Heart of Dogness

Taking the Dog for a Walk: The Beach Reopens

On September 15, the town's summer ban on dogs at the beach (can't let the tourists see what kind of loathsome mutts live here) expired. So we tossed the dogs in the car and drove down to Long Beach.

It was JoJo's first time at the beach, and to say she was in heaven would be to seriously understate her joy. She'd never seen so much space to run, or so many things to run after. As soon as she got to the water, she spotted the Sanderlings. These are the cute little birdies that run up and down with the surf, picking out bits of food from the sand. Most dogs will chase Sanderlings a hundred feet or so down the beach until the birds take off, then trot proudly back to their humans. JoJo didn't get this memo. She chased the Sanderlings a hundred feet or so down the beach until they took off, then kept chasing them as they flew out over the water, landed several hundred yards away, then took off again to avoid JoJo, then flew out over the water, then.... Eventually, they all ran out of beach and the Sanderlings took off for New Jersey, muttering something about "friggin' dogs" under their breaths. And JoJo went looking for something else to chase.

The something else was Gus. JoJo darted around, over, under and through the bewildered mutt until she finally got him to chase her. She did at least seven complete laps of the beach, and Gus did three. Gus lay down and slept all the way home. JoJo lay down for about thirty seconds.

We've been back to the beach several times since. JoJo's figured out she's not going to catch Sanderlings, which now number in the hundreds rather than the few dozen that first day. We've also seen Greater Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, a late-departing Willet, the first few of the coming millions of Eiders, and the usual aggregation of Gulls.

Review: Double Dog Dare by Linda Johnston

Linda Johnston is the author of a series of mysteries featuring Kendra Ballantyne, an attorney and pet-sitter, and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexie. Linda, who is also an attorney and pet-sitter with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Lexie, wrote a guest post here a while back.

Linda sent me a copy of her newest Kendra Ballantyne book, Double Dog Dare, to review, and I'm glad she did. The book is a whirlwind, with a plot twist every time it looks like things are about to settle into a groove. The end of every chapter, especially near the end, provides a kick into the next page until you finally conclude that, heck, I've got to find out how this ends.

Things start off briskly, as Kendra worries about the extended incommunicado absence of private investigator Jeff Hubbard, her soon-to-be squeeze-in-residence. The phone rings, and LAPD detective Ned Noralles tells Kendra that Jeff's Escalade, without Jeff but with blood and a broken window, has been found badly parked in an aqueduct north of town. From there, the twists just keep on coming as we follow Kendra on her rounds as attorney, pet-sitter, and amateur detective.

One of the delights of Double Dog Dare is that the attorney, pet-sitter and detective roles interweave and ccomplement each other in wholly unexpected ways: Jeff's disappearance may be connected with a pet-cloning business named (nice touch) The Clone Arranger (just speculating, but I think that's where the "Double Dog" part comes in); to put together her investigation, Kendra uses resources from her pet-sitting business, which in turn provides some of the contacts she needs to resolve a lawsuit against one of her clients. The subplots braid together in ways that keep you guessing while propelling you forward, and in the end everything falls into place satisfactorily and plausibly. With, much more than incidentally, the dogs at the center of every strand.

Double Dog Dare is both stimulating and rewarding, and would be a great beach book for those of you whose beaches are still warm. Otherwise, grab a modest but spritely Shiraz and a couple of dogs, curl up on the couch and read it while the wind and the rain howl outside. You'll be well compensated for your time.

Double Dog Dare is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and other fine bookstores.

