Dogs, Cats, and Other People from Creators Syndicate

Home on the Fourth of July for 06/27/2009

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

A lot of dogs — and Madonna — suffer from brontophobia, an irrational fear of thunder. Well, to a dog, a Fourth of July celebration is just a rapid-fire succession of thunderbolts: loud and scary.

This Independence Day, do your dog a favor and don't bring him to the party. Instead, follow these guidelines to keep your dog safe and comfortable on what can be a real fright nigh ...

Updated: Sat Jun 27, 2009

Cool Canines for 07/04/2009

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

As summer heats up and several states turn to burn bans and water rationing to combat prolonged droughts, dog owners must pay careful attention to keeping their canines cool.

Some dogs, particularly the snub-nosed breeds like pugs, bulldogs, boxers and Lhasa apsos, will make this easy on us and simply revert to air-conditioned hibernation until temperatures outside relax.

Others, ...

Updated: Sat Jul 04, 2009

Good Don'ts and the Five P's for Dog Training for 07/11/2009

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I heard some simple words for dog owners to live by on the radio recently, and they are paraphrased here:

Don't ask: "What did you do?" He'll never answer you.

Don't say his name with the word "no." He'll never come to you.

Don't point your finger at him. He'll never trust your hands.

Don't say "no" over and over and over again. It's onl ...

Updated: Sat Jul 11, 2009

The Shy Type for 07/18/2009

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Scientists have found the gene for shyness. They would have found it years ago, but it was hiding behind a couple of other genes. — Jonathan Katz, American humorist

Shyness can be crippling. But some of the most presumably outgoing people are also the most famously painfully shy: Robert De Niro, Lucille Ball, Barbara Walters, Johnny Carson…

So if people can overcome ...

Updated: Sat Jul 18, 2009

Old Dogs and Children and Shady Summertime for 07/25/2009

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In the early 1970s, Tom T. Hall had a hit with "Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wine." The song drifts off with, "That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime. Of old dogs and children and watermelon wine."

It's a storytelling song, and as you can probably tell from the last line, it's a story that wraps itself around you, tucking you into the warmt ...

Updated: Sat Jul 25, 2009

Dog Eat Dog for 08/01/2009

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

What better time to discuss dogfights than on the heels of Michael Vick's readmission to the NFL?

On July 20, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback completed his 23-month federal sentence for bankrolling the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation. Seven days later, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell granted Vick conditional reinstatement to the NFL. Now all he needs is a team that will have ...

Updated: Sat Aug 01, 2009

The Writing on the Wall for 08/08/2009

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Sometimes it's hard to see the writing on the wall. We're too close to a situation to prioritize, make decisions and set boundaries. The following letters are from readers who stare at the writing on their wall and see only hieroglyphics.

Sammo:

“My girlfriend and I recently adopted Sammo, her parents' 9-year-old Shar-Pei. He had become too much for them to handle and her father w ...

Updated: Sat Aug 08, 2009

Protection And Aggression Are Not The Same Things for 08/15/2009

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Not long ago, a woman called me, very upset. She'd just dropped her dog off at a shelter — the same shelter from which she had adopted him only a few weeks earlier.

When I asked why she returned him, she described what were obvious signs of severe aggressive tendencies.

When I asked why she had taken him home with her in the first place, she said, "For protection." ...

Updated: Sat Aug 15, 2009

Dogfighting: The Vick Effect for 08/22/2009

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In an interview with "60 Minutes," ex-convict and newly instated NFL player Michael Vick had this to say about his ruthless alter ego: "When I was in prison, I was disgusted because of what I let happen to those animals. I could have put a stop to it. I could have walked away from it. I could have shut the whole operation down."

It looks like this new Vick has more in ...

Updated: Sat Aug 22, 2009

Your Dog's Personality for 08/29/2009

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"When Good Dogs Do Bad Things" is the title of a book on dogs that I co-authored with Mordecai Siegal. Chapter three is titled, "Your Dog's Personality." That's right, your dog's personality is weighty enough to warrant an entire chapter in a book.

When we discuss a dog's personality, it's important to note the difference between personality and temperament. Temperame ...

