Good to read a disaster story that ends well…
A Springer spaniel was found alive in the rubble of a building that had exploded eight days earlier. The pup’s whimpering alerted rescue workers that she was alive.

Here’s the story from the Associated Press, via the Arizona Star in Tuscon.

Dog survives 8 days trapped in rubble after Colorado explosion
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — A dog was found alive and in relatively good shape after spending eight days trapped in the rubble of a building that exploded, critically injuring the pup's owner.
Lulu, a Springer spaniel, was rescued Sunday after the owner of the business that had been housed in the two-story building heard her whimpering.
"We turned off the radio and started calling out Lulu's name. Then we heard some yelping," Brian Hold, owner of Good Times Adventures, told the Summit Daily News in Tuesday's editions.

Lulu's owner, Brian Mislanski, had been critically injured in the April 19 explosion and remained at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver on Tuesday.
"I'm happy," Mislanski told The Associated Press on Tuesday. He declined to comment further, but friends who are caring for Lulu said they took her to visit him — with permission from the hospital.
Veterinarian Christine Murphy said Lulu suffered mild dehydration and had some trauma to her left eye. She probably survived by drinking melting snow and eating food she found in the debris, Murphy said.
Good Times Adventures is a snowmobiling and dogsledding business. Mislanski, a company van driver, was house-sitting for managers who lived in the upstairs apartment when the building exploded.
Hold said he was sorting through about 6,000 square feet of rubble from the explosion when he heard Lulu.
"After 45 minutes of frantic digging, we found her laying in a crawl space under 15 feet of rubble," he said. "She basically had a two-story building on top of her."
Fire officials initially said it could be a week or two before the cause of the explosion is known but they did not believe it was intentional or criminal. Fire officials did not immediately return a call Tuesday.
The hospital said it couldn't discuss Mislanski's injuries or condition.

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I've previously confessed that I love those "what type are you?" quizzes. Here is one that really spoke to me: If I was a cat, what kind of cat would I be?

I kinda already thought I was part cat, since I almost always have been living with at least one and currently share a bathroom with two. I imagined myself a Maine Coon, like Dolan. But turns out I am mostly American shorthair -- family-centered but independent. I can buy that. See accompanying photo of my alter-ego digging into a birch tree.

Yes, the test is brought to you by the VPI people, who want to sell you pet insurance. But it still is fun.
Keep reading to take the test, and for more info about the breed that you most resemble.

I'm going to make fellow blogger and cat person John Tanasychuk do it. I bet he's a Russian Blue.

What Kind of Cat Are You?
Do you match your cat? Take this test and find out. Answers below.

Would you describe yourself as:
a. Outgoing
b. Cheerful
c. Guarded

Where would you rather spend your free time?
a. At home
b. Out
c. A mix of the two

Would you rather spend an evening:
a. Doing something out of your comfort zone
b. Cooking something a bit creative for guests
c. Curled up with a book

When the opportunity arises, you will:
a. Play and get silly immediately
b. Play or not, depending on your mood
c. Watch others

Are you…
a. Comfortable with chaos:
b. Happy with a creative mix of clutter and order
c. A stickler for order, design and arrangement

Your most prominent trait is:
a. Playfulness
b. Loyalty
c. Intelligence
ANSWERS

Give yourself 3 points for each “a,” 2 for each “b” and 1 for each “c”. Total up the points and see what kind of cat you most resemble:

16-18 points: Abyssinian
13-15 points: Maine Coon
10-12 points: American Shorthair
7-9 points: Russian Blue
4-6 points: Siamese
1-3 points: Persian

Click here to find out more about these breeds, and how they reflect your own personality.

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Pet lovers can get a two-for-one deal when they adopt cats or kittens at Broward's county-run animal shelters. The county commissioners this week agreed to waive the additional adoption fee when someone takes a second cat, a $74.95 value!

And if you act now: You receive, as a bonus, the satisfaction of giving a home to companion animals facing bad odds. Shelters are seeing a huge increase in surrendered cats. Last year, only 520 kitties of the 5,549 brought to Broward's county shelters had stories with happy endings.

