Behind the Scenes at The Daily Show: A Dogster Editor's Account

It’s not easy to follow in the footsteps of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, but someone had to do it. That someone was supposed to be handsome Aussie actor Sam Worthington, but due to a last-minute cancellation, that someone became me.

I’d been on The Daily Show’s “short list” of guests to book for Jon Stewart’s brilliant late-night show, but Worthington’s cancellation bumped me to the top of that list. In a whirlwind change of plans, I found myself bunking down in Manhattan’s gorgeous Hudson Hotel two Monday nights back. I was a little nervous about my stint, because if I screwed up, not only would there be 250 real, live people in the studio audience, but I’d also have the other 2.5 million home viewers to worry about.

Yeah I know. It looks like Jon and I got into the bottle of Vodka that's in the greenroom, or like there's something other than water in those mugs. But as far as I know, neither of us had had anything stronger than water. It's just one of those photos...

I decided to watch The Daily Show from my room that night, in part to be entertained by Stewart’s genius satire and wit, and in part to see what the week’s first guest would be doing. I would be going on the next day as a mere author – not a celeb-author, not a sports-author, just an author-author. My book, Soldier Dogs: The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes, had attracted the attention of the dog-loving Stewart and his dog-adoring staff, so it wasn’t like it wasn’t a friendly place for me. But his list of guests can make an author-author feel as small as an ant-author.

Among the guests he’s had on the show in the last several months: Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Betty White, Dolly Parton, Bill Clinton, Martin Scorsese, Diane Keaton, Tom Brokaw, Condoleezza Rice, Calvin Trillin, Tony Bennett, Hugh Jackman, Tom Hanks, and Jennifer Aniston. I took a sip of my wine, and tried to forget that all these greats had sat in that very chair I’d be sitting in the next day.

But when Shaq sauntered out on stage to vast cheers and picked up – physically picked up – Jon Stewart as if he were a toy, and the audience went wild, I started thinking about how nice it would have been if Air Force Master Sergeant Antonio (Arod) Rodriguez had taken me up on my offer. I’d told him I’d give him a wig and a nice outfit if he would pretend to be me. This most helpful and generous military working dog leader had been there for me from the very first days of this book, so it only made sense that he would be there now.

I was not going to pick up Jon Stewart like Shaquille O’Neal did the previous night. A hard act to follow, to be sure…

But for some reason, Arod didn’t take me up on my offer. So I was left to follow in the footsteps of the Shaq, and to precede the footsteps of this week’s other phenomenal guests, including Pakistani journalist and author Ahmed Rashid, and the MSNBC host, Rachel Maddow.

It’s not as if it would be my first national TV appearance to publicize this book, which had been out for less than two weeks. I’d enjoyed some other appearances and had not overly fretted. But this was Jon Stewart, iconic, ironic, and revered by millions. I managed to sleep that night (thank you, glass of way-too-expensive hotel wine) and get through the next day by spending time with my wonderful Dutton publicist Katie Burns, and my brilliant Dutton editor, Stephen Morrow.

At 5:15 pm Tuesday, a cab dropped Katie and me off at Stewart’s midtown Manhattan studio. As we walked in, any residual tinge of nervousness disappeared. Maybe it was the fact that we were met by a dog. Many employees bring their dogs to work. Stewart loves dogs, and has two himself. An affable fluffy black dog first came up to me, and later a beautiful golden retriever-ish dog visited, rubbing his blonde fur all over my black pants. Ahh, just like home, with my yellow Lab, Jake! Only these dogs were involved in some kind of canine love triangle. (I’ll talk about that in a future post.)

Dogs, dogs everywhere behind the scenes at The Daily Show. Here we have two of the three dogs involved in the love triangle I’ll write about another time.

Upon arriving at the greenroom, I was greeted by a framed sign with my name in it. That was pretty startling, and rather fun to see, even for someone more comfortable behind the scenes than in front. Not being a celeb or luminary, I took a photo. I doubted Barack Obama had taken a similar photo when he was last there in 2010

I had to take a photo. After all, I am just an author-author, not Brad Pitt or Bill Clinton.

The greenroom was incredibly spacious and comfortable. I had been in greenrooms before, and in fact two weeks earlier had shared a small greenroom on Fox with some Jersey Shore stars. Their celeb status was lost on me, because I had no idea who they were. The Daily Show greenroom was larger, and since Stewart has only one guest per night, Katie and I had it to ourselves. It featured the usual array of snacks and drinks, and a large bottle of Vodka. It was half empty/half full. I was wondering which guests had had a tipple or two when the lovely makeup artist, Jody, came and got me.

This was supposed to be “touchup” makeup, but it took her a good half hour to get my face just right for TV. She took her time because we were early. In real life, TV makeup is not a good look, but TV cameras need it. If people went out there in their more natural states, it wouldn’t probably wouldn’t be good for ratings. That said, Jody told me that Shaq had wanted only powder at the most. And when Shaq doesn’t want makeup, the Shaq doesn’t get makeup.

When I had a good coating of about 15 different products on my face, who should walk in but the man himself? Jon Stewart joined me in the makeup room while Jody was running an iron of some sort (flat? curling? One doesn’t notice these details when Jon Stewart walks in the room.) through my hair. He was really easy to talk with. I had decided to consider him a friendly colleague or even a classmate, rather than a mega star. It helped that we both graduated from college the same year. Heck, he could’ve been one of the goofy guys from my dorm!