Updated: Sat Aug 29, 2009

Chanel for 09/05/2009

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The recent death of a wire-haired dachshund named Chanel has made headlines. She lived in Long Island with owners Denice and Karl Shaughnessy, who adopted her when she was 6 weeks old.

What's special about Chanel? For one, she would've made Coco proud. As reported by the Associated Press, Chanel "wore tinted goggles for her cataracts in her later years and favored sweaters because s ...

Updated: Sat Sep 05, 2009

Is More Merrier? for 09/12/2009

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

When it comes to dogs, one isn't necessarily the loneliest number.

The "only dog" gets all the toys, all the turf and all of your attention. You may worry that all of your attention isn't enough, but dividing that attention by two, three or more only serves to shrink the only dog's piece of the pie.

For you, the dog owner, one dog means one mouth to feed, one series of v ...

Updated: Sat Sep 12, 2009

The Reality of Babies and Dogs for 09/19/2009

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In comic strips, in country songs, in Disney films, dogs and babies go together like peanut butter and jelly. In real time, where potential dangers and acts of instinct and nature can't be edited out, dogs and babies require constant supervision and should never be left alone in a room together.

Last month, in Jacksonville, N.C., a 12-week-old pit bull chewed the toes off the left foot o ...

Updated: Sat Sep 19, 2009

Defective Dog Trainers for 09/26/2009

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

A year ago, a woman in New York City who shall remain nameless adopted two Chihuahuas knowing both dogs had a proclivity toward aggression. The dogs did not disappoint: They bark when she is and isn't home, they snap at fellow residents in the elevator, and they've bitten random strangers on the street.

In the last year, this woman has hired four different dog trainers, each drawing thei ...

Updated: Sat Sep 26, 2009

Who Should Vaccinate Against H3N8? for 10/03/2009

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

A few years ago, bird flu was the "it" pandemic. This year, the relatively innocuous swine flu took a turn behind the wheel of the 24/7 news cycle. Finally, canine influenza is getting its 15 minutes.

H3N8 isn't new, but its vaccine is. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service conditionally approved the first vaccine for the H3N8 canine in ...

Updated: Sat Oct 03, 2009

Apply Common Sense to Cujo for 10/10/2009

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

American satirist Peter De Vries once said, "There are times when parenthood seems nothing more than feeding the hand that bites you." With owners of aggressive dogs, the witticism hardly elicits a chuckle.

There are many types of canine aggression: food aggression, territorial aggression, fear-based aggression, dominant aggression, protection aggression, predatory aggression, ...

Updated: Sat Oct 10, 2009

Court To Uphold "Human Sacrifice Channel"? for 10/17/2009

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Members of the United States Supreme Court had no shortage of hypotheticals on hand earlier this month as they wrangled with the First Amendment and the question of whether its free speech protections extend to images of animal cruelty.

Justice Samuel Alito mused aloud, "Suppose (human sacrifice) is legally taking place someplace in the world. I mean, people here would probably love ...

Updated: Sat Oct 17, 2009

Fire-Proof Your Pets for 10/24/2009

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

California is famous for more than its Hollywood roots and sun-drenched beaches. It's famous for its fires. Monstrous, majestic, devastating — California wildfires are often unfathomable feats of nature, at times triggered by inglorious acts of man.

But then there are the accidents waiting to happen, as was the case with the "Pack Rat" house fire in Riverside, Calif.

...

Updated: Sat Oct 24, 2009

Loose Dogs Say Cheese for 10/31/2009

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Complaints about dog owners who allow their dogs to run loose are as widespread as promises from politicians. They're also as empty. As the following letter from a reader shows, it takes perseverance to bring an uncooperative neighbor and their unruly dog to justice. Perseverance and a video camera.

"I have two dogs that I walk daily on a paved, public county road. It's great exerci ...

Updated: Sat Oct 31, 2009

Some Promises Are Better Broken for 11/07/2009

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The notion that a promise is a promise is born of the very worthy goals of building character and integrity in young people, infusing trust into personal and professional relationships, and generally encouraging people to hold up their end of a bargain. But as countless wedding vows and campaign rhetoric prove, a promise isn't always so simple and is sometimes better broken.

Most legal c ...

Updated: Sat Nov 07, 2009