Click here for more details in a post by Scott Wyman, on our Political Blog.

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Talk about food issues!
When I first saw this photo of Orazio, a 35-pound cat from Italy, on the Animal Crazy blog done by the Orlando Sentinel, I honestly thought it might be a hoax.

I mean, is this a cat? Or a sofa cushion posing as a cat?

Turns out that while Orazio's large lifstyle has received almost no press here, he has been a hit with foreign papers ranging from the South Africa Cape Times to the India Statesman. "Pussing on the Pounds" was the London Mirror headline. Others hailed three-year-old Orazio, who lives in Eupilio, as "the real Garfield" -- the cartoon kitty famous for his love of lasagna.

Me, I don't think it''s so cute to let your pet get this obese. Owner Laura Santarelli claims she "finds it impossible" to keep Orazio slim. Really? So this means Orazio can use a can opener or open the refrigerator door on his own?

We were able to get Dolan, our Maine Coon mix, to shed three of his original 16 pounds through simple portion control, and (the hard part) ignoring his ceaseless whining as he adjusted to his new rations. And click here for Angie's previous post on her dogs and their weight struggles. Posters suggested everything from low-protein to green bean diets, things I think you might want to check out with your vet first.

So -- is Orazio's owner just an indulgent pet parent ("He's so cute when he's fat!") or irresponsible?

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In the what-will-they-think-of-next-category comes the world's first pet fish training kit.

Dr. Dean Pomerleau decided he wanted to make fish ownership more interactive.

"With the correct tools and the basic promise of a food reward, fish can very quickly learn complex tricks - like the limbo, slalom or playing catch," Pomerleau says in a press release. "Now people in the market for a dog might want to consider a fish instead."

See for yourself. Watch the video. And let us know if you think this is real.

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Yes, now there truly can be a “hamster hospital” and a "ferret physician."

The American Veterinary Medical Association just announced that it has approved an “exotic companion mammal” specialty practice designation. The group includes ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and similar pets.

There now are 38 specialties recognized by the AVMA, with a total of 8,885 board-certified practitioners. Some designations are specific to certain animals, like birds, while others focus on practice areas, like dentistry or nutrition or behavior. Click here for a complete list of specialties.

It takes about four years, after earning a college undergraduate degree, to graduate from vet school. Veterinarian specialists must go through extensive additional training, usually for a minimum of another two years, plus publish professional research or case studies. They also must pass board exams.

Vet specialists usually do not do routine animal health wellness care, but instead focus on complicated cases or specific procedures. Often, family veterinarians will refer their clients to specialists.

Surprisingly, there aren’t as many veterinarian specialists for dogs and cats, the most common companion animals, as you might think. The AVMA lists 435 canine and feline specialists.

Oh, and PS, because I know someone will bring this up: I understand that you can't technically interchange the term for doctors seeing human patients with the one for doctors treating animals. But who can resist using the phrase "ferret physician?"

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Happy Belated Pet Parent Day!

Not sure if they exactly have the authority to do this: but the folks at Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) declared the last Sunday in April as the first annual Pet Parent Day. That would be yesterday (April 27).

You still can celebrate by clicking here and sending a free Pet Parent Day greeting card.

“In the traditional spirit of a spring season set aside for celebrating parents of human children, National Pet Parent’s Day recognizes and honors those who lovingly consider their pets part of their close-knit family,” says the VPI site. I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment.

But be aware: If you don't check that box next to the "I prefer not to receive future VPI marketing communications" line at the bottom of the e-card form, you will find yourself on their sales pitch list.

So – how about you? Do you consider yourself your pet’s parent? Something about that phrase always has creeped me out a little. I mean, I love my animals, but they are not human children. On the other hand, pets bring some of the same responsibilities, and the same rewards, as kids. And they never ask to borrow the car.

I also wonder if the “pet parent” phrase is more common among people with no children, or whose children are grown and gone.

Speak!

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When my sister, who hadn’t had a pet in years, decided on a Weimaraner, I figured she was in trouble. She works nearly full-time and has three daughters who were then just entering their teens.

