Metro DC Dog Blog

Tails of the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Next Monday and Tuesday, as has been the case for well over a hundred years, New York City will go to the dogs.

That's when the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) will hold the 136th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show -- an event that not only causes the Empire State Building to don some unusual colors, but also prompts much of the country to perform a 48-hour swoon in favor of all things canine.

We fully admit to being among those swooning. In fact, we've had the privilege not only of attending the show several times, but also of covering the show for a couple of media outlets -- an assignment that got us to the press table right on the floor of Madison Square Garden, where we could see the proceedings up close and personal.

That said, we've never shown a dog ourselves, and we're not likely to do so in the future. So, like many people, we really don't have a sense of what it truly takes to get a show dog to the Garden. That's why the next book we read will probably be Show Dog: The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred by Josh Dean.

The author showcases the world of dog shows and those who participate in them by following one show dog, a young Australian Shepherd named Jack, for a full year. In doing so, we suspect Dean makes it clear that raising and campaigning a show dog involves much more than running the dog around a show ring every weekend or so. We're looking forward to reading all the tales that Dean tells.

Meanwhile, we should point out that at this year's Westminster Dog Show, the Washington metropolitan area is well represented. According to the WKC, of the 2,077 dogs entered, 84 are from Virginia, 57 are from Maryland, and five come from the District of Columbia. The breeds with the most entries are Rhodesian Ridgebacks, French Bulldogs, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Vizslas.

More information about the Westminster show and dog shows in general is available at the WKC website.

True confession

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:59:00 +0000

We have to confess: we don't like beer. We never touch the stuff. We even go so far as to drink wine or soda at Super Bowl parties, whether they're held in sports bars (like the one we went to last night) or in people's homes.

That said, our distaste for hops-derived beverages didn't keep us from "liking" Bud Light's Facebook page. To the left is the reason why.

This little guy's name is Weego, and he's the star of what we firmly believe was the best Super Bowl commercial of the night:

But what's really cool about this commercial is not Weego's apparent bartending skills. For us, the major coolness factor is that, for every "like" that Weego receives on Facebook, Bud Light promises to donate $1 -- up to $250,000 -- to former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). We think it says a lot about the tenderheartedness of animal lovers, not to mention their appreciation of good advertising, that a mere 12 hours after the Giants won the Super Bowl, Weego's Facebook page had drawn well over 2 million "likes".

Way to go, Weego (and Bud Light)!

Semi-silent Saturday, pre-Puppy Bowl edition

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:04:00 +0000

In honor of tomorrow's annual presentation of the Animal Planet Puppy Bowl, we would like to present this adorable video of Dachshund puppies being, well, adorable.

Mash-up of the year

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:52:00 +0000

The year 2012 is still very young, but we've already seen a commercial that we think qualifies for Mash-up of the Year. But before we show you that commercial, we need to back-track just a little.

Remember the Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial preview that appeared here a couple of weeks ago? The one in which dogs appeared to be barking to the tune of Darth Vader's theme? Well, turns out that -- unlike a certain fabulous commercial that was preceded by a quick teaser from Honda -- the full VW commercial is not just an extended version of its preview. Instead, it features a dog who recovers his sleek physique, with a little help from his human companion's VW:

The mash-up (of sorts) starts not quite a minute in to the spot.

Nicely done, Volkswagen!

Here is a link from The Washington Post on how the commercial was made. We're glad the dog really wasn't that fat.

The full story

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Today, on the upper right-hand side of this page, you'll see a new poll -- one that we hope will bring honest answers. Because, let's face it, few people are perfect when it comes to picking up dog poop. No, not even us.

Certainly in the nearly two years we've been writing this blog, we've been pretty close to perfect. There's the whole practice-what-you-preach thing, after all. Even so, honesty compels us to acknowledge that there have been times when we haven't picked up our own dog's downloads.

Examples of those times include the following:

-- We're at a dog park that has a brown mulch ground cover, and our dog does her thing on the opposite side of the park from where we are. Ever try finding a pile of dog doo that's been deposited on a pile of mulch? Good luck.

