It’s true, dogs aren’t very discerning literary critics. If a book isn’t liver or chicken flavored, they tend to lose interest. Some volumes, however, seem more capable of evoking canine ennui than others. Such classics, for example, as War and Pee; Das Catipal; To the Dog House; and the Great Catsby. But those titles, which…
Where’s Frankie?
I’ve devoted several days to discussing purebreds and breeders, but anyone who reads this blog knows where my heart lies. Frankie is living proof that mixed breed rescues rock. I mentioned that no dogs were harmed in the creation of the video promos for Am I Boring My Dog. Here’s a behind-the-scenes still for promo…
How to recognize a good dog breeder
I’m going to set semantics aside for the moment — not to mention, again, the issue of whether or not rescue would be preferable to getting a dog from a breeder. People are going to get dogs from breeders, whether you approve or not. They should be able to recognize the good ones. Whatever a…
Dog Breeding & Its Discontents: Two Responses
Writer Jan Hoadly responded to yesterday’s post with a story called “Dog Breeding — Associations and Opinions” on the Associated Content site, adding some definitions to the mix. One thing I’d like to clarify about Hoadly’s characterization of my position: I only said I preferred professional breeders in my original Twitter post because of ignorance,…
Dog Breeding & Its Discontents, Part 1
The other day I got into a mini-argument on Twitter –well, in 140 characters it’s got to be pretty short — with a dog breeder who extolled the virtues of “hobbyists” as opposed to “professionals.” The tweeter proclaimed that hobbyists breed dogs for love whereas professionals do it for money, making the former preferable to…
Tropical & Tempest-Tossed Frankie: The Video
Here it is at last: YouTube video No. 4 for AM I BORING MY DOG. Sure, the still photos were cool, but the music and motion definitely add zing. Speaking of adding, I might have to add Tropical Frankie– and Tempest Tossed Frankie — to a new poll. What do you think? For a refresher…
The adventure continues…
Frankie has been out of touch in recent weeks. I suspect he’s been spending too much time on the beach, not enough time selling Am I Boring My Dog. But as the final countdown to the book publication date begins (only 15 days left!), the dispatches have begun coming in again. Okay, at least I…
Dogs shouldn’t suffer for Leona’s sins
Leona Helmsley is a public relations nightmare. Notoriously high-handed, she was dubbed the “Queen of Mean” by employees at the hotel empire her husband, Harry, built. She famously remarked, “Only the little people pay taxes” — before she went to jail for tax evasion. In her will, she left bupkis to two of her grandchildren.…
About My New Book: Am I Boring My Dog?
I met my friend Michael for dinner the other night, and excitedly hauled out my advance copy of Am I Boring My Dog. After browsing through it for the requisite time to indicate interest, he said: “I thought it was just going to be a bunch of funny anecdotes. This looks very informative.” Perhaps I…
The Dog Food Debate: Opening Up a Can of Worms
I don’t mean the title of this post literally, though fresh worms would be an improvement over the ingredients contained in some dog food. But a discussion on Twitter — if you can call a series of 140-character bursts a discussion — spurred me to venture into the arena. When it comes to dog food,…