The Weimaraner proved to be a little too opinionated and a little too hard to train for her family. Back he went to the breeder.

I wish she’d read a new book called New Dog: Choosing Wisely and Ensuring a Happily Ever After (Firefly, $19.95) by Dr. Bruce Fogle and Patricia Holden White.
Fogle, who lives in England, is often referred to as the world’s best-selling practicing vet with more than 20 best sellers. Holden White is a professional dog trainer.

New Dog is a step-by-step guide for potential dog owners with all kinds of easy-to-access lists. There are: recommended breeds for inexperienced owners (Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Yorkshire terrier); breeds for active, involved owners (English springer spaniel, Brittany) and breeds for families with ample spare time (Jack Russell terrier and the aforementioned Weimaraner). My favorite category is breeds for socially responsible families. What else but a mixed breed?

The authors give a run down of what to expect from a breed: personality, health and time taker.
There’s even an essential shopping list so you don’t go out spending gobs of money on things you don’t need. New Dog is filled with colorful photos, which makes it the kind of book even kids will want to read.

My sister, by way, now shares her home with two cats. Let us know if there are other dog books you’d recommend.

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HAPPY FRIDAY!
HI, MY NAME IS ANGEL. AND I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO CAT TOWN.
IT IS A CYBER PLACE CREATED BY SOME GUY, R.NOYES, WHO LIKES CATS AND TOWNS AND MAYBE ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND MAYBE SOUTH PARK, TOO.

I'M MAYOR SAILOR SUIT CAT, THE MAYOR OF CAT TOWN. COME WATCH US SAVE THE CAT FOOD FACTORY AND HAVE A RAVE AND FIGHT THE ANIMAL HAT GANG, ALL IN ALL-CAPS. NO DOGS, PLEASE. THEY GO TO DOG TOWN.

I'M EL GUAPO, THE HERO, AND I ALWAYS SAVE THE DAY. I MUST WARN YOU; ONCE YOU SEE WHAT IS GOING DOWN IN CAT TOWN, YOU WILL KEEP COMING BACK. YOU WILL VISIT WHEN YOU SHOULD BE DOING YOUR EXPENSE REPORT. OR WRITING A SALES PROPOSAL. OR READING SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT YOUR BOSS WILL ASK YOU ABOUT DURING A MEETING.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT CAT TOWN. IF YOU LIKE IT AS MUCH AS WE DO, TELL R.NOYES TO:
WRITE MORE EPISODES!
THE ANIMAL HAT GANG STILL IS IN ALASKA.

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Detroit television station WDIV reported on Tuesday that a cat is recovering after a 3-year-old boy put the feline in a microwave and turned the oven on. The story is all over the tube today.

From Yahoo News:
About two weeks ago, a Detroit family brought the cat to the VCA Animal Hospital after their child put the cat named Stouffer into a microwave. The pet had been given to them as a gift.

Stouffer is recovering well and will soon be up for adoption, the station reported.
Hospital workers described Stouffer as feisty and playful.

The family took the cat to the hospital and surrendered him – because they couldn’t afford the medical bills. This is starting to sound familiar. But at least they sought medical care.

Here is the link to the video. I frankly was somewhat suspicious of a cat named “Stouffer” being involved in a microwave accident. But these injuries look pretty real and pretty painful.

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I remember David, my husband, was horrified about three years ago, when a California company called Genetic Savings & Clone announced it was going to offer pet cloning services. The venture had been started by an Arizona billionaire interested in making a duplicate of his favorite dog.

Not that we had a spare $50,000, supposedly what a Texas woman paid to get a genetic twin of her Maine Coon cat, Little Nicky.

“But if we did clone, we wouldn’t have to worry about Dolan getting older,” I argued. Even though our eldest cat is only 12, I think I mentally am already bracing for the day when we have to make a tough choice.

But David insisted he would never want to replicate Dolan – because it would be impossible. “Each animal is unique,” he said. Dolan’s clone, he said, never would be Dolan.

