Category: writing

austin, dog, Dogs, Humor, Keeping it 100, Musings, Personal, Pets, writing4 Comments

Independence Day: My dog’s personal hell

Andy

Aside from a scenario in which Katniss is separated from both my wife and me for more than 10 minutesº—OK, 10 seconds—surrounded by vacuum cleaners, and *gasp* out of food and water, what is surely her worst nightmare¹, and maybe your dog’s, too, is the July 4 weekend. As in right now. It’s not that she’s sympathetic to the British rule of early America and hates freedom; it’s the sound of fireworks popping constantly in our neighborhood throughout the evening of the fourth that terrifies her and her very astute sense of hearing. In a selfish way, I suppose it’s … Continue reading Independence Day: My dog’s personal hell

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‘Fuller House’: Did anyone else notice the fake puppy? And why wasn’t Comet Jr. Jr. spayed?

Andy

My dog, Katniss, the subject of this increasingly infrequent blog, is, aside from her incessant whining and barking, a beautiful, funny, smart and sensitive dog. One regret I could possibly have regarding Katniss is that she’ll never have puppies to carry on her, um, “legacy” of constant kisses, “protecting” our house with barking night and day, a penchant for snuggling and seemingly endless energy. But my wife and I did what the animal shelter and Bob Barker told us to do: We had our pet spayed to help control the animal population. Apparently that doesn’t apply to some television dogs. … Continue reading ‘Fuller House’: Did anyone else notice the fake puppy? And why wasn’t Comet Jr. Jr. spayed?

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Ask My Vet: Why do certain breeds look the way they do?

Andy

Ask My Vet is a series based on questions I have—and maybe you do, too—about dogs. Katniss’ veterinarian, Dr. Katharine Kennedy of Arbor Animal Clinic here in Austin, provides answers and expertise as a part of this series. Question: Why do certain breeds look the way they do? Dr. K: In a word, artificial selection, the hallmark of human domestication. Our favorite English naturalist, Charles Darwin, is most famous for his theory of natural selection: the survival and reproduction of individuals due to different advantageous traits they possess. For example, the giraffe with the longest neck will be able to … Continue reading Ask My Vet: Why do certain breeds look the way they do?

dog, Dogs, Humor, Keeping it 100, Musings, Personal, Pets, writing5 Comments

Wild child Katniss turns 2; yes, I celebrate my dog’s birthday

Andy

I’ve heard that some parents are so in tune with their kids that moms and dads can pick out the laugh or cry of their child from among a crowded room of children. I think the same could be said for dog parents. Out of a rowdy PetSmart holding room in which there must have been dozens of dogs, I could immediately discern Katniss’ howling and whining as I went to pick her up from doggie day care today. Then again, she’s so loud and wild that Beethoven, even his current state—as in dead, not to mention deaf—probably could have … Continue reading Wild child Katniss turns 2; yes, I celebrate my dog’s birthday

animals, austin, dog, Dogs, Humor, Keeping it 100, Musings, Personal, Pets, writing2 Comments

Ask my vet: What does it take to be a veterinarian?

Andy

Ask My Vet is a series based on questions I have—and maybe you do, too—about dogs. Katniss’ veterinarian, Dr. Katharine Kennedy of Arbor Animal Clinic here in Austin, provides answers and expertise as a part of this series. Question: What does it take to be a veterinarian? Dr. K: If you make it through the academic gamut of the vet school application process and get invited to interview they will always ask you why you want to be a vet. When you are sleep-deprived in your clinical year of vet school and your family hasn’t seen you in months they … Continue reading Ask my vet: What does it take to be a veterinarian?