The Poodle (and Dog) Blog

“There’s no need to fear…Underdog is here.”

“Underdog,” the animated TV series, started in October 1964 and ran in syndication until 1973.The floppy eared Beagle crime fighter has become an American pop culture icon.

The show began with a parody of Superman’s famous opening. “Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a frog. A frog?” Then Underdog would say in his wimpy little voice and characteristic rhyming speech "Not bird, nor plane, nor even frog, it's just little 'ole me, Underdog!”

Underdog was the crime fighting alter ego of mild mannered Shoeshine Boy. He was often called into action by his girl friend, TV reporter Sweet Polly Purebred, when there was danger. When she called “Oh where, oh where has my Underdog gone?” Shoeshine Boy would slip into a phone booth and emerge as a champion of truth and justice fighting arch enemies such as Simon Bar Sinister and Riff Raff.

Occasionally Underdog would lose his power (no, not kryptonite or catnip) but he carried an energy pill in a secret compartment of his ring. I’m not sure how his drug usage would play with parents today. Oh, wait, it was probably a Flintstone vitamin. Nevermind.

The super wimpy voice was provided by Wally Cox who played the title role in the TV show “Mr. Peepers” and for years appeared on “Hollywood Squares.”

In the early 1940’s DC comics sued Fawcett comics saying that Captain Marvel was a rip off of Superman. No such suit was ever brought against Underdog in spite of the similarities.

Dogs can get away with a lot.

Rare antelope and Poodle are BFF’s

When the mother of Sultana, a rare Sitatunga antelope, rejected her, the staff at Knowsley Safari Park near Livermore, England took over.

Since she needs to be fed every four hours, Emma Gatcliffe, Head Keeper, brings Sultana home every night where she stays in a spare room. After her meal, she plays with Macy, Emma’s Poodle.

Emma said: "This arrangement has been working very well for the last few weeks, although it hasn´t done wonders for my bedroom carpet.

Someday Sultana will be integrated  into the herd and hopefully will become the mother of baby  antelopes, but for now she is just a baby herself, enjoying being fed by the staff and having playtime with her Poodle BFF.

Sitatunga antelopes, which are an endangered species, come from central Africa where they are mainly found in the Congo, Botswana, Zambia and Kenya. Source

San Francisco 49’ers – 20 . Dallas Cowboys - 13

In the spirit of NFL sportsmanship, I would like to say to all Dallas Cowboy fans:

Nanner nanner boo boo

Stick your head in doo doo.

Please forgive me. After so many years as a 49’er fan,
I have forgotten how to be a gracious winner.

Sob.

STEELER POODLE SAY

"Philadelphia Eagles, fire hydrant of NFL."

Wounded police dog ready for duty

Reno, a 6 ½-year-old Fresno, California Sheriff’s department K-9 deputy, lost his eye when he was shot in the face by a rifle wielding gunman.

He had surgery on July 15 and even with his face half shaved, a fentanyl patch to manage pain and a plastic e-collar, he came out of the hospital pulling on his leash, ready for action.

Yesterday he and his handler were out playing fetch as the 90 pound German Shepherd dog showed no signs of injury and seems eager for his freedom. According to his handler, Fresno County Sheriff’s deputy Robert Marean, he still needs rest and time to heal.

Reno was shot by Jesus Serna, 32. When deputies were called out on a domestic disturbance, Serna shot and injured deputy George Ozburn and shot at deputy Mark Eaton, who was injured by flying glass. After shooting Reno, Serna was shot and killed by deputies. A possible suicide by cop.

When Reno was first shot, it seemed like the loss of his eye would force early retirement as a deputy, but now he may be able to return to patrol duty, according to a spokesman for the sheriff. The department will follow recommendations of the veterinarian.

Reno was born in the Czech Republic and answers commands in the Czech language. He could work for three more years if he is deemed fit enough. For now, Reno is recuperating at home with Marean, where he's part of the family. Source

The Dogs of President Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge served as president from 1924 to 1928. In contrast to the “Roaring Twenties” Coolidge was known as a quiet man.