Genetic Savings & Clone closed in 2006, primarily because of a limited customer base willing or able to afford the service. But apparently, someone thinks there may be a market for mass-produced service animals. South Korea’s Custom Service revealed on Thursday that it is training seven puppies, all cloned from the same accomplished drug-sniffing Labrador retriever, to follow in their father’s footsteps at the country’s airports.

Another Lab attribute carried over in the cloning process: See the pack of South Korea's genetically identical dogs chasing a ball in the photo.

So would you want to clone your pet if cost was not an issue?

Keep reading for the full Associated Press story.

South Korea to use cloned dogs to sniff for drugs, explosives
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press Writer

INCHEON, South Korea (AP) — The country that created the world’s first cloned canine plans to put duplicated dogs on patrol to sniff out drugs and explosives.
The Korean Customs Service unveiled Thursday seven cloned Labrador retrievers being trained near Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. The dogs were born five to six months ago after being separately cloned from a skilled drug-sniffing canine in active service.

Due to the difficulties in finding dogs who are up to snuff for the critical jobs, officials said using clones could help reduce costs.
The cloning work was conducted by a team of Seoul National University scientists who in 2005 successfully created the world’s first known dog clone, an Afghan hound named Snuppy.

The team is led by Professor Lee Byeong-chun, who was a key aide to disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk. Hwang’s purported breakthroughs in stem cell research were revealed as false, but independent tests proved the team’s dog cloning was genuine.
The seven new cloned male dogs are all healthy, though one was sent to a university laboratory a few days ago for a minor foot injury it received during training, according to training center head Lim Jae-ryoung. For now, the dogs all share the same name: “Toppy” — a combination of the words “tomorrow” and “puppy.”

“They have a superior nature. They are active and excel in accepting the training,” said Kim Nak-seung, a trainer at the Customs Service-affiliated dog training center.
In February, all seven dogs passed a behavior test aimed at finding whether they are genetically qualified to work as sniffing dogs. Only 10 percent to 15 percent of naturally born dogs typically pass the test.

If the cloned dogs succeed in other tests for physical strength, concentration and sniffing ability, they will be put to work by July next year at airports and harbors across South Korea, according to the training center.
The agency says the cloned dogs could also save money.
“We came up with the idea of dog cloning after thinking about how we can possess a superior breed at a cheaper cost,” said agency head Hur Yong-suk.

Normally, only about three out every 10 naturally born dogs it trains — at a cost of about $40,140 each — ends up qualifying for the job.
Lee of Seoul National University said it cost approximately $100,000 to $150,000 to clone each of the seven golden Labrador retrievers.
He said the seven are the world’s first cloned drug-sniffing dogs.
The university team did not ask for payment from the customs authorities because it created the clones for academic purposes with government funds, Lee said.
He said his team has so far cloned 20 dogs and five wolves.

On Thursday the dogs frolicked with trainer Kim, running together and chasing a red rubber ball he threw across a playground — a part of training aimed at bolstering their stamina.
“If I look at them very carefully, there are now some small differences in their facial features,” said Kim, who has been training the dogs since they were born. “But it’s still hard to tell.”

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Several readers vaguely remembered another story regarding a dog and a soldier after we posted an article last week about Bo, a Labrador retriever serving in Iraq whose Army partner was killed in a bombing.

The previous tale was about Nubs. An Iraqi stray cared for by Marine Maj. Brian Dennis, Nubs was so named because someone had cut off his ears to make him look more aggressive. Dennis, who is from St. Petersburg Beach, was forced to leave Nubs behind when his battalion went back to its command post. But the dog followed days later – forcing Dennis to make a choice between getting Nubs off the base, which didn’t allow pets, or killing him.

It’s a touching piece about the human-animal bond under the worst conditions. Here it is, if you missed it the first time. If you didn’t, it sounds like some of you wanted to read it again.

