Dog Breeds/Traits

In a recent blog post, Maria Goodavage wrote about Dogs in Art, a video created by Moira McLaughlin.  Moira writes about Dog Art on her blog, Dog Art Today.  She’s published over 840 posts about the creative ways dogs appear in every form of art.  She focuses on “the joyful depiction of dogs and the eternal bond that they have made with the artists in their lives.” Dog Art Today contains a long list of dog art sites as well as sites for the dog lover.

What’s particularly striking about the Dogs in Art video is Moira’s dedication.  She says she had been inspired by a YouTube masterpiece on Women in Art and knew immediately that she wanted to create a video even though she had never done anything like this before. The project took her over two years to complete. Dog lovers are truly an amazing breed!

The list of art shown in the video is quite exhaustive, some dating back as early as 50 A.D., up through the ages to present day artists you may be familiar with and some not as well known. In any case, it’s a masterpiece.

Are you a dog art lover? What are some of your favorite paintings?  Tell us about them.

By now you might be asking yourself the question many new dog owners ask in the first few weeks—Did the puppy come with a manual? And, you might be wondering if everyone in the family is helping out the way they promised, when they begged, “Please!”

There’s nothing quite like puppy love or the family dog. That being said—new puppies require cooperation, and having everyone on the same page.

From the get go, puppies necessitate a well thought out plan. Everything from: a house-training schedule; deciding on crate or no crate; knowing what vaccinations are required; identifying common household items which should be kept far, far away from your curious puppy; checking-out healthy puppy food choices; and most importantly, scheduling appointments with a Veterinarian.

Dog owners often say that it’s their Veterinarian and clinic staff who serve as the go-to people for all kinds of puppy/dog care and safety-related questions.

You’ll soon discover your dog won’t be the only one making new friends. People will be stopping you on the street to ask, “Puppy? How old?”

Even though your puppy didn’t come with a manual, you’ll find lots of great books at your local library, bookstore and online. Puppies For Dummies by Sarah Hodgson is a great resource. Check-out her cheat sheet here.

And, keep reading, Dog Tails. We have a great editorial calendar ahead.

photo credit: Ollie Crafoord flickr