-- We're walking our dog at night, and our dog unloads in a dark spot. If you've ever tried feeling around (with a bagged hand, of course) for dog poop that you can't see, you know what we're talking about -- and how challenging that task can be.

-- While we're walking our dog, she surprises us with an extra doggie download -- and we've run out of bags with which to scoop up said download. Uh-oh.

Of course, there are ways to prevent and/or solve each of these problems, and we now are implementing them. At any mulch-covered dog park, we now stay close to our dog until she poops, so that we can see where the pile lands and scoop it up immediately. At night, we bring a flashlight along with the poop bags. And whenever we walk our dog, we make sure that we bring along at least one bag more than we think we need.

So when we answer the new poll, "How often do you pick up after your dog when walking them?", we're going to say "most of the time" -- and this post constitutes the full story regarding our pick-up prowess, including the occasional lack thereof. That said, the need to do what we ask others to do has prompted us to work much harder at being able to say "always." Soon, we hope, we'll be able to say exactly that.

Attention, please

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

We see it all the time. Probably you do, too. Maybe you even do it.

We're talking about The Multi-tasking Dog Walker: the person who walks his dog at the same time he's drinking coffee, yakking on his cell phone, listening to something on his MP3 player and/or doing something else that has nothing to do with walking his canine companion.

It's a sight we hate seeing.

It's not that we don't understand the benefits of multitasking. On the contrary, we totally get it. More often than not *we* gab on the phone or gulp some sort of beverage at the same time we unload the dishwasher, check our email or perform another task.

But walking our dog while doing something else -- well, that's another matter. Take a look at the clip below, from the soon-to-be released movie Darling Companion, and you'll see what we mean. The relevant point is at about the 31-second mark:

Yup, the dog gets lost while Kevin Kline's character is talking on his cell phone.

But even if you don't lose your dog, being a Multi-tasking Dog Walker can cause all kinds of other problems, such as:

Spilling your hot coffee all over yourself if your leashed dog sees a squirrel or other object of interest and makes a beeline for that object.
Being so wrapped up in your phone conversation or whatever music you're listening to that you fail to realize that something dangerous (like a car!) is coming.
Being too busy texting to notice that your dog has pooped -- which also means that you will fail to pick up said poop, leaving it on the ground to pollute our groundwater and make people sick.
Missing out on an opportunity to spend quality time with your dog.

So, in the interest of safety, quality time, good health and clean water, please give your dog your full attention while you and he take a stroll. Your dog, your neighbors, your psyche, and your local waterbodies will all thank you.

Darling Companion, which stars Kline, Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest, and Elisabeth Moss, opens April 20 in New York and Los Angeles, and hopefully not long thereafter in the DC area. We are so there.

Semi-silent Saturday, what they're really thinking edition

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Today we present a behind-the-scenes look at Uggie and Gordo and the making of an American Greetings e-card.

The art of rescue

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Between February 6 and March 6, the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton will hold an art exhibit that features two local artists who are using their talents to make needy animals' lives better.

The month-long exhibit is called "Rescue Me," and features the work of oil painter Julie Hart and mixed media artist Charla Wilkerson. The exhibit is dedicated to dogs and cats who have been rescued from homelessness and animal shelters.

Wilkerson's work, an example of which is here, is characterized by a humorous perspective that also celebrates her love of animals. Hart goes for the animal lover's soft spot by creating heart-tugging portraits of rescued animals. You can see an example here.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of each artist's work will be donated to local animal rescue groups.

The exhibit will be held in the Vulcan Gallery at Building 16 of the Workhouse Arts Center, which is located at 9601 Ox Road in Lorton. A reception will be held there on February 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Horsing around

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:22:00 +0000

We were intrigued this morning by Mike Rosenwald's latest installment of his "Rosenwald, Md.," column, which appears in The Washington Post.

The subject of today's opus was whether a favorite metro DC vacation spot, Ocean City, Md., should allow horseback riding on its beaches during the winter months. Last night, the Town Council voted 4-3 to permit such riding, but riders would have to pay $50 for a permit and would face a fine of $500 if they didn't clean up any poop that their horses left on the beach.

