (with electric shock or squirting) Bitter candy (or e.g. with garlic flavor) Golf ball made of gypsum (shatters to powder when struck) Beer mug with enclosed liquid Pack of chewing gum (with smacking spring, squirting, electric shock, or to set off a cap) Water balloons Squeaking salt shaker Banana peels Foaming sugar cube Ring (squirting) Telescope with ink on lens (leaves a black circle around the victim's eye after use) Snake nut can looks like a can of nuts but has a spring snake inside, surprising the victim when opened. Toiletries Novelty soap Soot soap - turns hands black Blood soap Butt/Face soap (large bar soap one side white with the word "FACE" and the other side brown with the word "BUTT") Toilet paper Printed slogans such as a John Wayne or Chuck Norris roll, "Rough, tough, and doesn't take poop from anybody" No tear toilet paper Various printed patterns: caution tape, crime scene tape, sandpaper, or cheese grater teeth Documents and currency Fake lotto tickets Fake traffic tickets Fake or novelty currency Coin glued to a sidewalk or bogus currency glued inside a toilet bowl where hapless finders will attempt to retrieve it.
Banknotes printed on one side only or one half of the page, so as to
look valid when folded. Once unfolded, the remainder of the document is
blank or carries a message or promotional advertisement Fake
denominations of currency such as the three dollar bill. The Smoking Gun
reports a bogus-denomination $US200 depicting George W. Bush having
been accepted at a Food Lion store;[5] other reports list a Dairy Queen
in Danville, Kentucky as a victim of this hoax.[6] Another variant is
the use of unrealistically-large fictional denominations such as one
million or a billion dollars.[7] Currency depicting recent
incumbent politicians instead of historical leaders, usually casting
them in an unfavourable light. A Pierre Elliott Trudeau "fuddle dollar"
may identify itself as inflated and worthless currency, or a
non-standard denomination with Nixon, Bush, or Trump presidential
likenesses may infer itself to be unreliable, untrustworthy, or
worthless as a means of parodying these figures. Currency
issued by fictional, defunct, or non-sovereign entities, such as a
reprint of the now-worthless Confederate dollar or a parody "Quebuck"
purporting to be issued by Québec separatists. Currency
issued on non-standard media (such as rubber "to stretch a dollar" or
bog roll as an implicit acknowledgement the money being parodied is
worthless) or marked on its face as "funny money" issued by
counterfeiters. Camouflage passports from fictional nations or planets. A bogus charge card entitled "Major Credit Card" and purporting to be "for major purchases only".
A bogus charge card whose name and branding is a clear parody of an
existing, well-known card and slogan. A Yakov Smirnoff book cover
depicting a Russian version of American Express with slogan "Don't leave
home" is one example. Others Joy buzzer (hand buzzer) Bullet hole or glasscrack VHS tape rewinder
Covert TV Clicker (a miniature remote that controls TVs). These differ
from standard universal remote controls in that they blindly, without
interruption, send the turn-off code for every make of television in
sequence. No attempt is made to determine which is the valid code or
provide any useful control other than turning the TV off. Hot candy Cheap inflatable dolls. Inflatable sheep or goats are manufactured solely as a practical joke item[citation needed]. Pie (to be sat on or thrown at the face of a victim) Chinese finger trap (to get victim's finger stuck)" (wikipedia.org) "A
novelty item is an object which is specifically designed to serve no
practical purpose, and is sold for its uniqueness, humor, or simply as
something new (hence "novelty", or newness). The term also applies to
practical items with fanciful or nonfunctional additions, such as
novelty aprons, slippers, or toilet paper. The term is normally applied
to small objects, and is generally not used to describe larger items
such as roadside attractions. Items may have an advertising or
promotional purpose, or be a souvenir.... Usage This
term covers a range of small manufactured goods, such as collectables,
gadgets and executive toys. Novelty items are generally devices that do
not primarily have a practical function. Toys for adults are often
classed as novelties. Some products have a brief period as a novelty
item when they are actually new, only to become an established, commonly
used product, such as the Hula Hoop or the Frisbee. Others may
have an educational element, such as a Crookes radiometer, Newton's
cradle, or drinking bird. Sex toys are often described as novelty items
(varying from this definition, as they do serve a practical purpose),
and some products sold in sex shops may not have any practical sexual
function, if operating primarily as a humorous gift, such as sex dice.