In the makeup room, with Jody. What's with my left hand!? Looks it’s getting ready for a Star Trek convention without me.

I had somewhat tricked myself, and in doing so, was very comfortable speaking with him. We talked dogs, college, life, kids, and dogs again. He got a little touchup of face powder from Jody, and went off to do the show. I went back to the greenroom and watched. And laughed. He is so funny – too funny when you’re wearing non-waterproof eye makeup, as it turns out. Jody had to do repairs before I went on.

Finally, show producer Hillary came and got me. I said good-bye to Katie, realizing that the next time I saw her again I’d have either done well, or crashed and burned. I prayed for the first option. I didn’t want to screw up, in part because I was there for the dogs. I wanted to do the military working dogs and all their people proud. And I also didn’t want to become one of those viral “OMG what an idiot!” videos the next day.

Hillary walked me to the stage. I stood behind the thick blue curtain, and my heart started beating faster when I felt the cold air from the stage (studios are kept chilly), and heard the cheers of the audience. My shy writer half wanted to stay behind the curtain, maybe peek out, and march right back to the greenroom. But when he announced my name, all bets were off. I strode on and didn’t look back. And I had a blast. I blocked out the idea that millions of people were watching, and lived in the fantasyland that it was just Jon and me. It worked, and miraculously, I wasn’t at all nervous. Here’s how it turned out.

I thought we’d just started, but suddenly it was over. He introduced me to the audience during the commercial break, and they cheered loudly and enthusiastically, and I waved excitedly with both hands as I walked off. It was over. And I was high with happiness.

As Hillary was walking me back to the greenroom, telling me how well he segment went, I tried to remember what Jon and I had talked about. And I couldn’t remember a single thing. Nothing. That was a little disturbing. Had someone done a mind-wipe ala Artemis Fowl as I walked off stage?

Katie greeted me very happily, and we hugged, and she said how wonderfully it went. I didn’t tell her about the mind-wipe, and racked my brain for any detail. She mentioned a few things and they kind of came back to me. We went out for a celebratory beer at the nearby Pony Bar with my editor’s terrific assistant, Stephanie Hitchcock. I realized in horror that I was still in my TV makeup, but oh well. There were no small children in the bar to scare.

Two wonderful Dutton staffers - publicist Katie Burns and editors’ assistant Stepahnie Hitchcock - and me, in my full-on scary TV makeup, which is not meant to be worn out and about.

Afterward they went home, and I treated myself to the reward I’d been dreaming of: A giant slice of NY pizza and a root beer, followed by a chocolate glazed doughnut from Dunkin Donuts. (We don’t have Dunkin Donuts in San Francisco, and we certainly don’t have NY pizza.)

I got back to the hotel in plenty of time to catch the show on TV. I don’t like watching myself on TV, so I glanced up only on occasion. But I was relieved to find out just what we’d discussed, and that it had definitely gone well. Military dogs would not be hanging their heads in shame.

But the mind-erase thing was a curiosity to me even a few days ago, when I inquired about it with Bettina Devin, an acting teacher and actress I know. Was I crazy, or was this something that happens sometimes? This is what she wrote:

“It's a common occurrence with actors/performers. When you are truly in the moment, you are not thinking, conniving, trying to have a certain "effect", you are just there 100% present.  That's why so many great performers (improv especially) have no idea what just happened on stage and can't remember it.”

Whew! I was not losing my marbles. I was just one with the moment. Just like a dog.

Maybe Jake (Mr. Zen) can take my place for my next TV appearance.

I wish my Mind Erase didn’t take away what Jon said as he leaned in as the show was going to a commercial. The microphones were off, so I’ll never know. Something about dogs and a good book or Doggles, maybe.

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Finally! Super Hip, Affordable Prescription Eyeglasses for Dogs!

Warby Parker is a fabulous place to go for hip eyewear. The selections are chic, unique, and not insanely expensive. But its dog-loving founders wanted something more. Something that would help dogs not only see better for a reasonable price, but look fantastic while doing so.

So they developed a new line: Warby Barker - affordable eyewear for your dog's eyes only. All we can say is that it's about time. Before Warby Barker's stylish, super affordable dog eyewear, dogs who couldn't see the TV or their guardians' faces were relegated to two fates: Continue living life in a blur, or face the ugly, oft-pricey eyeglass designs other companies offered the four-legged set.

Warby Barker's new line of canine glasses shows that style doesn't have to be tied to a high price tag.

"It just doesn't make any sense to spend several hundred dollars on something your dog is just going to eat," says Warby Barker co-founder Dave Gilboa.

But the truth is, the designs are good enough to eat! Check out the names of some of the mouthwatering color names in the canine collection: Spiced Liver, Lobster Bisque, Gravy Burst, Dusty Bacon, Mutton Royale, and Grey-bone Fade.

If your pooch decides the glasses are edible, no worries. All canine eyewear is environmentally friendly. We're told there are no nasty toxins to interfere with a doggy's digestive tract.

But how do you know what's going to look good on your dog? No worries! Warby Barker offers in-home try-on sessions. Once you have your dog's prescription in hand, you can call 888-492-7297 or email help@warbybarker.com to set up an appointment. If you opt for the mail-order specs, you'll be happy to know that shipping is free and you get a gluten-free treat to boot. They think of everything at Warby Barker.