(photo of Maj. Brian Dennis and Nubs published in the Rocky Mountain News)

Dog rescued by Marine in Iraq heading to Calif.
Associated Press

Originally published 11:39 a.m., February 22, 2008
Updated 03:13 p.m., February 22, 2008

SAN DIEGO _ It began with a simple act of kindness to save an abused, injured dog from becoming one more victim in the Iraq war.
But what followed for Marine Maj. Brian Dennis and the mutt was a tale of friendship and loyalty that spanned miles and overcame long odds - one set to take a turn Friday with the anticipated arrival here of the Marine's best friend.

"This dog who had been through a lifetime of fighting, war, abuse ... is going to live the good life," Dennis told his family in an e-mail from Iraq.
The tale unfolded in October, a few months after Dennis deployed to Iraq from San Diego to work as part of the military team building infrastructure along the Syria-Iraq border and training Iraqi forces to take over.

Dennis, 36, of St. Pete Beach, Fla., had volunteered for the assignment. It was a departure from his role as a fighter pilot. He had seen the country from the air, but it was different on the ground.

Dennis wrote stories home about the reciprocal relationship that desert dogs, strays wandering outside border towns, had with Iraqis.
"The dogs get to eat the Iraqi scraps and have a home in the middle of the desert," he wrote in an e-mail. "The Iraqis get an incredible early warning system; these dogs hear anything approaching from miles away and go nuts and scramble to defend their territory."

While on patrol in the Anbar province, Dennis spotted what appeared to be a gray and white, male German shepherd-border collie mix. He named the dog Nubs after learning someone cut the ears off believing it would make the dog more aggressive and alert.

Within weeks, Nubs was greeting Dennis during routine patrol stops along border communities. The Marines fed him bits of their food and by November, the Marine and his unit were keeping an eye out for the dog, which routinely chased their Humvees when they departed.

Life on the run, however, was taking a toll on the dog. He had lost a tooth and been bitten in the neck. In late December, Dennis found Nubs near death in freezing temperatures. The dog had been stabbed with a screwdriver.

Dennis rubbed antibiotic creme on the wound and slept with Nubs to keep him warm.
"I really expected when I woke up for watch he would be dead," Dennis wrote. "Somehow he made it through the night."

Dennis thought he had seen the last of the dog days later when his squad headed back to its command post some 65 miles away. He couldn't take the dog with him and watched as it tried to follow the Humvees away from the border.

Two days later, while Dennis and a comrade were working on a Humvee, he looked up and saw the dog staring at him.
"Somehow that crazy damned dog tracked us," he wrote Jan. 9.

But the reunion was short lived. Military policy prohibits having pets in war zones, and Dennis was given four days to get the dog off the base or kill him.
The decision was easy: Nubs was going to San Diego. The logistics, though, were anything but easy.

With help from his Iraqi interpreter, Dennis managed to find a Jordanian veterinarian to get the care and paperwork needed to get the dog to the states. He also negotiated the red tape to get Nubs across the border into Jordan.
His family and close friends helped raise the $3,500 needed to get the dog from Amman, Jordan, to San Diego, said his mother, Marsha Cargo.

"I just can't believe it. Out there in the middle of nowhere these two find each other," Cargo said.
A colleague in San Diego agreed to care for the dog and have it trained until Dennis returns in March from Iraq.

"We anticipate a real steep learning curve for Nubs," Capt. Eric Sjoberg said. "We want him to learn to just be a dog."
For now, though, Dennis will settle for the knowledge that Nubs is finally safe - and waiting for his master to follow him.

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I know it's not remotely time to think about Christmas but my coworkers and I have recently been talking about our pets behaviors (and the funny things they do) so I thought I would share a funny story, about my first Christmas with Calvin, with you.

Chris and I adopted Calvin in November of 2003. The holidays were approaching fast and this would be our first Christmas away from our families. Though, somehow Calvin helped soften the homesickness.

Our parents were obviously missing us for the holidays because we had more presents than we knew what to do with. When Christmas morning came we dove in head first and when we were done the floor was covered in wrapping paper. We laughed as Calvin try to maneuver through the chaos.

As Christmas day wore on, it was time to get ready for work (some of us newspaper folks have to work on Christmas day). We decided to pickup the huge pile of paper later, so we kissed our little Calvin goodbye and we were off.