Product Review: Dr. Harvey's Barkotti

The nice folks at Dr. Harvey's sent us a package of their new Barkotti to test. The description in their email said: Barkotti are handmade biscotti for dogs made with organic ingredients. These treats are delicious and beautiful, and because they come from Dr. Harvey's you know they are the healthiest treats available. Dogs absolutely love Barkotti! These unique biscotti treats are made with organic flours, 8 vegetables, apples, 7 herbs, bee pollen and love! Barkotti contain no preservatives, coloring agents, corn, wheat, soy, salt or sugar and are made in the USA from 100% human grade ingredients. They promote healthy gums and teeth, and because they are so delicious they make a great training treat. We've been trying these for a couple of weeks, and here are the results: Gus: I never met a treat I didn't like, but I like these better than most. When Cap'n Chucky holds a Barkotti and another treat side by side, I'll go for the Barkotti first. And with all that healthy stuff in them, I should be around to enjoy Barkotti for a long time. JoJo: I'm kind of a Nervous Nelly, and coming for a snack is hard for me. When I take a Barkotti, I place it on the floor in front of me and start scoping for trouble. Then Gus takes the treat. I wolud probably like them. Maybe one day I'll calm down enough to just eat one. Cap'n Chucky: Barkotti have a pleasant whole-grain taste and just a little sweetness from the honey. They're not much harder to chew than regular biscotti, with a healthier nutritional profile. The Takeaway: A snack you can dip into your coffee and enjoy with your dogs. Don't dip your dogs' Barkotti into their coffee. They're perfectly capable of doing this on their own, and resent it when you presume to make decisions like this for them.

Update on Puppy Adoptions

I've been a bit lax about keeping folks up to date on the status of JoJo and Dinghy.

Gus no longer tries to kill JoJo, and has in fact become rather protective of her. They play together for hours, as illustrated at left. This looks, I'll admit, like Gus trying to kill JoJo, but please note that her teeth are every bit as much engaged as his. In fact, she usually starts this nonsense.

Best evidence that he's not actually trying to kill her is that, at some point during each of these fights, he'll roll onto his back and let her drag him around the room by his ruff. How a 25-pound dog drags a 60-pound dog eludes me, but she does it.

Dinghy is no longer the starved urchin he was when Betsy got him. He's about as tall and as long as JoJo, but his legs and body are twice as thick and his paws are bigger than Gus's (no big accomplishment, this: Gus looks like he's walking in toe shoes; nevertheless...). The vet's current estimate is that he's part beagle and part pit bull, and will end up at about 60 pounds. He's also a real sweetie pie.

September 19th Be International Bark-Like-a-Pirate Day

Jumper's True Dog Story 3: New Respect With Dog Lady

Once my dog got caught in razor wire and ran home, right at the same time a neighbor, trying to start a problematic car that had sat a few days, caused it to backfire loudly. At that moment my dog appeared at my back door, bleeding profusely and visibly. Well, you can imagine what I thought: that the "boom," and my dog's injury, meant that she had just been shot!

So I called 911, and animal control was dispatched. By the time they arrived, we had figured it all out. The backfire guy was innocent, multiple witnesses knew. A lot of the furor was just based on coincidence. My frisky dog had been granted a hair too much freedom by me, who was technically at fault for her encounter with razor wire at a nearby facility. I had not been a good parent. This has been resolved by the time I write this.

But the animal control lady made superficial judgments of me when she arrived. I think she viewed me as a bad pet owner. She made an ultimatum that veterinary treatment was not optional, it was demanded. By this time, of course, my dog was bandaged, having had her wound shaved and dressed by me, and disinfected by gentle peroxide. I had determined an indeterminate period of observation. This carried no weight with animal control lady. I was to present to her evidence of a complete veterinary examination within 24 hours. So we went. My vet basically repeated what I had done, but vended us some antibiotics, which I thought was a boon. So all was well.

Next day the animal control lady pulls up just as promised, and when I gave her all the certificates on my dog, the complete vaccination and spaying records from the past 15 years of all my beasts as well as this one, plus the record of her most recent injury, the lady was surprised. New respect for me was shown. She hadn't realized I really did care.

From Jumper's Journal. Used by permission. Link to original.

