Kate has a treat

Then there are 8

Sharkey, a pit bull, likes chicken. Well, chicks actually. This apparently sweet-natured pup defies stereotypes of the breed.



Two months later ...



I've watched the vids a couple of times. I count seven chicks in the first and eight in the second.

Good dog!

Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week. Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Boomer — Lab mix
"Being the one and only can have perks and pressures. Benefit: No one to have to share affection with. Minus: No fellow pets to play with. This lab is a one and only, no other pets or young children in the home, making for a restrictive adoption. But if you are an older couple or a single looking for companionship, take a long look at Boomer."

The Dutchess County SPCA is located at 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538. The shelter is open Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Call 845-452-SPCA (7722).

Shelter pets rule.

Hot weather pets

Since the Northeast is baking today, it's good time to remind people about keeping pets healthy in the warmer weather.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has some hints.

They say the signs of overheating in pets include excessive panting and drooling and mild weakness, along with an elevated body temperature.

Plenty of fresh water and shade for outdoor animals is vital to their well being, but pets should be brought inside during particularly oppressive heat.

And don't worry, Kate's got the A/C cranked up tonight.

Serious wet dog smells

Last night I was watching Monday's Late Show with David Letterman.

He had the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, with three dogs jumping into a pool.

The winner was Reggie, a 3-year-old black lab owned by Scott Conrad from Redline, Penn.

The beautiful dog jumped 25 feet 7 inches to win a loving cup filled with dog biscuits.

The great thing about having a TiVo — well, one of the great things — is being able to slo-mo at will. So I slo-mo'd Reggie as soon as he climbed out of the pool. It was incredible how he started shaking and the water fell away from him from his nose right down to his tail.

It was poetry in motion.

Unfortunately, the clip isn't on Letterman's Web site, but I managed to find a good example of what I'm talking about.

I guess you CAN teach an old dog new tricks

In this case, the old dog is me.

Thanks to Chrissie, I've learned how to upload videos to the miracle that is YouTube.

This one — the first — is from my cellphone. Now I have to dig out the video camera, which is still packed away in a box somewhere.

Anyone care to caption what Kate is thinking? My guess would be "Damn paparazzo. Can't a girl eat breakfast in peace?"

Oh rats

With the Pixar animated film Ratatouille set to open June 29, inevitably some people are going to start thinking about whether rats make good pets.

Here is a guide to selecting a pet rat and keeping it in your home. Did you know the male is called a buck and the female is called a doe?

Anyone have any first-hand knowledge of keeping the little critters?

Take a look at the teaser for the movie, but bear in mind your pet rat won't be such a gourmand.



While looking around for some clips for this blog entry, I ran across a disturbing music video made by Crispin Glover, who starred in Willard. In the video, Glover sings Ben while cavorting with rats and models and, at one point, someone who looks like Hitler.

You know it's disturbing when the rats are the most appealing thing in it.

I'm not going to embed the video here or link to it, but you've got all the information you need to Google it.

I'm going to go scrub my eyes now.

Not my type

On This Day in 1868 a patent was received for a little device called a "Type-Writer."

A Type-what? A What-writer? A What-What?

And why should I bring that up in a blog about pets? So I could bring you this video.

Boom — Aww — Bang — Oooh

A news update on poughkeepsiejournal.com made me sit up and take notice. And that's always a problem.

Fireworks tonight will highlight the Exempt Firemen's Association Carnival in the City of Poughkeepsie.

While I am sure it will be a festive occasion — shout out to Wassaic (N.Y.) Fire Chief Robert Boyles — I am dreading it simply because it will drive Kate crazy.

On Friday night, just after the sun set, some firework booming began. I don't know where it was coming from, but I could hear dogs barking as the sounds resonated throughtout the area.

The beautiful spectacle of fireworks displays can be terrifying to animals. I made the mistake the first summer I had Kate of taking her out for her final walk of the day at the exact moment the New York Philharmonic concert in Central Park chose to start its fireworks.

We lived one block from the park, so it was like we were standing underneath them.

Kate tried to crawl under a car and then over a car. It was all I could do to get her back to our apartment.

Here's a press release from the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League dealing with the subject. They didn't provide a link so here's the entire press release, copied and pasted, for your edification.

