Small Talk: "I'll Take Non-Show Chat For $400, Alex."

[saber5055]

I can't let this once-a-year opportunity pass me by because today is August 16, otherwise known as National Joke Day. I wanted to let everyone know that last night a mosquito landed on my husband's face. It was the easiest decision I've ever made. Then later I told him I wanted to be cremated, so he made an appointment for Thursday.

In other news, I've been studying Italian. It's a difficult language, but I did learn the Italian word for suppository: Innuendo.

And going back to my end-of-life wishes, my pal Dung Beetle was asked if he wanted to be cremated or buried when he died. He opted to be interred. The same Dung Beetle quit his job, claiming he was all pooped out. And yesterday, Dyslexic Dung Beetle walked into a restaurant and ordered Asian Carp.

“Getting real tired of your crap” said no Dung Beetle ever.

"Enjoy National Joke Day" said Saber always.

[saber5055]

Breeding two different purebred dogs together and giving the result a cutesy name IS a dollar grab and nothing more. Want a hypoallergenic dog? Get a real Poodle. Get any number of other hypoallergenic dogs registered with the AKC. Think Poodles are "sissy"? I worked for a professional Poodle handler, showed a bunch of them and was responsible for grooming, bathing and taking care of dozens every day. It's an excellent breed in every way, originally bred as a hunting dog. They are smart, clever, beautiful. Get one from a reputable show breeder who has tested for health and temperament and will stand behind his/her dogs for the life of that animal. Plus show people breed their dogs to improve the breed and create better dogs for them to show, NOT to put dollars in their pockets, the only goal of people who create Cockas, Poos and Doodles. Those people are not "breeders." They are scammers making their income off of dumbass people who think a dog with a fancy made-up name that costs three times what an AKC-registered purebred dog does -- plus is loaded with health problems -- is a "status symbol."

[Clanstarling]

37 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Breeding two different purebred dogs together and giving the result a cutesy name IS a dollar grab and nothing more. Want a hypoallergenic dog? Get a real Poodle. Get any number of other hypoallergenic dogs registered with the AKC. Think Poodles are "sissy"? I worked for a professional Poodle handler, showed a bunch of them and was responsible for grooming, bathing and taking care of dozens every day. It's an excellent breed in every way, originally bred as a hunting dog. They are smart, clever, beautiful. Get one from a reputable show breeder who has tested for health and temperament and will stand behind his/her dogs for the life of that animal. Plus show people breed their dogs to improve the breed and create better dogs for them to show, NOT to put dollars in their pockets, the only goal of people who create Cockas, Poos and Doodles. Those people are not "breeders." They are scammers making their income off of dumbass people who think a dog with a fancy made-up name that costs three times what an AKC-registered purebred dog does -- plus is loaded with health problems -- is a "status symbol."

Makes sense. I try to put a positive spin when I can think of one, and was thinking only of a possible "innocent" origin.  Indeed the "breeders" do sell them for a large amount of money.

I think poodles are fine dogs when they are groomed to look as majestic as they can be. (not fond of the cutesy poof grooming). Though I've never really known one up close and personal.

What other dogs are hypoallergenic? I've only heard of poodles in that regard.

[Prevailing Wind]

I read that the ankle poufs on poodles were meant to keep them from sinking in marshy ground when hunting.  Can't speak to the rest.

I also read that Obamas got a Portuguese Water Dog for its hypoallergenic qualities. That may be wrong, but that was the excuse for not getting a rescue dog.

[saber5055]

Don't get me started on "rescue" dogs, another hot button for me since the majority of "rescues" are imported (with diseases, including rabies) from foreign countries and then sold. Any dog that isn't "rescued" from that breed's AKC parent club Rescue Committee is being sold for money. People who brag about "rescuing" a dog need to look beyond the PC word and into where that dog really came from. And how much it costs. And will cost in vet hospitalizations and medications. "Rescue" is a PR comfort word to sell people, like the dog food ads that say "You dog is a member of your family so feed him like one." Propaganda. To make money.

Side note: Grain-free dog foods are now linked to canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs.

