Today, in conversation, I used the term ‘dog and pony show’ as in ‘David and Larry are going to do a dog and pony show on xxx.’ And then I got a question I didn’t expect – ‘what does that mean?’
The term dates back to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when there were many traveling circuses to entertain. It was often the dog and pony show that was promoted as a headline act.
Quite literally, this was when dogs and ponies/horses would perform together – often wearing costumes and decorations.
As time has gone on, ‘to do a dog and pony show’ means to publicize a presentation that is designed to impress or sell a product. It’s debatable about whether the saying is one of scorn – some dog and pony shows could be well-researched and professional as well as glitzy, others not.
Posted in dog quotes, Dogs
Tagged animals, Dog, dog and pony show, pony, traveling circuses
A good news story out of Oklahoma today. A dog has been found alive in the rubble of his owner’s home….and it happened on tv when she was being interviewed.
Open a copy of United Airlines’ flight magazine and there will be a full page ad of a man and his dog. The ad is for Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a vodka made in Texas. The man is Tito, and the dog is resident distillery dog, Roscoe.
United is now serving Tito’s vodka, which is huge exposure for a company with humble beginnings. The company also has a long association with animal rescue.
Over 30 homeless dogs and cats that have passed though the distillery grounds and all have been brought to good health and absorbed by Tito’s employees or their extended family. The company also sponsors Emancipet‘s low-cost spay/neuter programs through events like its annual fundraising luncheon.
Roscoe was a rescue dog, too. After claiming that Roscoe winked at him, Tito had a yard fenced and a house built for him. He is now the ‘poster dog’ for the brand.
Posted in Dogs, dogs in advertising
Tagged Dog, Emancipet, magazine, Roscoe, Tito's, Tito's Handmade Vodka, United Airlines
Have you seen this statue?
The statue in 1937. Photo by Oakes Plimpton in the book ”Robbins Farm Park, Arlington, Massachusetts: A Local History”
Robbins Farm Park in Arlington, Massachusetts is interested in having its dog statue returned. It was last seen in about 1950, when the old family farmhouse on the land was demolished.
The group Friends of Robbins Park is putting out an APB (all points bulletin) on the statue, which may have been adopted by someone who was part of the demolition crew. It could be lingering in a junk yard, buried under years of debris. No one is sure.
The statue was formerly installed on a hill at Robbins Farm Park, which offers a great view of the Boston skyline. Children were often photographed on the statue, such as this photo from 1937.
If you can help solve the case of the missing statue, contact the Friends of Robbins Farm Park at 781-646-7786.
Source: The Boston Globe
It’s been a really hot summer here in Christchurch and, as Daisy is a senior dog, I want her to be as comfortable as possible.
In the spring, the folks at Jose Cuervo tequila gave me some molds for freezing water into shot glasses when I bought a bottle of their tequila. Well, I use them, but I fill the insides with beef stock and then re-freeze…
The result? Doggy shot glasses filled with frozen stock! It probably won’t be much of a marketing tool for Jose Cuervo, but Daisy loves them.
These shot glasses of ice are re-frozen after I fill them with beef stock
Daisy loves her specially made ice blocks
Posted in dog care
Tagged beef stock, Dog, freezing water, ice, ice block, Jose Cuervo, jose cuervo tequila, shot glasses, summer, tequila
As I work with clients, I try hard to use terms and definitions that they will understand. Every now and again, I get caught out and slip into the use of anatomy terms that many dog owners just don’t know about.
This week, it was the pastern.
The pastern is the area of the leg that is below the wrist (or carpus) on the front legs but above the foot. On the hind legs, the pastern is the area of leg below the heel (hock) but above the foot.
No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does.
– Christopher Morley
“Money will buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail.”
– Richard Friedman
Blue the dog doesn’t have a home. And he apparently doesn’t want one. But the blue-eyed Australian cattle dog has $1,800 in savings, a Facebook page and an air-conditioned dog house.
He also has a lawyer, who is working to get him an exemption from local leash laws so he can continue his free-wheeling lifestyle in southern New Mexico’s lakeside community of Elephant Butte, where he was abandoned as a puppy a decade ago.
Posted in Dogs
Tagged abandoned, Australian cattle dog, Blue, Bluedog, Dog, Elephant Butte, Facebook
