Althouse: At the Blonde Dog Café...

January 29, 2012

At the Blonde Dog Café...

... curl up and get comfy.

28 comments:

mesquito said...: Mesquito biked 67 miles of hills today. Now his ass hurts, in a good way.; 1/29/12, 5:05 PM
Anonymous said...: 67 mile on a bicycle?
Hope ye old twig-n-berries survived.; 1/29/12, 5:39 PM
traditionalguy said...: Our cocker spaniel circles her landing spot a time or two or three before she plops down in a curled up way like Soleil.

We can't talk her out of doing that. But she shows great patience with us.

We figure she is dog royalty.; 1/29/12, 5:44 PM
edutcher said...: Poor Ann, it's probably 0 outside and she's looking at a no dog night.

traditionalguy said...

Our cocker spaniel circles her landing spot a time or two or three before she plops down in a curled up way like Soleil.

It takes Sherlock a good five minutes to settle and fluff everything to his satisfaction.

We've started calling him, "Mr Fluffy"; 1/29/12, 5:55 PM
madAsHell said...: I'm thinking you are already missing your K9 visitor.

If I recall correctly, there is no back seat, or jump seat in the Audi TT. So, any new additions to the family may require an automobile upgrade.; 1/29/12, 5:56 PM
Toad Trend said...: Curl up with a VDH article detailing the endless drumbeat from the divider-in-chief and his political allies:

http://pjmedia.com/victordavishanson/what-we-do-not-want-to-hear-anymore/; 1/29/12, 6:07 PM
Patrick said...: Your dog story reminds meld astory I read to my kids called "McDuff." A dog falls out of the Dog Pound truck and cannot findanyone to take him in. He eventually finds a young couple who are going to take him to the Pound, but they decide to keep him. They name him after McDuff's shortbread biscuits. Sweet story.; 1/29/12, 6:08 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "If I recall correctly, there is no back seat, or jump seat in the Audi TT. So, any new additions to the family may require an automobile upgrade."

Actually, the Audi has a backseat. It's just super-small. You can lower the seats easily and make a decently big space.

Also we do have another car, a compact SUV.

But we don't want a dog!; 1/29/12, 6:21 PM
ricpic said...: That dog is a comely creature replicating the S curve of beauty and she didn't even go to art school!; 1/29/12, 6:30 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: We just came back from visiting with several relatives who all own "rescue" dogs. A miniature schnauzer, an english bulldog and an all american mutt.

All three dogs seem to know somehow just how lucky they are. Brought back from the brink of death or being disposed of. They are the best tempered, best behaved and happiest dogs we have ever been around.

The all american mutt had been chained up in the back yard of a foreclosed home with no food or water. Our relative who biked to work noticed the dog and after several days, literally rescued him. The dog would have starved or died of thirst otherwise. He brought him home, checked him out at the vet and decided to keep the dog. A happier, sweeter dog could not be imagined.

I want to think that all dogs get rescued and all dogs go to heaven.; 1/29/12, 6:47 PM
Crimso said...: "But we don't want a dog!"

You're in denial. It's okay. You're just passing through the stages of grief. For a brief time, you had a beautiful friend, now gone.; 1/29/12, 6:54 PM
Ralph L said...: I've been dog-sitting over a year now. She's a 16 y.o. Samoyed, about the size of Soleil but twice the hair. Her hips are getting weaker, and she goes when she needs to. I've rolled up or blocked off most of the carpeting.

She slept in the bathroom this summer for the cool tile. My dad & step-monster are coming down to reclaim her next month, allegedly, only a year after they said they would.; 1/29/12, 6:56 PM
edutcher said...: Ann Althouse said...

But we don't want a dog!

Translation:

Meade does, Ann only thinks she doesn't, but Meade doesn't want to start a fight, so he's going to wear her down.

Gaslight, anyone?; 1/29/12, 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...: "You're in denial. It's okay.."

yep. You will try to talk yourself out of this: Travel will be harder. The puppy will chase the turkeys on walks!

Then next stage is going to the shelter "just to visit." Or you'll volunteer to doggie-sit for neighbors.; 1/29/12, 7:34 PM
viator said...: Go for a swim...

YouTube; 1/29/12, 7:55 PM
viator said...: Go flying..

Vimeo; 1/29/12, 8:03 PM
Michael Haz said...: I had two dogs for a while yesterday. We found a golden lab and a golden retriever at a rural road intersection near our cabin way up north.