I give huge kudos to the Obamas for getting a Portuguese Water Dog, another non-shedding breed that has a wonderful personality -- and likes to go swimming with you! I've shown Porties and have spent a lot of time with some, and they are a favorite breed of mine. Kind, gentle and funny. And you know exactly what you are getting when you get one.

The thing about "hypoallergenic" breeds, dogs that do not shed and have a single-layer coat and therefore less dander, they need a ton a grooming because that hair doesn't fall out, it stays in the coat and makes mats and will turn your dog into a horrible mess if not taken care of. I have two breeds, one sheds, the other doesn't. The one that doesn't takes a ton-load of work to keep in coat. The breed that sheds brings me to a commercial that I hate with the heat of a thousand suns, the one that is selling Swifers or some sweeper that will "keep up" with your dog's shedding everywhere. People, all you have to do is brush your dog and give it a bath once in a while and you won't need that Swifer, the dog won't shed if you take care of it properly.

My smooth-coated dogs do a big shed twice a year, once after winter when they drop their extra coat, and once before winter when the summer coat leaves and the winter hair grows in. During those times, it takes less than an hour for me to rake all the dead hair out and voilá, the dog is done with the big shed. Dogs I am showing, they are groomed and given a bath every week and I dare anyone to be able to even pull one follicle out of those dogs. Dogs need more than a bowl of food and dish of water every day, they need care.

Some breeds that would be good for people with allergies are the Affenpinscher (the "Monkey Dog," so adorable!), Afghan, Basenji (No, they don't bark but they yortle/chortle and make a noise maybe worse than barking. I've shown Basenjis and really like them.), Bedlington (have shown these too), Bichon (ditto to the showing too), Chinese Crested, hairless and Powder Puff (ditto-showing), Coton, Schnauzers (owned them in an earlier life), Irish Water Spaniel, Kerry Blue (ditto-showing), Lagotto (LOVE them!), Maltese (ditto-showing), Soft Coated Wheaten (ditto-showing), Wire Fox (ditto-showing), plus more. There are also hairless breeds that are fun, like the Xolo (pronounced Show-low), which feels like "fine Corinthian leather!"

[shapeshifter]

49 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I also read that Obamas got a Portuguese Water Dog for its hypoallergenic qualities. That may be wrong, but that was the excuse for not getting a rescue dog.

I recall that^ too.

My daughter and her husband bought a dog recently because they said they weren't eligible for a rescue dog since they hadn't previously owned a dog. (They do have a cat.) They bought a "cavapoo" for $2100 from an Amish family who had sold one to a friend of theirs 2 years ago. The family supposedly has 2 dogs that breed once a year. It is very cute. But it doesn't seem very bright. They are spending a lot of money on it with vet visits and grooming and equipment and training. 

My sister bought a standard poodle last year during the pandemic from a breeder for $5K. They too spent a lot of money on it. It had a lot of digestive problems--like my sister(?). Just before he turned a year old, and they decided to "re-home" him. It's not like they never had dogs before and didn't know what they were getting into. But they're older now, and it was a pandemic purchase. I tried to remind her of all the issues with being a dog owner, but that probably just made her more determined to buy the dog. 

[ABay]

So if I got a dog from my local no-kill animal shelter, that wouldn't be a rescue dog? This is a place I donate to and from which several friends have gotten cats. My own cats have come from two different rescue groups.

[Prevailing Wind]

I adopted Stella when she was a kitten from a dog "rescue" group. It's the Royal Potcake Rescue folks.  Seems that in the Bahamas, when they cook beans, they don't always clean their pots and there's a buildup of bean curd in the pot. Eventually, they pry that out of the pot, call it a potcake, and toss it outside to the wild dogs roaming the islands.  What makes this dog a special breed called Potcake is baffling me. Why they get rounded up and brought to Atlanta for get adopted out is also baffling. But most bafflind is why they had a sweet lil tortie kitten up for adoption.  I don't know if she's Bahamian or not.

[Clanstarling]

15 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Don't get me started on "rescue" dogs, another hot button for me since the majority of "rescues" are imported (with diseases, including rabies) from foreign countries and then sold. Any dog that isn't "rescued" from that breed's AKC parent club Rescue Committee is being sold for money.

thanks for the long list of dog breeds that are hypoallergenic. I had no idea.

