RNL Bio, which bought the patent from the university, filed a lawsuit against the Sooam Biotech Research Center led by Hwang a year ago after Hwang’s team produced cloned dogs for a foreign biotech company.

“The court accepted that Sooam’s technology is a new invention, which is different from the existing technique bought by RNL Bio from the Seoul National University,” Hwang’s colleague Hyun Sang-Hwan told AFP.

An RNL Bio official said the company was considering an appeal.

A team of researchers at the Seoul National University produced the world’s first cloned dog, an Afghan hound named Snuppy, in 2005, under Hwang’s stewardship.

But Hwang was later fired by the university after his landmark studies on cloned human stem cells in 2004 and 2005 were exposed as fraudulent.

Hwang has no claim over the university’s dog cloning technology as South Korean law states that intellectual property developed by a government-run institution belongs to the state.

Prosecutors here last month demanded a four-year jail term for Hwang, who is on trial for fraud, embezzlement and ethical breaches in connection with the fraudulent research. From 2009 AFP. Copyrighted.

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A Seoul district court on Friday ruled that his cloning technology is different from procedures patented by the Seoul National University.

RNL Bio, which bought the patent from the university, filed a lawsuit against the Sooam Biotech Research Center led by Hwang a year ago after Hwang’s team produced cloned dogs for a foreign biotech company.

“The court accepted that Sooam’s technology is a new invention, which is different from the existing technique bought by RNL Bio from the Seoul National University,” Hwang’s colleague Hyun Sang-Hwan told AFP.

An RNL Bio official said the company was considering an appeal.

A team of researchers at the Seoul National University produced the world’s first cloned dog, an Afghan hound named Snuppy, in 2005, under Hwang’s stewardship.

But Hwang was later fired by the university after his landmark studies on cloned human stem cells in 2004 and 2005 were exposed as fraudulent.

Hwang has no claim over the university’s dog cloning technology as South Korean law states that intellectual property developed by a government-run institution belongs to the state.

Prosecutors here last month demanded a four-year jail term for Hwang, who is on trial for fraud, embezzlement and ethical breaches in connection with the fraudulent research.

Trent Consultants Dog Care and Training is all about helping pet owners enhance their relationships with their pets. Our professional pet-care services includes boarding, grooming, training, now available in Korea. When you’re at work, your dog can be playing and getting the attention he needs at Trent Consultants. Dogs that come for day care have opportunities to play throughout the day in one of our three fenced outdoor play areas with our doggie playgroups. You can visit us at www.trentconsultant.com. Email us info@trentconsultant.com.

Trent Consultants News: But pet owners — who have to shell out $100,000 or more to clone a pet dog — will still have to pay tens of thousands of dollars if they want to clone their beloved dogs and should be prepared for long waits because most commercial canine cloning is for working animals including sniffer dogs at airports.

RNL Bio said it has developed a new method to clone dogs using stem cells derived from fat tissue that greatly increases the likelihood of success.

It added the new technology can also help in studying treatments of genetic disorders in canines that have similarities to human illnesses including diabetes.

“If we fully develop this technology, dog cloning will be much easier than now. We can reduce the cost for cloning,” said Ra Jeongchan, the chief executive of Seoul-based RNL Bio.

Ra, which is applying for a patent, said two cloned beagle puppies were born in the past week using this method which could reduce the cost of cloning a pet dog to about $50,000 within three years.

Canines are considered one of the more difficult mammals to clone because of their reproductive cycle that includes difficult-to-predict ovulations.

Scores of dogs have been cloned using so-called somatic cell nuclear transfer, a technique for hollowing out the nucleus of a donor egg and injecting it with the donor’s genetic material, which is typically skin tissue taken from the ear.

Ra said stem cells from fat tissue are far easier to reprogram and there is about a 20 percent chance a manipulated cell will result in a clone, an improvement over the previous method where the success rate was in the single digits.

South Korea’s Customs Service said it paid about 60 million won ($43,840) to clone sniffer dogs with RNL, which is affiliated with Seoul National University (SNU) and cloned the dogs at a reduced cost for the government.