Jumper's True Dog Story 2: The Gift

I got back from Christmas that year on the 27th and that night it snowed. The next morning, I thought it would be a fine thing to take a walk in the park next door and enjoy the unspoiled beauty before melt and lots of foot traffic marred it. Of course it was brisk and pretty and invigorating and good.

On the way back, I noticed one thing slightly spoiling the perfection of the scene, in addition to my own footprints. A spot of trash, no doubt left by careless park-goers. I would pick it up. As I neared it, I saw it was a bag with what looked to be the remains of a six-pack in it. Nearing, I saw some bottle caps still on. Then I saw all the bottlecaps were on! I reached down, exposed it, and saw it was Lowenbrau, my favorite brand! Pristine, chilled in snow! It was like divine providence! A great omen!

So I picked it up and noticed a receipt in the bag, and wanting to solve this mystery, I looked closer. Not a receipt - a handwritten note. And it said, "Merry Christmas, Jumper." Unsigned. And for one brief moment I thought God had sent me a message.

It took a while and two incidents to get it all straight. A week later my friend called and asked if I had gotten my Christmas present. He explained he had dropped it at my door when I was gone.

About two months later I found a note on my door. "Come get your dog at the pound. Call this number. Signed, the Dog Police." My dog Lucky! So I called. The man said he had discovered Lucky shacked up in the woods with a female German Shepherd and their brood of puppies, and they had attacked the landscaping crew, defending the pups. All this a complete surprise to me.

The last piece of the puzzle. And it also solved my question about why Lucky had been pushing his food bowl down the stairs all the time. He was actually trying to carry his food to his secret family in the woods. And he had been carrying all sorts of likely presents to them as well. Such as a six-pack from my front doorstep he undoubtedly planned to open when he got there.

Lucky was trying to be a good father. The result was that his family was jailed, I had to bail him out and leave them to their fate, and not only that, I couldn't afford to get him out of the calaboose unless I agreed to have him neutrified. Which they did.

From Jumper's Journal. Used by permission. Link to original.

Jumper's True Dog Story 1: Wild Thing

My dog Lucky seemed to have a past. A past during which he had spent some time wild in the woods. I always suspected his owner's yard had been demolished by hurricane Hugo, and Lucky had taken the opportunity to escape.

He was shy, but I coaxed him out of the woods with some dogfood and he and I agreed that he would live with me thereafter. Life was good.

You wonder how a wild dog survives. Twice he showed me some remarkable food-acquiring skills.

One late summer day I was sitting quietly on my back stairs, sipping a beer. Lucky was loafing in the grassy area of our dirt driveway circle. Not really paying attention at first, I saw him get up and start snuffling the ground with his nose like some kind of crazy roothog. Trying to plow up some turf with his nose. Crazy dog, I mused. Lucky lay back down and became motionless again. About two minutes went by. A robin alit near him and started hopping near where Lucky had apparently stirred up some bugs with his nose. Dinner for robin.

So robin, picking at bugs, hops a bit closer to Lucky, and Lucky smoothly puts out his paw and pins robin to the ground. Dinner for Lucky.

I barely believed my eyes. "Holy S-word!" I shouted. Lucky looked up, thinking I was scolding him, removed his paw from robin, and robin flew away, no doubt shaken. "Sorry, Lucky," I called to him. He looked at me accusingly.

One other time I saw Lucky get a free meal from the wild in a way that shocked me. Walking the perimeter of the property in late spring, I noticed a fledgling baby bird just out of the nest, swaying unsteadily on a branch about seven feet off the ground. Lucky noticed him, too.

As I walked away from that area, Lucky began a hard charge towards that bird, right in front of it, locking eyes on that birdie as he leaped high, right towards the bird! And I knew that Lucky was not going to make a seven-foot leap, and I think Lucky knew, too. But the bird was so frightened he fell off the limb! And Lucky got a snack.

From Jumper's Journal. Used by permission. Link to original.