"Leave Your Pets at Home and Safe on the Fourth of July"

Sherrill, Oneida County — While Fourth of July fireworks can be an exciting experience for a patriotic person, it can be a stressful and chaotic event for your pets. The noise and commotion can be extremely frightening.

The Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL) would like to remind everyone to keep their pets safe during the Fourth of July holiday festivities. The loud noises and flashing lights caused by fireworks can spook household pets and cause wildlife to flee their natural habitat, possibly leaving their young behind. Some pets have been known to become so frightened during a fireworks show that they have jumped through glass windows to escape.

Here are a few tips to help keep all animals safe this Fourth of July:

* Leave your pets at home. Most pets don't enjoy the noise and flash caused by fireworks and even the most trustworthy pet could become scared and run away.

* Don't leave your pets in the car during a fireworks display, as the temperatures inside the car may rise dramatically before sundown.

* Don't leave your outdoor pets unattended, even in a fenced yard. The chaos may cause them to panic and hurt themselves trying to escape.

* Be sure your pets are wearing proper identification in case they DO become lost during an event. ID tags will help your pet find its way home. Microchips are the most reliable form of ID. Contact your veterinarian about getting one for your pet, or MAGDRL for more information.

* If you know your pet usually becomes scared by loud noises, such as thunderstorms, be sure to keep them in a safe room with lots of treats and favorite toys to help them alleviate any anxiety caused by exploding fireworks. You may also like to speak with your vet to find some herbal remedies that will safely keep your pet calm during stressful times.

* If you have horses or other animals usually kept in stalls, be sure they are kept calm during the events so they don't injure themselves.

* Remember not to set off any of your own fireworks near areas with wildlife. The explosions and flashing lights will disturb wildlife causing them to abandon their natural nesting areas. Plus, stray sparks coming from the careless use of fireworks can cause serious damage by starting a forest fire.

For additional information, please contact: The Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League at 1-518-875-9174 or email magdrlny@nycap.rr.com.

Thunderstorms? Don't get me started!

Although, some dogs don't seem to mind, as shown in this video. That is either a very brave dog or a very stupid dog.

Kitty needs to sleep it off

While funny to watch, you have to feel for the poor cat, trying so hard to "act normal" while the effects of a sedative, administered during a visit to the vet, wear off.

When Kate and I were living in Manhattan, she had what turned out to be an upset stomach (thank you, Pepto-Bismol).

Just to be sure there was nothing more serious, the vet suggested an x-ray, which required Kate to be sedated.

They had to keep her for a couple hours afterward, and we managed to walk the seven or eight blocks home just fine.

I had some work to do and was sitting at my desk. Kate went to her crate, which was in my bedroom/office, and laid down.

She got back up, came out of the crate and sat watching me.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Kate's eyes slowly closing. She opened them suddenly and then they started closing again.

I couldn't resist watching as the pattern repeated. Then Kate started leaning slowly to the right. She never fell over, but kept bolting upright.

I could have sat there laughing, but I guided her back to her crate where she went to sleep. She was fine a couple hours later.

Poor thing.

Another success story

I got an e-mail from the Dutchess County SPCA in Hyde Park, N.Y., telling me that Ready for Adoption featured pet Baggins has found a new home.

Congratulations to his new companion, and thanks for taking in this beautiful cat.

Shelter pets rule.

Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week. Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Bobby — Ragdoll
"In this case, 'Pretty Boy' is definitely a compliment. Shy, flame point Ragdoll mix male will require a special diet for life, but is relatively easy maintenance after that."

The Dutchess County SPCA is located at 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538. The shelter is open Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Call 845-452-SPCA (7722).

Shelter pets rule.

Happy anniversary, big mouth

On this date in 1975, Jaws hit the theaters scaring the bejeezus out of millions. My friend Brenda and I sat through two consecutive screenings of it. The second time didn't get any less scary.

And the theme is instantly recognizable, used here effectively to showcase this brutal beast. Oh, the humanity.



In case you missed it, one of the prize-winning home-made boats in the New Paltz (N.Y.) Regatta a couple of weeks ago paid homage to the Spielberg movie.

Check out this picture I took. Click on it to embiggen for a better look.

Potential Nielsen viewer?

The owner of this cat and dog videotaped them playing, and the cat apparently likes to watch it on TV. Of course, the dog can't be bothered.

