My Friendly Pets

I will be giving many health tips as well as behavioral tips for our 4-legged friends as the days go on. Also I will be talking about getting a dog if you’ve never had one or if you are a bit hesitant to have one. There are many things to consider when you are deciding to become a dog owner.

However, today, I’d like to talk about a canine health issue that many of us can relate to. That is canine cancer. According to Patricial Olson, CEO and president of the non-profit Morris Animal Foundation, 1 in every 4 dogs will die from some type of canine cancer. The foundation has begun a Canine Cancer Campaign which hopes to raise enough funds to cure cancer in dogs within the next 10 to 20 years. The site is www.curecaninecancer.org.

Ms. Olson knows that this is a lofty goal, but if according to Ms. Olson, “that’s how big things happen”

We had a mixed german shepard mutt. His name was Ziggy and he was truly there from when our family began. In fact, we got Ziggy as a pup the day after my husband and I returned from our honeymoon in 1986.

Ziggy was about 11 when he started biting at his leg and we noticed a lump. We took him to the vet, had the lump removed, and it was diagnosed as a malignant tumor that had already metasisized. There was little we could do, but keep him comfortable. Ziggy was with us another 11 months, until we let him go, so that he would suffer no more. That was one of the hardest experiences ever, as I’m sure many of you know.

I believe we all must speak for these animals as they can’t speak for themselves. They need our help. Please visit the site above and learn as much as you can and give what you can afford. Every little bit helps…

Wow!!! Guess what this entry is about???!!!! Today, I had the unique pleasure and privilege of being on an interview conference call today with Joe Harris, who is a co-creator of the original Underdog cartoon series. He was the supervisor of animation for all General Mills products when the Underdog idea came about. The interview held today was to help promote the release of the original Underdog cartoon in DVD format. The dvds came out on July 24th.

Mr. Harris is an interesting and engaging individual. Of course, my recorder stopped working about 10 minutes before the interview began, but I wrote a lot of info down and hope to give you some highlights here. Keep in mind, these are not the direct quotes, but summaries of Mr. Harris’ answers.

Question: How did the idea for Underdog come about?
Chet Stover, Buck Biggers and Joe Harris all worked for the General Mills account at a New York Ad agency and were designated with the duty of coming up with cartoon characters to promote General Mills products. There were cartoons before Underdog, such as Tennesee Tuxedo and King Leonardo and His Short Subjects.
Chet was watching an episode of I Love Lucy where George Reeves was coming on the show as Superman and Lucy dressed up as Superman and was going to surprise him by flying through the window, but she never got the chance, because she got stuck out on the ledge because the window was closed and locked.

The next day, Chet said,”We have to create a superhero and it should be a dog.” According to Mr. Harris, the dog is of no particular breed, just an animated dog.

The character of Sweet Polly Purebred is fashioned after, the one and only, Marilyn Monroe. Mr. Harris had a lot of say in the voices of the characters and as soon as he heard Wally Cox, he knew that was the voice of Underdog.

Mr. Harris felt the late 50’s and early 60’s was the perfect time for the development of such an anti-hero. It appealed to kids that Underdog was a hero but in reality was a imperfect, often clumsy and bumbling Shoeshine Boy. The 50’s were the good times, post war boom and everyone was happy. The tumultuous 60’s hadn’t taken off yet, and the political climate was the best setting possible for the next crimefighter.

I asked Mr. Harris why he believed that Underdog has endured so long and still appeals to kids today and he said because kids can identify with Underdog and want to love an imperfect hero.

Underdog always speaks in rhymes, because they truly wanted to differentiate this superhero from any other before him and this was a great way to do it.

Mr. Harris has had input into the development and promotion of the DVD collection and is proud to have Underdog as his legacy.

Mr. Harris says that the cartoons of today are great and couldn’t be done without the support of computer animation, but that the personal nature of the cartoon that was done with sketch pads, pencils and erasers, truly captured the emotion and ideas of the animator years ago.

