My idea of a pure, indulgent pleasure is to have a pedicure. For 40 minutes, I can close my eyes and have someone else make my abused feet look presentable again. I happily pay for this privilege. If I could afford it, I would do it weekly. As a kid, I would convince my Weimaraner Misty to sit patiently while I did her nails, usually with a holiday theme. This breed of dog has lovely clear nails that made applying nail polish especially rewarding to an 8-year-old budding aest

It started with Lassie, the Collie. Or maybe it was Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd. Or that dog Petey from The Little Rascals, an American Staffordshire Terrier. Asta, the Jack Russell Terrier, from The Thin Man series. Fala, the Scottish Terrier, FDR’s companion. Beethoven, the St. Bernard. 101 Dalmations. Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Bo, the Portugese Water Dog. Dogs made famous by movies and their celebrity owners have inspired many people to get that particular breed. Once

Because some dogs can swallow a sock faster than I can stop them Here’s the thing. All dogs can be trained – that’s my motto and my goal. Does that mean that every single dog responds the instant I walk in the door? Of course not. Here’s what can happen (and HAS happened): A Doberman eats money - actual dollar bills -and checks, too - with or without Dave's Insanity Sauce; A Husky swallows socks - the sock touches the floor, the sock is inhaled so fast you're not sure

I don’t mean to offend anyone by saying this, because nearly every hybrid dog I have met has been a love and are darn cute and make wonderful companions. Some of the really popular hybrids will eventually become honest-to-goodness breeds, recognized by the AKC and everything. The main impetus initially behind the current prevalence of hybrids was to introduce the characteristic of “hypo-allergenic” into the mix so that people who had allergies could still have a dog. The idea

Obsession – compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety. On Monday, I met Rocky, a Jack Russell Terrier, hence the definition of obsession. Many dogs become “obsessed” with a toy or other object. Certain Labradors come to mind, the ones that scoop up a tennis ball with such fervor and delight that their eyes really do gleem with excitement. They mouth the ball, prance happily to you and away, daring yo