Nellie McKay - "The Dog Song"

That's what it's all about!!!

That dog got money

Leona Helmsley (a.k.a "Queen of Mean") left her pooch, Trouble, a £6 million inheritance. This sum was greater that the amount that most of her family members received from the will. But, Trouble's in trouble for biting a housekeeper who is suing the dog. Trouble may need a lawyer and a new owner because Mrs Helmsley's brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who is the designated caretaker, does not want her. Money can't buy you everything.

A leg up...or two!

"Doo the Right Thing"

A recent article in the Fort Worth Texas Star Telegram announced that the North Central Texas Council of Governments is encouraging dog owners to scoop poop in a plastic bag and flush the round mound down the toilet later as part of a "Doo the Right Thing" awareness campaign.

Here's a fun fact to know and tell from the article. One dog can leave up to three-quarters of a pound of poo a day. I am curious about who was looking to "doo" that study. Eewwww! I agree with Roni Crotty, environmental specialist for the city of Arlington who proclaimed "That's a lot of doodle".

To be in the dog house isn't always bad thanks to "pet-friendly decorating".

To be in the dog house has new meaning thanks to a burgeoning industry that caters to "pet-friendly decorating". Now homeowners who are building or remodeling can consider their pets’ needs as as they plan home projects. The new industry includes more that incorporating stain-resistant fabrics, scratch-resistant flooring, or colors that match a pet's fur. HGTV website has a great article on this topic written by Leanne Potts called Doggone stylish: 12 Dos and Don'ts for Decorating a Home with Pets. Her review covers 12 recommendations proposed by Julia Szao, author of author of Animal House Style: Designing A Home To Share With Your Pets (Bullfinch, 176 pages, $19.95, animalhousestyle.com). The article also links to great resources. Here's one example:

If you like the look of carpet, try modular carpet tiles made by companies like InterfaceFlor. The carpet squares stick to the floor with an adhesive, so they're easy to install, and they're available in an array of colors, patterns and textures. "They're great," says author Julia Szabo. "If a dog pees or a cat vomits, you can pull up the dirty tile and replace it with a new one. It's much cheaper than replacing an entire rug

Check out the article for more tips on how to let your house go to the dogs!

Teach an old dictionary new tricks

Writers for the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) are asking the public to help them verify the history of 40 words and phrases. All of the entries of these terms in the OED contain a date of the earliest evidence of usage, but researchers want the public to help them refine the history of the words. Seven of the words and phrases in question relate to man’s best friend. Here is the list of canine terms that haunt the OED researchers.

Dog and bone – A telephone

The dog's bollocks – A term for excellence.

Mucky pup – A British term of endearment used to refer to a messy child.

Shaggy dog story -A shaggy dog story is a long story which is only funny because the punch line is so flat you wonder why the tale is worth telling.

Sick puppy – An individual who acts strangely

Click here to read more or add some evidence to help the OED confirm the history of these terms.

The Dog that Caught the Car

Usually if you hear the phrase "the dog that caught the car", it's about someone who worked really hard for something and then didn't know what to do with it. Well, there's a bulldog named Harvey who not only caught the car, he crashed it.

In 2002, Johnny Vaughan, host of the BBC talk show Johnny Vaughan Tonight, picked up Harvey from the veterinarian in his Maserati 3200GT. Mr. Vaughan describes: "I stopped because Harvey, who was in the front and had a sore tummy, looked like he needed the toilet.

"I got out of the car and went over to the passenger side. But when Harvey saw me, he leapt over to the driver’s seat, pushing the gearstick up to "drive". Then the little critter jumped into the footwell beneath the steering wheel and pressed the accelerator down.

"I couldn’t believe it, but the car shot forward, with me chasing behind—and went straight into the back of a van with a huge crunch." I was too shocked to be angry. I couldn’t believe my dog had crashed my car."

The damage was around £11,000, which the TV star had to pay himself. When he contacted the insurance company, said Vaughan, "They just fell about laughing and refused to pay out." After all, Harvey was not listed as a driver.