One well known story about him is that Dorothy Parker supposedly once told him that she had a bet that she could get more than two words out of him. His reply, “You lose.”

Having grown up on a farm, he remained an animal lover all his life. He was probably more comfortable in the company of animals than he was in the company of most people. He once said: "Any man who does not like dogs and want them about does not deserve to be in the White House."

Before, during and after their years in the White House, Calvin and Grace Coolidge kept a large number of pets, not just cats and dogs, but birds, raccoons, and wombats, to name a few.

They especially loved dogs. The most famous was a white Collie named Rob Roy. They later adopted Prudence Prim, a female white Collie who ate breakfast cereal with the President every morning.

A painting by Howard Chandler of Rob Boy with Grace Coolidge hangs in the Red Room of the White House today. She once wrote, "I am unable to understand how anyone can get along without some sort of pet.”

In his autobiography Coolidge wrote of Rob Roy:

He was a stately companion of great courage and fidelity. He loved to bark from the second-story windows and around the South Grounds. Nights he remained in my room and afternoons went with me to the office. His especial delight was to ride with me in the boats when I went fishing. So although I know he would bark for joy as the grim boatman ferried him across the dark waters of the Styx, yet his going left me lonely on the hither shore. Source

All the Presidents' Dogs

Washington  Nixon  FDR  Clinton  T. Roosevelt  Lincoln  Kennedy 

Reagan   Harding  Ford  Johnson

Wordless Wednesday

DVD, “Delgo,” a review

The best thing I can say about the DVD “Delgo” is that it tries. An animated fantasy it tries to be “Lord of the Rings”  but falls far short.

It is the story of two warring tribes, with the expected action, which at times seems more like mindless violence than action.

It is also a love story between teenagers of rival tribes (can anyone say Romeo and Juliet?). Delgo is a happy go lucky sort and Princess Kyla has the predictable spunk and attitude of a movie heroine, but manages to get herself kidnapped, calling for her hero to mount a rescue. (yawn)

In spite of the predictability of the plot, it also is at times convoluted with more twists and characters than are necessary.

The vocals are performed by an all-star cast, including Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, Anne Bancroft, Kelly Ripa, Michael Clarke Duncan, Eric Idle, Malcolm McDowell, and Burt Reynolds with narration by Sally Kellerman.

Nine-year-old D-man, gave it a C. He is a more generous grader than I am.

Bringing a dog home from World War II

A lot of attention is given to soldiers and their efforts to bring home their dog buddies from Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s against military rules for soldiers to adopt pets, but it’s often impossible for men and women away from home to resist bonding with stray dogs who are often being mistreated.

When it’s time for the soldier to return home, sometimes because of news coverage and the involvement of animal organizations, thousands of dollars are raised, the rules against dogs are relaxed and the stories end happily.

But bringing a dog home from war is not new. Lincoln Johnson, a 93-year-old resident of Lawrence, Kansas bought a dog from a farmer while serving in the army in occupied Germany during World War II.

When the time came for Johnson to return to the states, he didn’t think he would be allowed to take the dog on the ship. So he hid his 9-month-old retriever mix inside a duffle bag before boarding a ship.

Johnson and the dog he named Wally got caught as soon as they tried to get past the boarding checkpoint. “She didn’t make any noise, but I guess she moved,” he said.

Johnson was told to let the dog out and to stand to the side and wait. He thought sure it was the end of the trip when a major arrived, but to his surprise the major told him to take the dog to a holding area where she stayed for the rest of the trip to the states.

Wally wasn’t lonely during the trip to her new home. There were other dogs there as well. She was given plenty of food and Johnson cleaned up after her. Johnson returned to his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas where Wally lived for 10 more years. He went on to have other dogs, but even after all these years Wally is still his favorite. Source

Nigerian puppy scammers get nasty: “Buy this dog or we’ll kill the dog.”

Nigerian/Cameroon puppy scammers seem to have a new persuasive message as they are operating in Australia. 

Besides stealing photos from legitimate websites and sending the names of legitimate transport companies that will deliver the puppies offered at unbelievably low prices, now they are threatening that the puppies will be  killed if not sold quickly.

 Of course there have never been any real puppies. The story