We kind of agree with one councilman that even the prospect of such a fine wouldn't induce every rider to dispose of his or her horse's downloads. But we were utterly astounded at a claim reportedly put forth by another councilman.

The councilman was Brett Ashley, who, according to the Ocean City Daily Times, said that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) excludes horse waste from regulation because "it neither contains significant amounts of listed hazardous waste components nor exhibits hazardous properties."

We couldn't find the EPA report that Mr. Ashley was reading from, but we found another EPA report that begs to differ regarding the hazards of horse waste.

The report is called Pollution Control for Horse Stables and Backyard Livestock, and it starts by pointing out that when it comes to horse and livestock poop on hobby farms and small stables, clean-up is a concern for several reasons:

Keeping peace with one's neighbors is certainly an important reason to manage backyard manure properly, but environmental and health reasons are also important ... Animal wastes contain nutrients--nitrogen and phosphorus--as well as bacteria and other pathogens. With each rain these wastes can wash off the land and into the nearest creek, stream, pond, lake or wet area. The wastes travel by overland flow or through storm sewers that are not routed through a wastewater treatment plant ... The bacteria and other pathogens associated with animal waste can make the water unfit for drinking without treatment. They can also make the water unsafe for human contact and recreational sports ....[They] can also contaminate groundwater supplies ...

The above statements, by the way, are pretty much what EPA also says about pet waste:

Pet waste is unsightly and a nuisance when left on the ground. When it is washed into storm drains and local water bodies, it contributes nitrogen, phosphorus, parasites and bacterial to local water bodies. Although the amount of waste produces by an individual pet might seem small, the cumulative impact of pet wastes on a water body can be significant and lead to conditions unfit for swimming, boating or fishing.

In other words, poop is a potential water pollutant no matter where it comes from -- dog, horse, whatever.

We're not saying that Ocean City should or should not not allow horseback riding on its beaches. Either way, though, the Town Council shouldn't be laboring under the illusion that horse poop doesn't hurt the environment if not properly cleaned up. And of course, the same goes for those who it's okay to leave their dogs' poop on the ground.

(Pictured above: horseback riding on a beach that's not in Ocean City, courtesy of South African Holiday Accommodation and Leisure)

Too much of a good thing

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:03:00 +0000

Sure, you love your dog -- every bit of him. That said, if he's like the majority of this country's dogs and cats, there may actually be a little too much of him for you to love.

According to Hills Pet Nutrition, 54 percent of the nation's pet population is overweight. Moreover, in a survey commissioned by Hills and conducted by Kelton Research, Washington DC ranks among the five chubbiest pet cities in the United States, based on a composite index that includes levels of physical activity, feeding habits, owner opinions, and veterinary advice (the other four cities are Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and San Francisco).

This is not a distinction to be proud of.

That's because excess poundage in dogs and cats puts them at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and an overall shortened life expectancy. They're also likely to suffer more from mobility problems, because of the strain that the extra weight puts on their bones and joints.

While some health conditions, such as hypothyroidism, can cause a dog to pack on the pounds, the usual causes of excess weight in dogs are the same as in people: taking in too many calories through food, and expending too few calories through exercise. Of course, while the explanation sounds simple, the solution isn't. Winning the battle of the bulge is tough for anyone, be they human or canine.

To help tilt that battle in your dog's favor, Hills has teamed up with The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney to launch the Million Pound Pledge. Now through March 30, you can visit PetFit.com to sign the pledge, assess your dog's condition, access weight loss tips, and get rebates for Hills Science Diet and Prescription Diet weight management foods. And by visiting the Hills Facebook page, you can also access two video chat sessions with Sweeney, the first of which will be this coming Thursday.

We applaud this effort, but we would be remiss if we didn't also share tips and ideas that don't require dog owners to buy a specific brand and/or type of pet food. Here's what we've learned in our efforts to help our own dog maintain her sleek physique:

See your vet. If you have reason to believe that your dog is overweight, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. The vet can determine whether an underlying condition is causing your pooch to pack on the pounds -- and if so, to treat that condition.

