Showing posts with label costumes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label costumes. Show all posts

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween Extravaganza and Special Edition Dog News!!!





Happy Halloween from the Den. Levi, Rocky, Erica and even little Chi-Chi all join me in wishing our readers a safe and happy day (and night).



Because my readers are very busy people doing important things, I've received very few pictures of dogs in costumes. Cindy L. of Manteno, IL, was kind enough to share pictures of her three kids, dressed up for a costume parade. That's Snoopy, at the top of the page. Not only does he genuinely look like a convict, but his expression seems to clearly denote that he's guilty of whatever he was charged with. Chances are he was mostly unhappy to be in a costume, but as was determined a few days ago, sometimes, very infrequently, but sometimes, it's all about us, and if dressing dogs up like truckers or ladybugs (Cindy L's Lucy, the trucker, and Sally, the ladybug. Or is she a dinosaur? An elk? Whatever, you just keep going, Cindy L. of Manteno!) tickles your fancy, than you ought to go right ahead and do it. Just not everyday or anything.






The kitty and dog, above, enchanted Christine M. of the Bay area, but, alas, they are not her creations. The Dogman feels, however, that if Christine just tried, she alone could costume half the dogs and cats in San Francisco! That's the Dogman challenge, accept it, if you dare!



Andrea K. of Southern California, sent me some delightful pictures of dogs with pumpkins carved to look like them. These are some great shots, and if anyone knows to whom credit should be attributed, I would love to do so.








And now, this weeks Dog news:


First, what we all want. More excellent pictures of pets in costumes! This guy has quite a page!



Here's a shocker. Pets are sometimes scared by Halloween. I once put a rubber monster mask on at K-Mart, and Karen's Seeing Eye Dog, Lyric, almost jumped out of her skin!



Web MD now gives pet advice. The Dogman prefers to avoid doctors and vets as much as possible, and here's a resource that can help us do that. Of course, but the Dogman and Levi are among the millions of uninsured Americans, but we remain grateful that we can at least get DYI medical care on the Internet. What a country!



Here's a story about how a service dog helps keep a kid with severe peanut allergies from dying! (The dog to the left is meant to be dressed as a peanut. Thematic continuity is all important in the Den.)



Keeping children with peanut allergies alive not enough for you? Check out this article about how dogs and cats help in the fight against breast cancer. And not just by being emotional support to patients, but by finding the damn stuff! Incredible.



Everyone knows about Snuggies, the infernal blanket with sleeves that's all over TV and Walgreen's and single ladies' shoulders. Somehow the creators of this monstrosity felt they hadn't taken enough money from the American people, so now, as many of you have already seen, they have Snuggies for dogs. Unlike a Halloween costume, this isn't cute. It's just sad.

OK, it's a little cute, but I still disapprove.




Using "America's Funniest Home Videos" as the barometer, it has been scientifically determined that dogs are funnier than cats! The Dogman feels that might be the truth, but he's never known a dog top enjoy subtle verbal humor. Dogs think it's funny when someone falls. Cats, on the other hand, virtually all enjoy Oscar Wilde, Tom Stoppard, and, indeed, any cerebral humor involving word play. But not puns. They'll scratch you up if you try a pun.


Here's a hard working dog who got too into his job. I hope worker's comp is available to this drug sniffing dog who OD'd on Meth. That can't be a pretty scene. I sure hope he's going to be alright. It's a shame he wasn't just sniffing for pot, or he'd be fine!


Finally, for those of us whose pets are getting older, the inevitable might be much farther off than we think. Read here about the world's oldest living dog!

Tomorrow, the Dogman will post his first piece of fiction, a short-short story called "The Dog and el Día de los Inocentes. I think it's some of my best work, and I hope you'll read it.




Friday, October 30, 2009

Weekly Recap and Message from the Dogman

                                              The Dogman begs:


Read my blog. Please leave me comments, complaints and compliments. I am responsive to feedback.