The SNU lab was once led by disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk, who is now standing trial on charges of fraud and embezzlement. Hwang now has his own lab called Sooam Biotech Research Foundation that also clones dogs commercially. (Additional reporting by Shin Ae-lin; Editing by Sugita Katyal)

Trent Consultants Dog Care and Training is all about helping pet owners enhance their relationships with their pets. Our professional pet-care services includes boarding, grooming, training, now available in Korea. When you’re at work, your dog can be playing and getting the attention he needs at Trent Consultants. Dogs that come for day care have opportunities to play throughout the day in one of our three fenced outdoor play areas with our doggie playgroups. You can visit us at www.trentconsultant.com. Email us info@trentconsultant.com.

One: The Border Collie comes in at number one. Because of their extraordinary intelligence and high energy, it is essential to give Border Collies an occupation or purpose, or you may well find your home wrecked upon your return from a long day at work. They have an intense connection with humans, making them ideal work and home companions. However, keep this in mind: Border Collies invariably will not do well unless they are with people who are as high energy as they are; they do best with humans who can participate in dog sports with them. Also, because of their background as herding dogs, they may be frustrated by small children, as their inability to herd the children as they deem fit is confounded. For the right human, the Border Collie is well behaved, exceptionally good at learning, and a true-blue companion.

Two: Poodle . Easily trainable, steadfast, and sharp-minded, Poodles flourish in human company. Even with the frou-frou hairdos, Poodles are sometimes made to endure and can be quite effective as guard dogs, especially the standard sized Poodles. In fact, the “poodle clip,” was created specifically for the working Poodle, so that it could swim more effectively, while still having fur to protect its organs as it went about the business of hunting and retrieving. The Poodle excels at training and obedience, and also loves creative play time. This is what made them so popular as circus performers. But, this can be a drawback as well. If left alone to boredom, Poodles can be creative about finding ways to amuse themselves, sometimes finding trouble along the way.

Three: German Shepherd. The German Shepherd was originally bred specifically for intelligence. Smart, courageous, and protective, the Shepherd is one of the most dependable of companions. They learn tasks after only a few repetitions, and obey first commands nearly always the first time it is given. They are eager to learn new tasks, as this gives them direction and purpose—very important for a Shepherd. Besides being used for herding animals, they are often used as guard dogs, police dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and have even been trained by the military for parachute jumps.

Four: Golden Retriever. A very affectionate and popular breed, the Golden Retriever is highly regarded for its intelligence. They can learn well over 200 commands, making them indispensable companions, both in the home and in the workplace. Loyal, loving, and patient, with a willingness to please and a love of learning, this is a fabulous companion pet to bring into your family.

Five: Doberman Pinscher. Due to an inborn fearlessness and deep stamina, the Doberman is one of the most popular of guard dogs. Smart and assertive, they can easily be trained for dominance or docility. Because of their past as war and police dogs, they may appear fearsome, but they are actually quite gentle. Their loyalty and acuity make Doberman’s great additions to the family.

Article source from divinecaroline.com

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Trent Consultants News: The puppy was born in April to its surrogate mom, a Labrador retriever. His name: Snuppy, short for Seoul National University puppy.

The team of scientists there that cloned the dog, led by Hwang Woo Suk, is the same one that first cloned human embryonic stem cells last year. Their achievement is reported in the journal Nature.

Researchers have cloned other animals, but dog cloning has posed a particular challenge. And the difficulties have alarmed some animal advocates and researchers.

The team created 1,095 embryos cloned from ear-skin cells of the hound and transferred them over two years into 123 female dogs. Only three pregnancies resulted: One ended in miscarriage, one puppy died after 22 days of pneumonia, and the last produced Snuppy.

Because dogs, unlike other mammals, ovulate immature eggs, the team had to remove eggs surgically from anesthetized dogs in heat. Only mature eggs are amenable to cloning, in which a skin cell is inserted into a hollowed-out egg, and the resulting combination is jolted with electricity to begin dividing like a normal embryo.

The “primary goal is to advance medical, including veterinary medical, understanding of disease causes and to accelerate stem cell research to the clinic,” report co-author Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh says.

Dog cloning has been controversial because it has long been the goal of some who want to replace beloved pets that way. Genetic Savings & Clone, a California firm that sells cloned cats for $32,000, heralded the advance in a statement. “We expect to provide cloning services to the owners of exceptional dogs around the world.”

