October 2008
The Archives
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10.24.08How (Not?) To Choose a Dog
Dogs (3)I've never alluded to being an expert in any field, especially in the knowledge of dog breeds. There is no topic I tire on more easily than the discussion of "pure" breeds, in particular. In fact, that I own a Jack Russell terrier says nothing more than one thing: I'm skirting ignorance on the matter. Ask any expert or vet. Which is more genetically fit: purebred or mongrel? The answer, though infuriating to the linear breeder, is the mongrel, robust and hardy due to a widely-accepted term called hybrid vigor, used to describe the increased fertility, good health and growth seen ...
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10.15.08Right:Left :: Boy:Dog
Dogs (1)Our boys have never known any better. There is a life without a dog. It beats rhythmically on its own agenda, unaware of what it is missing and blissfully plodding forward missing one of two feet. Add a dog, and what you get is remarkable. A technicolor tonality enriches every emotional panorama: the lonely, quiet house suddenly snuffs and barks and licks and scratches; lint becomes your dryer; cold feet take warmth, nestled in the curve of a snoring, furry belly; you rest together, under pillows, freshly frayed and unfeathered. To nobody is the difference more clear than the boy, especially if he ...
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