| What a dog of a date
A few weeks ago, my dog, a rather anxious and delicate sort, was instantly drawn to a deeply unsavoury-looking shepherd cross with an open wound, tied up outside a dive bar. Toothless men and skinheads mingled on the sidewalk. Charmed as I was by her infatuation, I pulled her away. It wasn't my kind of place. How did I know? I just did. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Blink, describes this phenomenon - of making snap decisions based on things our conscious minds barely register - as "thin slicing." Dogs are the masters of the thin slice. Dog trainer Dale Stavroff of Roberts Creek, B.C., author of Let the Dog Decide, speaks of "mini-gestures" that pass between dogs so fast, an unpracticed human can only detect them with the aid of slow motion film. By the time the dogs are at what we consider to be an appropriate greeting distance, they've determined everything they need to know.
Best in show: Man’s best friend on display at fairgrounds
Staff photo by Robb Pittard Sue Cannimore from Madison, Miss., an American Kennel Club registered handler, grooms one of two Lhasa Apso purebreds seconds before being called to participate in the Kennel Club of Texarkana Dog Show Saturday afternoon. The event was held at the Four States Fairgrounds Entertainment Complex and will continue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. .
Bathing the dog is so much easier with the right tools
The first one I remember was the original Rusty. He was a big beautiful classic sable collie. "Lassie" was big on TV then and we lived on a chicken ranch, so a collie was perfect for us. I was three years old. That dog is part of my earliest childhood memories. I do not remember much else about that time. I sure do not remember when Mom and Dad washed the dog or how they did it. Fast forward to the next dog I remember: Tiny was a black, tan and white, shorthaired Chihuahua. I was six years old and we lived in town in Calistoga. Tiny only liked my Mom and made it very clear he would bite anyone else. I do not remember what happened to Tiny and Dad does not remember either. The next family dog I remember was the first dog that belonged to me, I was 10 years old. She was a small black cocker mix named Suzie Q.
Donors dig deep to help veteran and his dog
A Chesaning man raising money for an operation for his dog says he's overwhelmed that a news report reached around the world and generated close to $10,000 in about 10 days. Now, the dog has to lose 40 of his 140 pounds before a surgeon will touch him. In April, disabled veteran Richard R. "Ram" Reister, 55, put out fliers around town in which he offered to cut lawns for $10 to raise money for his "best friend." He received one response. But after a Saginaw News report appeared May 12, Reister fielded about 200 calls in two days. His phone is still ringing and donations are rolling in, although the pace has slowed He hasn't counted his pieces of mail but thinks 800 cards and letters is a close estimate. One of the largest donations is from the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C., which is sending Reister $1,000, said spokeswoman Tracey McIntire.
Pups parade in the rain for fun and prizes
Kennedy's High School's Ramsey Field from all the wagging tongues and tails there. As Ralphie & Spike's First Ever Dog Show kicked off on the afternoon of May 26, Saturday, with dog owners and their four legged best friends gathering for the festivities under tents and in a main ring. All types of furry friends made a showing, from little Pomeranian pups to bounding Dalmatians to Chinaman Red Devil pit bulls. .
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