Do your pets watch television, or do they have better things to do? Kate prefers to curl up with a good book — not reading it, silly, just curling up with it.

If the cat in video likes TV so much, I wonder what it thought of the ending to The Sopranos.

Puppy love a la Henson

Here's Rowlf singing "What a Wonderful World" to a puppy. Jim Henson — he sure knew how to tug at the heartstrings.

Are you a dog person?

I was looking around the Interwebs for blog ideas and ran across "You know you are a dog person when ..." lists. Most of the lists were enormous, covering every single facet, seemingly, of life with a dog. I've whittled down the list to a manageable size and present it here with my comments, with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy.

You know you are a dog person when ...

Sticky rollers are on your shopping list every week. Guilty, but not every week.

You have baby gates permanently installed at strategic places around the house, but no babies. This is a bad thing? I keep a gate at the foot of the stairs so Kate doesn't wear out her legs going up and down all day when someone passes by the house.

The trash basket is more or less permanently installed in the kitchen sink, to keep the dog out of it while you're at work. Not in the sink, but after a nasty encounter with a roasted chicken carcass, every trash can that receives food has a lid.

Your dog sleeps with you. Duh. But not in the summer.

You have 32 different names for your dog. Most make no sense, but she understands. Only 4 or 5.

You like people who like your dog. You despise people who don't. Not true at all. I just feel sorry for those who don't like Kate.

You carry dog biscuits in your purse or pocket at all times. Luckily, I've found kibble in my pants pockets before they went through the washing machine.

You open your purse, and that big bunch of baggies you use for pick-ups pops out. I don't carry a purse, but I've gotten to the newsroom and found plastic baggies in my pockets. Unused, I hasten to add.

You are the only idiot walking in the pouring rain because your dog needs her walk. I don't consider myself an idiot for attending to my dog's needs.

Your friend's dog acts as Best Dog at your wedding. You've got to be kidding.

You keep an extra water dish in your second-floor bedroom, in case your dog gets thirsty at night (after all, her other dish is way down on the first floor...). Never thought of this ... but ... no.

I don't know which is stranger, that this guy sings to Juanito, his dog, or that he posts the activity on Youtube.

Cats working out

A well exercised kitty is a healthy kitty.

We Otto give that cat a treat

Be warned! Andrew Lloyd Webber is writing a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.

Luckily for us, he has a cat named Otto, who single-pawedly tried to spare us the horror.

Webber told London's Daily Mail:

"I was trying to write some new music; Otto got into the grand piano, jumped onto the computer and destroyed the entire score for the new Phantom in one fell swoop."

Who's a good kittie? Why, you are. ... Yes, you are. ... Oh, yes, you are.

Here a video of a pretty good singer — Marika Lansen (never heard of her) — belting out one of Webber famous tunes.

In Dutch, I could probably sit through Cats. ... No ... not even in Dutch.

Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week. Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Flame — Shepherd mix
"This girl's too hot to touch. Fiery personality with a four-alarm desire for food and attention, this middle-aged female black shepherd mix still has it going on and is eager to share that with a family."

The Dutchess County SPCA is located at 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538. The shelter is open Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Call 845-452-SPCA (7722).

Shelter pets rule.

Cat's da bomb

For all you The Sopranos fans out there, here is an alternative ending that might or might not be more satisfying than the one Sunday night.

Plus, it features The Cat.

What time is check out?

I don't know who Razy Ivan is, but I'm looking forward to touring his Pet Motel at the Hellenic Festival at the Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church on South Grand Avenue in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Thursday through Sunday.

Ferret tooth care

My e-mail in box just overflows with interesting stuff.

Here's an Web site that provides tips on taking care of your ferret's teeth.

I am sure there is nothing worse than ferret breath.

Just kidding, all you ferret lovers out there.

Poor Kate

Thunderstorms are moving through the Hudson Valley this afternoon. Of course, it was bright and sunny when I left for lunch/walkies.

By the time I picked up a couple slices of pizza — hey, Kate loves the crusts — there were dark clouds to the east of Poughkeepsie.

After we both enjoyed the pizza, it was time to take Kate out for a quick piddle.

No sooner did we set foot outside than a clap of thunder sounded and Kate's tail went under her legs. The poor thing. She immediately turned back toward the house. I followed.

It's going to be a long wait until I get back home later. But she'll be fine.

Thunder and fireworks. Poor Kate.

