Tales of the Kennedy dogs

More stories are coming out about the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's love for his dogs.

This blog post from USA Today talks about Kennedy's dogs trying to protect him from then-Sen. Joe Biden's oratory.

And Politico has a story about how Kennedy would bring his dogs to Capitol Hill and how much they — along with the senator — will be missed.

Kennedy’s Senate office always had water bowls and tennis balls on hand. Major legislation was hammered out as White House officials patted fuzzy heads and threw balls during meetings. The dogs were known to snooze under committee room tables.

“It’s like the end of an era,” said Kennedy’s former judiciary committee general council David Sutphen. “I find it hard to believe you’ll have another senator with a dog who comes to meetings all over the Capitol. It’s kind of the closing of a chapter.”

Unfortunately, the dogs did not have access to the Senate floor. No doubt they could have had a positive effect on legislation had they been there.

Kennedy as dog lover

The White House's The Briefing Room blog posted this picture of Sen. Ted Kennedy and his wife Vicki greeting Bo in the Outer Oval Office of the White House April 21. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza.)

Tributes are pouring in for the late senator, some having to do with his love of dogs.

He had two Portuguese water dogs — Sunny and Splash — and was instrumental in the Obamas getting Bo.

Here's a story from the Los Angeles Times's L.A. Unleashed blog about Kennedy.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, wrote today that Kennedy was "a stalwart ally over the years on a wide range of legislation to protect companion animals, farm animals, animals in research and wildlife," adding that the senator from Massachusetts was instrumental in the passage of animal welfare legislation including laws that cracked down on dogfighting and cockfighting, protected horses and other farm animals, and sent chimpanzees once used in medical research to sanctuaries.

Say what you will about the man, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Dogs at the fair

RHINEBECK — I was at the Dutchess County Fair yesterday doing a story on the canine tent. The fair is open through Sunday. The canine tent closes at 9 p.m.

Read my article from the Poughkeepsie Journal here.

This is the ninth year for the canine tent. It's a tribute to the popularity of companion animals that they have a place alongside cows and sheeps and horses, oh my.

The picture above is of Karen Tindal performing with one of her Dazzle Dogs, a dancing/agility troupe of Corgis and an Australian shepherd.


DockDogs.com set up a diving pool for competitions again this year. For the middle of the day and the middle of the week, there were quite a few people taking advantage of the practice time. Competitions in distance, speed retrieval and height jumping are in the afternoons. Finals are Sunday.

It's always fun to stand near the ramp where the dogs exit the jumping area for the "shake down."


Meet Abraham Lincoln, a rescued pit bull, and now a certified therapy dog, now living at the Animal Farm Foundation in Standfordville.

With the dog is Ashley Reum, his handler.

AFF was one of several rescue groups represented in the canine tent, including the Dutchess County SPCA and the Mid-Hudson Kennel Association.

The tent is organized by Dale Mountain, who operates Rhinebeck's Russell Refuge, Inc.

So take a few minutes after you down a 4H milkshake and some fried dough and see what the dogs can do.

Photos by Michael Woyton/Poughkeepsie Journal.

How does that make you feel?

Ever wonder how and why cats react to catnip?

Take a look at this video via the magic of the YouTubes.

New Paltz police dog remembered

My colleague Rasheed Oluwa covered the memorial service Monday for New Paltz police dog Zeus, who was killed July 31 when vehicles driven by his partner Officer Robert Knoth and Officer Joseph Judge collided.

They were responding to a residential burglary alarm.

Read Oluwa's story here.

Zeus, 7, was a German shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix from the Czech Republic.

"He was basically an 85-pound lapdog when he was with me," Knoth, Zeus' handler, said Monday. "He was the best partner you could ask for. He was always happy to come to work. He had no fear. He was always the first one to walk through the door."

Photo by Jen Kiaba/For the Poughkeepsie Journal

Vacation mode for Bo

On vacation with his family, Bo the Portuguese water dog was the inspiration for a dog parade on Martha's Vineyard.

See pictures of the presidential pooch from the Los Angeles Times.