Devise a plan. Your vet can work with you to devise a feeding plan that gives your dog enough food to meet his nutritional needs and still help him gradually lose the excess weight--and, just as importantly, keep it off.

Account for treats. If your dog regularly eats treats (for example, for training purposes), be sure to let your vet know so that they can be incorporated into your dog's feeding plan.

Add fiber. A few fresh fruits (for example, apples or bananas) or veggies (for example, frozen green beans or raw carrots) either added to your dog's meals or given as snacks can provide some extra filler for your dog's diet without too many calories. Be aware, though, that this extra fiber may cause him to poop a little more often.

Get him moving. Regular exercise not only will help your canine companion siphon off excess calories, but also will provide physical and psychological benefits to him -- especially if you are there with him. Regular brisk walks, fetch sessions, and romps at a local dog park with other well-socialized dogs can all do the trick. If you're not able to provide this exercise yourself, consider hiring a dog walker or enrolling him in one of the metro DC area's doggie day care facilities.

For more information on the Hills Million Pound pledge, click here.

Silent Saturday, Jumpin' Jack Flash edition

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

We have no idea whether this dog listens to the Rolling Stones, much less whether his name is Jack. But, man, can he jump.

Going for the gold

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

As pleased as we were to see canine actor Uggie grace the Golden Globes red carpet this past Sunday -- not to mention take to the stage when he and his castmates accepted Best Picture award -- we're pretty much resigned to the likelihood that neither he nor any other canine actor will snag an Oscar nomination next Tuesday.

But while we're certainly not alone in bemoaning the exclusion of animals from Hollywood's most prestigious honors, we know of only one person who's actually doing something about it.

That person is publisher Alan Siskind, whose Dog News Daily is sponsoring the first annual Golden Collar awards. The awards were created to recognize excellence in canine acting in film and television. The nominees were announced yesterday at a Hollywood press conference.

We were happy to see that Uggie scored two Golden Collar nods: one for his stellar work in The Artist, and the other for his work as Queenie in Water for Elephants. Also drawing a nomination was Cosmo, the dog who portrayed Arthur in Beginners.

The television side wasn't neglected, either. Among the nominees was none other than Giggy, the follicle-challenged Pomeranian who appears on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as well as in one memorable video short on Bravo's website.

The complete list of nominees is here. The presentation of the Golden Collar awards will be on Monday, February 13, well ahead of the Academy Awards presentation on February 26.

(Pictured above: an artist's rendering of the Golden Collar trophy, courtesy of Dog News Daily)

The Super Bowl starts early

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:08:00 +0000

The Big Game won't be played for another couple of weeks -- but Volkswagen has enlisted 11 dogs to provide some buzz for its Super Bowl commercial:

Pay special attention to the Chewbacca solo at around the 37-second mark.

Many thanks to our colleague and fellow blogger, Betsy Franz of the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog, for sharing this gem with us.

Fudging it

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This blog is all about sending a message: the importance of picking up your dog's poop (and, when possible, being a poop fairy) because such poop, when left on the ground causes water pollution and can make both people and animals sick. However, we are the first to acknowledge that writing about this topic gets us in touch with our inner eight-year-old. That's the age, of course, when jokes about poop and other results of bodily functions are just the funniest things going.

Apparently we're not alone in our ability to channel our more childish impulses. Recently, we heard about a Florida entrepreneur named Lloyd Monds who's turned his love of bathroom humor into a profit-making enterprise.

The product of this enterprise, which is called "Really! It's Fudge!" is a chocolate fudge that's shaped to look like poop, including dog poop. Other products include The Big Dump, the BureauCrap, and the Mulligan "DooUnder." All such products are designed to be what the company's website calls "The Ultimate Mail Prank Poop Crap Gag Gift" -- and the company will mail the product to the recipient of your choice.

If you'd rather not go with fudge, you can buy a T-shirt with an appropriate slogan, or a diploma from the "University of Southern Fudge." There are a couple of caveats to such delivery: the sender cannot be anonymous, and the product "is not designed for the purpose of revenge."

