The Observer also recalls the 2007 Boston Globe article that first brought the dog incident to light.

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Boston Dynamics rose to fame with its four-legged cargo robot Big Dog, (also captured in a YouTube sensation here) which shows an uncannily life-like ability to walk over terrain and recover its footing even when it slips or is kicked.

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They were thoroughly humiliated by Bush senior's attack dog, the late Lee Atwater, who used everything from the state of Boston harbour to the activities of Willie Horton, a murderer and rapist, to destroy Mr Dukakis.

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Festo isn't quite the household name that Boston Dynamics is. (And, really, we're not entirely sure Big Dog is a regular topic of conversation at dinner tables yet.) But, it certainly deserves just as much attention for the work they're doing with robotics.

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With my move back to Boston from New York, with elderly and active dogs in tow, a required stop had to be to Polka Dog Bakery, the little shop in the South End neighborhood that makes healthy dog treats and carries some cool merchandise for pet lovers everywhere.

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