Overweight American Dogs

I previously wrote about our struggle with Big Ras Bob the Giant Mutant Mountain Poodle when he developed systemic cancer – a dog version of Hodgkin’s Disease – and our surprise that there was actually a chemotherapy treatment for dogs. Which we of course invested in, hoping that maybe his cancer would go into remission as it sometimes does with people who undergo chemotherapy.

It might have added three months to his life, though in the end we did have to take him in for “The Shot,” crying all the way. The most awful thing about the chemo was that it not only made poor Bob’s beautiful hair fall out in fistfuls, it also made him gain weight like nobody’s business. Some of that was no doubt the drug effects themselves, but another part of it was that he was voraciously hungry all the time and we just didn’t have the heart to deny him. By the time he died he was at least 20 pounds overweight, which is a very considerable amount for a fine-lined dog such as a poodle.

It reminded me of a friend we had way back in the 1970s, who was sort of short and chunky even though he was a confirmed vegetarian. I figured it was just his particular frame and metabolism, because you’d have to eat a whole lot more carrots, spinach and rice than he ever did to put that much weight on. He had a dog named Fasha, a mostly white beagle-like mutt with serious attitude, who proved the adage that people and their dogs tend to look alike. Fasha was as chunky as our friend, but actually did eat enough to account for it.

Continue reading »

Filed under Cancer, Health, Longevity, Nutrition | Comment (1)

A Poodle Person Who Hates Christmas?

I spent some years hating Christmas, I admit. It’s because I’m an elf. When we first moved to the mountains of western North Carolina 15 years ago, we of course went looking for work for which we were suited. Our family entertainment company made a good living for us in Florida, where our clowns, jugglers, fire eaters, super heroes, puppet shows and other costumed characters were hard at work every weekend and most of the week. But there aren’t a million people in a 30 mile radius of this homestead.

We used to have up to a dozen clown-elves covering six malls from the week before Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. We have the costumes and the skills, so signed on as “Papa and Mama Elf” – plus Bob and Kenya the Christmas poodles – to do the stage shows at a seedy Christmas theme park in Cherokee. Basic clown stuff, some juggling and some dumb magic tricks. Bob and Kenya sported Elizabethan red and green collars, did the meet-and-greet at the theater door and gladly accepted love from the kids on their way out after the show was done. The kids loved it. The poodles loved it. We didn’t love it all that much…

Six shows a day, seven days a week, six months a year from May through October. In god-awful costumes, wigs, hats, tights, striped thigh socks and curly felt boots that are hot to wear in December. We quickly found that in July when it’s 95º in the shade, they’re unbearable.

Continue reading »

Filed under Holidays, Poodle Love, Poodle Skills, Show Poodles, Showing Off | Comment (0)

Last Minute Gifts for Poodle People

In the last post I listed some books featuring poodles that might make good holiday gifts for the readers on your list. In this post we’ll take a look at all the other poodle gifts out there! My Mother-in-Law has been collecting dog figurines ever since she was a teenager, and breaks them out every Christmas to display and enjoy. So I was aware that little porcelain, plastic and resin poodle figurines are available at a number of gift shops because I’ve bought them.

But when I went surfing for poodle gifts, I was somewhat amazed at how many different kinds of poodle gifts a poodle person could find to buy or get! I’ll just list and link some here to give you ideas, and if you hurry most of these could be delivered before Christmas. I’m ignoring the poodle figurines, but most of these outlets have those too.

Over at Animal Krackers they’ve got poodle snowglobes and poodle mantle clocks. They’ve got poodle art prints, note cards and stationery. For the kitchen and dining room they’ve got poodle cutting boards, aprons, kitchen towels, dinner napkins, coasters and tiles. Poodle paper towel holders, poodle cookie jars, serving bowls, plates, platters, pitchers and casserole dishes.

Continue reading »

Filed under Holidays, Poodle Accessories, Poodle Gifts, Poodles | Comment (1)

Poodle Stories for Christmas

This holiday season many of us are too busy decorating, baking and cooking, and preparing packages of goodies for shipping to do the usual holiday parking lot jousting and shopping mall power-hiking. As my medium is the internet, I will presume that like me, many of my readers will be doing most or all of their Christmas shopping on-line.

For all of us Poodle People, poodle gifts are at the top of our own wish lists and always catch our eyes when browsing for other people’s presents. Because I’ve been busy all week browsing for books for the family (we’re all avid readers who treasure our books), I thought some cool poodle books might be the order of the day.

50 Acres and a Poodle
Jeanne Marie Laskas

The editorial and customer reviews for 50 Acres and a Poodle make me think this book would be a great gift for all the Poodle People in my life. There’s nothing any of us like better than to tell poodle stories to anyone who will listen to them, and this looks to be 291 pages of poodle story!

Continue reading »

Filed under Holidays, Poodle Books, Poodle Gifts, Poodle Lore, Poodles | Comments (4)