Need some inspiration as to how to use this product? Check out this story from Florida station WTSP. And for more on the fudge, log onto the company website.

For Martin Luther King Day

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Many of us will enjoy having a day off from work tomorrow in honor of Martin Luther King Day. But did you know that this day is also a day of service?

There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer your time to a cause; just log on to the All for Good website and perform a search. Alternatively, you can create your own opportunities to serve whomever you choose -- including dogs.

The MLK day of service website suggests offering to walk a neighbor's dog and volunteering to provide foster care for homeless dogs. Check, too, to see if your local animal shelter could use donations: dog food, towels, dog toys are especially welcome. And if you're already volunteering at a shelter or rescue group, why not put in a couple of hours on Monday? If not, why not set the wheels in motion to do so? Choose a shelter near you, find its website, and see if there's an application for prospective volunteers.

And of course, you can always do your part to voluntarily curb water pollution just by picking up what your dog deposits on the ground. Every little pile you pick up is one less opportunity for germs to enter local creeks and make both people and pets sick.

Whatever you choose to do, we hope you'll have a happy, relaxing holiday that also makes the world a little bit better for someone else, be they two-legged or four-legged.

Not-so-silent Saturday, bubbly edition

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Today we present Faith, a young Flat-Coated Retriever who provides frequent amusement to her person, pet writer extraordinaire Gina Spadafori. Here we see Faith having the same kind of fun many of us humans have when we have the opportunity to go for the bubbles, so to speak.

Cheers!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

If you are both a dog lover and a foodie, February 1 will be your lucky day.

That's when local restaurateurs Todd and Ellen Gray will host the 11th annual Sugar & Champagne Affair reception to honor the Washington Humane Society's Animal Control Officers, Humane Law Enforcement Officers and Humane Educators. The event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Not only will there be a general reception starting at 7 p.m -- there also will be a VIP Chef's Tasting Room featuring savory food starting at 6 p.m.

And did we mention that dogs are welcome -- and that there will be goodies just for them?

The chefs' tasting room will include fare not only from Todd Gray, but also from local luminaries such as Jose Andres, chef/proprietor of Jaleo and Oyamel, and Cathal Armstrong, chef/proprietor of Restaurant Eve. Among the many restaurants presenting fare at the event are two owned by former chef-testants on Bravo TV's Top Chef: Good Stuff Eatery, owned by Spike Mendolsohn, and Graffiato, owned by Mike Isabella. (We've eaten at both those establishments, and their food is to die for.)

A few details: tickets for the general reception are $90 per person; for both the tasting room and reception, tickets are $150 per person. Canine attendees must be on leashes -- and retractable leashes are not permitted.

More info about the event, including how to get tickets, is here.

Controversy dogs Skechers commercial

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The annual Super Bowl, which will be held this year on February 5 in Indianapolis, not only showcases the two best NFL football teams of the season, but also the best commercials that ad agencies can come up with for their clients. This year's clash of the gridiron titans (apologies to Tennessee) promises to be no different. In fact, one commercial is causing some controversy weeks before it's supposed to be aired.

The commercial comes from Skechers -- and the reason it's controversial has less to do with dumping last year's pitch-woman, Kim Kardashian, than with the premise of this year's spot.

The star of this year's Skechers commercial is a French Bulldog. The little guy (or maybe she's a gal; truth be told, we don't know the pooch's gender) appears to demonstrate the performance of Skechers' new high-tech running shoes by donning such shoes and then racing a pack of Greyhounds. The controversy comes in featuring Greyhound racing at all, because many animal activists contend that the sport is cruel to Greyhounds. According to USA Today, one such group is asking that the ad be axed.

So far, the CEO of the track where the commercial was filmed and the president of Skechers Fitness are saying not-so. They say that the commercial doesn't glorify Greyhound racing, but instead tries to depict a remarkable underdog (pun intended) achievement that comes courtesy of those high-tech shoes.

What do you think, blog readers? Should the commercial run or not?