As I mentioned, the interview was great. I apologize for the lack of direct quotes. There is great information about the DVD series on www.underdogshow.com. And sing along….”there’s no need to fear…Underdog is here”

Speaking with Mr. Harris was a pleasure and took me back many years when cartoons were simply about good versus evil and we all could root for an imperfect but loveable hero. Thank you Mr. Harris…your legacy lives on.

It’s Sunday, so it must be time for another Sunday funnie!!!!Enjoy!!

It is truly a “dog eat dog” world!!!

courtesy of www.artie.com

Also, as a bonus to look forward to…I will be part of a telephone interview with Joe Harris, co creator of the original Underdog cartoon series. I will be posting some great information from the interview. Make sure to stay tuned!!! Remember, “There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!!!” Luv that quote

Aren’t they just beautiful? Seeing a collie conjures up such warm fuzzy feelings; the same ones I had watching Lassie on Sunday evenings when I was younger(much younger…lol). They look brave, hearty, loving and kind all at the same time. Again, I am fortunate enough to work with a woman who has two collies. Her most recent is a collie she rescued named Alice. Alice is a bit skiddish because of her background, but loved just the same!!!!

Collies originated in Scotland and were used primarily as herding dogs. Their popularity grew when Queen Victoria visited the Scottish Highlands in the 1860’s and fell in love with the Collie.

Collies come in two breeds, Rough and Smooth. Smooth collies have a short flat coat while rough collies have the long harsher textured coat that we identify with collies. The collie is neither large nor small. It is catagorized as a medium sized dog and usually ranges between 50 and 70 lbs. The rough collie always appears so much larger because of the abundance and thickness of their coat.

Collies are known for of course their beauty, but also for their loyalty, friendliness and intelligence. They are one of the friendliest breeds and make good family pets because of their devotion. Due to their herding background, they are also known for their barking, but are not especially agressive. However, they are considered excellent watch dogs. Their intelligence makes them attentive and interested in everything that goes on around them.

When growing up, a neighbor had a collie named Teddy. He was a neighborhood favorite. We all loved Teddy. This was long before leash laws and Teddy could often be found wondering from house to house visiting the neighbors and insuring that all was safe and sound. Looking at the collie pictures, I thought of Teddy. Between he and Lassie, they provided me with a lasting and loving impression of this very special breed.

It is not like me to be meloncholy nor do I like to write that way, but in this entry, I want to briefly discuss the issue of dogfighting which has been recently brought into the news because of the indictment of Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons for operating an illegal dogfighting ring. Unfortunately this “sport” is more common than we think; however, it is only brought to light because of the celebrity involvement.

All dog lovers and animal lovers alike should be appalled to hear of this archaic practice. It is barbaric, cruel and sadistic. Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states and a felony offense in many of those states. If there is a cause that needs support for a practice to end, this would definitely be one to consider.

The Humane Society of the United States has a dogfighting fact sheet and gives some great advice about how to fight for stricter laws for this crime and save some canine lives!!!! To read more go to www.hsus.org. There are many other organizations that support the cause…please get involved!!!

We know that our dogs love to eat…the thought of a treat or small morsel falling from the table or counter will keep any pup at attention!!! We also know how important it is to keep our hounds healthy as well as happy!! With the animal food disaster this spring when many dogs were ill or died, many more people are taking the task of preparing and feeding their dogs into their own hands. Some excellent homemade dog food info can be found in the website:www.gourmetsleuth.com/dogfoodrecipes.htm I have put the this in my blog roll.

Because its Sunday and a day for “funnies”, I hope to fill all of my Sunday entries, with cute and interesting cartoons about our 4 legged canine companions!!! We always love them, but love them even more when they make us laugh!!!