Martina's True Dog Story 2: Gordy

Georgie (black female Standard Poodle, six years old with newly diagnosed Addison's) and I had just tried to adopt a Kimi, a shiba inu, but it didn't work out. Kimi had severe dominance issues and was very destructive. She even attacked her own mother when she went back to the breeders.

Anyway, we realized it was pretty lonely here without another dog -- a boy standard poodle. He'd be named Henry or Jacques. Enter Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue. Georgie and I were interviewed. It didn't hurt that we had gone through a dog training course a few years earlier where one of the standard poodle reps for SPDR assisted with the class. In the meantime a poodle group friend in Florida called me and said there was a puppy mill 40 miles from us and they needed to be rescued. She'd heard about it from a reputable breeder in Washington.

I contacted SPDR, they raided the mill and got something like 45 poodles: toy, mini and standard. The conditions were deplorable, with many dogs in open outside kennels, three or more dogs per kennel. I was called the next day and told they had three SPs I could choose from. The meeting place was the parking lot behind the hair salon Lavena, one of the SPDR reps, owned. While we were waiting to see the dogs, a friend of Lavena's named Gordy came by. Everyone who knew him greeted him effusively.

Then the covers were removed from the dog crates. Two black male SPs, and then....sound of trumpets...the most pitiful, dirty and stinky white/apricot boy SP with hypnotic gold eyes. I instantly knew he was the one and his name would be Gordy.

Mom drove Gordy and me to the vets. I sat in the back with the poor scared stinky boy. He was very skittish and scared, his eyes were large as saucers with the whites showing. I hugged him gingerly and said "Gordy, I am your person and you will never ever live in fear or not be loved ever again".

After he stayed at the vets for 48 hours and got treatment, he came home. He had obviously been in one of the open kennels at the mill and was very frightened. He was scared of coffee cups -- I realized that the mill owner probably did rounds in the morning and if the dogs were loud or disobedient she probably threw the contents of her coffee cup at them.

Mom frequently came to visit because she also thought Gordy was special and needed love. Gordy lived under the dining table for many days and didn't mind being crated when I went to work. I wanted him to be comfortable with his new home and didn't rush anything.

One day I caught my 68-year-old mother belly crawling on the kitchen/dining room floor: maneuvering towards Gordy. That was the lightbulb moment. She got him to realize that this was home and no harm would ever happen again.

Now, four years later, Gordy and Georgie are best buddies. He and the cat have a great friendship. Gordy is the house security system, with barks to indicate various things such as Mom is walking up the walkway, dear friends are at the door or...eeeek the mailman had the nerve to put things in the mailbox! He still is skittish with loud noises or sudden movement but adores attention, running laps in the yard or long walks, treats and being here.

Adopting Gordy was one of the smartest and most emotionally fulfilling things I have ever done.

Martina's True Dog Story 1: Georgie

I had a very elderly, incontinent, deaf and nearly blind wire fox terrier. I knew she would have to cross the Rainbow Bridge soon. Did lots of internet research and decided that a female black standard poodle would be a great next dog.

Told a coworker who had five kids to keep her eyes peeled for a black female standard poodle pup. If one of her kids located the puppy, the dog would have that child's name as her middle name. Then thought nothing more about it.

Three weeks later...boss calls me to office. Uh-oh! What did I do? Coworker -- who had had the day off -- was in the office with her youngest child and a black blob. Boss had a very big smile on her face. Coworker had taken up a collection from my bosses and paid for the dog that way. Georgie Tara was the only female left in her litter. There was a card signed by the four doctors who had contributed to Georgie's adoption.

I called the vets. They said come in right now! They were very happy. Called my mother. She cried and said she HAD to see the pup that night.

Georgie will be 11 years old in October. She is very healthy (Addison's disease under good control) and is the friendliest, happiest dog you've ever seen! She enjoys playing with Gordy, greeting visitors and just being herself. Oh, and she is ever so slightly spoiled...

Doggie Kisses

 
Lots of Great Stuff coming, folks!