Even if your dog's vision is 20-20, there's still something for him at Warby Barker. The company offers a glorious selection of sunglasses for dogs who want to protect their eyes from bright light. Some dogs use the shades for anonymity on dog walks, too. "It used to be that whenever we'd take Reginald for a walk, all his dog friends would come up to him and it would take forever to do our rounds," says Reggie's person, Bruce Kelly. "Now, they don't even notice he's there, and walks are so much faster! Thank you, Warby Barker"

Warby Barker even offers a canine version of one of the most sizzling styles of the season. As you probably already know, monocles are back. Once a symbol of financial and social status in the late 19th century, monocles are taking the world by storm. They're a symbol of a prosperous bygone era, and bring a look of class and stature to anyone who wears one. Goodness knows we need that in this economy.

And why should a dog miss out on the trend? With Warby Barker's new dog monocle designs, your pooch can look every bit the rich and cultured gent you know he is inside. (Well, at least when he's not sniffing dog rear ends or rolling in dead things.)

I know that for some of you, the idea that some dogs need glasses, much less wear glasses, is a little odd. I understand that, since most of us haven't ever seen a dog in glasses. That's because the price has been prohibitive, and the styles rather 1980s old aunt-like. But check this out. Jake, my yellow Lab, is soon going to be wearing these sweet specs.

He looks absolutely divine in them. Once they're fitted with his prescription, he'll also be able to see me better at the park. That means when I call him, he'll not only hear me, but he'll see me, and he'll come running over to me, rather than looking lost, and dawdling over some shrubs or grass blades he finds fascinatig. At least that's the idea. And if it doesn't work, I'm out only $50.

Oh and one more thing. Yesterday was April 1, and we don't publish on the weekend. So happy belated April Fool's Day!

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HQ Loves You: Pick Up This FREE Gift at the Dogster Gift Store Through Sunday!

Dogster Suzi Q in her Easter basket:

It's an Easter Egg bonanza! Hop on over to the Dogster Gift Store and share this colorful pile of eggs FUR FREE with all of your furiends today through Easter Sunday:

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Sad, Sad, Sad: Thieves Steal Service Dog of Blind Girl With Cerebral Palsy

Just, wow. What kind of jerk steals a young girl's service dog?

Andrea Taylor, age 5, is legally blind, with cerebral palsy. She's one of five children in her Kansas household, and sometimes her parents couldn't hear when she needed help.

But her service dog, Millie, could. The black-and-white lab mix always seemed to be there when the little girl need a hand. Millie would sometimes get the attention of her parents by barking or pacing back and forth. And Andrea and Taylor were best pals.

Since Millie was stolen, little Andrea cries much of the night, and stares outside her window, hoping for her dog to come home.

“She wasn’t ever going to be a normal child,” Lana Taylor, Andrea’s mom, told FoxKC. “When Millie come along she was able to have a little more independence. Outside, she was able to run with her siblings."

But those days are over for now. Millie is gone, abducted in front of the children. A white, four-door car recently pulled up in front of their Hutchinson, Kansas, house, and Millie ran up to it. FoxKC reports that even though they called out for the dog, she jumped in the car. She hasn't been seen since.

“It just happened in an instant,” Taylor said. “They were all in a panic. They know how important this was to Andrea.”

And now Andrea spends her nights crying for her dog, and her days staring out her window, hoping Millie will come home.

As we said, sad, sad, sad. (You can see a TV news piece about this here. The embed code didn't work, thus the video's absence from this page.) The family has been offered another dog, but no one can take Millie's place. We hope that if this story gets out, someone will come forth with the whereabouts of the dog. There's a small cash reward for her return.

Who would do such a thing? The TV news report said that the person or people in the car called the dog's name, which is different from what the corresponding article stated. What could be going on here? Did they know her before? Did someone just want to hurt this family? I'll try to keep you posted.

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Update: Take our 'I Will If You Will' challenge for Earth Hour and help dogs devastated by the tornado outbreak in Southern Indiana!

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Justice at Last: Owners of Dog Shot by Deputy Awarded $620,000 by Jury

The friendly chocolate Lab bounded happily towards the cop, who in turn pulled out his gun and blasted a hole through her shoulder.

Justice, and then some! At Dogster, we've been writing about too many cops shooting too many sweet and truly innocent dogs over the last couple of years. We rarely hear about any repercussions other than maybe a wrist slap for good show.

So imagine our surprise when we heard that a Frederick County, Maryland, jury awarded a couple $620,000 in damages for the shooting of their affable chocolate Lab, Brandi.

Brandi was only trying to be friendly when the deputy shot her. She may lose her leg because of the wound. (Image from YouTube video)

The incident occurred in late 2010, when Brandi came bounding around the house to say howdy to sheriff's deputy Timonty Brooks. I sincerely doubt you've ever seen a dog who looked quite as affable. (I watched the dashcam footage, and there's no way Brandi should have been considered a threat. I'm not embedding it in this post because it might be disturbing. But here's a link to the Washington Post piece that contains the video, should you want to go there.)

Brooks and his partner had been serving a civil warrant on the son of Roger and Sandra Jenkins. The dogs were barking, and Roger Jenkins told the officers that he'd go put them away. Apparently Brooks somehow took that as a sign that they were aggressive, so when Brandi came out to greet him, he shot first, asked questions later.