They were lost, or at least looked that way. The lab came up to our car to say hello and chat a while and got some high-quality ear scratching for the effort. The retriever was nonchalant, watching us while nosing around in the snow for something interesting.

The lab had a collar that listed the owner's phone number. I thought for a moment that I'd toss the collar, grab both dogs and go. Couldn't do that, though, to another dog lover.

I called the owner. She was frantic and lived a couple of miles away. We ushered the dogs into our car and took them home.

The retriever was happy to be home and went for the door of the house. The lab wanted to talk a bit longer, maybe have a cup of coffee and find out what books we are reading.

There was dog hair on my pants when we got to the cabin. Maybe the way to ease back into having dogs again is to put dog hair in my food for a couple of weeks and see if I can still tolerate it. Probably can....; 1/29/12, 8:05 PM
madAsHell said...: Sooooo...my perception is not alone.

This is a trick boys learn at a very early age.

"Mom, I'll take care of the dog"

Professor, Meade is just prepping the battlefield. He wants a dog.

Personally, I am naked without a dog. The dog is my excuse for walking the neighborhood. If someone walks by my dead-end house without a dog, they are immediate suspects.

But we don't want a dog!

Yeah...good luck with THAT!!!

Meade wants a dog. Get used to it.; 1/29/12, 9:18 PM
Petunia said...: Boy, I hear you about all dogs being rescued, DBQ. But considering approximately 13,000 animals are killed in U.S. shelters every DAY, mostly for space, I'm afraid we're a looooong way away from that.; 1/29/12, 9:25 PM
gail said...: The farm has been dogless for about 2 1/2 years now, the first time in decades. My last dog, a Border Collies, was euthanized at 15 yrs of age. My partner's dog died while undergoing surgery to remove a tumor about 14 months after my partner passed away.

My dog had about a 200-word vocabulary, and was the 2nd joy in my life. My partners last dog was part Blue Heeler, and as a breed they only have room for one love (master) in their life.

I've thought about getting a livestock guard dog to watch over the sheep and chase the raccons and woodchucks away from the buildings.

But I just can't do it. Partly practical reasons: normal food, vet, license expenses. Partly heart reasons.

But the Lord blesses me with stray cats, and of course the 4 stray chickens are still around. I wouldn't be surprised to be blessed some day with a dog.

So Professor and Meade, if a dog is in your future, I'm sure it will have a fantastic home. And if not, your life will be blessed with moments to help the lost.; 1/29/12, 9:27 PM
m stone said...: Nice post, hs.; 1/29/12, 9:43 PM
David said...: So who was hanging from the ceiling to get the overhead shot of the dog?; 1/29/12, 10:08 PM
Marica said...: Ann-- If you are listening, please pay attention. You poo-pooed the idea of getting a dog, saying, in effect, that your lives were already perfect. Not possible without a dog.

We just got one from the shelter-- a German Shepherd Black Lab mutt. It will take some time to train her, just like it would take some time to raise a child properly. But in a year or so, and at the end of the day, I'll build a fire, and John will fetch his drink, and we'll all three sit down together and discuss the events of the day.; 1/29/12, 10:10 PM
Palladian said...: When Althouse finally gives in and gets a dog, I advocate the Boston Terrier, the "American Gentleman".; 1/29/12, 10:17 PM
Marica said...: I linked to you! We've got two new dogs. You should at least have one.

http://bigfoodetc.blogspot.com/2012/01/more-dawgs.html; 1/29/12, 10:28 PM
knox said...: I know it's irrational, but it drives me nuts when folks who seem like such "dog people" don't have a dog!

Go rescue a dog from your local shelter. I promise you'll never regret it. Or, if there's a certain breed you fancy, look for breed-specific rescues in your region. They will often transport a dog from another state to get it to you--and to get the dog a home--if necessary.

We have a goldendoodle, who is the perfect, most obedient, calm, nonshedding dog ever... and we have an aussie-lab mix we got from a rescue, who is a total spaz and would eat twice her weight in food every day if we let her. Funny thing is, she is just as perfect as the other one!

You just can't go wrong with a dog.; 1/29/12, 10:53 PM
Gene said...: Our cocker spaniel circles her landing spot a time or two or three before she plops down in a curled up way like Soleil.

She's just flattening the grass to make herself a bed.; 1/29/12, 11:11 PM
deborah said...: "Meade does, Ann only thinks she doesn't, but Meade doesn't want to start a fight, so he's going to wear her down."

Please. Althouse is going to end up as one of those people who talk baby talk to their dog...'Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?'; 1/29/12, 11:13 PM