The Poodle (and Dog) Blog

Back on the winning road

 

 

San Francisco 49ers - 34

New York Jets - 0

Puppy diplomacy: Putin gives Chavez a puppy to thank him for oil deal

 “He is a good dog and beautiful,” Chavez told a Russian delegation. “I’m going to call him Russian.”

To thank President Chavez for signing an agreement with Russia to tap new oil fields in Venezuela, Putin gave him a three-month-old black terrier puppy.

 

 

 

Evil dictators can love puppies too. 

The story

Yellow Lab saves newborn calf from freezing to death

Bosko the Yellow Lab found a newborn calf in a feed lot at his family ranch. The mother was too weak to care for the baby who was cold, wet and nearly dead from hypothermia.

Bosco’s human family loaded the calf on a blanket and took him into their home. His eyes looked dead and he was barely breathing. They covered him with blankets, stuffed animals and heating pads, gave him antibiotics and crossed their fingers.

 

Bosco wouldn’t leave his side for four hours until the calf began to move and breathe regularly. At this point Bosco’s brother Duke took the night shift.

 

The next day the calf began to eat and by the third day he was up and taking the bottle with no problems.

 

Six months later he is a little smaller than he should be, as would be expected from his near death experience, but Zeke the calf is doing just fine, thanks to Bosko and his family.  Source

Do dogs need their own staircase?

I can see some need and logic for most of the dog products I find. But this one kind of blows my mind.

This is a feature in a home in Ho Chi Minh City, designed by Architectural Firm O7Beach. Resident dogs can move from one floor to another without having to touch the human stairs.

Are dogs disgusted by having to use the same staircase as humans?

It even has a handrail, because Fido is such a klutz and 90 percent of dog deaths in Vietnam last year happened on personal dog staircases that don't have handrails.  Source

Do you suppose the dogs enjoy their own staircase or is this just another way to make them feel like they are not equal to humans?

Or do they just not care one way or another?

 

WARNING: I have highjacked Jan's blog today! –Taki the Cat

For this important message:     

Scientific Proof that cats
are better than dogs

Prepare to be enlightened.

Resistance is futile.

(Some of you may not have been convinced by an earlier post on this important subject.)

Via Buzzfeed

5-year-old boy implicates parents in puppy scheme

Oh, the sweet honesty of youth!

Scott and Roxanne Duff from Leechberg, Pennsylvania sold their neighbor’s puppy for $50 on Craigslist.

And they “would have gotten by with it if it weren’t for their meddling kid.”

OK, not really meddling. Children just aren’t good at conspiracies or crime.

Roxanne Duff called the police to tell them that two dogs had wandered onto their property. She was told to contact the shelter if she couldn’t find the owner. She later called back to say that the Rottweiler puppy had escaped.

That evening the police received a call from Shawn Lerch, the owner of the two dogs. He said that the Duffs returned one of the dogs and he suspected that they still had the other.

The next day an officer visited the Duff residence to try to put an end to the matter. The parents were gone, but the little boy was there with a babysitter. When questioned he simply said that his “mommy had given the dog to a woman from the Internet.”

The parents at first denied the charges, but later admitted the truth. Roxanne retrieved the puppy from the Craigslist woman.

The couple is charged with conspiracy and falsifying reports. They probably won't serve hard time but the next few months are going to be quite uncomfortable for them.

Crap

 

 

 

San Francisco 49ers - 13

Minnesta Vikings - 24

 

 

The Dogs of War—a book review

The Dogs of War by Lisa Rogak

Military Working Dogs (MWD) have a unique place in the military, as Rogak points out. On the one hand, they are considered to be equipment and on the other hand, they are considered to be equal to the other warriors.

It is a punishable offense in the army to mistreat any dog. The dogs are awarded a rank just like any other soldier and their rank is always one level higher than their handler. Abusing a superior physically or mentally is grounds for a court marshal.

Although there are some who object to the use of dogs in war, those who care for them believe that their lives are more fulfilling and they get better care and treatment than pampered house pets.

Every dog needs a purpose and the highly trained MWD know their purpose even if what they do seems more like play to them.

The Dogs of War examines many aspects of the life of the MWD, the selection of the most suitable dogs, the training, the equipment, the veterinary care, the duties, and the bonds they establish with their handlers.

Also covered in the book are the mascots, the scruffy little dogs who hang around the barracks and bring joy to the soldiers who are not supposed to adopt them, but nevertheless often do.

Anecdotes and pictures add to interest to the book.

There is no age at which an MWD can no longer carry out the duties. It depends on the dog. Some are stressed out at the age of six or seven while others are totally enjoying the duties of war for many more years.

Each dog is evaluated individually. Retired dogs that pass behavior tests are eligible for adoption. People interested in adopting a MWD should do research to see if this is what they want to do before getting involved in the lengthy adoption process.

These are older dogs who will have health problems. They have not lived inside and may not be housebroken. Exploring every corner of the house, including counter surfing can be expected. They are not familiar with normal household noises like vacuum cleaners and doorbells. Depression may set in when they aren’t working unless they are challenged physically and mentally.

In spite of everything, they make wonderful companions and a welcome addition to the right family.

The Dogs of War is a complete, well researched, fully footnoted, informative book about our canine warriors.

Brandi the Beagle survives 70-foot plunge off a bridge in New Jersey

Brandi’s problems began when a group of strangers wanted to pet her while she was being walked around 10pm by her owner, Robert Lorenz.

A rescue dog, Brandi is shy around strangers. She panicked and got loose, making her way to the Burlington-Bristol Bridge.

She attracted the attention of police officers who alerted drivers while waiting their chance to capture her. But the chance never came. Afraid of the people trying to catch her, she jumped off the 70-foot bridge into the dark waters.

What they saw came as a shock. Brandi swam to shore.

The New Jersey State Police Marine Unit boat joined in by lighting up the shore. By this time about 20 people were searching.  No one could find the dog, but no one gave up. 

Owner Alexis Lorenz arrived back at the river bank, prepared to search the whole night.

"I got there at pitch dark," Lorenz said. "And there was Brandi just standing in the path of my headlights, in the pitch dark. I just couldn't believe it when I saw her."

A trip to the veterinarian showed only a slight bruising on the tummy, but no other injuries. Story

Fenton the black Lab—from viral video to his own brand

It’s been nine months since we first watched Fenton the black Labrador in one of the funniest bits of video ever.

The 47 seconds was filmed totally by accident by 13-year-old Jake Goodyer from North London on his mobile phone. He had been filming in Richmond Park when he heard the commotion and made a fortunate camera swing.

It has now been viewed more than 8 million times and counting all over the world.

 

Besides Fenton mugs and t-shirts, he now has a book coming out, Find Fenton, with the very famous Labrador in a variety of London settings for the reader to spot in ‘Where’s Waldo” style.

 

Fenton’s owner was reluctant to come out for a while, fearing prosecution for failing to control his dog in Royal Parks. But eventually Max Findley, an editorial consultant and father of two, admitted he was the hapless chaser of Fenton.

It is also reported that Fenton is a dropout from a program that trains guide dogs for the blind.

No animals were harmed in the shooting of this video.