Althouse: At Bingo & Joey's Café...

September 12, 2012

At Bingo & Joey's Café...

... go ahead and make yourself at home.

42 comments:

Methadras said...: Aww, so sweet.; 9/12/12, 12:46 PM
Anonymous said...: They seem well behaved children...; 9/12/12, 12:52 PM
Aridog said...: Herman said...[on the earlier doggie thread]

Enough with the breeds already. Get a one of a kind mutt. They're smarter and they live longer.

No argument that "mutts" can make great pets. The smarter and live longer part is nonsense, but does seem to live on as urban legend.

Seriously, all "dogs" are "mutts" as they are descended from the Gray Wolf and have been "selectively" bred more or less for specific characteristics and features, then cross bred and hybridized, to create "new" breeds. "Purbred" means only that a particular hybridization is perpetuated. Mutt is still mutt...until someone, or some group, decides they want to make some money and applies for registry in various dog/breed associations.

Once "registered" ... Voilà' & Bingo! ...the "Mutt" is now a "breed." Example: the "Peke a Pom" owned by Allie Oop and cited earlier here. They are hybrids half Pekingese and half Pomeranian ...and in my opinion, improve both origin breeds, if small dogs are your thing. They are currently of limited registry and that as "designer dogs"...but it is only a matter of time before they are recognized by major registries such as AKC and UKC as "purebred."

Designer Dogs now Purebreds? Off hand, and of my own experience, the best examples, all hybridized, I can think of are the German Shepherd, the Boxer, the Doberman, and the Rottweiler...ALL are German designer dogs, purpose built, and subsequently placed into formal registry.

Pure Bred means only that enough people made money and/or accomplished enough performance in trials, with a hybrid to register it.; 9/12/12, 12:58 PM
edutcher said...: Got any cold soda? The Blonde took all of them with her this morning.

Actually, the longest-lived dogs are the little guys.

Yorkies can live to 20 or more. And they're very smart.

Sometimes, too smart.; 9/12/12, 1:08 PM
Matt Sablan said...: Doggies!; 9/12/12, 1:14 PM
lemondog said...: Cuties......on the other hand how 'about this haughty French-speaking **I’m surrounded by idiots** cat, subtitles included.; 9/12/12, 1:17 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Today, while walking my dogs, I saw a mushroom the size of Texas in the yard! Well, OK, maybe not that big. Not even Rhode Island. But about half as big as a football, really. It's beautiful, too.

I'm a lousy photographer and don't know how to spread the joy about this giant fungus.; 9/12/12, 1:32 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: Which one is Bingo and which one is Joey? I want to see if my guess is correct.; 9/12/12, 1:36 PM
PatCA said...: LOL. Yesterday the chocolate one looked all prim and proper; "I'll have a diet Coke, please, no ice." Today it's "it's my chair!"; 9/12/12, 1:47 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: edutcher said...

Actually, the longest-lived dogs are the little guys.

Yorkies can live to 20 or more. And they're very smart.

Sometimes, too smart.

The best dog we ever had was a miniature poodle named Charlie Brown. He weighed about eight pounds, but he routinely chased Shepherds and Dobermans (Dobermen?) out of our yard.

He was also the smartest animal I've ever known. One time my brothers and I were going sailing, and Charlie figured out he wasn't on the guest list. He had discovered a hidey-hole under the seat of the Travelall, and he stowed away in there. After we were on the road for a while, he came out, quite pleased with himself for putting one over on us. We learned him, though. We took him sailing and he was seasick the whole time.

Think of the thought process in that. He realized we weren't going to take him, didn't give a damn, then hid until it was too late to take him home. To me that says he was able to project future outcomes of present actions, something animals are not supposed to be able to do.; 9/12/12, 1:50 PM
traditionalguy said...: Rent-a-dogs are the best dogs. Lovely creatures indeed.; 9/12/12, 2:00 PM
bagoh20 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/12/12, 2:17 PM
bagoh20 said...: Aridog,

I think there may be something to the mutts are superior genetically idea. By definition, they generally are less inbred, and likely to have been conceived out of their parents being adept enough create the opportunity on their own. Pure bred dogs are usually bred on purpose, aided by humans. They don't have to overcome the obstacles that another dog does to get the opportunity to breed with a different breed. In a sense, mutts are the ones who have to compete, while pure breeds are like unionized workers with tenure or seniority.; 9/12/12, 2:19 PM
Aridog said...: bagoh2o ... ...they generally are less inbred ...