Company officials said they expect to commercially clone a dog within a year using eggs collected from spaying procedures at veterinary clinics.

But biologist Martin Stephens of the U.S. Humane Society says, “We do have grave concerns.” He notes that millions of dogs await adoption in the nation’s animal shelters.

“Neither (the) results, nor we, support pet cloning,” Schatten says.

The American Anti-Vivisection Society, an animal rights group, released a statement calling for the regulation of pet cloning, saying, “The sole surviving puppy faces an uncertain future, as other cloned animals have been plagued by health complications resulting in their premature deaths.”

The cloner of Dolly the sheep renewed a demand for a worldwide ban on human reproductive cloning.

“Successful cloning of an increasing number of species confirms the general impression that it would be possible to clone any mammalian species, including humans,” said Ian Wilmut to The Associated Press. The reproductive biologist at the University of Edinburgh produced Dolly nearly a decade ago.

Dolly died prematurely in 2003 after developing cancer and arthritis.

The dog cloning team tried to distance its work from commercial cloning. “This is to advance stem cell science and medicine, not to make dogs by this unnatural method,” Schatten said to the AP.

Other scientists praised the South Korean team. “I think it’s incredible, just a statement of perseverance on their part, says Mark Westhusin of Texas A&M University

Like Dolly and other predecessors, Snuppy was created using a method called somatic cell nuclear transfer, or SCNT.

Scientists transfer genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell to an egg whose nucleus — with its genetic material — has been removed. The reconstructed egg holding the DNA from the donor cell is treated with chemicals or electric current to stimulate cell division.

Once the cloned embryo reaches a suitable stage, it is transferred to the uterus of a surrogate where it continues to develop until birth.

Dog eggs are problematic because they are released from the ovary earlier than in other mammals. This time, the researchers waited and collected more mature unfertilized eggs from the donors’ fallopian tubes.

Snuppy was delivered by Caesarean section from his surrogate mother, a yellow Labrador retriever.

Schatten said the Afghan hound’s genetic profile is relatively pure and easy to distinguish compared to dogs with more muddled backgrounds. But dog experts said the researchers’ choice of breed choice was disquieting.

“The Afghan hound is not a particularly intelligent dog, but it is beautiful,” said psychologist Stanley Coren to the AP. Coren is the author of the best-selling manual “The Intelligence of Dogs.” He ranked the Afghan hound last among 119 breeds in temperament and trainability.

“Many people who opt for the cloning technique are more interested in fashionable looks,” he said to the AP. “Whenever we breed dogs for looks and ignore behavior, we have suffered.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trent Consultants Dog Care and Training is all about helping pet owners enhance their relationships with their pets. Our professional pet-care services includes boarding, grooming, training, now available in Korea. When you’re at work, your dog can be playing and getting the attention he needs at Trent Consultants. Dogs that come for day care have opportunities to play throughout the day in one of our three fenced outdoor play areas with our doggie playgroups. You can visit us at www.trentconsultant.com. Email us info@trentconsultant.com.

Grooming your dog yourself can easily be done at home with a little practice. Brushing your dog is a good start. With several different brushes available to the consumer, you will have to choose the one that works best for your dog’s hair coat. Brushing your dog removes dirt and loose hair and prevents mats from forming. Unfortunately, sometimes those mats are already there and they need to be removed before bathing the dog. Carefully clean your dog’s eyes and gently wipe out your dogs ears, noticing if there is any redness or tenderness to the ears. If there is an odor coming from the ears, or your dog seems to be in pain, seek out a veterinarian’s advice.

Check your dog’s teeth, and again check with your veterinarian for instructions on keeping them clean.

Toenails that grow too long can be painful for a dog, so use a toenail clipper made just for dogs to clip them. You can find these clippers at stores where pet products are sold.

Now your dog is ready for the bath. Be careful not to get water in the dog’s ears and eyes. Thoroughly wet its coat and apply shampoo made for dogs. Gently lather the dog’s hair coat; once lathered be sure to rinse the shampoo out completely. Dry your dog’s coat with an absorbent towel, or if you have a long haired dog, consider using a blow dryer. With a little practice and a lot of patience, grooming can be done at home. For more information on grooming, there are books and videos for teaching the at-home groomer.

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