Pass this blog along. If you like a particular piece, send it, or a link, to a friend. Post it on Facebook. Twitter it. Give it a thumbs up on StumbleUpon. Write your thoughts in the comment section. If you dislike a piece, I'd like to know as much as if you like one.

The blog's look has changed due, in large measure, to reader input. I stopped running random Google ads and switched to Amazon, so I could personally recommend my favorite dog related books and products. I've also added Amazon's Dog Blog, because it seems to nicely complement the den. As always, I remain open to your ideas.

It's Halloween weekend, so please make sure your cats, especially, and your dogs, are indoors or somewhere safe.

Again, thanks for reading, and now, without further ado, the weekly recap!


An article detailing a model breeding program in the tiny town of Abeytas, New Mexico. This is the ancestral home of Levi!






The peculiar relationship between dogs and skunks. Why do dogs seem to like smelling like that? A theory is presented.









Unintentionally, one of the Dogman’s more controversial pieces. A.K. of S. California hated it. V.R. of Madison, WI, loved it. I think it’s…alright. A light hearted look at the three-headed dog who guards the Gates of Hades, and his encounter with deranged Roman emperor, Caligula. An affectionate nod to Monsieur Sartre's great plays, No Exit and Caligula. Read it and voice in with your comments. Warning to sensitive readers: Cerberus, guard of the nether world, spends a good deal of time cleaning his nether regions! Make sure children don’t read it, because they might giggle at the idea of a dog licking himself, and we must discourage that kind of frivolity!


A description of, and rules for, the favorite indoor game for two or more dogs who live with a cat. Read it. Leagues forming soon in your area.

Coming Saturday: Dog News and, hopefully, your pictures of your dogs in Halloween costumes.





© 2009, All Rights Reserved, Rich Sands
ScottsdaleDogMan.com
ScottsdaleDogMan.blogspot.com
Please share this blog with others.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Dogs in Superman Costumes


My original intent was to use today’s post to get on a soapbox and decry the practice of putting dogs in Halloween costumes. I was going to charge owner’s who did this with cruelty, and point out that they were certainly embarrassing their dogs. As a dogman, one thing I know is dogs hate to be embarrassed. Does the poor guy dressed as a hot dog above look proud?

When writing these posts, I usually turn to the internet to find images to illustrate them, because people these days expect pictures with their words, at least in a blog.

I’m sure I’m violating copyright all kinds of ways, but until I have enough readers to complain, I have no plans on worrying about it. Anyway, it's Fair Use.

I have next to no photos of my dogs (or anything else from 1975-2003, or so), so when I post pictures of a German Shepherd on a piece about Arthur, for example, I’ll usually use images I find of a dog that looks sort of like he did.



Luckily, today, when preparing this entry about how awful it was to make your dog wear a Halloween costume, I searched for the pictures before I wrote the posting. This Google Image search led me to a completely different conclusion than my original.

Everyone should dress up their dog for Halloween. Superman is a classic choice, and classics are such for a reason. Who doesn’t look good in a Superman costume! Batman is a perennial favorite as well.



I don’t want to discourage anyone’s creativity. Dress your dog in whatever costume you can imagine. But dress him for Halloween! And maybe Christmas. Or just to brighten up any boring day.

Please send me any pictures you have of your dog in a costume. My e-mail is ScottsdaleDogMan@gmail.com. My Facebook friends can also post their pictures on my wall.

Would you look at how cute all these guys are?! And this was just from a quick search. Look, this golden is dressed as Cerberus!


And, finally, it wouldn't be Halloween without a "sexy" outfit for the bitches in your house. Though canine sexualization remains a serious problem in this country, we won't solve it by burying our heads in the sand. If your girl proposes leaving the house in this costume, it's time for the two of you to have a long talk, especially about body language and its consequences.

The Scottsdale Dogman eagerly awaits your pictures of costumed dogs. I doubt there are many available of costumed cats, because I can't imagine a self-respecting cat permitting it. But I've been surprised before.


© 2009, All Rights Reserved, Rich Sands
ScottsdaleDogMan.com
ScottsdaleDogMan.blogspot.com
Please share this blog with others.