The bullet struck Brandi in the area where the front leg connects to the shoulder. She went limping away, tail still almost wagging, looking kind of stunned about what just happened.

"It was very terrifying, because it was like one of your kids being shot," said Sandra Jenkins.

Brandi is 9 now, and never recovered physically from the incident. Her leg is badly damaged, and the Jenkins say it will likely be amputated in coming months.  

Brooks, who "felt bad about the shooting since Day 1," according to the sheriff's department, was clearly way too trigger happy. If you watch the dashcam video, it's lucky he didn't also blast the couple's lumbering St. Bernard as well. In the footage, Sandra Jenkins runs after that dog, trying to get him away from Brooks.

The department has subsequently undergone training regarding dealing with dogs.

The dashcam video is likely behind the large award - $20,000 more than the Jenkins were seeking. You can see a snippet of the video on this WJLA report. (You won't see Brandi getting shot.)

Maybe this award will help trigger-happy law enforcement officers think twice before reaching for their guns when faced with something like a wagging Labrador retriever - or any dog who is not a clear threat. What do you guys think?

Sources: Washington Post, WJLA-TV

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We're Hiring: Dogster Seeks a Part-Time Editor

This could be you. Dog editor by Shutterstock. Dogster.com, one of the best and biggest pet publications on the Web, is looking for a part-time editor. We want an editorial jack-of-all-trades -- an experienced Web journalist who has no trouble adapting to a new CMS; someone who can whip copy into shape and write killer click-worthy headlines. If you are completely anal when it comes to making deadlines and know a sprinkling of SEO, you could be our person.

The strongest candidates will be masters of the written word and also have an eye for selecting and editing art for our stories in Photoshop or a similar program. If you love dogs and have a knack for ridiculous, borderline-hideous puns, we want to hear from you.

Working hours: 20 hours/week as detailed below:

This editor will copy edit (AP Style), lay out and schedule our next-day stories from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. PST. He or she will also be expected to edit and publish the news stories our writers churn out between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. PST on weekdays. This person may also be asked to update Dogster's Facebook page with the first stories of the day.

This is a telecommute position. The chosen candidate will report to Dogster's Managing Editor, primarily over e-mail and IM. 

To apply, send a cover letter and resume to 2012editor AT Dogster DOT Com.

We also ask that you visit Dogster's homepage and send us alternative headlines for three of the published stories.

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Dogster Film Review: "The Salt of Life" - a Bittersweet Delight

There's nothing quite like a good Italian film. It transports the the soul - not just to bella Italia, but to what the country represents at its best; vitality, earthiness, exhuberant and attractive men and women, and a certain indefinable spirit that's hard to find in other parts of the world or the imagination.

Add dogs to a good Italian movie, and you just can't go wrong.

"The Salt of Life," a wistful comedy about an aging mama's boy who longs to look and feel younger, has all the ingredients of a fine Italian film, and a couple of scene-stealing dogs to boot. 

Between his demanding, aristocratic mother, his platonic friendship with his wife, his daughter's slacker live-in boyfriend, and all the beautiful Roman women he passes daily while walking his dog, Gianni is constantly reminded that he's inching closer to life as one of the "codgers" he sees sitting in chairs outside cafes all day. He longs to be youthful, vibrant, and a magnet for women. But the sweet, gracious, polite Gianni (played by the film's director, Gianni Di Gregorio, whose voice is reminscent of one of my favorite actors, Marcello Mastroianni) will settle for simply not bring quite so invisible to women. Even old women seem to take his good-natured helpfulness for granted.

A lovely young neighbor in his apartment building has a great fondness for Gianni, and he's overjoyed when she tells him she had a dream about him. When finds out he is her grandfather in the dream, it's poignant to see him try to continue smiling, and being his usual kind and understanding self. (That scene is in the beginning of the film's trailer, below.)

The neighbor values Gianni greatly, and he's happy just to walk her large St. Bernard. This is where the dogs come in.

Image: Antonio Carloni/Zeitgeist Films

Gianni, who retired at the age of 50, spends much of his time walking his own little dog, and often takes the St. Bernard along to give his neighbor some down time. The scenes with the dogs are endearing. We never get to know the dogs as characters with their own personalities, as we do the dogs in movies like "The Artist" or "Beginners." But having the dogs in the scenes is a joy to the dog-lover's eye, and adds a certain groundedness to the film.

In the film image above, Gianni is enchanted to sit at the park with his neighbor and her dog. These are the kinds of moments that make him happy. The moments that make him realize his possible future of being an old guy sitting on a park bench - as in the image below - are bittersweet.

Will Gianni become less invisible? Will he avoid what seems to be the inescapable riptide toward old-mandom he's trying valiantly - like the gentleman he is - to swim away from?

You'll have to watch the film to find out. Don't go to "The Salt of Life" thinking this is a Fellini-esque barrel of passion and energy, or anything close to a ribald comedy. It can feel slow-paced at times, but that's just it. It's supposed to take you into the world of Gianni, including moments where people just sit silently and simply exist while the clock ticks. "The Salt of Life" is a charming, bittersweet comedy that stays with you for days after you watch it.

The film is opening at movie theaters of the "art house" variety around the U.S. thoughout the spring and summer, and will be available on DVD later this year. For playdates, go to Zeitgeist Films. 