Local note: We are so very glad that DC-area search-and-rescue (SAR) dog handler extraordinaire/dog trainer Sonja Heritage found her lost SAR dog, Vito. The dog went missing January 5 after getting spooked during a training exercise in Bowie. A kindly mechanic apparently found Vito, heard he was missing, contacted Heritage (who is a long-time member of the Fairfax Urban Search and Rescue team) and brought the dog back to her.

We had the privilege and pleasure of interviewing Heritage personally (unfortunately, there's a charge to read the complete article we wrote based on the interview) about 10 years ago, and know how devoted she is to her wonderful dogs. More information on Vito's adventure is here.

The eyes have it

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

We are the first to acknowledge that we are unabashed fans of Ginger the Golden Retriever. We enjoy her videos immensely, and are especially excited about the Lady Gaga video that her people, Scott and Barb Withers, promise to deliver to fans later this year.

In fact, when we heard about a new study about how dogs look into our eyes to try and figure out what we're going to do next, we immediately thought of one of Ginger's earlier videos.

Take a look at that video below, and watch the way Ginger's eyes move as she "plays" the computer game.

See how her eyes move back and forth to watch what's happening on the screen? According to the Hungarian scientists who released the new study, dogs also move their eyes to anticipate what their people will do.

The study, which was published in Current Biology, found that dogs not only look into our eyes to anticipate what we're going to do, but will follow our gaze if we speak to them first. In other words, dogs are receptive to human communication in the same way that human children aged 6 months to 2 years of age are. As time goes on, of course, those human children learn to use the spoken word to enhance their communication. But dogs, in addition to understanding quite a few words in the human vocabulary, continue to rely on human body language to figure out what their people are going to do. And they've developed that reliance to an amazingly precise degree.

Other research has shown dogs show "left gaze bias." This means that when a dog sees a human face, his eyes tend to wander left and look at the right side of that human face, because that side conveys a person's emotional state more effectively.

Both studies make use of eye tracking technology, which enables us to see what the individual being tracked is looking at. When we see such technology in action, we're reminded of Ginger's game-playing video.

Between these studies, not to mention a study in which dogs appear to have a sense of what's fair and what's not, we think (we hope!) that old ideas about humans having unique abilities that no other animals have may be giving way to a new view: that dogs and perhaps other animals may be able to anticipate what we're going to do, that they use the same skills to read human faces that we humans do, and that they may well have a moral code. So while Ginger and other dogs may not really be able to win at Bejeweled Blitz, her video helps us to understand how scientists are gaining a greater understanding and appreciation for just how evolved our canine companions are.

There's a lot of ink about the Current Biology study, but the best article we've seen about it is here.

Not-so-silent Saturday, can-do edition

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Today we present a Jack Russell Terrier who is probably one of the most intrepid individuals, human or otherwise, that we've ever seen.

Year of the (movie) dog

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Until we read the special Oscars section of the New York Times this past Sunday, we hadn't given much thought to the idea that a dog should, much less could, win an Academy Award. But when we read the list of preferences put forth by Times' movie critic Manohla Dargis for this year's Best Supporting Actor nominees, we realized that we perhaps should take such an idea seriously.

There among Dargis's list of desired nominees was Cosmo, the Parson Russell Terrier (also known as a Jack Russell Terrier) who played Arthur in the movie Beginners.

Although we don't know Ms. Dargis personally, we'd venture to say she was being at least somewhat serious. In an article she co-authored with her colleague A.O. Scott, she notes that the scenes between Cosmo's character and his human friend "were true and soulful," and we could find no evidence that she was making that statement with tongue in cheek.

Cosmo isn't the only canine actor who's getting some Oscar-related attention. Another dog, Uggie, has generated some buzz for his performance in the critically acclaimed movie The Artist. He's been the subject of a number of articles proposing that he be considered for one of those golden statuettes, as well as a Facebook campaign to get him nominated. Moreover, Uggie won the 2011 Palm Dog award, an accolade bestowed annually to the year's best canine actor at no less prestigious an event than the Cannes Film Festival.