Some food products may be considered novelty items, especially when
first introduced, such as deep-fried Mars bars. History Pet rocks with googly eyes, popularized during the 1970s A 3D printed Penrose triangle Humorous novelty signs The
French mathematician and astronomer Pierre Hérigone (1580–1643)
describes a novelty item that was a camera obscura in the form of a
goblet. Hérigone's device was constructed so that the user could spy on
others while taking a drink. Its 45-degree mirror had a stylized opening
for the lens and the lid bore a magnifying lens at the top. Lenticular
printing was developed in the 1940s, and is used extensively in the
production of novelty items. Paper clothing, which has some practical
purpose, was briefly novel in the United States in the 1960s. One
of the more popular novelty items in recent history was the singing Big
Mouth Billy Bass, manufactured by Gemmy Industries. It is estimated
that over 20 million original pieces were sold in 12 months during 2000
and 2001. Novelty items based on mathematical objects, such as
Klein bottles and Penrose triangles, have been manufactured. Models of
Möbius strips are sometimes made in place of regular bands, such as
rings. List of novelty items Wikimedia Commons has media related to Novelty objects. This
is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards
for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable
sources. Big Mouth Billy Bass Bobblehead Bubble pipe BunaB Chattering teeth Cheesehead Chinese finger trap Crookes radiometer Deely bobber Drinking bird Dehydrated water Expandable water toy Garden gnome Groucho glasses Horse head mask Joy buzzer Kit-Cat Klock Lava lamp Magic 8-Ball Mexican jumping bean New Year's glasses Newton's cradle Novelty lighter Pet Rock Plasma globe Plastic flamingo Propeller beanie Radio hat, while a practical item, was a novelty when it first appeared Silly Putty Slime Slinky Snow globe Squirmle Talking clock Toffee hammer Trammel of Archimedes Umbrella hat Useless machine Viking helmets Whoopee cushion X-Ray specs" (wikipedia.org) "A
pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's
company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock or a
laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive
appearances, intelligence and relatable personalities, but some pets
may be taken in on an altruistic basis (such as a stray animal) and
accepted by the owner regardless of these characteristics. Two of
the most popular pets are dogs and cats; the technical term for a cat
lover is an ailurophile and a dog lover a cynophile. Other animals
commonly kept include: rabbits; ferrets; pigs; rodents, such as gerbils,
hamsters, chinchillas, rats, mice, and guinea pigs; avian pets, such as
parrots, passerines and fowls; reptile pets, such as turtles,
alligators, crocodiles, lizards, and snakes; aquatic pets, such as fish,
freshwater and saltwater snails, amphibians like frogs and salamanders;
and arthropod pets, such as tarantulas and hermit crabs. Small pets may
be grouped together as pocket pets, while the equine and bovine group
include the largest companion animals. Pets provide their owners
(or "guardians")[1] both physical and emotional benefits. Walking a dog
can provide both the human and the dog with exercise, fresh air and
social interaction. Pets can give companionship to people who are living
alone or elderly adults who do not have adequate social interaction
with other people. There is a medically approved class of therapy
animals, mostly dogs or cats, that are brought to visit confined humans,
such as children in hospitals or elders in nursing homes. Pet therapy
utilizes trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical,
social, cognitive or emotional goals with patients. A Netherland Dwarf rabbit on a swing People
most commonly get pets for companionship, to protect a home or property
or because of the perceived beauty or attractiveness of the animals.[2]
A 1994 Canadian study found that the most common reasons for not owning
a pet were lack of ability to care for the pet when traveling (34.6%),
lack of time (28.6%) and lack of suitable housing (28.3%), with dislike
of pets being less common (19.6%).[2] Some scholars, ethicists and
animal rights organizations have raised concerns over keeping pets
because of the lack of autonomy and the objectification of non-human
animals." (wikipedia.org) "The
pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits
multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an
intended humorous or rhetorical effect.[1] These ambiguities can arise
from the intentional use of homophonic, homographic, metonymic, or
figurative language. A pun differs from a malapropism in that a
malapropism is an incorrect variation on a correct expression, while a
pun involves expressions with multiple (correct or fairly reasonable)
interpretations. Puns may be regarded as in-jokes or idiomatic
constructions, especially as their usage and meaning are usually
specific to a particular language or its culture. Puns have a long history in human writing. For example, the Roman playwright Plautus was famous for his puns and word games.... Types of puns Homophonic A black Jeep with license plate BAABAAA – a pun on Baa, Baa, Black Sheep See also: Homophonic puns in Standard Chinese A
homophonic pun is one that uses word pairs which sound alike
(homophones) but are not synonymous.[4] Walter Redfern summarized this
type with his statement, "To pun is to treat homonyms as synonyms."[5]
