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Pets and Politicians

As the 2012 political race heats up candidates are trying to find new angles from which to score voters. Republican candidate Newt Gingrich has chosen pets as one of his. He recently launched a website called “Pets With Newt 2012.” The website mainly functions as a sort of social network, or at least pet picture website, where Gingrich supporters can send in photos of their animals with a caption that provides their name and reads “I’m With Newt!” The site also reveals that Gingrich’s love for animals extends beyond those of the domesticated variety, with a large front page picture … Continue reading →

Remembering Cher Ami and Other Veteran Carrier Pigeons

When Wayne and I took a trip to Washington, D.C. last year, I was blown away. I’d never been there before and didn’t really know what to expect. I sure wasn’t expecting to become so smitten with the place. It captured my heart and still has yet to let go. (I’m thinking it probably never will. I absolutely loved my visit there.) The museums were all incredible. And something I thought was really neat was how I found a story about an animal detailed in almost all of them. Animals Make Up Our History, Too Like when we were in … Continue reading →

What’s This about the Obamas Getting a Puppy?

Barack Obama’s win was, naturally, the talk of all the news yesterday. But of course the thing that caught my ear was the focus on how the Obamas were considering getting a puppy. The Puppy Speech I’d tried to stay awake for Obama’s victory speech Tuesday night, but instead I ended up falling asleep. I guess if I would have watched it I would have heard for myself the part where he said he was going to reward his daughters’ support and patience during the campaign with a puppy. I was surprised to hear they were considering a puppy. I … Continue reading →

Patriotic Paraphernalia for Pets

In honor of President’s Day, and because this is an election year, I thought today would be the primo day to talk about some of the patriotic pet paraphernalia I’ve seen around lately. “Patriotic paraphernalia? What are you talking about? Presidential candidates are getting pets into the act?” I haven’t run across anything like that yet. (But it wouldn’t surprise me if someone’s campaign had “Vote for X” or “X in ‘08” bandanas or something. If they don’t, they should think about that.) No, what I’m referring to is all the different red, white, and blue pet products I’ve seen … Continue reading →

Dog Breed: Weimeraner

Have you ever seen a Weimeraner? These dogs are aristocratic and striking, with a glossy grey coat and amber eyes. Weimeraners are known for grace, speed, stamina, balance, and alertness. They were bred to be hunting dogs; experts believe that the bloodhound is one of the Weimeraner’s ancestors. Germany’s Weimar court sponsored the breeding efforts, and lent its name to the result. Court nobles favored the breed for hunting big game like wolves, wildcats, and deer. The dog has amazing speed, a strong nose, courage to face large prey, and intelligence. Obedience trials helped generate American interest in the breed. … Continue reading →

The Queen: A Royal Dog Lover

I’d heard a lot about the movie The Queen starring Helen Mirren (who did as fantastic a job as was touted, by the way) so I Netflixed it and finally had a chance to watch it the other day. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was not expecting to find out the Queen of England was such a dog lover. In the movie, she’s portrayed as stoic, well-controlled and the epitome of good breeding, refinement and manners. That’s what I would expect. I was not expecting dogs to be in the movie at all –much less allowed inside … Continue reading →

Poodles

Two out of the seven competitors in this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show were poodles! Standard, Miniature, and Toy poodles are different sizes in the same breed and are all held to the same standards. Standard poodle sizes: Fifteen inches or more at the shoulder. Miniature poodle sizes: Between ten and fifteen inches at the shoulder. Toy poodle sizes: Ten inches at the shoulder and smaller. The poodle is said to have originated in Germany, though the breed is strongly associated with France. In fact, the poodle is the national dog of France! The Standard poodle is most … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Feb 19-25

Presidents’ Day, Mardi Gras, and Ash Wednesday … ah, there was a lot going on in the “real world” last week, but what about in the Pets Blog? Miss anything? If so, here’s a recap of what Aimee and myself covered: Monday, February 19 Monday was Presidents’ Day. What better way to pay respect Pets Blog style than with a virtual trip to the Presidential Pet Museum to Hail the Resident Pets in Chief? (Of the many interesting facts I learned, the one that struck me the most was how pet-friendly our Leaders in Chief are or have been. Only … Continue reading →