Thursday and Friday: two great stories from Martima

Monday, Wednesday and Friday, next week: three great stories from Jumper

The following week: Reviews, at last, of books and products. I've been promising these to the authors and manufaturers forever.

A poodle for Obama

In a down-to-the-wire, heart-stopping photo finish, the American Kennel Club announced last week that the Poodle had eked out a narrow victory over the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier in its evidently-unnamed poll of American voters. Here's video of the press conference.

Update: See what Misty the Alpha Poodle has to say about this.

The Obamas are currently dogless, but Barack has promised Malia and Sasha that after the campaign he'll get a dog. So AKC asked America to vote on which of five hypoallergenic breeds (the kids have allergies) the family should get: Poodle, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, Bichon Frise, Miniature Schnauzer, or the Don-King-lookalike Chinese Crested. Forty-two thousand voted, and they picked the poodle.

Herewith, a guide to poodles:

Standard Poodle	This is the original, developed in Germany to retrieve waterfowl and poorly hit golf balls. The funny-looking haircuts often inflicted on Poodles are said to be derived from a functional clip that was intended to leave insulating hair over the joints while the rest of the coat was shorn to reduce drag. This story fails, however, to account for either ribbons or rhinestone collars. Poodles are available in many colors, including black, blue, white, cream, red, apricot, silver and brown, and can be special-ordered in snazzy combinations of these colors. The deep candy-flake finishes popular in the 1960s are now considered a fault and will result in disqualification in the show ring. John Steinbeck wrote his wonderful Travels With Charley about a cross-country trip he took with a Standard Poodle whose name escapes me. Shockingly, the book appears to be out of print except in this Library of America collection.
Substandard Poodle	Sadly, there are poodles that just don't make the grade. You know the type: raggedy, shiftless shirkers out for a quick buck and lookin' for the next thing smokin'. They'll chase any tail, even their own. They'll hang back under the awning while the decent, hardworking types who came to this country looking for a better life are on the corner chivvying the straw bosses for a day's work. If you tell one of these dogs Jesus saves, he'll hit Him up for a loan. If I had a poodle, this would probably be it.
French Poodle	France also claims to be the place of origin for the poodle, which some may think is like claiming to be where herpes began. This poodle thinks it's both logical and romantic, blithely ignoring two basic principles: You can't be both; and if you think you're either, you're not. Sits in sidewalk cafes drinking charred coffee by day and wine by night, pretending to read incomprehensible philosophers while scoping for impressionable American dogs to hit on. Smokes French cigarettes made of used tires and occasionally sips noxious disinfectants like cassis and Campari.
Miniature Poodle	Just like a Standard Poodle, but smaller, flightier, and much more likely to faint. Not available with opera windows or whitewall tires. The Mini-Poo once set the standard for small, pointless dogs, but it has since been far surpassed. See below.
Toy Poodle	Developed for those intimidated by the gravitas of the Miniature Poodle, the Toy Poodle features a bark like Satan's dentist's drill and pointy little teeth that can find your ankle no matter how thickly and expensively shod. The barking of this dog has been known to set up a harmonic vibration that can shatter windows, masonry structures, and in at least one documented case, an entire planet.
Teacup Poodle	The Teacup Poodle is a further tinyfication of the Toy Poodle, intended for use by adults as a napkin or moist towelette, or by children as a handy way to dispose of unwanted vegetables. Also favored by those who, for whatever reason, feel a need to keep a dog secreted about their persons at all times. The Teacup Poodle is frequently accessorized with sweet and sour, barbecue, or new zesty ranch dipping sauce.

In Development: Shotglass Poodle, Eyedropper Poodle

Mutts are finally chic

Besides at my house, that is. USA Today had a story on August 18 called "Mutt-i-grees Club: Where mongrel is the new pedigree". Mutt-i-grees Club is a project of the Pet Savers Foundation. My big sister sent me this story, which pretty much proves that those stories that my whole family hates me are exaggerated.

New material coming soon. Honest.