For example, in George Carlin's phrase "atheism is a non-prophet
institution", the word prophet is put in place of its homophone profit,
altering the common phrase "non-profit institution". Similarly, the joke
"Question: Why do we still have troops in Germany? Answer: To keep the
Russians in Czech" relies on the aural ambiguity of the homophones check
and Czech. Often, puns are not strictly homophonic, but play on words
of similar, not identical, sound as in the example from the Pinky and
the Brain cartoon film series: "I think so, Brain, but if we give peas a
chance, won't the lima beans feel left out?" which plays with the
similar—but not identical—sound of peas and peace in the anti-war slogan
"Give Peace a Chance".[6] Homographic A homographic pun
exploits words which are spelled the same (homographs) but possess
different meanings and sounds. Because of their origin, they rely on
sight more than hearing, contrary to homophonic puns. They are also
known as heteronymic puns. Examples in which the punned words typically
exist in two different parts of speech often rely on unusual sentence
construction, as in the anecdote: "When asked to explain his large
number of children, the pig answered simply: 'The wild oats of my sow
gave us many piglets.'" An example that combines homophonic and
homographic punning is Douglas Adams's line "You can tune a guitar, but
you can't tuna fish. Unless of course, you play bass." The phrase uses
the homophonic qualities of tune a and tuna, as well as the homographic
pun on bass, in which ambiguity is reached through the identical
spellings of /beɪs/ (a string instrument), and /bæs/ (a kind of fish).
Homographic puns do not necessarily need to follow grammatical rules and
often do not make sense when interpreted outside the context of the
pun. Homonymic Homonymic puns, another common type, arise from
the exploitation of words which are both homographs and homophones. The
statement "Being in politics is just like playing golf: you are trapped
in one bad lie after another" puns on the two meanings of the word lie
as "a deliberate untruth" and as "the position in which something
rests". An adaptation of a joke repeated by Isaac Asimov gives us "Did
you hear about the little moron who strained himself while running into
the screen door?" playing on strained as "to give much effort" and "to
filter".[7] A homonymic pun may also be polysemic, in which the words
must be homonymic and also possess related meanings, a condition that is
often subjective. However, lexicographers define polysemes as listed
under a single dictionary lemma (a unique numbered meaning) while
homonyms are treated in separate lemmata. Compounded A
compound pun is a statement that contains two or more puns. In this
case, the wordplay cannot go into effect by utilizing the separate words
or phrases of the puns that make up the entire statement. For example, a
complex statement by Richard Whately includes four puns: "Why can a man
never starve in the Great Desert? Because he can eat the sand which is
there. But what brought the sandwiches there? Why, Noah sent Ham, and
his descendants mustered and bred."[8] This pun uses sand which is
there/sandwiches there, Ham/ham, mustered/mustard, and bred/bread.
Similarly, the phrase "piano is not my forte" links two meanings of the
words forte and piano, one for the dynamic markings in music and the
second for the literal meaning of the sentence, as well as alluding to
"pianoforte", the older name of the instrument. Compound puns may also
combine two phrases that share a word. For example, "Where do
mathematicians go on weekends? To a Möbius strip club!" puns on the
terms Möbius strip and strip club. Recursive A recursive pun
is one in which the second aspect of a pun relies on the understanding
of an element in the first. For example, the statement "π is only half a
pie." (π radians is 180 degrees, or half a circle, and a pie is a
complete circle). Another example is "Infinity is not in finity", which
means infinity is not in finite range. Another example is "a Freudian
slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother."[9] The recursive
pun "Immanuel doesn't pun, he Kant", is attributed to Oscar Wilde.[2] Visual 148th
Fighter Squadron emblem, a visual pun in which the squadron's motto,
"Kickin' Ass", is depicted literally as an ass in the act of kicking
even though "kicking ass" is a colloquial expression for winning
decisively or being impressive. Visual puns are sometimes used in
logos, emblems, insignia, and other graphic symbols, in which one or
more of the pun aspects is replaced by a picture. In European heraldry,
this technique is called canting arms. Visual and other puns and word
games are also common in Dutch gable stones as well as in some cartoons,
such as Lost Consonants and The Far Side. Another type of visual pun
exists in languages which use non-phonetic writing. For example, in
Chinese, a pun may be based on a similarity in shape of the written
character, despite a complete lack of phonetic similarity in the words
punned upon.[10] Mark Elvin describes how this "peculiarly Chinese form
of visual punning involved comparing written characters to objects."[11] Visual
puns on the bearer's name are used extensively as forms of heraldic
expression, they are called canting arms. They have been used for
centuries across Europe and have even been used recently by members of
the British royal family, such as on the arms of Queen Elizabeth The
Queen Mother and of Princess Beatrice of York. The arms of U.S.
Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower are also
canting.[citation needed] In the context of non-phonetic texts, 4 Pics 1
Word, is an example of visual paronomasia where the players are
supposed to identify the word in common from the set of four images.[12] Other Richard
J. Alexander notes two additional forms which puns may take:
graphological (sometimes called visual) puns, such as concrete poetry;
and morphological puns, such as portmanteaux.[13] Use Comedy and jokes Puns
are a common source of humour in jokes and comedy shows. They are often
used in the punch line of a joke, where they typically give a humorous
meaning to a rather perplexing story. These are also known as feghoots.
The following example comes from the movie Master and Commander: The Far
Side of the World, though the punchline stems from far older Vaudeville
roots.[14] The final line puns on the stock phrase "the lesser of two
evils". After Aubrey offers his pun (to the enjoyment of many), Dr.
Maturin shows a disdain for the craft with his reply, "One who would pun
would pick-a-pocket." Captain Aubrey: "Do you see those two
weevils, Doctor?...Which would you choose?" Dr. Maturin: "Neither.
There's not a scrap of difference between them. They're the same species
of Curculio." Captain Aubrey: "If you had to choose. If you were forced
to make a choice. If there were no other option." Dr. Maturin: "Well,
then, if you're going to push me. I would choose the right-hand weevil.
It has significant advantage in both length and breadth." Captain
Aubrey: "There, I have you!...Do you not know that in the Service, one
must always choose the lesser of the two weevils." Not
infrequently, puns are used in the titles of comedic parodies[citation
needed]. A parody of a popular song, movie, etc., may be given a title
that hints at the title of the work being parodied, replacing some of
the words with ones that sound or look similar. For example, collegiate a
cappella groups are often named after musical puns to attract fans
through attempts at humor[citation needed]. Such a title can immediately
communicate both that what follows is a parody and also which work is
about to be parodied, making any further "setup" (introductory
explanation) unnecessary. 2014 saw the inaugural UK Pun
Championships, at the Leicester Comedy Festival, hosted by Lee Nelson.
The competition included the line "My computer's got a Miley Virus. It's
stopped twerking."[15] Walsh went on to take part in the O. Henry
Pun-Off World Championships in Austin, Texas.[16] In 2015 the UK Pun
Champion was Leo Kearse.[17] Books never written See also: Aptronym Sometimes
called "books never written" or "world's greatest books", these are
jokes which consist of fictitious book titles with authors' names that
contain a pun relating to the title.[18] Perhaps the best-known example
is: "Tragedy on the Cliff by Eileen Dover", which according to one
source was devised by humourist Peter DeVries.[19] It is common for
these puns to refer to taboo subject matter, such as "What Boys Love by
E. Norma Stitts".[18] Literature Non-humorous puns were and
are a standard poetic device in English literature. Puns and other forms
of wordplay have been used by many famous writers, such as Alexander
Pope,[20] James Joyce,[21] Vladimir Nabokov,[22] Robert Bloch,[23] Lewis
Carroll,[24] John Donne,[25] and William Shakespeare. In the
poem A Hymn to God the Father, John Donne, whose wife's name was Anne
More, puns repeatedly: "Son/sun" in the second quoted line, and two
compound puns on "Donne/done" and "More/more". All three are homophonic,
with the puns on "more" being both homographic and capitonymic. The
ambiguities introduce several possible meanings into the verses. "When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done / For I have more. that at my death Thy Son / Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore And having done that, Thou hast done; / I fear no more." Alfred Hitchcock stated, "Puns are the highest form of literature."[26] Shakespeare In
fact, Shakespeare is estimated to have used over 3,000 puns in his
plays.[27] Even though many of the puns were bawdy, Elizabethan
literature considered puns and wordplay to be a "sign of literary
