Dogs, Cats, and Other People from Creators Syndicate

Preamble to Tragedy for 07/12/2008

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Every day in the news, there appears at least one story that prompts the question: How did this happen? Occasionally those news items are about dogs — a dog mauled a meter maid, a family pet attacked a member of its own household, a neighbor kid was chased up a tree by the dog next door…

The following letter tells us how these stories happen, how they make it onto the front pages o ...

Updated: Sat Jul 12, 2008

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dHarmony for 07/19/2008

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Online matchmaking giant eHarmony has made millions fine-tuning the science of compatibility so that men and women can have an easier go at true love.

Well, I have a method to help you find a little dHarmony — your perfect dog, assuming perfect for you means well-adjusted, playful, affectionate and responsive.

Recently, I got a new puppy: Frankie, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and ...

Updated: Sat Jul 19, 2008

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Compact Canines for 07/26/2008

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Car rental companies today are reportedly charging for compact cars what they used to charge for their roomier, rugged counterparts. But it's not just the smaller version of cars Americans are developing a fondness for.

According to the American Kennel Club's rankings, last year's Top 15 most popular dog breeds included Yorkshire Terriers, Dachshunds, Shih-Tzus, Bulldogs, Miniature Schna ...

Updated: Sat Jul 26, 2008

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Baby-Proof Your Pup for 08/02/2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Authorities may never know what provoked a black Labrador puppy in Tulsa, Okla., to fatally maul 2-month-old Zane Alen Earles. According to The Oklahoman, the child's grandfather placed him in an infant swing in the dining room before he and the baby's father left the house Monday morning a little after 8 a.m. The boy's mother and grandmother were asleep in their bedrooms at the time. A couple ...

Updated: Sat Aug 02, 2008

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Dangerous Dog at the Door… Come On In! for 08/09/2008

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

In 1988, Gary Larson drew a The Far Side cartoon depicting husband, wife and their very large dog greeting another couple at their front door. The caption read: "Hey! Jack and Paula! You made it! … Now, quickly: Keep one hand across your throat and put the other one confidently down on Bruno's head — stupid dog's going to get Agnes and me into a giant lawsuit one day."

Wh ...

Updated: Sat Aug 09, 2008

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The Right Trainer for 08/16/2008

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Every third time my business line rings, it seems the voice on the other end greets me with, "So, Uncle Matty, how much?" But when interviewing dog trainers, this should be the last question, not the first.

A good trainer initially wants to gain understanding of your needs and your dog in order to determine whether or not they can help. And you'd be wise to first do some invest ...

Updated: Sat Aug 16, 2008

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Watchful-Waiting for 08/23/2008

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"I recently read your answer to a woman whose husband had a pit bull that didn't get along with their Shar Pei. I now have three pit bulls, all rescues, and while it's not a breed I really wanted, these are some of the most awesome, smart and gentle dogs I have ever owned. As every stray around the boonies seems to end up here, I worried about having pits. I have worked very hard training ...

Updated: Sat Aug 23, 2008

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Expectations: More Realistic, Less Great for 08/30/2008

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

You can take the dog out of the wild, but you can't take the dog out of the dog. No matter how hip his clothes or immaculate his pawdicure, your dog is a dog with all the instincts that come with. It's your job to know the difference between an instinct and a problem.

For example:

Dogs dig. This is the dog's natural denning instinct. In the wild, the holes dogs dig serve myriad fu ...

Updated: Sat Aug 30, 2008

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Katrina's Lessons Learned for 09/06/2008

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The levees weren't the only things that fell short in 2005 with the arrival of Katrina in the Big Easy. So did the city's evacuation plans.

By most reports, some 50,000 pets were abandoned in New Orleans during the aftermath of hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Many of them perished, their owners forced to choose between accepting a lift to safety and staying behind with their animals. Some c ...

Updated: Sat Sep 06, 2008

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Pet Adoption Standards for 09/13/2008

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Adopting a child has been likened to pushing a big rig from Scranton to San Francisco. On roller skates. Adopting a dog, by contrast, often requires little more than willingness and an ability to pay.

The question is: Should the standards be higher?

Should people be expected to understand what it means to adopt a dog, to grasp the time, effort and patience required in order to ful ...