When we got back, Chris found something very strange in the bedroom...

a chocolate cake donut placed perfectly on my pillow. (We had donuts for breakfast, but we barely ate any because they weren't very good).

Chris said "Why did you leave this donut on your pillow?" and of course I said "I didn't do that, are you sure it wasn't you?"

Calvin, on the other hand, looked very interested in the whole situation. We were both puzzled by the random donut but we dismissed it as a strange mishap.

I walked to the other side of the room to grab my pajamas and Calvin raced past me to a tee-shirt laying on the floor. I pick the tee-shirt up and I'll be darn, there was another DONUT!

I show it to Chris, and now we were both speachless. Of course Calvin disappeared from the room but by this point, believe it or not, I was still blaming Chris.

I kept thinking at any moment he was going to tell me truth and reveal his big joke. But when I turned around I discovered yet another donut, IN CALVIN'S MOUTH.

I made him drop it and Chris and I could not believe what we were seeing. I started to walk around the room to see if Calvin would lead me to more, and he did, to 9 other donuts to be exact. Three in the closet , a couple by the bed, quite a few under a pile of laundry and more hidden throughout the living-room.

If you are wondering how he got these donuts, we accidently left them under a pile of wrapping paper and Calvin apparently took it upon himself to "save them" for later. Because of this I will never forget my first Christmas away from my family and I laugh every time I tell this story. He has not shown this type of behavior since.

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SSS! regular TJ asked earlier this week: Is pet loss and grief to heavy a topic for blogging?

"Not an upbeat subject but an important one," she wrote. "So many people think they aren’t allowed to grieve the death of their pets, and are so desperate for understanding during this tough time.”

I agree completely. TJ also packed so much information and good links into her note that I am going to put it out over several posts.

First, here's Animals in Our Heart, a Web site sponsored by Teresa Wagner, a pet loss support counselor. Wagner does seminars and consultations but also has some free articles online. “It talks about spiritual connections between humans and animals, pet grief and support,” TJ wrote. "If you visit the site, turn on your speakers, because the music on the homepage is BEAUTIFUL. It’s by Richard Shulman, a great musician.”

The site also has pet bereavement cards, books on pet loss -- and these incredibly cool pet prayer flags. I plan to buy a string for my backyard, where Sputnik and Cinnamon lay side by side. I miss you guys but will remember you always.

Here are some more pet loss and grief links from TJ

Petloss.com: TJ says its been around for a long time. Includes a place for tribute postings, ceremonies, and an explanation about "crossing the Rainbow Bridge," the term people often use for their pets passing on.

American Veterinary Medical Association: The main organization devoted to animal health. TJ says it features a hotline, where people can call vet-teaching hostpials and get free grief counseling over the phone.

University of Colorado's Argus Institute: Very complete, with everything from information about grief symptoms, to how to make a decision about euthanasia, to a list of companies that make pet memorials or urns.

Will post more on pet loss and grief soon. And send along any resources or suggestions you have.
Thanks, TJ.

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Pet blogger Ann Hellmuth, with our sister paper in Orlando, often writes about her bulldog, George. So she must be proud to discover that George has something in common with Buddy, who just crowned the winner of the “Beautiful Bulldog” contest in Des Moines.

And I am talking about something besides the fact that both dogs resemble Winston Churchill.
Click here to find out what it is.

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Army Staff Sgt. Donald Tabb and Master Sgt. Bo, a black Labrador retriever, were a team serving a military detail in Iraq. Both were riding in a vehicle two months ago when it was hit by a bomb. Tabb died in the blast but Bo survived, although wounded near his left eye.

Now Bo is being honorably discharged -- and given to his deceased partner's family, who live outside of Atlanta. The military is all Bo has known. Here is wishing him a swift adjustment to the peaceful civilian life he deserves.

Click here to read the full story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
(photo of Bo and Willie Smith, Tabb's brother, by Jason Getz of the AJC.)

