September 01, 2005
Dogs of New Orleans
We here at Puptastic extend vibes of support and grief and concern to the people of New Orleans and their dogs. (And our humans are sending cash, too.)
For some shocking, heartwarming, frightening pictures of pets weathering the storm, you can look at MSNBC's "picture story" on pets.
posted by miranda at 12:18 AM
July 06, 2005
technically, an insect not a dog
An insect, not a dog. An insect, not a dog. Keep saying that to yourself, and you can probably make it through this entry:
Six-legged dog [backstory here] has been dubbed "Ong Fatt" (Lucky One). Yeah, that should keep him from getting teased on the playground . . . Sorry. I struggled for over a week about whether to post this one or not. But I ultimately could not stop myself. I will try to make it up to you with extra cuteness in the surrounding posts.
posted by miranda at 11:01 PM
July 05, 2005
gae-ttong-nyue
"Korean Netizens Attack Dog-Shit Girl," said the headline from Don Park's Daily Habit, and the synopsis is: fashionable young woman refuses to "curb" her pooch, mobloggers post photographic evidence, and an internet-based lynch mob tracks her down and harasses her. This story was, supposedly, all over the Korean blogverse a few days ago.
The reaction from Americans seems to be mostly privacy-oriented (apparently the subway cars in internet-savvy Korea are overflowing with mobloggers), but seriously. You know what's much more appalling than trying to pick up dog diarrhea? Making an old person have to stoop on a moving subway car to clean up a mess that isn't even their fault. And you know what's more important than snapping a photo of someone who refused to pick up their dog's diarrhea? Helping clean it up so the old person doesn't have to.
posted by miranda at 11:50 PM
June 30, 2005
The Dogs of War
For two and a half decades, police in the turbulent Indian state of Andhra Pradesh have been battling Maoist insurgents. Now, according to a Reuters article, Pradesh-ian pups are helping out:
Police in the turbulent region are using rice and meat to lure and befriend street dogs after the barking of one helped them fend off an attack by rebel fighters this week....
I started reading up on battlefield dogs and found a pre-Iraq war newsletter describing the lives of working dogs in the US military. These doggies are helping keep us safe!
Today [late 2001 - ed.], Army and Air Force military dogs are deployed in the Balkans and in Southwest Asia, serving as sentries and explosives detectors. In other missions, they may also be called upon to support the U.S. Customs Service or Drug Enforcement Administration in counter-drug activities and even the Secret Service when extensive President travel or a presidential political campaign overwhelms that agency's own four-legged assets.
I feel compelled to mention here that, since that terrible time, dogs have appeared alongside prisoners in certain controversial photos I won't link to or even think about here.... Enough said. I do not want to besmirch the character of our fine pups in uniform....
LINK: [Reuters AlertNet]
LINK: [deploymentlink.osd.mil]
posted by miranda at 07:58 PM
April 28, 2005
turin's city council loves dogs
CNN thinks this is "offbeat news" but I think it's kind of awesome:
Dog owners in Turin will be fined up to $650 if they don't walk their pets at least three times a day, under a new law from the city's council.
People will also be banned from dyeing their pets' fur or "any form of animal mutilation" for merely aesthetic motives such as docking dogs' tails, under the law about to be passed in the northern Italian city.
"In Turin it will be illegal to turn one's dog into a ridiculous fluffy toy," the city's La Stampa daily reported.
posted by lia at 12:37 PM
April 27, 2005
tiberius the bulldog
From the Associated Press, Tiberius Crowned King of Wrinkles, Drool:
DES MOINES, Iowa - He's a mutt with a mug only a mother could love. No matter. Tiberius, a 2 1/2-year-old English bulldog, was crowned "Most Beautiful Bulldog" on Monday and will reign as the canine king at this year's Drake Relays, Iowa's premier sporting event.
Tiberius bested about 50 other eye-catching examples of the breed from throughout the Midwest in capturing the annual contest.
"What they look for is the ugliest bulldog you can find ... droopy eyes, protruding teeth, slobbering," said Dolph Pulliam, director of Drake's community outreach and development. "He rides in a golf cart around the track as the announcer announces him as the 2005 most beautiful. ... It is a coveted thing."
I don't know about that "ugliest bulldog" part, I think Tiberius is handsome! And I think he was perfectly named too. Congratulations to him and to his family, the Swifts, from us here at Puptastic!
posted by lia at 07:08 PM
comments (616)
, trackback (36)
April 10, 2005
chihuahua has his own costco card
Napoleon, whose front half is a chihuahua, has his own Costco Card. Even I don't have one.
posted by ranjit at 02:43 PM
comments (32)
, trackback (22)
April 06, 2005
dogs do laugh!