Poor Bo. Absolutely no privacy when he was walked over to a grassy spot by his handler.

And Bo was a no-show at the parade, but it looks like everyone had a good time anyway.

Fair to feature dogs

Tomorrow the Dutchess County Fair opens its gates.

For the ninth year in a row, the canine tent will be a featured attraction.

See my story in today's Poughkeepsie Journal.

All week the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office canine units will be giving demonstrations. The picture above is from the recent Christmas in August school-supply giveaway where the deputies showed how a K-9 officer apprehends someone.

It's always fascinating to watch the officers work.

Also on tap this year at the fair will be a demonstration of border collies herding sheep and a Dock Dogs competition.

I will be on Bob Miller's Morning Mix show Wednesday talking about the canine tent and later that day I'll be going out to the fair to do a live story on the activities.

Hope to see you there.

Wappinger offers reduced price rabies shot Saturday

WAPPINGERS FALLS — A rabies clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Wappinger town hall, 20 Middlebush Road.

The rain-or-shine event will give residents the opportunity to vaccinate their dogs and cats at a reduced cost.

Please make sure your animal is either on a leash or in a carrier.

The rabies shot is $10 per vaccination. Owners must provide a current rabies certificate. Otherwise, only a one-year immunization will be administered.

Town residents can also license their dogs at the clinic.

Microchipping will be available for $25.

Town Clerk Chris Masterson said owners will be able to get their dogs vaccinated for about one-quarter the local average cost and one-half the cost of the microchip.

Call 845-297-5571 to preregister or for information.

Latest on Sally

I got an e-mail from Paula Clausi-Van Steenburgh, the Highland woman, who adopted little Sally.

You will recall that Sally was abandoned in a clothing donation bin in September. She was rescued by the Dutchess County SPCA, and Clausi-Van Steenburgh adopted her in November.

Here are the blog entries I've done on the pooch.

Clausi-Van Steenburgh writes:

As you know, the DCSPCA Petwalk is coming up on September 12th. I got a mail from (Executive Director) Joyce Garrity this past Friday saying she was thinking of us. People have been asking about Sally a lot lately, so I thought I would send an update in case any of your readers are interested.

In a nutshell, Sally continues to do well. Since my last e-mail in January, Sally and Monica have completed obedience and beginning agility classes. They have continued with second level agility, but have taken a break for the summer due to our vacation schedule. We have set up a small agility course in our back yard for practice when Sally and her brother Pluto are not in classes. Monica works with Sally on the course every day! I have attached a video taken with our cell phone of Sally and Monica running the course. The quality isn’t so great, but you will get the idea.



Oh yeah, if you post it for your readers, make a note that we moved the tunnel and forgot to replace the stakes to keep it from rolling. You can see after she goes through, the tunnel rolls and she turns and looks at it like “what was THAT all about?”

Aside from agility, Sally loves chasing her Frisbee and butterflies. She has also discovered the joy of rolling in poop, much to our dismay. The smellier the better. She and the garden hose have become close friends. LOVES the water, but soap she despises. I can always tell when Monica has had to give Sally a bath when I am at work. When I come home, Pluto has tried to make himself small in an even smaller spot. He hates clean even more than Sally, but at least he doesn’t share her passion for odious piles of slime.

We have also found out that Sally hates thunderstorms. She is better than any weather forecaster around. She will plaster herself to our sides before the first rumble and will stick like glue until the storm passes.

Monica is Clausi-Van Steenburgh's daughter. They are planning on attending the Petwalk Sept. 12 at Bowdoin Park in the Town of Poughkeepsie. I'll have more on the Petwalk soon.

It's certainly good news that Sally has found a terrific home and a loving, supportive environment.

You go, girl! And leave those butterflies alone.

And it comes with the number of a good chiropractor

Even Kate will admit I've carried her for years. And gladly, I will add.

But a pet backpack is something that is really not practical unless you have one of those teensy, tiny dogs.

If you do, and you need to schlep your dog and your laptop, then you are in luck.

PetEgo has, for the price of $178, just what you are looking for: the Pet at Work Travel System.

