The intense gaze of an Australian shepherd. Source: Flickr user sarzc.
Thou sayest thou art as weary as a dog,
As angry, sick, and hungry as a dog,
As dull and melancholy as a dog,
As lazy, sleepy, idle as a dog.
But why dost thou compare thee to a dog?
In that for which all men despise a dog,
I will compare thee better to a dog.
Thou art as fair and comely as a dog,
Thou art as true and honest as a dog,
Thou art as kind and liberal as a dog,
Thou art as wise and valiant as a dog.
— Sir John Davies, epigram to In Cineam (1594)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Way to tell ’em, Sir John Davies; time we started showing dogs some respect with our aphorisms.
Because my “DOGS” board on Pinterest was getting almost out of hand, I decided to create a corollary for it: “Woman’s Best Friend,” a collection of photographs and artwork featuring women and their dogs. If you are also a crazy dog lady, I think it will make you smile.
Happy Easter and Passover, or, just happy weekend if you observe neither!
I don’t want to be the kind of crazy dog lady (CDL) who has so many dogs that she tiptoes the line of being an animal hoarder. I want to have the right number of dogs that I can adequately care for, train, and love. (In my mind, that’s 3 at max for me, but we’ll see… I know some people can definitely handle more. Starting with one for a few years, and then we’ll see how that goes!)
I don’t want to be the kind of CDL who is constantly judging other dog people or freaking out about differences in the way we rear and raise our canines. I want to be humble and gracious, always willing to learn from someone else and always willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt.
I don’t want to be the kind of CDL who neglects personal care. I want to take great care of my dogs and great care of myself–as much as that’s possible! I know people who do both.
I don’t want to be the kind of CDL who sacrifices human relationships constantly or pushes people out of her life for the sake of her dogs. I want to maintain strong, intimate, and healthy relationships with humans, as much as I may be tempted to neglect them for the love of dogs.
What do you think? Is it possible for a CDL to be all of these things?
A young Brooke Shields cuddles with a dachshund. Source: LIFE Magazine.
Can the Bulldog Be Saved? As with many of you, I was very pleased to see this comprehensive article published last week in the New York Times Magazine. I’ve already shared some of my thoughts on why I feel that breeding bulldogs is unethical and inhumane, but this article really takes it to the next level. An illuminating quote from the article:
“The bulldog is unique for the sheer breadth of its health problems,” says Brian Adams, formerly the head of media-relations at M.S.P.C.A.-Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. “A typical breed will have one or two common problem areas. The bulldog has so many. When I first started working at Angell, the joke was that these dogs are a $5,000 check just waiting to happen. But the joke gets old fast, because many of these dogs are suffering.”
Or this:
[Dr. Sandra] Sawchuk is the rare veterinarian who owns a bulldog. “I should know better, but I’m a sucker for this breed,” she told me. “I’m also a vet, so I feel I can handle any problems that come up. But if anyone else tells me they want a bulldog, my immediate response is, ‘No, you don’t.’ ”
This piece also highlights the considerable villainy of the AKC, which refuses to ask the Bulldog Club of America to revise its standard for the breed. Why? Because bulldogs are popular these days, having skyrocketed to the no. 6 most popular purebreed in the United States. It’s all about the money and the registrations for them. Who cares if we’re killing these dogs by insane breeding practices? I’m just hopeful that many people–aside from those of us who already believe that breeding the modern bulldog is inhumane–will read this article and reconsider bringing a bulldog puppy home. (NYT Magazine)
The Art and Science of Naming a Dog. I love meeting well-named dogs and I think names are very important. Stanley Coren reflects on the psychological aspects of naming our canines. (Psychology Today)
A Different Kind of Dog Rescue. This place looks magical. This is definitely what I would do with my life if my husband weren’t around to keep me from being a borderline animal hoarder. (Although this woman sounds amazing and is not a hoarder.) (Love and a Leash)
Three Levels of Pet Safety. Engraved tag, BlanketID, and microchip! I didn’t know how BlanketID worked, but it sounds like a pretty cool device. Does anyone have one for their dogs? (Go Pet Friendly)
Corgi Owners. A funny note with regard to the blessedness of being a corgi person. (Dogblog)
This pittie makes a pretty good lion. Oh, the things our dogs put up with. Source: oddballdaily
Dog-related links from around the Web this week.
Pet Lovers, Pathologized. The New York Times ran an interesting article this week on the paradoxical cultural perspective of animal lovers: It’s OK to love hunting and eating animals for meat, but if you express emotional dependence on an animal, you are suddenly “crazy”–especially if you’re a woman. A very interesting article; recommended. (New York Times)
The Hounds of Hitchcock. Guion and I watched “Psycho” for the first time last night, in celebration of Halloween, and so I thought this was a seasonally appropriate collection of photos, showing the great Hitchcock himself with his Sealyham terriers. (Pawesome)
Photo Gallery: Animals That Saw Me. There are only a few dogs in here, but what a neat collection. Photographer Ed Panar explores the interaction between himself as the subject, the seen object, by the animals he encounters. This series especially makes me wonder what the animals are thinking as they look at us. Fear? Mild interest? Expectation? (Flavorwire)
What Would Patricia McConnell Do? Kristine is right: This is the question I always try to ask myself whenever I’m interacting with dogs. (Rescued Insanity)
Weak in the Face of Puppy Breath. The “Tales & Tails” family goes to visit a litter of German shepherd puppies. Heart is bursting! (Tales and Tails)
How to Pick a Shelter Dog. Reflections on picking out a dog to adopt from your local shelter. (Dog Training Secret)
Diary of the Coveteur. Christine collects a series of photos from the fashionistas from the Coveteur and their pampered pooches. (Miles to Style)
Pine Everything. An “unhappy hipster” shiba blends in with his surroundings. (Unhappy Hipsters)
Did you dress up your dogs for Halloween? If so, what did they go as? Did they put up with the costumes?
An Aussie and his castle. Source: blacksheepcardigans.com
A lot of great dog-related links from around the Web this week!
Dogs of Darjeeling. This is the best pup link I’ve seen yet: My sister’s amazing and beautiful photographs of the dogs she saw while she was living in and around Darjeeling, India. So striking! The photos make me remember that, regardless of where in the world you are, dogs are still dogs. It’s perhaps a silly thing to think, but I an enamored with this collection of her photography. Check it out. (Como Say What?)
Why Dog Women Get More Respect than Cat Ladies. An interesting article on Slate this week about why it’s easier to be taken seriously if you’re a crazy dog lady instead of a crazy cat lady. Not fair, of course, but a curious cultural phenomenon, perhaps. (Slate)
New York Times Goes Dog-Crazy. A brief look at the dog-centric memoirs that are cropping up in the pages of the Times. (Daily Intel)
How Much Money Should I Spend on My Dog’s Vet Care? And how much is too much? A well-expressed opinion from Lindsey Stordahl about how we navigate the difficult decisions between veterinary care, finances, and our dogs. (That Mutt)
Diary by Kingsley: I Made a Video. One of the blogosphere’s most famous bulldogs, Kingsley, has a video playing with his new sister, human baby Eleanor. (Rockstar Diaries)
Hello, I Feel Like I Know You. Sweet and colorful portraits of dogs and their humans by artist Paule Trudel Bellmare. (Under the Blanket)
Don’t Like Your New Dog’s Name? Karen London gives some practical tips on changing your adopted dog’s name. I feel pretty sure that I will want to rename our future dog, and so this is a helpful thing to think about. What about you? Did you change your dog’s name? (The Bark)
Doggerel 