Heart of Dogness

Brian's True Dog Story 1: Stealth Beagle

My old college buddy Brian sent me this here True Dog Story there also (sorry, too much Palin):

My beagle, Leo, loves to eat Halls Mentholyptus Cough Drops. The cherry ones especially; we share a craving for those and I keep a couple of bags on hand.  He will attack me to try to get cough drops if I have one in my pocket. Being a beagle, he can catch the scent from the other end of our house ( a whole six feet away!). 

One night when I had a legitimate sore throat and had put several Halls in my pajama pocket at bedtime, I went off to sleep forgetting that I hadn’t consumed them. The next morning I woke up to find the cough drops gone but the wrappers neatly piled up on the bottom sheet. Leo had burrowed under the covers, gotten into my pocket and helped himself, all without disturbing me one bit.  A true stealth beagle. George Bush could have used him in Iraq.

Dogs of Ireland: Irish Red and White Setter

The Irish Red and White Setter looks like an Irish Setter that's had half a gallon of bleach spilled on it. The Red and White is evidently the older breed, derived from "Spaniels" brought to Ireland by returning Crusaders (everything on four legs that wasn't manifestly a horse was called a "Spaniel". Irish Wolfhounds were considered horses until well into the 20th century, when they began to be thought of as buildings.)

The Irish Red and White Setter, unlike the Irish Setter, is still primarily a hunting dog, as it prefers to dress in tweed and can seldom be trained to use the right fork. The breed's table manners are atrocious and its discourse tends to the ribald, making it an unsuitable companion for town. In the country, however, the Irish Red and White Setter can be a great and faithful friend if you can keep it out of the claret.

Sources: Wikipedia, Irish Red and White Setter Association