Tag Archives: purebreds

The Dangers of Pet Fads

When I saw “101 Dalmatians” for the first time as a kid, I loved it so much I just had to redecorate accordingly. I had two separate designs of “101 Dalmatians” bed sheets, a huge poster, a table lamp, and stuffed toys adorning my bed. But the one thing I didn’t have was an actual Dalmatian dog. No matter how much I begged my parents for one, they didn’t give in. They didn’t want to take care of a dog, so they weren’t going to bend to my whim. Unfortunately, many other parents did, either to that of their children … Continue reading →

What’s This about the Obamas Getting a Puppy?

Barack Obama’s win was, naturally, the talk of all the news yesterday. But of course the thing that caught my ear was the focus on how the Obamas were considering getting a puppy. The Puppy Speech I’d tried to stay awake for Obama’s victory speech Tuesday night, but instead I ended up falling asleep. I guess if I would have watched it I would have heard for myself the part where he said he was going to reward his daughters’ support and patience during the campaign with a puppy. I was surprised to hear they were considering a puppy. I … Continue reading →

The Problem with Show Dog Science

I’ve long known certain dogs were specifically bred with others to get desired traits, but I hadn’t realized how far back it had all started. Which is pretty remarkable considering science hasn’t always been as advanced as it is now. A few months back I caught part of an episode called “Science of a Dog” on the National Geographic Channel which addressed the topic in depth. It was about how certain breeds have come to be, why, and where they go from here. Because for some breeds their health-future isn’t too bright. That was a really sad part of the … Continue reading →