My Boys

I miss my dogs. What else can I say. I'm needing some puppy love right now. A wet sloppy kiss from Charly, and a big hug from Gussie Goo. 

Yes We Can!

"Sasha and Malia ... I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House."

 -- President-elect Barack Obama, November 4, 2008.

Aw yeah! Obama's in the White House and he's keeping his promise to his girls: they're getting that new puppy!

I can't tell you how excited I was this morning when at 6 a.m. (Germany time) I heard Barack's acceptance speech on CNN. And loud and clear, in front of the entire country and world, the first thing he said to his daughters was that they'd earned their new puppy. I imagine millions of dog lovers all over the United States feeling the same way. Ecstatic because the time for change is now, a black man has been elected president of our country, AND a real shelter mutt is going to be the next First Hound. 

Check out Obama Dogs Unite for this awesome Bark For Barack image you can download straight from the site. 

Deutsches Hunde

I know I haven't posted in a while on H&H. I've been in the dog house lately trying to learn German while we're living in Deutschland, and it's been taking up a ridiculous amount of time. What a difficult language! 

Don't believe me? Check out this video... doggie products are in style here like everywhere else. Unfortunately despite the hours and hours of hard work, I still couldn't understand much of what they were saying in the clip... I did catch that Chihuahua Leopold likes his collars mean and cheap!

Show Me The Paws

November 4th is less than a week away, and this endorsement couldn't have come at a better time. The Humane Society Legislative Fund has just endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President, their first ever presidential endorsement! Obama has backed or co-sponsored legislation protecting animal rights at the state and national level and Michelle Obama recently announced that the Obama family would be adopting a shelter dog once the election is over. This is the cherry on top of my Barack Obama-Split Sunday!

And for you Obama dog lovers out there, check out Muzzle-Tov and their Obama Dog Collars! Deck your pup out in election gear this Tuesday and don't forget to vote.

Couch Potato

I called my mom in the States last night to find out how the dogs are doing (have I mentioned I miss them?), and to my suprise she had some big news for us... no, Charly's not pregnant, he's a boy, duh!... Gus chewed through her living room sofa, and there's nothing left of the cushions but a huge pile of sofa guts!

It's true. The boys are living with grandma while we're away in Bonn, and they absolutely adore her. Who doesn't love a grandma who spoils you rotten? Anyway, she and my brothers went out of town for five days and couldn't bring the dogs with them, so Gus and Charly stayed with their dog-sitter and one of their best friends Cathy, from Urban Dog. Cathy takes great care of them, and they always have a blast hanging out with her.

Even so, when my mom came back from her trip, Gus and Charly went ape-crazy with excitement. Like most grandma's who haven't seen there grandbabies in a while, she made the big mistake of giving them both a treat, which Charly promptly ate no problem. On the other hand, Gus had the brilliant idea of hiding the treat in the crevices of the living room couch, where he could eat it later. He returned to the scene of the crime that evening, and without warning, proceeded to ravage the couch looking for his precious treat.

By the time my mom found out what he was doing, the sofa was basically ruined and Gus was standing there with his mouth open, full of sofa foam, fabric, and treat crumbs. Silly dog. You're lucky grandma loves you so much!

I think what Gus needs is his own sofa like this one from an Italian company called dogsofa. It comes in several different color combinations and is super fly. Just love it! 

A Dog Is A Dog Is A Dog

In his fascinating article "The Truth About Dogs", Stephen Budiansky explores canine genetics and uses science to explain dog behavior. Budiansky half jokingly calls dogs the greatest con artists, the best pickpockets, and some of the most manipulative animals on earth! Somehow dogs have convinced humans that they're loyal, trustworthy, selfless, loving, courageous, noble, and obedient...  Which of course they are, but Budiansky asserts that it's genetics, not the usual conventional explanations, that make them our best friends. 

The article is long, and can be a bit difficult to understand for those of us who are scientifically challenged, but if you can, I highly recommend reading the first page and the last paragraph of the piece. Those of you who own a mutt won't be able to hide your pride. I know I couldn't. 

And just to show Charly I'm proud of him too, regardless of Budiansky's pretty persuasive arguments, I'm featuring this poster from Obey The Pure Breed.

Home Sweet Home

Hurray for Ratchet and Operation Baghdad Pups! On Sunday the rescue group flew into Baghdad and picked up the Iraqi  dog, who was adopted by Army Spc. Gwen Beberg during her 13 month deployment in Iraq. After three separate tries to get the pup out of Iraq, he's finally on a plane and on his way to joining Beberg in Minneapolis, Minnesota!

The U.S. Army bars U.S. soldiers from caring for pets while on duty or from taking the animals home with them when they leave their posts, but 65,000 people from Illinois to Italy have signed a petition demanding clemency for Ratchet, and with help from Washington, it looks like the dog will be in the U.S. by the end of this week. 

But the Army's policy has yet to change regarding pets, even with the current outcry from people all over the world regarding Ratchet's case. Pets are amazing friends, confidants, and even therapists for soldiers in the middle of a war (for all of us)... The least the Army can do is let them bring their animals home. Please sign the petition for Ratchet, and get in touch with your congressman or congresswoman: Let them know No Buddy Gets Left Behind!