I probably misspoke when I said my dog was a "rescue" - I vaguely recall it was a rescue event, but it was probably more like a shelter adoption event - as we didn't spend any more on him than we would have at the Humane Society. He'd clearly been abused (as evidenced by his reactions to certain movements), and hated anyone in uniforms of any kind, or oddly, little old ladies in polyester pants. Other than that, he was a sweet boy and I still miss him.

[shapeshifter]

Dragging over the *cringe* "shot my wad" discussion from the season thread, which begins with:

15 hours ago, Leeds said:

My channel is showing a repeat from 2020 and while I realize it has more than one meaning, my jaw is still open after the "shot the wad" answer/clue.

includes:

14 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

So it’s not just me! When I was still an academic librarian, a professor emeritus (in his 70s, whom I frequently assisted with research for articles he was still writing and getting published) let loose with that same expression. He was equally casual about it —as if he had no idea what it really meant. I kept my cool outwardly, but I was shocked.

and lastly:

37 minutes ago, Leeds said:

2 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

That's the thing; if he was older, he may well have had no idea of the more vulgar meaning.  The more traditional meaning of "shoot your wad" (or sometimes, "shoot your bolt") is just to use up all of your resources.  It goes back at least to the Civil War.  The vulgar meaning is newer, and may have escaped the notice of an older speaker.

Like Orrin Hatch . . . 

https://people.com/politics/orrin-hatch-shot-their-wad-definition-twitter/

I think the "old age" excuse is not valid. I'm 68 and remember it being used to refer to ejaculation as early as the 1970s.
But the older professor who I heard use it should have known better since he was teaching college students when it was commonly used with the "vulgar" connotation being assumed
🤷‍♀️

• Dear Jeopardy! Powers That Be:
  • It's not too late to cut that "shot my wad" bit out of Show #4972 from Tuesday, April 4, 2006, if you plan to keep re-running it due to it featuring Alex with the Sesame Street Muppets.
• Sincerely, shapeshifter

 

Edited August 18, 2021 by shapeshifter

[Leeds]

6 hours ago, chessiegal said:

That's what I think of - like you've spent a wad of money. I know there is another meaning, but it's not what comes first to mind.

I'm a woman but most of my college friends were men.  This was eons ago when there was literally more time spent sitting around and shooting the breeze (and drinking - the dorms all had student run bars).  Probably explains my first thought when I hear "shot my wad".

Also, where I'm from we say "wads" of money, not "a wad".

Edited August 18, 2021 by Leeds

[Leeds]

"Half the fun of hosting brunch is putting together a beautiful table for your small group of guests to post pictures of on social media."  https://www.eater.com/ad/21552494/brunch-hosting-tips-sarah-schenkkan?dclid=CM216NLKu_ICFXuUpwod2K4G9A

This is the kind of comment that makes me glad I'm old so not even 1% of the reason I host people is so they (and I) can post photos on social media. 

[MrAtoz]

19 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I think the "old age" excuse is not valid. I'm 68 and remember it being used to refer to ejaculation as early as the 1970s.
But the older professor who I heard use it should have known better since he was teaching college students when it was commonly used with the "vulgar" connotation being assumed
🤷‍♀️

There's also this thing that a lot of people do, where if you've used a word or phrase your whole life, and it changes meaning, you can be very resistant to accepting that change.  I don't know that professor, of course, and don't have access to his thoughts.  But it's entirely possible that he figured that "exhaust all of your resources" is the true, proper meaning of the phrase "shoot your wad."  All this "ejaculation" business is just a bunch of kids being dirty-minded, and why should he dignify it by acknowledging that it even exists?

People are funny.

[shapeshifter]

17 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

There's also this thing that a lot of people do, where if you've used a word or phrase your whole life, and it changes meaning, you can be very resistant to accepting that change.  I don't know that professor, of course, and don't have access to his thoughts.  But it's entirely possible that he figured that "exhaust all of your resources" is the true, proper meaning of the phrase "shoot your wad."  All this "ejaculation" business is just a bunch of kids being dirty-minded, and why should he dignify it by acknowledging that it even exists?

People are funny.

I like this explanation. It fits the context for me in many ways.
Thanks, @MrAtoz! 

I suppose it could also apply to "Lizard," the contestant who used it.
But if we're still talking about it 15 years later...
 

[saber5055]

On 8/17/2021 at 5:40 PM, ABay said:

So if I got a dog from my local no-kill animal shelter, that wouldn't be a rescue dog? This is a place I donate to and from which several friends have gotten cats. My own cats have come from two different rescue groups.

To me, a rescue dog is one you extracted from a fence where it got caught, or pulled out of a hole where it got stuck and couldn't get out. You rescued it from suffering and/or dying. A dog in a no-kill shelter has everything it needs: a warm bed, great food, excellent veterinary care and lots of people who volunteer to walk it and play with it, plus other dogs to socialize with. It's a better existence than being someone's "pet" that has none of those things. It can live at that shelter all its life. Until someone comes along and wants to buy it. Then the no-kill shelter sells it to that person. It's not rescued, it's not adopted, it's sold. If it's not sold, then it either lives there for years or is shipped to another part of the country that has more buyers.

Shelters typically do not know the history of any dogs they harbor, they are all trucked in from other states or foreign countries. Local dogs in a local shelter are rare.

When you get a bird or hamster from a pet shop, no one says they adopted a hamster or bird. When you get a goldfish, no one says they rescued a goldfish. But people need soft and fuzzy words to make them feel better about buying a dog from a shelter or other group that sells dogs.

Cats are a different story. Cats are not licensed in any states (except New Hampshire) and there are no laws about how many cats one can own. PETA and HSUS are not using monies (donated by people who think these are good organizations) to pay lobbyists to get anti-cat laws passed in every state, they are focused on dog owners. Cat owners are not targeted by animal-rights groups. Dog owners are. Every breed's parent club has a legislative committee that watches anti-dog bills in every state, and AKC has a huge legislative branch that also fights anti-dog bills. Show-dog people are easy targets since we are visible and public. I have lots of stories, none of them with happy endings for the dedicated show-dog owners who have had their lives destroyed by the AR vigilantes.

Cat owners do not realize how lucky they are. And note there is nothing wrong with buying a dog from a shelter or elsewhere. It's just not "rescued" nor "adopted." Those are the hot-button words and they are not accurate. It's irritating that people use them as badges of honor, like that makes them better than others, when in fact all they did was shell out some bucks and got a (many times questionable) dog in return.

[Clanstarling]

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

To me, a rescue dog is one you extracted from a fence where it got caught, or pulled out of a hole where it got stuck and couldn't get out. You rescued it from suffering and/or dying. A dog in a no-kill shelter has everything it needs: a warm bed, great food, excellent veterinary care and lots of people who volunteer to walk it and play with it, plus other dogs to socialize with. It's a better existence than being someone's "pet" that has none of those things. It can live at that shelter all its life. Until someone comes along and wants to buy it. Then the no-kill shelter sells it to that person. It's not rescued, it's not adopted, it's sold. If it's not sold, then it either lives there for years or is shipped to another part of the country that has more buyers.

Shelters typically do not know the history of any dogs they harbor, they are all trucked in from other states or foreign countries. Local dogs in a local shelter are rare.

When you get a bird or hamster from a pet shop, no one says they adopted a hamster or bird. When you get a goldfish, no one says they rescued a goldfish. But people need soft and fuzzy words to make them feel better about buying a dog from a shelter or other group that sells dogs.

Cats are a different story. Cats are not licensed in any states (except New Hampshire) and there are no laws about how many cats one can own. PETA and HSUS are not using monies (donated by people who think these are good organizations) to pay lobbyists to get anti-cat laws passed in every state, they are focused on dog owners. Cat owners are not targeted by animal-rights groups. Dog owners are. Every breed's parent club has a legislative committee that watches anti-dog bills in every state, and AKC has a huge legislative branch that also fights anti-dog bills. Show-dog people are easy targets since we are visible and public. I have lots of stories, none of them with happy endings for the dedicated show-dog owners who have had their lives destroyed by the AR vigilantes.

Cat owners do not realize how lucky they are. And note there is nothing wrong with buying a dog from a shelter or elsewhere. It's just not "rescued" nor "adopted." Those are the hot-button words and they are not accurate. It's irritating that people use them as badges of honor, like that makes them better than others, when in fact all they did was shell out some bucks and got a (many times questionable) dog in return.

Thank you for your passionate discourse.

We got our dog (I believe now) at an "adoption event" (not our term, but the one that was used by the Human Society - though I am conflicted as I seem to also recall it was a purebred rescue event (as called by the organizers) - who knows at this late date).  Had no intention of getting a dog that day, but my daughter fell in love with the shivering little rat terrier who was likely runt of the litter, and had at some point been injured, but had recovered. (not an AKC breed, I believe, but a handsome boy nonetheless)

We definitely bought him, and fortunately he was quite healthy, except for a some emotional issues that were fairly easy to deal with - especially once he felt safe in our home. 

We could not then, nor can we now, afford a pure bred with a defined lineage, and I've always preferred mutts anyway. We won't be getting another dog because it was just too painful when we had to let go of him. I can't go through that again.

He was a scamp when he was younger, but as he matured, he was even more of a sweetie pie. Despite thinking he could take on the biggest dogs on the block (when he was behind glass, anyway). I'll never forget how he snuggled next to me in bed when I was sick with pneumonia and never moved unless I got out of bed.

I miss him terribly.

Edited August 19, 2021 by Clanstarling

[SoMuchTV]

4 hours ago, saber5055 said:

On 8/17/2021 at 6:40 PM, ABay said:

So if I got a dog from my local no-kill animal shelter, that wouldn't be a rescue dog? This is a place I donate to and from which several friends have gotten cats. My own cats have come from two different rescue groups.

To me, a rescue dog is one you extracted from a fence where it got caught, or pulled out of a hole where it got stuck and couldn't get out. You rescued it from suffering and/or dying. A dog in a no-kill shelter has everything it needs: a warm bed, great food, excellent veterinary care and lots of people who volunteer to walk it and play with it, plus other dogs to socialize with. It's a better existence than being someone's "pet" that has none of those things. It can live at that shelter all its life. Until someone comes along and wants to buy it. Then the no-kill shelter sells it to that person. It's not rescued, it's not adopted, it's sold. If it's not sold, then it either lives there for years or is shipped to another part of the country that has more buyers.

Interesting to hear all the different angles on this.  Around here, we just have the city-run animal control shelter, and the local SPCA, neither is no-kill.  We've had pets from both, and I definitely felt like I was giving them a better existence.  For a no-kill  shelter, they have finite spaces and once those are filled, they have to turn animals away, presumably to a non-no-kill shelter or worse.  So whether you think of it as adopting or buying or rescuing, aren't you freeing up a space for another homeless animal, and giving it a chance for a "forever home" (sorry, I know that's a cheesy phrase)?

Oh and for what it's worth, our cats do require licenses, but it's at the city level, not state. And I'm pretty sure there are local laws about how many animals you can own, at least at the city level.  I'm sure the licensing is totally unenforceable, practically speaking.  I consider it my $5/year donation to ... whatever?  Probably to pay for the tags and the notices they send out, basically.

Edited August 19, 2021 by SoMuchTV

[saber5055]

I found out today that the Polo, Illinois high-school team is named the Marcos.

Edited August 21, 2021 by saber5055

[j5cochran]

6 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I found out today that the Polo, Illinois high-school team is named the Marcos.

And the Poca, West Virginia, high school team is called the Dots!

[Clanstarling]

16 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I found out today that the Polo, Illinois high-school team is named the Marcos.

 

9 hours ago, j5cochran said:

And the Poca, West Virginia, high school team is called the Dots!

I don't know the school administrations of either of those schools, but I do appreciate people who don't take themselves too seriously. I love those punny names.

[zoey1996]

I thought long and hard before deciding to write this reply regarding rescue organizations, rescue and adoption, etc.

I have been an active volunteer for many years for JCCARE (Japanese Chin Care and Rescue Efforts). It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. I have been a foster home, and a foster failure (meaning we ended up adopting the Chin I was fostering), done transport, done home visits for fosters and adopters, etc. The Chin surrendered to JCCARE are vetted, and sometimes many hundreds or even thousands of dollars are spent getting them healthy and well again. The adoption fees cover part of this, but memberships, donations, generous vets and vet hospitals that reduce their fees, all help with this. The organization has different levels of fees, partially based on age and health. Younger Chin generally have higher fees than older ones. There are also Sanctuary Chin that are too old or sick to be adopted, so they have a home with a foster for the rest of their lives.

https://www.japanesechinrescue.org/what-is-jccare/

I am grateful that such organizations exist. We have had many Chin over the years, nearly all from JCCARE. We also have adopted from a humane society, and bought a Sheltie from a reputable breeder because, also she was a wonderful Sheltie, she was not show quality.

 

[Prevailing Wind]

2 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

 

I don't know the school administrations of either of those schools, but I do appreciate people who don't take themselves too seriously. I love those punny names.

During the 70s, Macon, GA had a hockey team called the Whoopies.

 

[shapeshifter]

10 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

During the 70s, Macon, GA had a hockey team called the Whoopies.

I had to look this one up. I'm a little slow on the puns:
wikipedia.org/wiki/Macon_Whoopee_(CHL)#Etymology

I want to suggest that the boards need a question mark icon (sort of the opposite of the light bulb) for the Likes, but it seems it's not possible to create new suggestions now. 

I'd also like to have something like a small heart, a regular heart, and a double heart to convey levels of liking a post.

[SoMuchTV]

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I had to look this one up. I'm a little slow on the puns:
wikipedia.org/wiki/Macon_Whoopee_(CHL)#Etymology

I want to suggest that the boards need a question mark icon (sort of the opposite of the light bulb) for the Likes, but it seems it's not possible to create new suggestions now. 

I'd also like to have something like a small heart, a regular heart, and a double heart to convey levels of liking a post.

Can you not still make suggestions here:  https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/4378-bugs-questions-suggestions/ ?

But yeah, that's probably the kind of thing that comes with the software and they don't have much control over.

 

Oh and I forgot to add - if we did get the question mark reaction icon, I would be sure to use it for every post that consists of nothing but a link, with no context.

Edited August 22, 2021 by SoMuchTV
more thoughts

[shapeshifter]

26 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Can you not still make suggestions here:  https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/4378-bugs-questions-suggestions/ ?

But yeah, that's probably the kind of thing that comes with the software and they don't have much control over.

Thank you!
It wasn't working on my phone since I updated the iOS, but it's fine on my laptop.
If I still can't access that thread tomorrow on my phone, I'll add a "Bug" report too.
(My "Suggestion" is now waiting for moderator approval.)

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, Prevailing Wind said:

During the 70s, Macon, GA had a hockey team called the Whoopies.

This is so hilarious. I'd like to see their team mascot, and also the mascot for the Poca Dots. I can see the hockey team selling Whoopie Pies and the West Virginia team selling boxes of Dots for fundraisers.

@zoey1996, the work you do with Chins is obviously through the JCCA (its website is being rebuilt and no longer exists so can't check). I totally support Rescue Committees of every AKC Parent Club and also support all Parent Club Health Foundations. I work for the parent clubs of several breeds besides the ones I belong to and am well familiar with the generous and selfless work club members do for a chosen breed.

I do have a problem with those people being targeted by AR groups, because they are highly visible, while people who sell mixed-breed dogs as "designer" animals with some cutesy made-up name, or put money in their pockets by selling their dogs as "rescues" are never attacked by PITA or HSUS. Most animal shelters have no idea the history of the dogs it houses, they all are shipped in from ... somewhere. It's a huge business and some unsavory people are cashing in on the heart-warming adjectives "rescue" and "adoption," while puppy millers in Mexico and third-world foreign countries are making big bucks off of it.

[zoey1996]

@saber5055, I saw you had referenced the AKC parent groups. I simply wanted to share my experiences with one of those groups. I couldn’t agree more with last paragraph of your post. Also why I avoid patronizing pet shops that still sell puppies, which often (usually?) come from puppy mills. 
One Chin we have now started life in a puppy mill, was sold in a pet store, and given up when his military family was reassigned. He was in a JCCARE foster home for a short time before coming to us. He was only 18 months old. Now he’s almost 15.

[saber5055]

I have friends showing at Greeley (Colorado) Kennel Club this weekend so watched Saturday's judging on AKC.tv, which, BTW, is a great place to watch not only dog shows and event trials but to learn about all kinds of dog-related subjects.

Anyway, I made screen captures of the Rat Terrier (now an AKC-recognized breed!) and the Toy Fox Terrier for you, @Clanstarling, and for you, @zoey1996, I captured the Chin. Toy-dog owners are lucky their companions live longer than other breeds.

[Clanstarling]

19 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I have friends showing at Greeley (Colorado) Kennel Club this weekend so watched Saturday's judging on AKC.tv, which, BTW, is a great place to watch not only dog shows and event trials but to learn about all kinds of dog-related subjects.

Anyway, I made screen captures of the Rat Terrier (now an AKC-recognized breed!) and the Toy Fox Terrier for you, @Clanstarling, and for you, @zoey1996, I captured the Chin. Toy-dog owners are lucky their companions live longer than other breeds.

Thank you @saber5055. The toy rat terrier looks very like our Willie. Willie wasn't a toy, but my heart is full anytime I see a dog that reminds me of him (well, my heart warms with most dogs really, but especially other rat terriers).

Edited August 22, 2021 by Clanstarling

[j5cochran]

9 hours ago, saber5055 said:

This is so hilarious. I'd like to see their team mascot, and also the mascot for the Poca Dots. I can see the hockey team selling Whoopie Pies and the West Virginia team selling boxes of Dots for fundraisers.

You asked -- here's your answer!
 

I couldn't find anything about team fundraisers and Dots, but the marching band's fundraisers have included bake sales, car washes, Rada Cutlery, Avon, restaurant fundraisers, applied for grants, cookie dough, Christmas fruit, Thirty-One bags, coupon books, magazine subscriptions and rummage sales. Their latest was a GoFundMe account, to replace their 14-year-old uniforms and repairing and replacing instruments - some of them 50-years-old. (Yes, I was a band kid! I really understand what they are going through.)

[Moose135]

22 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

During the 70s, Macon, GA had a hockey team called the Whoopies.

They now have a minor league baseball team called the Macon Bacon.

Edited August 23, 2021 by Moose135

[saber5055]

6 hours ago, Moose135 said:

They now have a minor league baseball team called the Macon Bacon.

Okay, I'm afraid to ask to see that mascot.

@j5cochran, that Dot mascot is THE BEST EVER. I totally love it, it's so awesome in so many ways. It completely ROCKS. And I'm a mascot fan so this is the highest praise. I hope the new band uniforms have Dot Man on the back. Thanks for posting that pic, i can't get enough of looking at it. (LOL at the little dog ball on the floor though.)

[shapeshifter]

59 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Okay, I'm afraid to ask to see that mascot.

Just a little goofy:

[saber5055]

6 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Just a little goofy:

Not at all what I had pictured in my mind, living in hog country and all.

[zoey1996]

My brother and sister-in-law's rat terrier, Suzy, taken in 2010.  

 

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

Not at all what I had pictured in my mind, living in hog country and all.

Yeah, I think I remember a t-shirt from the 70s.  Not gonna Google it, though.

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, SoMuchTV said:

Not gonna Google it, though.

If you do, you will find it, in many different versions and views!

[SoMuchTV]

4 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

If you do, you will find it, in many different versions and views!

Thank you no!

[Prevailing Wind]

I have a friend who was a partner in a 4-man company that made mascot costumes.  Interesting company - a lawyer, an accountant, and a guy who designed, and a guy & sewed the costumes.  The lawyer gave me a short-term job gleaning addresses of MLB team home offices. 

The designer created the BEST mascot for the 96 Olympics that was rejected. It was called Cen-Ten and kind of looked like Pogo, a Georgia legend.  Company soon disbanded after that.

[BuckeyeLou]

Dont know if "Bacon" or "Dot" would make it into the Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting, IN :)

[saber5055]

The Poca Dots are in my Mascot Hall of Fame, as are the Polo Marcos and the Macon Whoopies. (Calling a time out on the Macon Bacons because yeah, I'm 12.) I'm guessing the Whiting, Indiana, high school team is the Fish?

[zoey1996]

Speaking of “designer breeds,” in today’s Lola cartoon, she’s discussing a dog her friend just got. It’s a hunting dog mix that will eat only Austrian pastries. It’s a Labrastrudel!

[Grundoon59]

@Prevailing Wind, I am assuming that your Pogo mention is referencing the old comic strip.  The Parental Grundoons loved it and when I was in utero I was named Grundoon for the little creature who could only speak in consonants. 

Mother Grundoon wrote Walt Kelly to ask for a picture of the character so I could see it as I was growing up.  He wrote back that he didn't normally do that but did send her an original strip (with the blue edit pencils marks) featuring Grundoon which he also signed for her.

Needless to say it is a prized possession and I would have loved to have seen that mascot costume at the Olympics. 

[zoey1996]

1 hour ago, Grundoon59 said:

Mother Grundoon wrote Walt Kelly to ask for a picture of the character so I could see it as I was growing up.  He wrote back that he didn't normally do that but did send her an original strip (with the blue edit pencils marks) featuring Grundoon which he also signed for her.

Needless to say it is a prized possession and I would have loved to have seen that mascot costume at the Olympics. 

That is a precious possession indeed!

[Prevailing Wind]

Great story!  Yes, Walt Kelly's Pogo was the inspiration for Cen-Ten.  It was so frustrating that the Committee chose that stupid "Whatizit?" blue blob instead.

 

[shapeshifter]

On 8/19/2021 at 1:14 PM, saber5055 said:

To me, a rescue dog is one you extracted from a fence where it got caught, or pulled out of a hole where it got stuck and couldn't get out. You rescued it from suffering and/or dying. A dog in a no-kill shelter has everything it needs: a warm bed, great food, excellent veterinary care and lots of people who volunteer to walk it and play with it, plus other dogs to socialize with. It's a better existence than being someone's "pet" that has none of those things. It can live at that shelter all its life. Until someone comes along and wants to buy it. Then the no-kill shelter sells it to that person. It's not rescued, it's not adopted, it's sold. If it's not sold, then it either lives there for years or is shipped to another part of the country that has more buyers.

Shelters typically do not know the history of any dogs they harbor, they are all trucked in from other states or foreign countries. Local dogs in a local shelter are rare....

On 8/17/2021 at 5:29 PM, saber5055 said:

Don't get me started on "rescue" dogs, another hot button for me since the majority of "rescues" are imported (with diseases, including rabies) from foreign countries and then sold. Any dog that isn't "rescued" from that breed's AKC parent club Rescue Committee is being sold for money. People who brag about "rescuing" a dog need to look beyond the PC word and into where that dog really came from. And how much it costs. And will cost in vet hospitalizations and medications. "Rescue" is a PR comfort word to sell people, like the dog food ads that say "You dog is a member of your family so feed him like one." Propaganda. To make money.

Since a daughter bought a dog recently, and since my sister bought and then unhappily "re-homed" a dog recently, and since I live in an area where a seemingly endless number of people come to walk their dogs, I've been ruminating a bit on this revelation. I'm not sure what I'll ever do with this information. At my age it probably won't be readily accessible in my mind any more when I want to share it. But still, it was a revelation. Thanks, @saber5055. You taught this old dog human a new trick thing.

One more thing: Who initially paid for the dogs that were shipped into this country and then wound up in "shelters"? 

Edited August 30, 2021 by shapeshifter

[Clanstarling]

I read this article about the guy who "created" labradoodles. Thought ya'll might find it interesting, I did.

 

The Creator of Labradoodles Says He Made Frankenstein's Monster

[Trey]

The dogs I most worry about in this cross-breeding craze are the tiny "teacup" dogs.  They are so tiny and must depend totally on their human to take care of them. What happens to them if they get separated from their human? They are pretty defenseless on their own.

[saber5055]

Happy #StarTrekDay everyone. Live long and prosper.

[shapeshifter]

31 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Happy #StarTrekDay everyone. Live long and prosper.

🖖