It is a combination pet backpack, laptop carrier and collapsible pet crate.

The backpack is 15 inches wide by 16 inches high, with a depth of 9 inches, 13 inches or 16 inches, when fully expanded.

I'm thinking a regular, much less costly backback and a leash will work fine, too.

Raw v cooked

Do you BARF?

That is, do you feed your pets Biologically Appropriate Raw Food?

An article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes up the issue.

The BARF or raw diet, which has drawn increased attention, is one of the most controversial ways to feed cats and dogs. Proponents swear by it, but many vets discourage it. Dr. Kenton Rexford of Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Ohio Township does not recommend a raw diet.

"No. 1, there is a risk -- for both the person and the pet -- for exposure to salmonella and other infectious diseases. No. 2, there is no scientific proof that a raw diet is healthier than a cooked diet or packaged foods," he says.

Rexford also said the diet is labor intensive and requires the preparer to be well versed in animal nutrition.

Dr. Doug Knueven, author of "The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Dog," disputes the disease factor and maintains the benefits of a raw diet outweigh the drawbacks.

"There is scientific proof that cooking food destroys nutrients on the human side, which should apply to animals. Eating whole foods (unprocessed) has been shown to have many health benefits," he says.

So where do you fall on the raw diet? It is something you would ever give your pet?

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:
Pantera — Maine coon
"Thirty-two cats and one dog round out this crazy crew seized by our Humane Law Tean from an overcrowded cat house. Pantera, a handsome, orange male Maine Coon needs a little socialization, which is not surprising due to his minimal interaction with humans and maximum interaction with other felines. He's currently in our free-range room, so stop in and see Pantera, or any of the other guys from this collection."

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). Browse our adoptable animals today!

Shelter pets rule.

Come fly with me

Without comment, I give you this story from UPI.com about a woman who bought the entire business class section of a flight so her dog could sit next to her. $32,000 worth of sitting.

Rivka said it is the first time the two have flown since 2006. In the past her pet suffered from severe anxiety after flying alone in the cargo section, she said. This time she decided to purchase the entire business section of the jetliner and enjoy the dog's company for the four-hour flight from Paris to Israel.

Hurrah!

The stitches came out today and the e-collar came off.

Before.

After.

All's well.

... and many more

Here's to Max.

The world's oldest dog.

According to this article in the Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom, the terrier mix lives in New Iberia, La., and has a birth certificate from his vet proving his age: 26. Guinness World Records is checking Max out.

But Max is still in fine health and only suffers from mild arthritis and some cataracts. His secret, says Janelle (Derouen, his owner), is not worrying about anything at all.

"He's a very, very laid back dog," said Janelle.

"He likes to lie down, relax, nap, sleep a lot and keep life simple. He'll play with the kids for a bit but if they bother him too long he'll wander off."

And you can see from the picture with the article, not everyone can wear a hat.

Congrats, Max!

Doggone intelligence

A Canadian psychology professor has ranked dog breeds in terms of intelligence and found your pooch may be smarter than your 1-year-old baby.

Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and dog behavior researcher, used tests designed for toddlers to determine how smart dogs are.

He presented his study at a meeting of the American Psychological Association in Toronto Saturday.

See this article from USA Today.

Coren's presentation included a review of numerous studies that show how dogs are more like humans than previously thought. He says dogs can learn about 165 words, including signals; they can count up to four or five and have a basic understanding of arithmetic. Also, he says, dogs can intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats they want.

CNN reported Coren found "that average dogs can count, reason and recognize words and gestures on par with a human 2 -year-old."

"They may not be Einsteins, but are sure closer to humans than we thought," Coren said.

As far as which dog breed is the smartest, he said border collies lead the pack, followed by poodles, retrievers, German shepherds and Doberman pinschers.

At the bottom of his list are the borzoi, chow chow, bulldog, basenji and the Afghan ("Don't hate me because I'm beautiful" hound.

Coren said his findings show dogs have more sense than scientists previously thought but less than many doting humans are willing to assume their dogs have.