Cute alert!

On the cute scale this is right up there. But it is kind of impressive they were able to do this. I just can't imagine putting in the time to do it — I was thrilled when Kate learned how to shake paws.

What goes through a dog's mind?

Kate did this once or twice when she was younger, but it was because a kibble or something fell into the water bowl. Hopefully the lab has not forgotten how to drink the water.

Is that a bear or a chicken?

On the heels of one of the videos that showed a cat chasing away a bear, I ran across this National Geographic story and picture of a West Milford, N.J., cat that chased a bear up a tree.

Obviously, the bear had no way of knowing the cat was declawed. But I wonder if that would have made any difference. They don't make bears like they used to, I guess.

And speaking of New Jersey cats, how about the cat in the last episode of The Sopranos? A cat that has Paulie worried? Now that's a tough feline.

Sit, stay, float

Kate never took to water. When we would go to Central Park, and the other dogs were fetching Frisbees from the lake, she would stand in about three inches of water and watch.

Still I can't imagine her doing what this crafty pooch did to retrieve a ball from a swimming pool.

Puppies! redux

I looked back over the last six posts and they have all featured cats, including the water buffalo video — if you haven't seen it, you are missing out on something amazing.

Any who, what better way to end the day than with ... puppies!

Nothing spectacular, nothing extraordinary, nothing funny.

Just ... puppies.

Remember the alley cat?

Deep in the heart of Texas — my old home state — there's a feline defender of a sacred shrine.

Her name is Clara Carmack, or C.C., and she stands guard — and more than likely curls-up guard — at the Alamo in San Antonio.

The Houston Chronicle published a profile on the 11-year-old cat. The story was written by a San Antonio Express-News reporter. (I couldn't find the story on their website. I try, people; I really try.)

But don't count on seeing C.C. if you visit the Alamo. Sometimes she goes on walkabout, the museum staff said.

Now, take the two cats in the video below. If they had been alongside Davy Crockett at the Alamo, things might have turned out differently.

A day in the life of a cat

The guy who hung a camera around his cat's neck and recorded its activities resurfaced.

You can see the results as well as how he did it here.

Ready for adoption

Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week. Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Caramel — Lynx point
"How you pronounce it is not nearly as important as how you say it, with love. And we're pretty sure you're going to fall in love with this beautiful female lynx point at first sight!"

The Dutchess County SPCA is located at 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538. The shelter is open Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Call 845-452-SPCA (7722).

Shelter pets rule.

Nature is amazing

This video, which my colleague Taani Pande told me about, falls way into the "etc." portion of this blog.

It has nothing to do with pets. None of the animals in the video should ever be considered as pets.

The footage is, to me, simply stunning, showing the animal world at its most basic. And, from some of the comments from the people taping and observing the incident, it shows humans at their most banal.

It's funny cat Tuesday

I needed a laugh.

How about you?

Sorry, cat people

I know the blog has been a little dog-centric lately, what with Beacon Barks! and breaking behavioral research.

This morning I ran across a blog post that someone had posted about hanging a small camera around his cat's neck and letting it wander around. There were many photos, all from a cat's POV. And it was really interesting. The mastermind even included instructions on how he modified a camera to take the shots.

Unfortunately, when I got into the newsroom and tried calling up the article, it had been removed from the Web site for violation of terms of service.

Trust me, it was really cool. If I run across it again, and it stays up on the Internets, I'll post it.

New way of thinking about dogs thinking

Does your dog sit around and think about the state of things? Does Fido try to find new ways to do things? Is he trying to build a better dog house?

Research from the University of Vienna is finding that dogs may be smarter than we think and can decide how to imitate a behavior based on the circumstances.

The study centered on whether dogs would break from normal behavior (using their mouths to perform a task) when shown an alternate way of doing something.

"Whether they imitate or not depends on the context," said Zsofia Viranyi of Eotvos University in Budapest, who helped with the experiment. "It's not automatic, insightless copying. It's more sophisticated. There's a kind of inferential process going on."

There are two versions of the same article from the Washington Post: one on MSNBC's Web site and the other on the Post's Web site. The Post requires you to register, but it is worth it. There are explanatory graphics and videos there, as well as the transcript of an online chat session with the article's authors.

Not everyone is convinced. The article says that this behavior might just be another example of dogs' ability to interpret subtle clues given a long, close relationship with humans.