The breed of dog that I would like to introduce today would be the beautiful Weimaraners. I never knew anything about this dog breed until a woman I work with got one about two years ago. They are a beautiful breed, very bright, affectionate and loving. I’ve included a great link in the blogroll to an informative site about Weimaraners. I would recommend checking it out when you get a chance. These are high energy dogs who need excercise and play, but according to my friends, they are well worth it!!!!

Dogs are so important to us and our lives that there are over 25 movies where dogs are the main characters or where the story line centers around the dog. With the weekend coming up, it might be nice to rent one or two of these flicks(watch them in the evening, and enjoy the summer day while we can, preferably with your dog).

Your family will love them and its just a fun way to realize how loveable these guys are to all of us. I don’t know how many of you are waiting for the new “Underdog” movie to come out, but it looks funny. Remember, “There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here”!!!!! I am probably dating myself, because many of you might not even remember the Underdog cartoon.

Within the next day or so, I’ll be picking a breed of the week and will share much info with you all. In the meantime, enjoy the list of “dog flicks” (as opposed to chick flicks…lol) and the link to the new “Underdog” movie!!!

101 Dalmations G
Air Bud PG
Air Bud Golden Reciever G
Air Bud Seventh Inning Fetch G
Air Bud Spikes Back G
Air Bud World Pup G
Beethoven PG
Beethoven’s 2nd PG
Benji NR
Benji: Off the Leash PG
Bingo PG
Cats and Dogs PG
Far From Home:the Adventures of Yellow Dog PG
For the Love of Benji NR
Garfield the Movie PG
Homeward Bound 2: Lost in San Francisco G
Homeward Bound The Incredible Journey G
Iron Will PG
Lady and the Tramp G
Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure G
Lassie PG
Old Yeller G
Turner & Hooch PG
Zeus and Roxanne PG
All Dogs Christmas Carol G
Snow Dogs
101 Dalmations G
Air Bud PG
Air Bud Golden Reciever G
Air Bud Seventh Inning Fetch G
Air Bud Spikes Back G
Air Bud World Pup G
Beethoven PG
Beethoven’s 2nd PG
Benji NR
Benji: Off the Leash PG
Bingo PG
Cats and Dogs PG
Far From Home:the Adventures of Yellow Dog PG
For the Love of Benji NR
Garfield the Movie PG
Homeward Bound 2: Lost in San Francisco G
Homeward Bound The Incredible Journey G
Iron Will PG
Lady and the Tramp G
Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure G
Lassie PG
Old Yeller G
Turner & Hooch PG
Zeus and Roxanne PG
All Dogs Christmas Carol G
Snow Dogs

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809426137/info

Copy and paste the above link to the browser and you’ll have all the information you need about Underdog.

Welcome to My Friendly Pets!!!! We are going to talk about all things DOG!! To me, I am wary of anyone who doesn’t like animals, and especially dogs. You know, there is nothing like walking in the door at the end of a hard day, feeling like you’ve been to hell and back, but waiting for you is a bundle (large or small) of energy and love. The tail is wagging, there might be some jumps and definitely some nice wet kisses. That’s what we get from our dogs - unconditional love and truth. Dogs love us no matter what and this blog will pay honor to dogs, whatever breed they are, big or tiny; loud or yippy; long haired or short.

In this blog, I would like to feature a “breed of the week” and look at a specific dog breed…don’t worry, we’ll talk about mutts too….they are sooooo loveable. I will offer some great health hints for our 4 legged friends as well as some tips, stories and anything new and exciting (there is always something) about our canine friends!!! Pics are welcome and I will show the dogs that have been part of our family and some others that I have grown to love.

There is never anything boring about dogs. They keep us company when we are lonely, warm on cold nights (if you let them sleep in the bed), we laugh at something silly they do and no matter how much you talk to them, they never argue or contradict you. What’s not to love?????

Starting this blog and sharing with you all is exciting. I look forward to to each entry and hopefully comments that you will share. We’ll meet again soon, I promise….ARF!!!

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451 Press, Pets, Writers Needed