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10 Things You Might Not Know About Soldier Dogs

Until the now-infamous Navy SEAL Team Six raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound last year, most people had no idea that dogs are a vital part of the military. But these four-legged heroes have saved tens of thousands of lives since World War II, when the U.S. embarked on its military working dog program.

I grew up steeped in the importance of war dogs thanks to my dad, who was a very young soldier back then. He told me about the bonds the handlers had with their dogs, and how the dogs – as important as they were on missions – were just as essential for the morale of troops. His stories struck a chord with me, and I was thrilled years later when I got a chance to write a book about brave, loyal, amazing dogs and their devoted handlers.

My book, Soldier Dogs: The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes, was published two weeks ago, and I’m excited that after all the hard work and boots-on-the-ground reporting the book entailed, people are really starting to take notice of these incredible dogs and their handlers. The book has received a lot of attention, including a great review in the forthcoming April 9 edition of People magazine, and a fun stint for me on The Daily Show.

This puts a wag in my tail, because I am passionate about these dog teams. The more people know about them, the better off the dogs and handlers will be. So today I bring my loyal Dogster readers an exclusive look at 10 things you may really want to know about soldier dogs. All photos except the plane jumper are of dogs and handlers featured in my book. Here’s to our paws-on-the-ground heroes!

(Note from Dogster HQ: We are currently reading and loving Maria's book and think you'll dig it, too. Besides getting it at your local bookstore, you can order Soldier Dogs from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Indiebound. It's even available as an audiobook for all you commuters in the house, at Blackstone Audio.)

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A job well done: For his detection of an explosives scent, a dog in training gets the ultimate reward: His handler's heartfelt praise and a Kong - a rubber toy beloved by most MWDs. (Photo copyright Jared Dort)

1. Soldier dogs are selected for the military based in part on their love of a ball or a Kong.

This reward is going to be part of their “paycheck” for years to come (a handler’s heartfelt praise is the other part), and they have to want the ball really badly to work as hard as they need to in order to save lives in combat situations.

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Kong is king in military working dog training. These hard rubber toys play a vital, almost magical role in training. (Photo copyright Jared Dort)

2. Soldier dogs believe in magic.

If they didn’t, they may not be the lifesavers they are. The main job for military dogs in today’s wars is sniffing out IEDs, which are the number one killer in Afghanistan. But how does a dog get to know the difference between an explosive and an interesting-smelling rock? Magic, of a sort.

A dog’s early encounters associating a scent with a reward are all about the surprising appearance of a Kong that seems to spring right out of the scent itself. Trainers hide a Kong toy or ball somewhere, and place a few drops of a scent in the area. When the dog hits the scent, he thinks, “Whoa! I’ve never smelled this before!” and shows a tiny change of behavior, perhaps stopping or wagging or tilting his head. At that moment, a trainer throws the ball so it lands right on the source of the odor, and the dog is cheered on for his “feat.”

This happens a few more times, placing the odor in various spots and having a ball “magically” land on it when the dog successfully sniffs the odor. Many dogs learn extremely rapidly to associate an odor and a ball. (Eventually they’re weaned from this and get the ball reward in a different way.) That dogs can believe the scent of something like potassium chlorate magically creates a bouncing Kong is just one of those things that makes them so loveable and endearing.

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Dog handler Marine Corp. Max Donahue stateside with MWD Ronni, his first dog - military or otherwise. Donahue, like most handlers, bonded deeply with the two military dogs who served with him, and vice-versa. (Photo courtesy of Julie Schrock)

3. The bond between a deployed handler and soldier dog is like no other.

I was blown away by the love that even the toughest of these soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have for their canine comrades. When you’re at war and you’re together almost 24/7 (sometimes sharing a tent, or even a sleeping bag or foxhole, for weeks on end), when you depend on each other for everything, including your very lives, an incomparable bond forms. Hearing a war-hardened Marine’s voice break when he talks about his best friend is a very moving experience.

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You don't have to be a big dog to be a soldier dog. Lars J274, a Jack Russell terrier with a Napoleon complex, proves that smaller is better for some jobs as he gets handed down into a nuclear submarine so he can sniff it out for explosives. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul D. Williams for Soldier Dogs)

4. Not all soldier dogs are big, tough warriors.

Sure, breeds like German shepherds and Belgian Malinois are the most common war dogs these days, but affable Labrador retrievers play a major role as sniffer dogs in Afghanistan. And there are also some very little dogs in the military. But I learned that “little” does not mean “diminutive.”

I had the pleasure of meeting a Jack Russell terrier, Lars J274, on a nuclear submarine as he sniffed around for explosives last summer. He was a jaunty little fellow with a Napoleon complex. Submariners would laugh has he trotted down the narrow walkways, but he didn’t care. “Inside, he’s a big dog with a big attitude,” his handler told me.

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Dogs know us much better than we may think they do. Their ability to read people comes in especially handy during war situations. The dog above, Rex L274, was a gentle giant of a German shepherd, who was always there when someone needed a helping paw. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Ingraham)

5. Dogs are the ultimate anthropologists.

They study us. They observe us. They smell changes in our very chemistry. They learn to predict us. And they seem to know when their people are having a bad day.

Rex L274 was a big, sensitive German shepherd. He had failed out of aggression training because anytime he bit someone wearing protective gear during practice, and they yelled or screamed in response, he immediately let go and seemed to look concerned and sad. So his career path changed, and he became a highly trained off-leash bomb sniffer.

