And Now, For Something Completely Cute

Thanks, all, for your kind words and thoughtful gestures. I am really touched by your response to my Roma's passing. She was a good dog, and she had good friends at Dog Park. Muzzy has big paws to fill in her absence.

Now, we'd like to introduce a new member of the Dog Park club who has yet to make her debut there. Murphy is Doug's youngest Ridgeback, the third in his pack. Click on the video below to see how she participates in the reindeer games. Max is on the right, on the bed. Mesi is laying down the law.  Enjoy. -z

Arrivederci, Roma

Hi, all. Roma passed away yesterday in her own backyard. She lived a long, happy, and adventure-filled life. Thanks to all our friends for the treats and the pats you gave her. She will be greatly missed.
-z

(B)Advice, Dog Park Style

A recent entry to Schott's Vocabulary blog discusses (b)advice, or bogus advice knowingly offered to the uninitiated. The entry provides some examples of (b)advice, including tips for newcomers to the Big Apple that are sure to result in some newbie ass-kicking. (Sample (b)advice: Introduce yourself to everyone on the subway car when you board it.)

There is plenty of (b)advice to go around at Dog Park. Here are a few pieces to start the discussion:

1. Don't bother to pick up the poop; it's natural fertilizer.
   
2. Be sure to introduce yourself to the man who lives in the house next to the 45th Street bridge. Take a six-pack. Don't worry if your dog is off-leash. That guy thinks dogs should run free, as God intended.
   
3. Bring your female dog to Park when she's in heat. Nobody will notice.
   
4. Spread a blanket out under the trees and have a picnic at Dog Park. Serve donuts. If you have small children, be sure they smear their faces with food. The dogs won't bother them.
   
5. Toss your used poop bags on the side of the trail. The local park rangers are happy to pick them up as they make their rounds.
   
6. Save yourself the trouble of walking your dog at Dog Park. Feel free to sit in your car with the air-conditioning running while your dogs walk themselves. 
7. Bring on the dogs. All dogs are welcome at Dog Park, including aggressive and badly behaved ones.
8. Hit "Reply All" whenever you post a comment, such as "I agree," on the Dog Park listserv. You deserve to be heard by 200 people. 
9. Take time to get to know the people who work in the buildings next to Dog Park. Intercept them in the parking lot. They love dogs, and they'd enjoy meeting yours! 
10. Join the listserv. Then enthusiastically raise the topic of turning Dog Park into an official leash-free city park. What an original idea! Why has nobody thought of it before? It's a viable option!

I am sure that there is plenty more (b)advice to be shared. If you have some, please feel free to write it in a comment or e-mail me directly at busyzia@gmail.com (That's advice, not (b)advice.) Ta! -z

"Mr. President, You Are a Liar, and Your Dog is Fat"

The New York Times Magazine on Sunday ran yet another  profile on the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid (D-Nevada). According to writer Adam Nagourney, who is the NYT's chief national political correspondent, Harry Reid is an unassuming politician who is lacking in charisma but an ace at political maneuvering behind the scenes. The burden of trying to pass President Obama's agenda will make or break him this November. Blah, blah, blah. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Here's the part that caught my attention—an anecdote about a meeting Reid had with former President Bush, whom Reid had previously called a liar and a loser:

"When Bush invited Reid for coffee in the Oval Office in the final weeks of his presidency, the president's dog walked in, and Reid says he insulted the president's pet. 'Your dog is fat,' he said." 

I assume the offending animal was Barney. Poor Barney. What did he ever do to find himself on the receiving end of misplaced anger at the president? If he'd peed on Reid's cuff, that would have been a different story. Clearly, Washington is a tough town even for the Dog in Chief. Bo Obama had better get on the treadmill with his owner, pronto.

Still, I would never have read the article or seen this anecdote if the magazine's editors hadn't cleverly set it off in large type as a pull-quote at the top of the page. Giant letters announcing "Your dog is fat" would tend to grab any dog owner's eyes. Here's a link to the article.

Enjoy. -z