Denise Flaim, a Newsday staffer since 1994, covers companion animals
– not pets -- every Monday in her Animal House column. Denise
is owned by two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and is involved in breeding,
conformation (code for "dog shows"), lure-coursing (don’t
worry, no one else knows what that is, either), obedience, agility
and therapy-dog work. She is the historian of the Rhodesian Ridgeback
Club of the United States, and author of "The Holistic Dog
Book: Canine Care for the 21st Century" (Wiley, 2003) and "Getting
Lucky: How One Special Dog Found Love and a Second Chance at Angel’s
Gate" (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2005).
That is PRICELESS!! Thanks for the day brightener!!
Posted by: Jill | April 02, 2007 at 09:36 PM
Thank you for making my evening brighter..
That was awesomeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Posted by: Lnda Speranza | April 02, 2007 at 10:16 PM
I loved it, it made me smile
Posted by: SueG | April 03, 2007 at 08:47 AM
I need some prayers today!
Two of "The Honeymooners"Alice & Trixie went in this morning to be spayed..
The vet has to keep them overnight. I am a nervous wreck until, I know they are back home with me.
Posted by: Lnda Speranza | April 03, 2007 at 09:00 AM
Thank you. That helped to lower my stress level today. What an adorable twosome!
Posted by: Susan Lorinsky | April 03, 2007 at 04:19 PM
That's the cutest thing! Just what I needed-thank you Denise.
Posted by: lydia | April 05, 2007 at 09:26 AM
This was great. It certainly brightened up my day.
Those two were incredible.
Posted by: Pam A. | April 05, 2007 at 12:12 PM
At the end of tomorrow's CBS news (the Katie Couric one) Assignment America will be covering the AKC Agility Nationals, in Ohio last week. Their angle will probably "aren't these dogs cute and these people nutty". Fair enough...
Posted by: Karen (VA) | April 05, 2007 at 07:28 PM
Loved it. Thanks Denise
Posted by: Marty | April 05, 2007 at 10:37 PM
Hey Karen - whatever it takes to get some publicity,
right? I wished we lived in an area where those trials were held. I always thought my mom's dog would do okay in something like that.
Posted by: Pam A. | April 06, 2007 at 09:33 AM
Some of the top agility trainers in the US live in Minnesota. And every breed of dog does agility, which is what makes the trials interesting. And everyone has different goals for it- I even have totally different goals for my two border collies. Grace E is very, very sensitive and dependent on me, so that she can focus through a course and work away from me has given her confidence. Patch is impulsive and has the kind of OCD that a rescue BC stuck in a back yard doing nothing for 6 years gets, and this training has given him focus. Both of them love it. I'll look up just where you live and see if I can find a trainer nearby or a trial where you can just go watch and email it to you. It's fun to go somewhere and watch a mastiff doing the same thing as a chihuahua.
Posted by: Karen (VA) | April 06, 2007 at 10:11 AM
Thanks Karen. That would be interesting to see a trial if it's within an hour or two of home.
Posted by: Pam A. | April 06, 2007 at 10:46 AM
Here's the CBS clip of the Agility Nationals, it's cute (there is a commercial first)
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2659769n
Posted by: Karen (VA) | April 06, 2007 at 10:11 PM