The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of This Just In…Originally written by both my lovely wife, Jennifer and me, this blog brings you the latest news about our furry friends including articles, columns, photos and videos. Enjoy!

THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.

TODAY:  Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. High of 44. “D”

SUNDAY:  Partly to mostly cloudy. High of 50. “C”

Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week.

Actress Jenna Malone was among a group of witnesses who say they saw a man abusing a small dog before several people beat him near Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. KNBC’s John Cadiz Klemack reports. 

Internet Backs New Mom Avoiding Couple Due to ‘Aggressive’ Breed of Dog.

VIDEO & ARTICLE: Dog with six legs, two penises wasn’t expected to live. Now he’s healthy and has a new home.

Bomb-sniffing dog detects explosives in Ukraine, video shows.

Remember this…

Ukraine’s Hachiko: Dog refuses to leave side of owner’s body in Kyiv.

Neiman Marcus hires gun-sniffing dogs to patrol Mag Mile store. And they apparently work.

From one of our favorites, Stanley Coren: Can a Snoring Dog Jeopardize a Marriage?

Humans bred dogs to have puppy-dog eyes.

Most US dog owners don’t follow FDA pet food handling guidelines: study.

Your Pet’s Food Bowl Is Big Infection Risk, Experts Warn.

And now, a brief video…

OH OH. Don’t let dogs lick your face! Pet owners warned sign of affection could be deadly.

Jennifer blogged about this many years ago:

Growing up, I never hesitated to receive a lick on the hand OR face from either of my dogs.  Come to think of it, I never hesitated to get one from any dog I knew.  I never thought it was gross if a dog licked my face.  Sure, some kisses were drier than others…   My Basenji’s lick felt nearly like a cat’s it was so dry and tidy.  My Springer Spaniel’s swipe made you look for the nearest towel – STAT. 

I will say that occasionally (as my seasonal allergies have worsened and my skin has become more sensitive) a dog’s lick will trigger a few localized hives.  I know this in advance yet I can’t resist some canine affection.  So I simply wash my hand or cheek with soap, apply a dab of hydrocortisone cream and that’s that.  Despite this reaction I still don’t shy away from a pooch smooch.

But let’s make one thing abundantly clear…  I’m talking about a dog (my dog, a friend’s dog, a dog I met ten seconds ago) licking my hand, arm, or cheek.  That’s as far as it goes.  And I’m sure the same holds true for many if not all dog owners/lovers.  We’re not referring to “intimate kissing” for crying out loud!  Personally I don’t think alarm bells need to sound over the discovery of a particular type of germ in a dog’s mouth.

Quite frankly after Kyla’s first year of school, I’m starting to think that being in a room full of four- and five-year-olds is WAY dirtier and germier than anything a dog can dish out.  We’ve endured sinus infections, ear infections, and several rounds of pink eye in these past nine months.  In all the years we’ve been affectionate with dogs not ONCE have we contracted any sort of malady.

So “urban legend” or not, I’m sticking with the theory that it’s not that terrible to have your dog kiss you.  These kinds of reports and stories  just don’t scare me.
—Jennifer Fischer, June 7, 2014

Back to this week’s news…

Veterinarians share 10 ways you could be making your dog angry without realizing.

For National Dog Bite Prevention Week (April 10-16), experts provide tips to prevent likelihood of bites.

Rule-Following Dog Caught on Camera Hilariously Calling Out Her Canine Sister for Misbehaving.

That’s it for this week. Thanks for stopping by.

We’d really appreciate it if you forward this on to other dog lovers you know. Let them have some fun!

See ya, BARK, next Saturday!