refinement" more so than humor. This is evidenced by the deployment of
puns in serious or "seemingly inappropriate" scenes, like when a dying
Mercutio quips "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man"
in Romeo and Juliet.[28] Shakespeare was also noted for his
frequent play with less serious puns, the "quibbles" of the sort that
made Samuel Johnson complain, "A quibble is to Shakespeare what luminous
vapours are to the traveller! He follows it to all adventures; it is
sure to lead him out of his way, sure to engulf him in the mire. It has
some malignant power over his mind, and its fascinations are
irresistible."[29] Elsewhere, Johnson disparagingly referred to punning
as the lowest form of humour.[30] Rhetoric Puns can function
as a rhetorical device, where the pun serves as a persuasive instrument
for an author or speaker. Although puns are sometimes perceived as trite
or silly, if used responsibly a pun "can be an effective communication
tool in a variety of situations and forms".[31] A major difficulty in
using puns in this manner is that the meaning of a pun can be
interpreted very differently according to the audience's background with
the possibility of detracting from the intended message.[32] Design Like
other forms of wordplay, paronomasia is occasionally used for its
attention-getting or mnemonic qualities, making it common in titles and
the names of places, characters, and organizations, and in advertising
and slogans.[33][34] The Tiecoon Tie shop, in Penn Station NY, an example of a pun in a shop name Many
restaurant and shop names use puns: Cane & Able mobility
healthcare, Sam & Ella's Chicken Palace, Tiecoon tie shop, Planet of
the Grapes wine and spirits,[35] Curl Up and Dye hair salon, as do
books such as Pies and Prejudice, webcomics like (YU+ME: dream) and
feature films such as (Good Will Hunting). The Japanese anime Speed
Racer's original Japanese title, Mach GoGoGo! refers to the English word
itself, the Japanese word for five (the Mach Five's car number), and
the name of the show's main character, Go Mifune. This is also an
example of a multilingual pun, full understanding of which requires
knowledge of more than one language on the part of the listener. Names
of fictional characters also often carry puns, such as Satoshi's
English name, Ash Ketchum and Goku ("Kakarrot"), the protagonists of the
anime series based on the video game series Pokémon and the manga
series Dragon Ball, respectively, both franchises which are known for
including second meanings in the names of many of their characters. A
recurring motif in the Austin Powers films repeatedly puns on names
which suggest male genitalia. In the science fiction television series
Star Trek, "B-4" is used as the name of one of four androids models
constructed "before" the android Data, a main character. A librarian in
another Star Trek episode was named "Mr. Atoz" (A to Z). The
parallel sequel The Lion King 1½ advertised with the phrase "You haven't
seen the 1/2 of it!". Wyborowa Vodka employed the slogan "Enjoyed for
centuries straight", while Northern Telecom used "Technology the world
calls on."[33] On 1 June 2015 the BBC Radio 4 You and Yours
included a feature on "Puntastic Shop Titles". Entries included a
Chinese Takeaway in Ayr town centre called "Ayr's Wok", a kebab shop in
Ireland called "Abra Kebabra" and a tree-surgeon in Dudley called
"Special Branch". The winning entry, selected by Lee Nelson, was a dry
cleaner's in Fulham and Chelsea called "Starchy and Starchy", a pun on
Saatchi & Saatchi.[36] In the media Paronomasia has found a
strong foothold in the media. William Safire of the New York Times
suggests that "the root of this pace-growing [use of paronomasia] is
often a headline-writer's need for quick catchiness, and has resulted in
a new tolerance for a long-despised form of humor."[37] It can be
argued that paronomasia is common in media headlines, to draw the
reader's interest. The rhetoric is important because it connects people
with the topic. A notable example is the New York Post headline
"Headless Body in Topless Bar".[38] Paronomasia is prevalent
orally as well. Salvatore Attardo believes that puns are verbal humor.
