Commentary | Cambridge Canine

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

That’s what I’d like to know! You’ll have to ask Eddie, though, and he’s not talking – only barking at the recycling bin sculpture my neighbor created on the curb this morning. Trash day is the highpoint of every Cantabrigian canine’s week, but usually it’s the trashy fragrance that attracts them, turning a short walk around the block into a marathon of tugging and sniffing. In this instance, the unusual sight of two recycling bins stacked atop a large wheeled barrel aroused Eddie’s deep suspicion, triggering a bout of alarmed barking. Try as I might, I couldn’t cajole him into coming close enough to sniff down this grave threat to homeland security. Go figure. Continue reading “What’s Wrong With This Picture?”

Dog Days Of Summer Pose Dangers to Dogs

Eddie likes to stay well-hydrated in the heat.

An incident today reminded me that many well-intentioned people do not realize that dogs are far more susceptible to heat stroke and dehydration than we are. I’m sharing this cautionary tale not to single out the dog owner involved, but to raise awareness that the dog days of summer pose serious health risks to our canine companions. Continue reading “Dog Days Of Summer Pose Dangers to Dogs”

Corgi Cam Hits the Spot

When a pair of cardinals nested in an azalea bush directly outside our dining room window this spring, I joked that I should set up a webcam to record and share the process online in real time, like the Hawk Cam in New York City. Of course, as a spectator sport, a pair of songbirds nesting rates about as poorly as watching dogs sleep, which, as I write, 1,454 people are doing via The Pet Collective’s Corgi Cam, a 24/7 live stream of a corgi bitch named Brinkley and her litter of four puppies. Continue reading “Corgi Cam Hits the Spot”

Who Does Your Dog Think You Are?

“I aspire to be the person my dog thinks I am.”

I don’t recall when I first heard this expression, and no one seems to know where it originated, but it’s spreading like kudzu through the dog world. Lately, I can’t seem to go a day without seeing it. Granted, I may be spending too much time browsing dog blogs and sites like Life with Dogs. But after coming across the expression for the umpteenth time yesterday, I stopped to think about what it really means. What kind of person does my dog think I am, and should his opinion guide my life goals? Continue reading “Who Does Your Dog Think You Are?”

The Dog Particle

A simple dog is all I can handle. (image: hypberboleandahalf.blogspot.com)

It’s universally agreed that the discovery this week of the Higgs boson particle is a really, really big deal, though only a really, really small number of people can explain why. I am not one of those people. Far from it. In fact, when I first heard the term “Higgs boson,” I thought it sounded more like the name of a new breed of designer dog.

Continue reading “The Dog Particle”

Sticking with Elizabeth Warren

Otis likes to "speak softly and carry a big stick." (photo from Elizabeth Warren's Facebook page)

BREAKING NEWS: The Elizabeth Warren for U.S. Senate campaign today launched a new website, which offers supporters the ability to join interest groups, including one for Dog Lovers.

Continue reading “Sticking with Elizabeth Warren”

Has Fashion Gone to the Dogs?

Eddie models a cardigan sweater by J. Crew (belt optional)

Good news for tailors and seamstresses! The Boston Herald reports that two local tailors are keeping busy designing and altering dog garments and accessories (“Pampered Pooches Unleash New Market for Tailors,” June 25, 2012). The irony is rich, as most of our own clothing is mass-produced overseas and no longer worth paying a tailor to alter or mend. Continue reading “Has Fashion Gone to the Dogs?”

Pet Lovers for Obama

Eddie is still basking in the celebrity afterglow of being featured on the Pet Lovers for Obama Facebook page yesterday. His photo has racked up 1,290 likes, 52 comments, and counting!

He liked his “Barack’s Best Friend” leash so much that he chewed right through it, but I’m ordering a replacement ($15) on the Obama 2012 website, which offers a variety of campaign-themed pet accessories. Cat lovers are welcomed into Obama’s big tent with collars that say, “I meow for Michelle.”

We’re still hoping to catch sight of another Cambridge celebrity dog, Elizabeth Warren’s golden retriever Otis, who is said to model his behavior on Teddy Roosevelt’s credo (“speak softly and carry a big stick”).

Thunder Dog

Never let them see the whites of your eyes.

“There is a reason for everything a dog does. In his opinion, these reasons are valid whether we, the owners, think so or not.” (How to Live with a Neurotic Dog by Stephen Baker with illustrations by Fred Hillard)

To Eddie’s mind, it is perfectly reasonable to refuse to visit the neighborhood park where we happened to be as a severe thunderstorm approached a few days ago. By his logic, more ear-splitting thunder might commence at any moment along our customary route to the park, hence his new compulsion to crouch, tail tucked, legs locked and trembling, even when the suns shines brightly over this particular stretch of sidewalk. No amount of pleading, cajoling or high-value treating can persuade him that the path between our house and the park is safe to travel. Continue reading “Thunder Dog”

Fairy DogParents to the Rescue!

Ali_FairyDogParents — Ali, one of 300 dogs Fairy DogParents has sponsored since 2009.

Have you ever wished for a fairy godmother to get you through a rough patch? (If you haven’t, then congratulations; you’ve led an exceptionally charmed life!) Well, some dog owners could use a little extra help, too, but until recently, there was no one to call upon to wave a magic wand. That’s why Marlo Manning founded Fairy DogParents, a nonprofit that has made wishes come true for over 300 dog owners (“DogParents”) since its founding in March 2009. Continue reading “Fairy DogParents to the Rescue!”