Another urban legend with only a faint grain of truth in it. A "mutt" likely is the offspring of inbred dam & sire, or a series of them, and you just cannot tell or know for sure. Any superiority "genetically" is purely by accident..e.g., a crap shoot.

I pretty much agree with the rest of your comment. It covers my point about all dogs being "mutts" essentially, as well as my experience with the "railroad dogs" around here....feral dogs who travel rail rights of way from place to place. There are NO little ones, and NO huge ones either, and those who survive to say 5 are well adapted and strong. The railroad dogs seem to almost revert to wolf pack social behavior, but not quite.

For what it is worth, around here, the railroad feral dog packs are scarce and scant now. Coyotes now dominate the rights of way and creek drainage basins...but are much more wary and difficult to see....e.g., they don't usually just stroll down a city sidewalk at 0300 hours. But they are here...and the feral kitty cats know it.; 9/12/12, 2:39 PM
Aridog said...: bagoh2o....another feature of purebred dogs that are working dogs, not merely companion dogs. Breeding there is usually based upon performance of sires and dams. I can be quite rigorous whether it is upland field dog trials, walking gun dog trials, retriever trials, Schutzhund or KVNP or IPO trials, or herding trials..especially for Border Collies and German Shepherds....both types of herding are very different, both rigorous and precise otherwise.

In short, even purebreds are usually the offspring of dogs who have proven the working capability. A good registry will prohibit in-breeding (within 3 generations) advise right on the registry certificate of any line-breeding (3rd thru 5th generation out). I essentially disqualify AKC with that remark...but maybe they will change some day.

A bad feature is that among working type dogs, there is a subdivision referred to as "show dogs"...dogs that never have to perform or actually work, just look pretty. Slowly that is changing. I hope.; 9/12/12, 2:50 PM
shiloh said...: Sun is shining!

mittens continues to step in it!

and Gallup has Obama ahead 50/43 !!!

All's well ...; 9/12/12, 2:59 PM
Aridog said...: Dang, Bagoh2o, I am wearing this topic out ...but one last thing vis a vis "competition"...in Schutzhund and other working obedience/protection/tracking trials, there is competition between various breeds. I assume it is the same for the hunting dog trials. In a performance trial, unless breed specific, it is all about the performance not the breed. A friend of mine had an American Bull Dog that qualified at Schutzhund III level (one of only 17 ever for the ABD) in a sport regularly a German Shepherd sport that also includes Malinois, Belgian Shepherds, Rottweilers, Boxers, Bull Terriers, and there even was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever that achieved Sch III level grade.

I will admit, however, that performance trial folks are not the majority of dog buyers. Most folks are looking for a companion that is relatively obedient. Which brings me back to the Local shelter than I support with a decent monthly stipend...I can't work there or I'd bring every 3rd dog home with me. I don't breed our dogs because my better half would keep all the puppies.; 9/12/12, 3:02 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: @shiloh

This is a thread about dogs. Did you notice?; 9/12/12, 3:08 PM
lemondog said...: Nobody speaks up for the Chihuahua?; 9/12/12, 3:33 PM
jungatheart said...: Lemondog, somewhere I have list typed my daughter when she was around first grade. One item was gww (chihuahua) and another was basket hound. Can't remember the rest.; 9/12/12, 4:04 PM
edutcher said...: Tyrone Slothrop said...

The best dog we ever had was a miniature poodle named Charlie Brown. He weighed about eight pounds, but he routinely chased Shepherds and Dobermans (Dobermen?) out of our yard.

Sherlock - 3 1/2 lb of raging canine fury (sounds like shiloh) - dioes the same thing.

shiloh said...

Sun is shining!

mittens continues to step in it!

and Gallup has Obama ahead 50/43 !!!

All's well ...

Only because they still sample registered voters and skew D +8.

Take it away and it's dead even.

mittens, mama grizzly, Althouse cons, lol.

It gets old.; 9/12/12, 4:09 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Lipstick on a dog.; 9/12/12, 4:21 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Or Bingo the Red Nose Dog.; 9/12/12, 4:22 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Gets old? gets old?

Folks, meet my little sister. That tired shit was born old.; 9/12/12, 4:29 PM
Browndog said...: Gee, I didn't realize that "purebred" was inherently "bad", and they all are bred for some kind show and tell-kinda like a petri dish trophy wife for canine's.

I'll take my well behaved, well tempered (especially around children), predictable in both the field and living room Chocolates over any dog any day-

Except German Sheppards--but, there's that unpredictable around children thingy that I deemed not worth the risk.; 9/12/12, 4:56 PM
Penny said...: Luv me some dogs...