He talks about Pepicello and Weisberg's linguistic theory of humor and
believes the only form of linguistic humor is limited to puns.[39] This
is because a pun is a play on the word itself. Attardo believes that
only puns are able to maintain humor and this humor has significance. It
is able to help soften a situation and make it less serious, it can
help make something more memorable, and using a pun can make the speaker
seem witty. Paronomasia is strong in print media and oral
conversation so it can be assumed that paronomasia is strong in
broadcast media as well. Examples of paronomasia in media are sound
bites. They could be memorable because of the humor and rhetoric
associated with paronomasia, thus making the significance of the
soundbite stronger. Confusion and alternative uses There exist
subtle differences between paronomasia and other literary techniques,
such as the double entendre. While puns are often simple wordplay for
comedic or rhetorical effect, a double entendre alludes to a second
meaning which is not contained within the statement or phrase itself,
often one which purposefully disguises the second meaning. As both
exploit the use of intentional double meanings, puns can sometimes be
double entendres, and vice versa. Puns also bear similarities with
paraprosdokian, syllepsis, and eggcorns. In addition, homographic puns
are sometimes compared to the stylistic device antanaclasis, and
homophonic puns to polyptoton. Puns can be used as a type of mnemonic
device to enhance comprehension in an educational setting. Used
discreetly, puns can effectively reinforce content and aid in the
retention of material. Some linguists have encouraged the creation of
neologisms to decrease the instances of confusion caused by puns.[40] History and global usage See also: Bilingual pun Puns were found in ancient Egypt, where they were heavily used in the development of myths and interpretation of dreams.[41] In
China, Shen Dao (ca. 300 BC) used "shi", meaning "power", and "shi",
meaning "position" to say that a king has power because of his position
as king.[42] In ancient Mesopotamia around 2500 BC, punning was used by scribes to represent words in cuneiform.[43] The Hebrew Bible contains puns.[44] The Maya are known for having used puns in their hieroglyphic writing, and for using them in their modern languages.[45] In Japan, "graphomania" was one type of pun.[46] In
Tamil, "Sledai" is the word used to mean pun in which a word with two
different meanings. This is also classified as a poetry style in ancient
Tamil literature. Similarly, in Telugu, "Slesha" is the equivalent word
and is one of several poetry styles in Telugu literature."
(wikipedia.org) "BarkBox
is a monthly subscription service providing dog products, services, and
experiences. BARK serves over 1 million dogs monthly through BarkBox
and Super Chewer subscriptions and retail
distribution.[2][3][4][5][6][7] On December 17, 2020, Barkbox,
Inc. and Northern Star Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: STIC.U), a publicly
traded special purpose acquisition company, announced that they had
entered into a definitive merger agreement. As a result of the
transaction, which values the Company at an enterprise value of
approximately $1.6 billion, BARK will become a publicly listed company
on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol,
"BARK".[8][9] History The company was founded December 2011 by
Carly Strife, Matt Meeker, and Henrik Werdelin.[2][6] Prior to
co-founding BarkBox, Meeker co-founded the social networking site
Meetup.com.[2][7][10] As of September 17, 2020 Manish Joneja is the CEO
at BARK, succeeding co-founder Matt Meeker.[11] In April 2013,
the company raised $6.7 million in a venture funding.[6][10][12] The
company surpassed the $25 million revenue run rate the same year.[12]
BARK received an additional $15 Million in Series B funding led by
Resolute.vc, along with RRE, BoxGroup, Lerer Ventures, Bertelsmann
Digital Media Investments, Slow Ventures, Daher Capital, CAA, Vast
Ventures, and City National Bank in 2014.[3][4] BARK launched BarkCam in early 2014, a photo sharing app which operates as an "Instagram for dogs" and their owners.[13] BarkBox
allows owners to personalize their dog's monthly subscription boxes
based on their dog's needs. Each dog is unique and requires different
toy options to match their style of play.[14] Products and services BarkBox,
a monthly subscription service for dogs.[10] Each BarkBox has at least 2
toys, 2 treats, and a chew each month, all based on a monthly
theme.[15] BARK Bright, a dog wellness product line. The company
launched the first Bright product in October 2019 with Bright
Dental[16][17][18][19][20] — an enzymatic gel toothpaste and dental
chew. Bright Dental received an honorable mention in Fast Company's
World Changing Ideas 2020 and a mention in Time's Best Inventions
2019.[21][22] BARK Essentials, every day items for dogs such as a memory foam dog bed with bed sheets and poop bags.[23][24] BARK Eats, a dog-food delivery service launched in March 2020.[25] BarkPost, a dog-themed content site.[7][26] BarkBuddy
is similar to a "Tinder for dogs", as users can swipe left or right
depending on their level of interest in the dog.[27][28] The free app,
available for iPhone and Android,[29] is designed to match humans with
dogs up for adoption at nearby shelters, and users can filter choices by
gender, location, activity level, age, and size.[29] The app is
connected to rescue centers and shelters across the United States and
Canada, and there are approximately 300,000 dogs in the
database.[27][28][29] The app sources many of its adoptable dogs from
the pet adoption website Petfinder and from BARK's personal network of
shelters and rescue organizations." (wikipedia.org)