Updated: Sat Sep 13, 2008

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Canine Homewreckers for 09/20/2008

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It's one thing to battle over who gets the dog once divorce is imminent. It's another to argue about the dog until divorce is imminent. This is a real problem — poorly behaved dogs that destroy marriages and deflate budding romance. What to do about these canine homewreckers?

Heed the following letter from a reader:

"My dog will not let my boyfriend kiss me wit ...

Updated: Sat Sep 20, 2008

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It Ain't Just a River for 09/27/2008

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"We got Lucy, a female yellow Lab, at 8 weeks old. The vet told us then that she was aggressive and we would need to have her trained. We could not believe it. We tried basic puppy training, but did not want her to be so disciplined that she would cower or be afraid of us. Basically, we did not listen — she seemed so sweet.

"Now, she growls all the time. We used to laugh ...

Updated: Sat Sep 27, 2008

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Training for the Holidays and Every Day for 10/04/2008

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Uncle Matty: During the holidays (both Thanksgiving and Christmas), our house is going to be full of visiting relatives. It's a kind of family reunion, and some of them are getting up there in years. Two elderly uncles walk with canes, and others usually need some kind of assistance. I'm worried about Briskett, our energetic Labrador. She is 13 months old and a real handful.

The pro ...

Updated: Sat Oct 04, 2008

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The Best Interest of the Dog for 10/11/2008

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

In good times and bad, for better or for worse, pet owners owe it to their pets to keep their best interests at heart. Even so, pride, passion and basic survival have a way of running interference against our good intentions.

On September 18, Cleveland's The Plain Dealer reported, "Widow's custody battle in divorce court goes to the dogs: In-laws refuse to return animals after ex di ...

Updated: Sat Oct 11, 2008

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Community Bloodhounds for 10/18/2008

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"POLICE BLOODHOUNDS TO TRACK CRIMINALS."

That was the headline of the Aug. 31, 1907 edition of The New York Times. The city's detectives were frustrated by the recent Long Island murder of 15-year-old Amelia Staffeldt and the wave of crime that followed. The Times reported, "The bloodhounds will go on duty before Winter sets in, and police stations in the sparsely settled ...

Updated: Sat Oct 18, 2008

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Fido Krueger in the Pumpkin Patch for 10/25/2008

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

At least Freddy Krueger was limited to the dream life of a few select friends and neighbors on Elm Street. Fido Krueger, on the other hand, haunts the waking life of innocents in the market for that perfect Halloween pumpkin.

From a reader:

"I have a pumpkin patch, and my dog attacks people and their pets while they're browsing. What can I do?"

In today's turbulen ...

Updated: Sat Oct 25, 2008

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A Reason To Be Concerned for 11/01/2008

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Uncle Matty: My daughter has a 7-year-old female Dachshund, "Hattie." She also has twin 2-year-old boys. Recently one of the boys was annoying Hattie and she bit him on the face. It required many stitches and will likely leave a scar. My daughter is convinced that this was an isolated incident and that it will not happen again. She says she will train the twins to be nice to Hatti ...

Updated: Sat Nov 01, 2008

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Excessive Barking for 11/08/2008

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Barking is as natural as breathing. Triggered by a state of excitement, barking is a dog's means of communicating anger, loneliness, fear, playfulness or a need for something.

Excessive barking is barking's obnoxious and intolerable cousin. It's an exaggeration of natural canine behavior that can only be eliminated by either giving in to the dog's demand or reconditioning the dog. I'd ad ...

Updated: Sat Nov 08, 2008

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First Pup for 11/15/2008

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama transitioned from campaign sensation to president-elect. With that new title came a new focus: hammering out a viable economic plan, implementing ways to combat rising unemployment, measuring the consequences of simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and assembling an effective cabinet, not to mention pondering what to do about that angry little man in Iran ...

Updated: Sat Nov 15, 2008

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Toodle-oo for 11/22/2008

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Portrait of a marriage in crisis:

"Toodle is a sweet and loving dog that we adopted from the SPCA when he was very young. He's infatuated with my wife, who spoils the heck out of him. But he has one major problem: barking.

"He barks when he hears other dogs bark. He barks at the music in 'Law and Order.' He barks at commercials and TV programs that include a bell, ring t ...

Updated: Sat Nov 22, 2008

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