Science triumphs again, proving that dogs can laugh!
Professor Panksepp, of Bowling Green State University in Ohio, US, explains that neural circuits for laughter exist in "ancient" parts of our brain, whose general structure is shared amongst many animals.
They've seen evidence of laughter in dogs as well as in rats and chimpanzees, although they had to use different jokes.
posted by ranjit at 02:42 PM
comments (66)
, trackback (47)
April 02, 2005
dogs really do look like their owners
News flash: top scientists of science have proven that dogs really do look like their owners.
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego showed that people choose purebred dogs that resemble them. But they weren't so fussy when it came to choosing a mongrel.
Isn't science wonderful?
posted by ranjit at 01:19 AM
comments (124)
, trackback (18)
March 31, 2005
turd burglar
Via the Associated Press:
The hunt is on for a turd burglar.
Police in San Diego are searching for a gunman who swiped a bag of poop from a woman out walking her dog.
The woman told police that she was out walking her dog, Misty, on Monday night when a man in his 20s ran up behind her and grabbed the bag she was holding.
When the gunman discovered what was in it, he threw it down in disgust, pointed his gun at the 32-year-old woman and demanded money, San Diego police detective Gary Hassen said.
He then aimed his .22-caliber semiautomatic at Misty and pulled the trigger twice but the gun didn't fire, Hassen said.
The robber ran to a waiting small, silver car and fled the scene, police said.
It would almost be funny except for, you know, the shmuck first pointing his gun at the lady and then trying to shoot her dog. Dude, it's not their fault you're a moron as well as a thief!
I hope the cops got his fingerprints off the baggy and nab his ass.
posted by lia at 01:11 PM
comments (325)
, trackback (18)
February 17, 2005
dogs in the news, 2/17/05
- Toads turning dogs into junkies
Australian dogs are licking cane toads for the buzz-- and getting addicted. - Central Park "Gates" Worker Rescues Dogs
When two dogs fell through the ice, Michael Dickey waded into the freezing water and used his gate-untangling pole to rescue them. 
Dog couture all the rage in Taiwan
Also, according to this article, the word in Chinese for a pet owner is "host!"- Dog in Cat Chase Rescued from Drain Pipe
Said the owner of Dennis, a Jack Russell Terrier: "They chased it down a pipe and I think the cat managed to come out the other end. Because it is tapered, Dennis is quite portly and got wedged but the other one came out." - Too good a retriever?
"As the officer was checking for outstanding warrants, J.D. waded into a nearby creek and emerged with a plastic bag filled with pot."
posted by ranjit at 12:58 PM
comments (31)
, trackback (20)
February 16, 2005
dogs in the news, 2/16/05
- A dog is man's best friend, and a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Five firefighters honored for rushing into a burning house to save Boo the 13 year-old lab pitbull mix. - Man's best friend blamed for starting house fire
"According to the fire report, [Keith] Powell's dog apparently jumped on the stove to eat food left in a skillet, turning on a burner in the process." - Dog Owners Face Fines for Fouling
As the saying goes: if you can't pick up after your dog, you don't deserve to own one. - SPCA says too many dogs being left in locked cars
"Dog owners are putting their animals' lives at risk by leaving them locked in vehicles or chained up without shade."
posted by lia at 03:01 PM
comments (154)
, trackback (15)
February 15, 2005
willie's westminster op-ed
Seattle Post-Intelligencer guest columnist Willie is more than a little ticked off that golden retrievers like himself have never once taken Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show. From Will they ever throw a golden a bone?:
I could even stomach a terrier. But a rat-dog? A worthless yipster, reigning as champion of the dog world? It's possible, Frei saying the toy group is the toughest group.
Among the rat-dog contenders -- a world-class poodle and Pekingese, and a Pomeranian co-owned by Bill Cosby. The poodle is trained by Tim Brazier of Mill Creek.
[USA color commentator Dave] Frei also mentioned a long-coat Chihuahua, and the thought of these one-bite happy meals winning makes me so sick that I plan to eat grass during the telecasts.
Even dogs from the hound group have a better record than goldens. How can a drooling, stinky Basset Hound win, or a baying, annoying Beagle?
Then you've got those damn Dachshunds. At this year's show, there will be three varieties and 64 in all. That's what I want to see, 64 wiener dogs on my master's TV, some no doubt sponsored by Oscar Mayer.
