The Westminster Dog show occurred recently, and sportswriter Rodger Sherman visited to pet all the dogs. If you’ve ever wanted a visual guide to all the different breeds, this is it.
Tag: dogs
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Dog college
Dog college sounds fun.
“The most important thing is they’re doing what they love,” says Ruth Desiderio, the center’s volunteer and outreach coordinator leading the public tour I’ve joined in on. The dogs, she explains, indicate their interests and aptitude through apparent eagerness and ambivalence, and are allowed to proceed accordingly. If a dog relishes the challenge of sniffing out a hidden human, but reacts with fear to loud, sudden banging sounds–perhaps they’re destined for wilderness over urban search and rescue. If they love to smell and be rewarded, but crave routine, then a long-term post in the lab could be the perfect fit.
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Do dogs watch TV? Yes, but…
From Sian Cain in The Guardian, You’ve always wondered, here’s the answer: do dogs actually watch TV?
“We watch TV for enjoyment, for emotional realism, for whatever personal preferences we have,” Mowat says. “I think dogs watch TV because they’re checking if it is real.
“There’s a reason why dogs go over and sniff the butts of the animals on the screen – they’re looking for the realism and wondering whether it’s worth paying attention to.”
Get your dog a Letterboxd account.
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Chet and Bernie
Spencer Quinn put a nifty twist on the detective whodunnit by making his narrator a dog, Chet. Chet’s voice is colorful, simple and direct, keenly detailing the sights, smells and sounds. There’s also an innocence, too, in his character when observing human nature, unsure of human emotion and motive.
In Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery, Bernie takes a case for a wealthy divorcee whose daughter has been kidnapped. The setup may be simple, but Quinn constructs a plot with enough characters and motivations that the story is more than just about kidnapping. Comments on the housing crisis come through as Bernie finds more about the father, a real estate developer. While Bernie consists of the usual detective tropes–loner, ex-military, poor financial decision maker, brash attitude, Chet is what makes the pair unique in how they pair up. Bernie states that he and Chet are a team.
The team continue working cases in Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery when a wealthy dog owner and her dog are snatched before a premiere dog show. The dog show plotline seems a send up of celebrity culture, a farce with animals and their over eager owners, whom seem like caricatures. The supporting cast of bad guys and red herrings aren’t really as developed this time, and Chet’s narration seems more ADHD. Sure, dogs may become distracted, but when telling the story a colorful tangent may entertain, but this isn’t done in moderation. I found myself skipping large sections and didn’t fight the twist particularly revealing.