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TV Channel 10-WPLG Miami is carrying a story about Hex, a six-legged newborn kitten that was the only one in his litter. Hex actually is more of a cat-and-a-half; look carefully and you can see the bottom half and two legs of another kitten extending from his abdomen. (Go the Local 10's Web site here, and you'll get a better idea).

Veterinary Specialists of South Florida think the extra legs and body came from Hex's Siamese twin that never fully developed. His Cooper City family wants to do the surgery that would remove the extra appendage, and repair the intestines; his vets say Hex "could pull through."

The catch: It will cost between $2,400 and $3,000.
Hex's family is asking for donations to Veterinary Specialists to help.

So: Is it worth saving Hex and other domestic animals born seriously deformed? If the family can't pay for the surgery now, will they be able to afford other medical complications that might come up later?

On the other hand: You look at the video of the little guy, scampering around like any other 6-week-old kitten, and it's hard not to reach for your checkbook. What do you think?

If you vote "save Hex and I want to help," click here for contact info for Veterinary Specialists, which is collecting contributions toward the cats' care.

(photo from Local 10.com)

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I pulled this off the blog of James W. Hall, well-known South Florida-based suspense writer, Florida International University writing professor and, apparently, an Adalusian thoroughbred -- just like me! Raised on Glamour magazines, I'm a sucker for those tests that tell you what type or style you are. Hall found one that gives you peek at your equine spirit. Couldn't resist. And I don't even like horses.

As fellow Adalusians, James and I supposedly are generous, classical and should be living in Spain or France (yippee!), possibly with a wealthy or royal owner. We also both love the books of Ian McEwan. But that's something I found out from his bio, not the test.


What breed of horse are you? Find out!

Here, take a shot at it.
Then get back to work. Bad procrastinating horse, bad!

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In tribute to the earth I'm not going to buy a new toy this week, I'm going to make one.

All you need is a water bottle and a large sock (an old tube sock would work perfectly).

It's really easy. Take the lid off a water bottle and squeeze and crush the bottle as much as you can. Then put the bottle into the sock and tie the top.

Ta da, instant toy.

Note, this toy is not for all dogs and if your dog rips through the sock you should either get another sock or recycle the bottle.

Norman goes crazy when he crunches down on the water bottle because it makes a very loud noise.

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I'm surprised my two nephews did not grow up thinking they were sheep. Sydney, my brother's Australian shepherd, loved nothing more than herding them and their playmates around the backyard in New Orleans. It was hysterical to watch Syd, running in ever tightening circles and barking frantically if one of the kids strayed from the group. One Christmas, he managed to get hold of a bicycle horn and, grabbing its rubber bulb, tried honking instead of barking.

Poor Syd finally crossed the Rainbow Bridge last month. But wherever he is, I sure hope it's a lot like this ranch outside of Los Angeles -- a herding club where such dogs can be the dogs they are. It sounds like "City Slickers," where the pups play the Billy Crystal part.

Do you have a herding breed? And if so, how do you get them to work off all that energy without importing a flock of sheep?

By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY"
Associated Press Writer"
VINCENT, Calif. (AP) — The sun is shining, the fields are clear, and the sheep — a jittery trio of fluff — are just getting comfortable.
Suckers.
Selkie, a border collie recovering from a tennis ball addiction, gets her cue. She cuts a wide curve around the field, hunches low and creeps in. Bleats of protest are useless. The sheep stiffen and get moving.
It’s a good day to be a dog.
Selkie isn’t really a stock dog but she plays one at Drummond Ranch, which isn’t really a livestock ranch, but a 40-acre haven an hour outside Los Angeles. There, city dogs escape their leash-and-lounge existence and learn to get in touch with their inner herder.

The ranch is part of a trend that mixes training techniques, a back-to-basics ethos and a hint of dog (and human) therapy.
“It really, really seems to center the dog and give the dog a sense of confidence and fulfillment, a good assertiveness, a good energy,” said ranch owner Janna Duncan, who has taught dozens of canines and their owners the art of moving livestock.
“It’s almost as if the dog needs a job. And when they discover, ’This is what my job is supposed to be,’ then everything falls into place.”
The American Kennel Club says new herding clubs are popping up across the country, although it does not track exact numbers. Nearly 200 clubs held herding trials last year. More than 10,000 dogs competed, a roughly 10 percent increase over 2006.
Owners describe the practice as an antidote to tighter leash laws and disappearing dog-friendly spaces in U.S. cities. They talk of their dogs’ first time in the arena with the pride and amazement usually reserved for describing a child’s first day at kindergarten. Many also acknowledge that herding was a last resort.
“I’d been through about three trainers and was getting nowhere,” said Ann Preston, patting her panting, post-workout Selkie. “I had two vets tell me she was stark-raging mad.”
Preston acknowledges Selkie’s problem was really an owner problem. As a border collie, she was bred to herd. She needed mental stimulation and as well as a physical workout. As a couch companion for Preston, a 65-year-old sculptor, she was a poor match.
“I’m gentle. I just want to play and cuddle my dog and scratch its tummy and, you know, have my face licked and maybe my feet licked on occasion,” she said.
Selkie wasn’t interested. She was sensitive to noise, pushy and obsessive. She wanted her ball thrown. All day. And tomorrow.
Experts say the dog-owner mismatch is common. People spend too little time researching a breed’s temperament and habits before choosing their family’s new addition. A fluffy St. Bernard, for example, is a working breed that may protect your kids — against the letter carrier. Then you’ve got a lawsuit.
Preston said she’s lucky she found Drummond Ranch and Selkie found sheep. One look and the light bulb went on, Preston said.
Duncan’s clientele isn’t limited to the traditional herding breeds. She’s trained huskies, Labrador retrievers, even a four-pound Yorkie from Malibu.
On a recent morning, a hulking Bernese mountain dog named Kerry thumped around an arena cajoling the sheep on cue to Duncan’s screeching whistles and clipped calls.
Each breed, Duncan explained, has its own persuasion technique.
Referring to Kerry, she said, “The guardian dogs get to know their flock. They befriend the sheep and the sheep feel safe. They’ll follow them anywhere.”
But not all breeds have such charisma.
Trainers use an instinct test to suss out the herders from the non-herders. Placed in a small pen with sheep and a trainer, the dogs’ reactions are evaluated for style, temperament, responsiveness to commands and use of force.
At Drummond Ranch, those deemed trainable continue with classes. A four-week series cost $165.
Carol Delsman oversees the American Kennel Club’s herding program from her cattle ranch in Baker City, in rural northeastern Oregon. Delsman is happy to see urbanites discovering their dogs’ hidden talents but considers her primary job preserving a lost art.
Herding breeds have spent centuries as companions for shepherds and ranchers. In Scotland and England, border collies are revered for their ability to disappear into the hills and come back with a herd unharmed.
“But as people decide not to have kids but to have dogs, breeds actually get altered. If we alter a breed too much, it can’t do what it was bred to do,” Delsman said.
The challenge is less about training dogs to handle sheep than about coaching humans to properly handle their dogs, she says. The dogs already know how to herd; they just need to learn to do it on command.
The new communication can be transformative for dogs and humans.
Preston says Selkie is a different dog — though it took work and weekly visits. She also says she’s a different human, with a new understanding of obedience and control, and an appreciation for the power of finding a calling.
Selkie, of course, just pants. Her tail flaps furiously. Preston can guess the thought inside that black-and-white head: This is too good to be true.

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Any Pope who loves cats is a friend of mine.

I’m not Catholic, but one of the benefits of Pope Benedict XVI’s recent visit to the United States was learning a little more about his personal life

There’s even a children’s book “written” by a cat who was a neighbor of the Pope when he lived in Germany. Italian journalist Jeanne Perego actually wrote the book and it has since been translated into 10 languages. This authorized biography of the Pope is called Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told By a Cat (Ignatius Press, $17.95).

A story in The New York Times tells how the Pope’s house in Germany is guarded by a statue of a cat and that when he lived there, his home was filled with felines.

Who knew!

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