pet connection

I was in Miami Beach with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday, and the first day we found ourselves on Lincoln Street, a lengthy pedestrian mall, what we were told was the proverbial epicenter of South Florida chic, the place to see and be seen.

Store windows enticed people inside where shelves and racks bulged with enticing holiday products (one boutique owner called it “stock-and-awe”), and street cafes were crammed with people sipping lattes, devouring ambroisal heaps of food, sharing desserts and bobble-heading the cornucopia of people and pets passing by.

While my wife Teresa and daughter Mikkel shopped and shopped and shopped (many hours), my 16-year-old son Lex and I did a lot of storefront leaning and watching. Over several hours I swear we saw as many breeds of dogs walk by as struts the floor at Westminster. Giant Mastiffs, Irish wolfhounds, Great Danes and St. Bernards passed by as did skeeter-sized Yorkies and Chihuahuas. We saw tiny toy poodles, standard poodles, giant poodles.

Some dogs had no hair (Chinese crested), others had lots of hair (komondor, Old English sheepdogs). Dogs strutted by with no nose (bulldogs, pugs) while other dogs crotch-sniffed with Jimmy Durante-sized snouts (Afghans, borzoi, collies) The doggie palate was in full bloom with white dogs (Maltese, West Highland white terrier, bichon frise), black dogs (Labrador retrievers, Scottish terriers, Schipperke), gray dogs (Weimaraner), even black-and-white dogs (Dalmatian, Boston terrier). Some dogs were almost dragging the ground (basset hounds, dachshund, Corgis) while others seemed to walk on stilts (greyhounds, salukis and whippets).

The researcher in me looked to see if the pet owners were using head-collars or walking harnesses with their pets; the behaviorist inside watched to see which dogs were socialized, dominant or submissive when they crossed paths with other dogs; the veterinarian in me looked for obesity, limping, head tilts, even a whiff of peridontal disease when I petted a passer-by who came over to say “hi.”

But it was the Sci-Fi part of me that wondered what would happen if aliens suddenly landed on Lincoln Street in Miami Beach.

The humans all looked about the same (slight variations in skin tone, color of hair and size), but all those four legged creatures, what were they? No way they’d ever think they were one-and-the-same, all derived from the wolf. I grew up on a farm and cows looked like cows, horses looked like horses, and chickens like chickens. You don’t have to wait for alien confirmation that dogs are indeed, the most plastic of species.

Big news here. The Pet Connection’s Dr. Marty Becker is the host of a PBS special, “The Pet Doctor With Marty Becker,”  that will air on 178 stations in December. Here’s information on the program:

Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and millions of pet owners believe that animals are great companions that provide tremendous rewards to those who provide for their health and happiness.  In “The Pet Doctor With Marty Becker,” airing on PBS stations throughout the U.S. during their December 2006 pledge drive (check local listings), Dr. Becker offers the latest information on building a greater bond with our pets and keeping them in the best possible health.

Taped before a studio audience with many dogs, cats and birds present, the 60-minute special focuses on disease prevention as Dr. Becker demonstrates how to check a pet for obesity and offers tips for catching illnesses in their early  stages.  Easy-to-follow methods for such tasks as brushing a cat or dog’s teeth and giving pills are provided, along with ways to protect pets from common parasites like heartworm, fleas and ticks.

Throughout the program, Dr. Becker uses charm and humor to address some of the most common challenges and benefits for humans who share their lives and domiciles.  Basic communication techniques and health advantages for pet owners are revealed, along with nutritional information.

Although much of the program is devoted to prevention of disease and elimination of health hazards, Dr. Becker also provides the latest information about pet insurance and wellness plans that encourages the pet owner to be pro-active in taking care of their pet’s health.

The Pet Doctor with Marty Becker”  is produced by WTVS Detroit Public Television. 

As they say, check your local listings.

Everything you ever wanted to know, from the Oregonian in Portland:

Dog waste, in particular, is a big problem: Mike Oswald of Multnomah County Animal Services says the county has about 40,000 registered dogs and that only about one-third of dogs are typically registered. With each dog creating about 5 pounds of waste a week, according to [Alan] Pietrovito [owner of a poop-scooping business], that’s a lot of waste flushed into sewers or washed down storm drains and into the watershed.

Pietrovito hopes his group will soon be a collective of Portland-area pet service professionals working toward responsible pet ownership and environmental protection. He has launched a Web site, stumptowndawg.org and contacted other pet waste personnel in town along with environmental organizations, dog groomers and walkers, and other animal-related businesses. He envisions signs and billboards and maybe celebrity backing.

Hmmmm. Wonder what celeb will be the first to stand up for dog poop? 

Meant to post this earlier in the week, but it slipped my mind until Dr. Marty reminded me. In the New York Times, Jonathan Safran Foer writes in response to proposed changes in New York’s rules of off-leash park use, and considers the effect dogs have on city dwellers:

Living on a planet of fixed size requires compromise, and while we are the only party capable of negotiating, we are not the only party at the table. We’ve never claimed more, and we’ve never had less. There has never been less clean air or water, fewer fish or mature trees. If we are not simply ignoring the situation, we keep hoping for (and expecting) a technological solution that will erase our destruction, while allowing us to continue to live without compromise. Maybe zoos will be an adequate replacement for wild animals in natural habitats. Maybe we will be able to recreate the Amazon somewhere else. Maybe one day we will be able to genetically engineer dogs that do not wish to run free. Maybe. But will those futures make us feel, in the best sense of the word, human?

I have been taking George to Prospect Park twice a day for more than three years, but her running is still a revelation to me. Effortlessly, joyfully, she runs quite a bit faster than the fastest human on the planet. And faster, I’ve come to realize, than the other dogs in the park. George might well be the fastest land animal in Brooklyn. Once or twice every morning, for no obvious reason, she’ll tear into a full sprint. Other dog owners can’t help but watch her. Every now and then someone will cheer her on. It is something to behold. 

Honestly, I’ve done the piece an injustice by just taking the end of it. So go read it all. (Need a log-in?)

And speaking of off-leash areas, how about this one? In Southern California, the City of Brentwood is checking a dog park built on a former government dump for radiation. The concerns extend to the athletic fields of a nearby high school as well.

What do you know about the plants in your house and yard? At this time of year, when all sorts of lovely greenery ends up in our homes, it’s important to make sure none of it is hazardous to our pets. Check out the poisonous plants guide, developed by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.