Yes, we know that E! Online is probably right when they say that an Oscar nod for Uggie (and thus probably also for Cosmo) -- much less any of the other animal actors who appeared in movies during 2011 -- is unlikely at best. But still, we can't help but wonder: if TIME magazine can feature a dog in its Person of the Year spread, and if the Cannes Film Festival can honor canine actors every year, why can't the Academy follow suit? And if the Academy members just can't bring themselves to honor the dogs or other animals themselves, how about honoring their trainers?

We're just sayin' ... but we'll have to wait another couple of weeks to see. The Oscar nominations will be announced January 24.

The Artist is currently playing at area theaters. Beginners is available for rental in DVD and Blu-Ray on Netflix. And below is a behind-the-scenes look at The Hollywood Reporter's recent photo shoot of both Cosmo and Uggie.

Inaugurating a stamp

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Every four years, we inaugurate a new or re-elected President of the United States on January 20. The next such inauguration won't occur until a year from now -- but in the meantime, this coming January 20 will still be an inauguration of sorts.

That's when the U.S. Postal Service will unveil its new "Dogs at Work" quartet of stamps at the Merrifield Post Office, located at 8409 Lee Highway in Merrifield. No time's yet been announced for the event, but if and when we find out when that is, we'll let you know.

Each stamp in the quartet depicts a dog serving a person. There's a guide dog assisting a blind woman, a therapy dog visiting an elderly person, a tracking dog hot on the trail of a scent, and a search-and-rescue dog standing ready to embark on a search. According to Beyondtheperf.com, the original paintings for the stamps were created by artist John M. Thompson. The stamps will be issued at the two-ounce rate of 65 cents.

Below are the new stamps, courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service Tumblr microblog.

New year, new poll

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:49:00 +0000

Many thanks to all those who responded to our previous poll on how you know when your dog is about to potty. We were intrigued not only by the wide variety of answers but also how many respondents interpreted this question to mean how their dogs tell them that they need a bathroom break.

Today, though, we're starting a new poll, and we're fully aware that the poll's topic can be a controversial one in many households. How do we know? Because at one time, the topic was controversial in our household.

The question we're asking is, "who in your household is the primary person who cares for your dog(s)?"

In our household, we are that person. That's not to say that other household members don't also take on canine care chores. Another family member generally takes our dog out for the last bathroom break of the day, and still another family member is happy to do her share of dog walking whenever she visits. That said, we do most of the dog walking, and we also handle other dog care tasks such as feeding, grooming, going to the vet, and buying dog food, dog treats and doggie Christmas presents.

For the most part, we're okay with that unequal division of labor. After all, the other human members of our household do plenty of things that we don't play much of a role in doing. However, there was one period in which being the solo pooch caregiver was not okay: when we were housetraining our then-puppy.

Maybe the other family members thought that, since we'd written a book about housetraining, we'd be fine with handling the task all by ourselves. But with a puppy whose teeny-tiny bladder required trips to the outdoor potty every 90 minutes during the day--and this was during an exceptionally snowy winter--plus a trip or two during the night, we were definitely not fine. By the time the other household members went traipsing off to the movies one Friday evening, leaving us at home to handle doggie doo-ty yet again, we'd had enough.

We took our little housetrainee out for her late-night bathroom break, and then proceeded to map out a schedule that assigned each human household member one or more times during the day to take our puppy out. We still took on most of the work ourselves--but we stated clearly that we'd no longer do it all. We then taped the schedule up on our bedroom door. To their credit, the other family members accepted their assignments without discussion, much less complaint, and things have been pretty much fine ever since.

That said, we don't recommend our method of divvying up dog care chores. We think it's far better for the humans in the household to discuss dog care tasks calmly before an overburdened family member blows a gasket. If this poll prompts even one household to hold such discussions, we're happy. In any case, though, we're eager to hear how dog care tasks are dealt with in your household. So please take a minute to fill out the poll on the right side of this page or on the blog's Facebook page (just click on the Facebook icon).

Happy New Year from the Metro DC Dog Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:26:00 +0000

(Picture above courtesy of Zazzle.com)

Silent Saturday, groovin' edition

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Check out this music-loving Golden Retriever: