I come to this subject from personal memories of long ago, when the followers of Mohammed and the warriors and writers who succeeded and “interpreted” him were called “Mohammedans,” later “Moslems,” and more recently spelled “Muslims.” In latter decades, world travel has broadened my view and deepened my understanding. I have lectured and judged dogs …
In this day of foreign armed conflicts and domestic terrorism (or, at least, conflict), beliefs of extremist/radical followers of Allah and his successor imams are fairly well known by many people. The typical religious Muslim, regardless of sect, observes the ban on touching dogs or allowing them to contact much of what the people do. …
My sister, a long-retired RN, wrote me, in order to ask her doggie-dedicated brother this question: “Because Ebola seems to be transmitted the same way HIV is, do you know of any case where an animal has contracted or otherwise been involved with the transmission of AIDS or HIV?” Keeping in mind that there are …
A story for intelligent, curious, well-schooled children. Mrs. Rabbit had just finished nursing her babies as the sky was getting light enough for her to skedaddle from that open area we call a garden. It would not do for her to be caught by some cruising coyote or noticed by some sharp-eyed gliding hawk. It …
Many who had followed my regular contributions to Dog World magazine back in the `70s, `80s, and `90s have asked that I write something about Japan’s most famous dog, Hachiko, who is still a symbol of faithfulness in that country. Even those familiar with the story wanted it retold, and thanks to the Japan Kennel …
As first seen in APRIL 1984 DOG WORLD magazine, page 28 Mention “war dog” and you will evoke various mental images, depending on the age of the hearer. The younger military veterans will tell you of the German Shepherds used in Vietnam. Those of my generation will remember the War Department’s drive during the early …
In the “olden days” (which to today’s generation probably means before TV), when there were no street lamps or lighted guppy aquariums, and people used candles or torches to find their way at night, the sky could get very dark indeed. Especially when the moon was less full or on the other side of Earth, …
A lady told me that she had spent thousands so far in raising a small litter (six pups to four months old) and the costs had not yet finished mounting, even though she paid no stud fee or shipping, since she owned the sire, too. This was her first attempt at breeding and will probably …
Memory and experience are personal—that is, they die with the person. But sometimes we are fortunate to find a repository of such memories written down, so that future dog aficionados can enjoy and be enlightened. I hope that wherever you are reading this now, it will be saved in case some grandchild who fancies dogs …
A very common tendency among humans, be they dog fanciers or not, is to anthropomorphize. That means we ascribe human intelligence, motives, and morals to animals. Now, this is perfectly understandable, because there ARE a few things that both people and animals do for the same “reasons” (an odd choice of words, but you know …