His sensitivity to the people around him played out in the form of becoming a sort of unofficial therapy dog wherever he went. “He’d always find the one soldier who was having a hard day and hang out with them,” his handler, Army Sgt. Amanda Ingraham, told me. His favorite therapy was to cheer up down soldiers by getting them to play with a water bottle. After all, he liked playing with water bottles, so it would seem natural that they would too. He’d run up and bonk them with a water bottle (empty or full, it didn’t matter). Or he’d sit next to him crunching the bottle and periodically banging it against the soldier with the blues. Eventually the soldier would take the bait, and a grand game of tug-of-war or a big chase would ensue.

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Special Operations dogs can perform stunning feats of bravery from great heights. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez, U.S. Air Force)

6. Some dogs really do jump from planes.

These extremely resilient, super-high-drive dogs are specially procured and trained by military contractors, not the DOD’s Military Working Dog program. Some join their human partners in parachute jumps from planes, others rappel with their handlers from helicopters. The dogs who do this are known as multi-purpose canines (MPCs), and are used used in Special Operations teams, including the Navy SEALs. They’re a tiny subset of military dogs, but can serve very important roles, as Cairo, the dog involved in the SEAL Team Six raid on the Bin Laden compound, demonstrated.

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Lynette and Larry Sergeant, the caring couple that adopted Buck P207, have been trying everything to help him with his canine PTSD. He is very comfortable with them, and loves the new puppy they adopted to keep him company, but he still has a great deal of healing ahead. (Photo copyright Estella Diaz)

7. Soldier dogs can get PTSD.

Until last year, canine post traumatic stress disorder wasn’t officially recognized by the military, but now that it is, it’s being taken very seriously. Signs of Canine PTSD include hypervigilance, increased startle response, attempts to run away or escape, withdrawal, changes in rapport with a handler, and problems performing trained tasks - like a bomb dog who just can’t focus on sniffing out bombs any more.

As with people, some dogs can go to hell and back and not be badly scarred. Others are profoundly affected by less. There are treatments, but they aren’t as effective as they need to be. Research into canine PTSD is in its infancy, but I hope it will one day soon offer some better solutions for the dogs who are suffering so.

While at Lackland Air Force Base, which is where most military dogs get trained, I visited the base’s adoption kennels and was greeted by the loads of barking, energetic dogs. But this one beautiful chocolate Lab, Buck P027, was curled up tightly, staring out into nothingness. It turns out Buck had been a bomb dog in Afghanistan. He may have seen too much action or been close to one too many explosions. It was really heartbreaking to see this dog who was crushed by PTSD lying alone. Thankfully the next day he went home with a couple who loves him to pieces. They’re working on helping him through his PTSD every day. I am in touch with them and get regular reports on his progress.

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What’s in a name? Ask Davy N532, a female dog whose name does not match her gender. Oddball names are not uncommon among military working dogs, whose breeders, usually from Europe, name them. (Photo courtesy of Marcus Bates)

8. Soldier dog names can be downright embarrassing to their handlers.

Dogs are named by their breeders, who are hail from places like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and Germany. There are plenty of regal or at least normal names, like Rex, Nero, and Rocky. And then there are the unfortunate or oddball ones. Imagine being downrange in a life-or-death situation, and shouting for “Baby Cakes!” “Baby Bear!” “Busty!” or “Moo!” Yes, those are real military working dog names.

Male dogs sometimes have female names, like Kitty, or Freida, and vice-versa. The handler of Freida said it was very awkward calling his name. He swears the breeders are just messing with American handlers, and I have a feeling he’s right.

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When a military working dog dies, his food/water bowl is turned upside down, and his harness and collar hung up, to symbolize he won't be needing them anymore. (Photo courtesy Emily Pieracci)

9. When soldier dogs die, their memorial services will rip your heart out.

Their bowls are placed upside down, to symbolize that they won’t need them anymore. Their collars and leashes are hung up in remembrance of the dog. And if the memorial is at a kennel, the dog’s kennel door is left open, indicating the dog will not be returning home. The handler, or someone who can handle the heartbreaking duty, reads a poem called Guardians of the Night. I can’t even think about it without tearing up. A lot of handlers can’t either.

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Dogs are anything but equipment to their handlers. Military working dog Blek H199 and his handler, Air Force Staff Sergeant Brent Olson, had a rough deployment together. Both were badly injured. Today, Blek is part of Olson's family. Olson was able to adopt him after the dog was retired due to his injuries. (Photo courtesy of Brent Olson)

10. Soldier dogs are still officially considered equipment by the Defense Department.

Most handlers consider their dogs their best friends, but to the DOD, military working dogs are still officially equipment.

“I try to articulate dog is not a piece of equipment, but a working, breathing animal that needs to be treated respectfully and kindly,” says Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Antonio (Arod) Rodriguez. “Your dog is your partner, and values meaningful interaction. You just don’t think about equipment in the same way.”

There’s some fantastic legislation in Congress right now that seeks to change this status. You can read about it in a post I wrote for Dogster. In it I explain how you can weigh in on this very important bipartisan bill, The Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act. These dogs deserve all the support we can give them.

Maria Goodavage is a former USA Today reporter, and Dogster’s news editor.