"There are some people who think that dogs are just little human beings running around in fur coats and there are other people who sort of think that they're unfeeling biological mechanisms," he said. "The truth of the matter is really that dogs are neither extreme."

Are you happy now?

A Michigan congressman wants to see pet owners get tax deductions for caring for their companion animals.

According to Pet Product News, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Livonia introduced HR 3501 — the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years, or HAPPY Act. It would allow an individual to deduct up to $3,500 for “qualified pet care expenses.”

“Qualified pet care expenses” is defined as “amounts paid in connection with providing care (including veterinary care) for a qualified pet other than any expense in connection with the acquisition of the qualified pet."

While I wouldn't mind seeing an additional tax deduction, the Michigan Messenger reports McCotter is against creating national health care reform.

What they are really saying

Quite a while ago, I linked to a video about two cats having a conversation.

As a reminder, here it is again.

Well, it's taken a while but someone finally translated what the cats were saying.

Watch the interpreted version here.

Turns out they weren't talking about me ... but they could have been.

And how about a guy who makes vlogs of his cats?

Watch one of them here.

Brush off for pets' dental health

Now that Kate's pearly whites are, indeed, pearly white I am vowing to keep them that way.

An article on Huffington Post could help me in my quest.

Our pets beg for a lot of things, but rarely do we hear them bark or purr for us to brush their teeth. Oral hygiene is just important with our pets as it is with ourselves and without proper dental care, by age three 70-80 percent of cats and dogs will develop periodontal disease, a serious oral illness that can cut a pet's life-span.

Some of the hints:

• If your pet isn't used to brushing, start with your fingers or something like medical gauze.

• Purchase a pet-friendly toothbrush and toothpaste. Never use "human" toothpaste.

• If your dog won't open up there are safe, effective, non-bristled options out there for those stubborn dogs and cats.

The article also says once a week is fine for brushing your pet's teeth, though two to three times would be ideal.

So as soon as the collar comes off next Tuesday, we'll get started.

What's your pet's market value?

Another disappointing decision by a judge when it comes to the emotional cost of losing a pet comes out of San Francisco.

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle said the judge ruled against a woman who show dog died due to her veterinarian's negligence.

In a ruling Friday on a San Francisco attorney's suit against an Orange County veterinarian, the Fourth District Court of Appeal acknowledged that "the love and loyalty a dog provides creates a strong emotional bond between the owner and his or her dog."

But the court noted that a parent whose child is killed by medical negligence can't sue the doctor for emotional distress or loss of the child's companionship. By the same token, California law allows a pet owner, in some cases, to seek compensation for loss of the animal's "unique economic value" but not for its "sentimental or emotional value," the court said.

If someone breaks your lamp, they only have to reimburse you for the cost of the lamp. So, it seems, a pet, no matter how dear, is the same.

Is it time to revisit some of our laws? And let's not forget the sometimes absurdly mild penalties for animal abuse while we're at it.

Cone of silence?

I'm not saying Kate wasn't getting used to the plastic Elizabethan collar the vet's office supplied us, but I was having a hard time dealing with it.

It seemed heavy.


And it seemed way too long for a dog Kate's size. A colleague of mine at work said her husband cut their collar shorter, but I was afraid of razor-sharp plastic edges.

That and the fact that I wasn't getting any sleep, because every couple of hours Kate would get up, walk around the living room and kitchen and try to paw the plastic collar off her head.

So on Friday, I stopped by Petco in Poughkeepsie and saw they had Comfy Cones. What the heck; I bought one.


They are padded, lighter weight and shorter than the plastic one. Kate seemed to take to it immediately. There's even a reflective strip around the edge of the cone, for night walking.



However, I do think she looks like a member of Mummenschanz.


The cone is flexible as well, and one can even fold it back to enable the dog to eat or drink. The instructions do warn that it shouldn't be left folded back, because that could defeat the purpose of the device.

It was even flexible enough to allow Kate to retrieve some p-mail messages at a neighborhood sign post.


All in all, since we still have a week to go to protect the stitches, I think the Comfy Cone is going to help me feel better.