Nevertheless, I am hiding the keys when I get home tonight.

Do you have the cutest pet?

Tanner is described by his owner, Donald Bathrick of Wassaic, as a "handsome, 15-year-old Corgi who likes short walks, breakfast at McDonald's and old Tom Jones songs, including What's New, Pussycat?"

The pooch has been entered in the Poughkeepsie Journal's Pet Idol contest.

Pet Idol is a fundraiser for the Journal's Newspaper in Education Program, which provides newspapers and educational materials to schools. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Dutchess County SPCA.

Photos of pets can be submitted electronically or via regular mail (eeww, postage) until June 11. The pictures are put online and people vote for their favorite pets. Each vote costs 25 cents, with a minimum of $5.

The first round of voting is going on now through June 13. The second round of voting will run from June 15 to June 29. Winners will be announced July 2.

First-, second- and third-prize winners will each receive a trophy and a gift package worth between $25 and $1,000, as well as a being mentioned in a Journal story.

As of tonight, people have entered 156 pictures of dogs, 67 pictures of cats, two bunnies, two bearded dragons (only a mother...), one iguana, one ferret, one snake and one hedgehog.

Employees of the Poughkeepsie Journal are not eligible to enter the contest — because it just wouldn't be fair to all of you. I mean, just look at the banner at the top of this blog.

Good luck.

Beacon goes to the dogs (sorry)

The City of Beacon turned Main Street over to canines of all sizes and shapes today for the first annual Animal Shelter Appreciation Day's "Beacon Barks!" parade and street fair. Local merchants welcomed dogs and their owners into the shops and even provided water and treats.

Before the parade, dogs and their humans gathered at the base of Main Street. Kate got to meet several cute pups.


Willie (named after Willie Nelson), a 1-3/4-year-old cockapoo owned by Art Burns of Beacon.


Kate says hello to 9-year-old Molly O'Hamlin, a bearded collie with a summer haircut, and 14-year-old Sam Malone, a west highland terrier. They are owned by Suzanne Hamlin of Newburgh.


The parade kicked off shortly after 11 a.m. with Debbi Calabrese of the Dutchess County SPCA holding the banner and dancing to "Who Let the Dogs Out?" What would we do if that song hadn't been written?



During the parade, Boston, an 18-month-old black pug owned by Tamela Hayes of Wappingers Falls, had the right idea. Get in the shade and onto some cool asphalt as Kate looks on.


Walking alongside Kate and me was Roland, a 3-year-old terrier mix owned by the Journal's Assistant Local Desk Editor Maria Burnham, who said everyone who stopped her to ask what breed Roland was had a different idea of what made up his Roland-ness.


It was shoulder to shoulder and paw to paw inside The Beacon Barkery after the parade. The store, which co-sponsored the parade and street fair with the DCSPCA and the City of Beacon, was also filled with treats and collars and toys and food for dogs. I bought a few for Kate, but the icing didn't fair too well in 80+ temperatures. She didn't seem to mind, devouring the heart-shaped cookie first.


There were even dogs available for adoption. Here, Mary Ellen Mikula of East Fishkill volunteered to man the DCSPCA mobile adoption van.


The DCSPCA also had agility demonstrations and music throughout the afternoon. Kate, unwillingly, took advantage of the Dog Wash, the proceeds of which went to the DCSPCA. Attending to her highness was John Bier of Beacon and Isabel Rose of the City of Poughkeepsie, a DCSPCA volunteer.


A highlight of the day for Kate was getting her picture taken with Beacon Mayor Clara Lou Gould. After 18 years in office, Gould is not seeking re-election. She is ostensibly hanging up her hat, but probably not the one she is wearing.


Kate was plum tuckered out by the excitement of all those butts to sniff, not to mention those city lamp posts. While Burnham and I had some coffee at Muddy Cup, Kate did her impersonation of a rug, albeit a panting rug.


If anyone has any pictures they want to share from Saturday's Beacon Barks!, send them to me here.

Success stories

I just got an e-mail from the Dutchess County SPCA in Hyde Park, N.Y., telling me that Ready for Adoption featured pets Peanut (above) and Norcon (below) have found new homes.

Congratulations to their new companions, and thanks for taking in these two beautiful dogs.

Shelter pets rule.