Dogs

Albert the Dog at the beach
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Day Trip: Dog, Beach, and Vine

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Sunday was one of the most thrilling days of my life. The Lady bought a Discover Outdoors day trip as a birthday present for the Guy (the best kind of birthday present, because it was really a present for me). We have been on a couple of excursions with this company before, but those were day hikes in the woods. Yesterday’s trip offered adventure of a different sort. Dubbed “Dog, Beach, and Vine,” it included a trip to a beach on Long Island and visits to two wineries.

We all met at Manhattan’s Union Square where our guides, Mr. Danny and Mr. Zach, were waiting with two vans. We were a motley assortment of large dogs and small dogs, older dogs and younger dogs, purebreds and mixed breeds, barking dogs and quiet dogs. I was quite anxious as we piled into the van because I suspected this might be some ruse to take me somewhere and abandon me. I am always a little afraid of being abandoned, even if my People are with me and everyone is being cordial. You just never know.

However, as we settled into the drive, I calmed down and took the opportunity to nap for a while. And a good thing I did, because I was going to need my energy later. After a brief rest stop for the humans, we pulled up to something I have never seen before: Continue reading →

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Albert at Whisk
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Review: Whisk

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TREATS:  3 out of 4

BELLY-RUB POTENTIAL:  3 out of 4

Last week, the Lady and I ventured out on a quest. Sadly, it was not a quest to get me more bully sticks but rather to find a springform pan. I had no idea what that was, but the Lady said that it was a special kind of cake pan She wants to use for our friend Lili’s Tres Leches cake challenge. She had such a pan many years ago but jettisoned it along with other baking supplies when She moved to a tiny New York kitchen. But bit by bit, some of these baking tools have crept back into our kitchen.

Whisk exterior

Our mission took us to Whisk, a kitchenware shop in the Flatiron District, just a block away from Madison Square Park. Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly Whisk human who asked the Lady if I would like a treat. Impressed with this prompt service, I immediately sat, ready for a biscuit. Then the Lady pulled a trick so dastardly I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

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Book Review: Fifteen Dogs

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Given its title, André Alexis’s new book Fifteen Dogs was bound to pique my interest. Luckily, the humans at Coach House Books lent the Lady a digital advanced reading copy so that we could review it.

This modern apologue surprised and delighted us. The story opens when the gods Hermes and Apollo, bored and looking for amusement, place a wager on whether animals, granted human intelligence, would be happier or unhappier than humans. The fifteen eponymous dogs, a mix of mutts and purebreds being held in the kennel of a veterinary clinic, are chosen as their test subjects. If even one of them dies happy, Hermes wins the bet. In an instant, Apollo transforms the unsuspecting dogs.

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Albert the Dog with Underdog
Dog Art
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Questions from a Dog: An Interview with a Pigeon

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Albert the Dog

Edward R. Murrow was often photographed with cigarette in hand. I prefer a bully stick.

With so many of us jostling for limited space, New Yorkers can be a fractious bunch. In the interest of promoting  a more cooperative approach to city living, the Lady suggested I set aside my vicious impulses and try to learn something about one of my frequent combatants: the New York City pigeon.

Lester, seen above, belongs to a pack flock of pigeons who frequent downtown Manhattan.  I interviewed him at his favorite haunt in Union Square. His manners are a little rough around the edges, but not without a certain streetwise panache. Lester had some understandable trepidation at the start of our conversation, but by the end, we reached a point of mutual respect, if not actual friendship.
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