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Doghouse Confessional: My Cat Blinded My Dog

If animals could speak, the dog would be a a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much. ?-- Mark Twain

How my Boston Terrier, Fritz, came to lose his eye is a story that began, with a hat tip to Snoopy, on a "dark and stormy night." The players in the drama about to unfold were, for all intents and purposes, extremely well-mannered, sentient creatures, more disposed by nature to being cuddly than curmudgeonly. But therein lies the moral to the story -- looks can be deceiving. And actions speak louder than purrs.

One winter day, dodging the drip-drip of rain leaking through the roof, I, basket in hand, badgered by whorls of damp catch-your-death-of-cold air, made my way through the garage to the laundry room, where I was pleasantly surprised to find a small smoky-furred feline, soggy and shivering, sitting atop the dryer. The slender little vagabond stood up, greeting me with a soft mew followed by a fusillade of alarming sneezes. Naturally, by way of introduction, I extended my fingers and she, with impeccable manners, reciprocated with amiable nuzzles.

Extracting a fresh towel hot from the dryer, I proceeded to give the kitty a good rubdown, which elicited purrs. And more sneezes. I swaddled her and picked her up to take her into the house, where she could weather the storm. First, though, I needed to introduce her to Fritz, my recently rescued 3-year-old Boston Terrier, who was snuffling furiously behind the kitchen door. Sensing danger, the cat began to squirm, nervously kneading my shirt with her claws.

Though Fritz proved an apt pupil in obedience class, he, like most terriers, exhibited on occasion a marked tendency to forget his lessons and revert to the free-spirited schoolboy he was at heart. Since he refused to heed my commands to "Sit!," I realized this was one such occasion. His delinquent behavior did not augur well for the kumbaya relationship I had so naively envisioned. Unfortunately, it was also a portent of things to come.

The kitty -- I called her Oprah -- did weather the storm. She stayed on, taking up residence in the garage, her home on the top shelf of the utility cabinet doubling as a fortress. From this vantage point, she could survey her domain and scout for the presence of Fritz who, supremely territorial, regarded her as an invader rather than a fellow emigré.

Having given up on effecting a feline-canine détente, I resolved, instead, to ensure a separate peace by keeping the two apart. There was just one problem. In order to access the side yard to do his business, Fritz needed to enter the garage. Although he had only to traverse a few feet, the distance between the kitchen and the garden door, he would detour, huffing and puffing the length and breadth of the garage, hellbent on a reconnaissance mission to flush Oprah from her aerie.

Fritz and Brian.

I had to play Customs official, checking the yard and garden prior to approving Fritz's travel visa. Of course, Murphy's Law, flying as it does in the face of diligence and vigilance, humbled me almost at once. Despite my precautions, it was destined that the two would cross paths. I witnessed Fritz's blunt charges and admired how Oprah, blessed with lightning reflexes, slalomed gracefully around him, out of sight in a blur of speed.

Oprah usually beached herself on the patio table and was content to prowl the garden for snails, which she batted about like balls. She could also tirelessly vocalize her need for human companionship. However, I failed to make the connection between her broken-record caterwauls and Fritz's sudden call-of-nature gavotte.

One day, months after Oprah had established permanent residency, I was in the garage petting her. Having just been fed, she treated my knuckles to a kitty spa treatment, dermabrasion via sandpaper tongue. So involved were we that we were both shocked when Fritz, jaws snapping, sprang up on his hind legs to register his displeasure. Oprah hissed and slashed out at him. A nanosecond later Fritz, instantly chastened, collapsed, whimpering at my feet. Heart drumming, knees weak, mouth dry, I bent down for a closer examination: Fritz's right eye, protruding from its socket, was the color and consistency of an overripe, suppurating blister.

Oprah did a hit-and-run while I removed Fritz, shivering stoically, from the crime scene, swaddled him in a blanket, and flushed his eye with saline. If my adrenaline could have fueled the taxi ride to the vet it would have qualified as a "beam-me-up" moment. Instead, it seemed to take forever.

Fluorescein stain revealed a corneal tear, and painkillers and antibiotics were prescribed. “Fritz is a sweet dog,” the vet annotated on the discharge sheet, adding the proviso, “Avoid Wrath of Cat.”

Fritz's eye grew progressively more inflamed due to increased ocular pressure caused by the buildup of vitreous fluid behind it. It festered, turning a lurid yellow. Fifteen days later, on my sixth visit to the vet, I finally countered: "None of the drugs have worked. No more of this wait-and-see stuff. Fritz is suffering. Can't YOU see?" I resisted the urge to shout. "Take the eye out. Today, if possible; tomorrow at the latest. This is the endgame." My decision wasn't emotional; it was wholly practical, the only sane and humane solution. I'm only sorry I waited so long.

Fritz manages pretty well with just one eye.

The vet grudgingly conceded to remove Fritz's eye, a surgical procedure called nucleation. "Appearance-wise, it will look as if he's winking,," she added. Exasperated, I shot back, "But dogs don't wink!" She replied with a condescending smile, "Well, then, blinking." Fritz had his eye removed the following day. 

For Fritz, having only one eye proved to be neither an impediment nor serious handicap. Though initially he did collide with shrubs and hydrants, fall off curbs, and take corners too sharply, scraping an ear and banging his nose, he quickly learned to avoid obstacles -- except Oprah.