Everyone here at Puptastic HQ is a great fan of Willie and we all hope he never gets trapped on a desert island or a frozen mountain top with those scheming wiener dogs.
posted by lia at 01:36 PM
comments (46)
, trackback (19)
February 14, 2005
triumph not triumphant
Okay, so Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's comedy album Come Poop With Me lost the Grammy yesterday to Jon Stewart and his Daily Show gang (for America (The Book) on cd), but how many Rottweiler puppets do you know who get interviewed in the New York Times? From Funny Bones by Deborah Solomon:
Many people know you from Conan O'Brien's show, and I trust you enjoy your frequent guest appearances.
It's O.K. I get to insult all sorts of talented people, and also John Tesh.
Are you referring to Tesh the man or Tesh the New Age musician?
Yes.
posted by lia at 03:17 PM
comments (469)
, trackback (48)
February 13, 2005
dogs in the news, 2/13/05
- Dogs make good diet buddies
People who partnered with their pups in diet and exercise, researchers say, lost more weight and kept it off. - Iambs introduces condiments for dogs
I've never met a dog who refused his food for lack of canine ketchup. - Pet dog to be chief bridesmaid
She has a custom-designed dress and everything. And there's a picture! - Lost dogs reunited with their owner
They ran off in the night, climbed a mountain in subzero temperatures, and were finally lured to safety by the ski patrol's meatloaf and provolone sandwich.
posted by ranjit at 11:11 PM
comments (385)
, trackback (13)
February 12, 2005
dogs in the news, 2/12/05
- Python-Tracking Puppy Trains to Patrol Everglades
Pete the Beagle is being trained "to track down snakes and bark after they have been sighted, enabling park officials to capture and remove the huge pythons." - Puppy survives cliff fall and Channel swim
Toby the six month-old Jack Russell puppy got scared by gunfire, jumped off a 70-foot cliff and swam a mile across the Channel from Devon to Cornwall. If he could only ride a bicycle he'd be set to do a triathlon! - Trucker's lost dog on the road again
Kentucky truck driver Carl White's been reunited with his miniature Pomeranian Judy, after losing her while pulled over at a truck stop. - Ten-year ban for neglect of dog
Wendy Callan of Birmingham "had not groomed or cut the 10-year-old shitzu, Gizmo, for more than two years... [he] had to have an eye removed as it had been permanently closed for so long." Shame on you, Wendy Callan! - School adopts an assistance puppy
Principal Dr. Jory Westberry of Tommie Barfield Elementary is bringing Opal the black lab puppy to work with her to help Opal socialize with kids, and to teach the kids about assistance dogs and respect the disabled. - New dog is helping Carthage woman regain her independence
Spirit the golden retriever is Lynda Purdy's new guide dog, taking over from Douce, her late companion of twelve years.
posted by lia at 12:50 PM
comments (172)
, trackback (27)
February 11, 2005
people who look like their dogs
The Economist put an article from their print edition up online yesterday, Love me, love my dog, about the paper published by Christina Payne and Klaus Jaffe (of Venezuela's Simón Bolívar University) in the Journal of Ethology a while back.
Payne and Jaffe went to a dog show, photographed 36 purebred dogs and their owners (separately), and then had volunteers guess which dogs belonged to which dog. The volunteers sorted out the right answer more often than chance, just like in a previous study by other researchers which found that human couples tend to look alike. The phenomenon Payne and Jaffe are studying is associated mating characterized as "self seeking like", in which people prefer faces that resemble their own.
I got Jarvis as a present, he was picked out of a litter by a friend of my mom so we don't look anything alike, although I do know many people who definitely resemble their dogs. I bet Payne and Jaffe would get a good laugh out of the winners of the Cesar Select Dinners I Look Like My Dog contest, like these two fellows:
posted by lia at 01:16 PM
comments (456)
, trackback (12)
dogs in the news, 2/11/05
- Dog park to be named for a pooch
Boca Raton's new dog park, its first permanent one, will be named in honor of a retired police or fire department dog. - Candidate does more than wag the dog for city
Candidate for Sixth Ward alderman of Evanston Mark Tendam takes his dog out on long walks to help him introduce himself to voters. Great idea. - Margarita's husband demands access to dog
The estranged husband of a Dutch princess is suing her for "parental access" to his dog Paco or a fine of €500 (about $650) a day she keeps Paco away. (The average monthly salary in the Netherlands is around €2500.) - Dog survives 150ft fall
Hugo the English Setter suffered only a cut tongue after falling off a cliff onto a beach in New Yorkshire while chasing a seagull.
posted by lia at 12:44 PM
comments (169)
, trackback (15)