Although I am well below the average of 60 hotdogs per person each year.; 9/12/12, 5:26 PM
Deborah M. said...: Zoe. the mutt.

(trying again, last time didn't work); 9/12/12, 5:55 PM
Penny said...: Running behind by 40 this year.; 9/12/12, 6:04 PM
Penny said...: Assuming I want to consume "my fair share".; 9/12/12, 6:05 PM
Deborah M. said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/12/12, 6:13 PM
rhhardin said...: Rushmore dog.; 9/12/12, 6:55 PM
Aridog said...: traditionalguy said...

Rent-a-dogs are the best dogs.

Do they rent Beagles? That'd be great. I love, I mean totally love Beagles ... so long as they are your Beagles, not mine. I am too old to run and chase them down, and dislike the mag-lite sized e-collar triggers sold for handling them. But nothing is more cute than a Beagle Puppy.

My better half loves Beagles ...only good Karma has kept us from owning one. Just imagine, one of those little gangster Beagles organizing our Shepherds like the Teamsters or something?; 9/12/12, 7:27 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: competition between various breeds. I assume it is the same for the hunting dog trials. In a performance trial, unless breed specific, it is all about the performance not the breed.

Yep. Many breeds at once depending on the type of hunting. For instance a lab/retriever would not likely be competing against a pointer.

We had a Chessie who was a regional field trial champion and just super in blind field trials. Just a flick of the hand and he was on it. He had some really long impressive registered name, which I never bothered about. We called him Thor. A pleasure to hunt with and one of the smartest dogs, and also the most stubborn, that I have ever known.

Since I am not so active anymore, it would be a crime to a have a dog like this again. I'm leaning more towards a smaller dog like a Welsh Corgi or Miniature Schnauzer.....if/when we ever decide to get a dog. So far, the cat is pretty low maintenance and we'll stick with her for now :-); 9/12/12, 7:29 PM
Aridog said...: Penny...pretty sure I'm nearing the 60 hotdogs, and know that both our dogs are nearing 30 each. And it's only September!

One does not cook up hot dogs here without one half each for the hounds...they can detect even the sound of the sealed package opening.; 9/12/12, 7:35 PM
garage mahal said...: Lounging labrador retriever pictures are the best new development to this blog ever.

Meadehouse: Can we arrange a labrador play date with Bingo and Joey?

You can blog it!; 9/12/12, 9:09 PM
Penny said...: Sweet idea, garage!

But just judging from this pic? Maybe you should bring your own heating pad.

There are bones.

And then there are OLD bones.; 9/12/12, 9:57 PM
Triangle Man said...: Reagan was 10 points behind Carter in the September 1980 polls. What a difference a campaign can make.; 9/12/12, 10:10 PM
garage mahal said...: I wonder if Aridog is hot?

Asking for a friend.

Oops, I mean dog.; 9/12/12, 10:34 PM
Aridog said...: Dust Bunny Queen ... I understand you reticence about another high energy working line dog. I'm afraid Ill be there too, sooner than later. However, there IS a potential answer, and that is a rescue or shelter older dog needing a companion and loving home.

IIRC Bagoh2o has some experience in this area...he might be able to advise on the subject.; 9/12/12, 10:44 PM
Aridog said...: Garage ... heh, Ari-the dog is not particularly social with stranger dogs of either gender. He does make whoopee with Dera when in season, although he's firing blanks and doesn't know it...just walks around grinning like a happy idiot for couple weeks.

Come to think of it, I've been told "Aridog" isn't terribly "social" at times either.

Ari-the-dog's favorite person is named Judi, the better half of this household...anyone trying harm Judi in any manner or even look like they might is instantly part of a protein food group in his mind. I bought him, I trained him, but he is HER dog. He tolerates me :-); 9/12/12, 10:51 PM
kentuckyliz said...: I have used my sniffer so much, I've worn the black off! Part of my nose is pink!; 9/13/12, 4:42 AM
lge said...: Actually, mutts or mixed-breed dogs have what's called "hybrid vigor." They aren't subject to a lot of the diseases that pure-bred (in-bred) dogs are subject to.

It's kinda weird -- pure breeds of dogs have characteristic diseases they're subject to. Long dogs like dachshunds of course are subject to spinal diseases. But some breeds frequently have hip displasia, other breeds frequently have bone disease, etc.

It's a fact: "mutts" are generally smarter and generally healthier.; 11/1/12, 10:10 AM