Fortunately live-and-let-live Oprah, unlike her canine persecutor, was content to let bygones be bygones. She is neither a fighter nor an instigator, but a self- preservationist. And though there have been several internecine kerfuffles since then, none have amounted to high drama. Or trauma. For my part, I've come to accept contretemps as part of the realpolitik of living with a cat and a dog. I love my lil' hooligans.

All three of us have been together for nine years now. A bit longer in the tooth, Fritz can't see beyond his front paws, while I can see just beyond the tip of my nose. But between us we have two eyes –- Fritz, his left; I, my right. He's my guardian and I am his.  Oprah is no longer a flashpoint for Fritz, and though the lion does not lay down with the lamb, our living arrangement is as close to the Peaceable Kingdom as I could have ever hoped.

Got a Doghouse Confessional to share?

We're looking for intensely personal stories from our readers about life with their dogs. E-mail confess@dogster.com, and you might become a published Dogster Magazine author!

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We dare you! 'I Will If You Will' Challenge for Earth Hour!

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What Would You Do If Your Dog Ate the Tickets to an Event You Were Dying to Attend?

Russ Berkman had won four Masters tickets to a practice round at the Augusta National. These are like gold to an avid golf fan. You can guess what happened next.

Imagine hugely looking forward to an event, and then discovering your dog ate the event tickets, which are pretty much not replaceable.

Russ Berkman had won four Masters tickets to today's practice round at the Augusta National. These are like gold to the avid golf fan. Of course, if they'd been gold, this story would end right here. No, unfortunately the tickets were a paper product, attached to string necklaces.

The Seattle resident returned home from a shopping trip and found an unsettling scene.

“When I walked in the house, I noticed there was a few strings on my hardwood floors that appeared to be the strings on my Masters tickets,” Berkman said in an interview on radio station KJR. He looked at Sierra, his Greater Swiss mountain dog, and realized she had eaten the tickets as an appetizer.

Not wanting to have to fish out the remains of the tickets from the business end of Sierra several hours later, he opted to try to get them out of her in a slightly less gross way. He had her drink a combo of hydrogen peroxide and water, which acts as a non-toxic emetic. She threw up. Fortunately she hadn't eaten anything too recently (which may be why she went for the tickets!), so Berkman didn't have to sort through truly yucky stomach contents.

Sierra had really done a number on the tickets, shredding them into tiny little pieces before swallowing them. Berkman sloshed through the vomit and collected some 80 pieces, which made up about 70 percent of the actual tickets, and did his best to piece together the tickets. He took a photo as evidence, and contacted the Masters ticket office. 

Good thing Berkman didn't have to wear this ticket At first, the people he spoke with were incredulous. But fortunately, someone there knew what some dogs do for a hobby, and the tickets were reissued. He and three friends will be out there today, wearing their shiny new tickets around their necks. They'll surely be among the most grateful attendees. 

What would you do if your dog were to eat an irreplaceable ticket to something you were dying to attend? Would you make her throw up, or wait patiently for any undigested shreds to emerge from the other end and go on a little treasure hunt? Or would you just hope you could convince the ticket office that your dog really did eat your ticket, even though they've probably heard that more than once?

Photo of Greater Swiss Mountain Dog via Shutterstock

Sources: Golf Channel, Yahoo Sports

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Dog Food Recall Alert: Certain Packages of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice Dog Food

No dogs are sick yet, and we hope it stays that way, so check your labels!

Diamond Pet Foods has announced a voluntary recall of certain packages of its Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice Formula dog food because of fears the food may contain salmonella. No illnesses have been reported.

According to a press release from the company:

The product was distributed to customers located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, who may have further distributed the product to other states, through pet food channels.

The recall affects only packages of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice that fit the following descriptions. No other Diamond products are affected.

6-pound packages with the production code DLR0101D3XALW and “Best Before” code of 04 Jan 2013;20-pound packages with the production code DLR0101C31XAG and “Best Before” code of 03 Jan 2013;40-pound packages with the production code DLR0101C31XMF And “Best Before” code of  03 Jan 2013;40-pound packages with the production code DLR0101C31XAG And “Best Before” code of  03 Jan 2013;40-pound packages with the production code DLR0101D32XMS And “Best Before” code of  04 Jan 2013.

Symptoms of Salmonella in Pets: Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may become lethargic and suffer from diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and displays these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Symptoms of Salmonella in People: Humans handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella may exhibit the same symptoms as their pets. Rarely, Salmonella poisoning results in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract infection. Individuals who have handled this product and exhibit these signs should contact their healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased any of the products detailed above should discontinue feeding and discard the remainder. For further information or to obtain a product refund phone the company at 800-442-0402 or visit www.diamondpet.com. 

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Today is World Water Day!

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Viral Video We Love: Tom the Helter-Skelter Dog

Just a little something to help you start your weekend with a wag.

Dogs rule. If you didn't already know that, check out this video of a very happy British dog named Tom as his fellow cheers him on toward the slide (or helter skelter, as they call it in the UK). Tom picked up the habit on his own, when a loved one went up without him.

And no worries about the dog being off leash at a playground: His owner says he is very good off leash, and of course, there were no children there at that time.

P.S. Anyone catch what his owner was saying around :07? "One goal, mind"? "One gold mine"? "Juan, go mind!"?

Look at his happy, smiling face afterward! Gotta love him! Tom's video has only been making the rounds since March 12, and already it has close to 200,000 views!

After the slide. Tommy = happy.

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