The "Bass Dogs" Tumblr Brings Two of Our Favorite Things Together at Last

A guy on Tumblr is replacing musicians' bass guitars in pictures with dogs. And it's almost too good.

Over the course of my life, I've seen a lot of musicians fingerpicking bass in rock bands, and whenever I see someone fingerpicking bass there's this moment when I stop for a second and think: Oh, that person is not using a pick on his bass.

Followed by: Fingerpicking bass looks a little funny. 

And then: At least he's not thwacking it with his thumb!

And then I go on and continue watching the show.  

The guy who made Bass Dogs, @michaelmphysics, didn't just let the sleeping dogs lie when confronted with the unique image of people fingerpicking bass. He thought long and hard about it. He decided to replace the basses with dogs. 

The result is amazing. 

His site, Bass Dogs, is subtitled "People who play the bass with their fingers look like they're tickling a hairy dog," and we couldn't agree more. How did we ever not think this? 

As he explains on the site, "I noticed that bass players who use their fingers as opposed to a pick look like they’re tickling hairy dogs, so I used computer prowess, my brain and a shovel to badly Photoshop pictures of dogs on top of their basses."

Head to Bass Dogs to see all of them, and note that @michaelmphysics accepts submissions, so if you think you've got what it takes to Photoshop a dog into a picture of someone playing bass, send him a copy to dogsasbasses@gmail.com.

Visit Bass Dogs and the Bass Dogs Twitter page, and, you know, rock on. 

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Is Stalking Cute Dogs on the Internet Your Favorite Pastime? Ours, Too!

Hanging out on Facebook is a really good way to not get any work done. Luckily, I get paid to play on Facebook (haters, hate on), so I never feel guilty about how much time I spend there. Because of that awesome fact and my awesome job, I have the scoop on all the best fan pages to follow.

Before you get started, please note that if you only want to like one Facebook page, please like Dogster’s, and then immediately post a picture of your dog there so I can squee and obsess over how cute it is. Kthx. And now, the list:

+ Serious support for your O.C.D.:
I suffer from a little-known condition known as Obsessive Chihuahua Disorder, or O.C.D. for short.

Fortunately, I feel right at home with this support group on Facebook. There is a Chi for everyone on there. My fave is Bebe. Who’s yours?

+ Four frog heirs you will die for:

If you are a Frenchie fanatic, you are probably familiar with the terms Frog Prince or Frog Princess. I also call these dogs Wrinkle Faces, Pot Roasts, and Dwarf Bunnies — I could go on but I’ll refrain.

ANYWAY, the Moon Pieds are four of the cutest frogs on Facebook. You will not regret receiving constant updates on their adorable life together.

+ Pug fanatics, rejoice:

This is DJ Rio Bravo, featured on the Hug Pugs Facebook page. If you are crazy about pugs, know this:

A) You are not alone. There are apparently 156,000 people just as obsessed as you are.

and B) PUGS LOOK LIKE LITTLE WORMS! And I want to smoosh them all with my love.

+ Meet Pippi!

Pippi is an adorable little Chi who was neglected by some ASSHOLE and then sent to a shelter.

I use the term “asshole” quite confidently, and I’m sure you will understand when you see what Pippi looked like back then, when she had mange. The amazing thing is that she is now in a loving home with other Chis, and she is THRIVING. She looks so beautiful and happy. I cried when I saw her before and after pictures.

+ Two pugs who get up to mischief:
Mr. Pug & Mr. Other Pug are absolutely hilarious! You will die when you see the adorable adventures they have, as well as their witty and spot-on commentary on life.

+ Warning, this site may depress you:
Loving dogs isn’t just about sharing cute photos. It’s about caring for them, signing petitions that advocate for them, and helping them find the loving forever homes they deserve. The Patrick Miracle is a great way to get involved.

+ The most beautiful pet photography I’ve ever seen:

SRSLY. Serenah is an Australian-based photographer whose >pictures will absolutely wow you and your friends, so share, share, share!

Anna Zeman is a Social Media Monkey Scientist Strategist at SAY Media (Dogster and Catster’s pawrent company). She is pro-smooshed-faces, pro-kawaii, and anti-animal testing.

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What’s YOUR favorite post of all time? Also: The e-collar conundrum

Picking up from the comments for an open thread …

Since we’ll be around a bit longer, I’d like to know: What are your all-time favorite posts here?

I have a few. Off the top of my head I like this one of mine:

If only people knew what good breeders do

And this one of Christie’s:

Poop in food: What’s up with that?

I’m going to go through and pull some others to put in the comments, but I bet those two are the ones I’ve linked to most often.

You?

***

And you want controversy? OK, here you go:

Faith is wearing an electronic collar in the picture below. Doesn’t she look miserable? This is about 30 minutes into a two-hour ride this morning, poor thing. (And yes, I bought a horse. I’ve desperately wanted my own horse since I was three years old, and now I am kicking myself for having waited 5o years. He’s an 8-year-old gaited trail horse gelding, name of Patrick. Well-trained and well-mannered. An absolute pleasure to ride. I love him.)

No, I’m not training Faith with an e-collar. It’s there to remind her of what she knows, if she needs to be reminded.  She knows “here” perfectly well, and responds to it 99.99 percent of the time. But when we’re on the bridle trail, that’s not good enough. A failure to come when called .01 percent of the time on a bridle trail that’s 500 yards from a street could be deadly. So …there’s an e-collar on her and it’s turned on to a very low setting. She understands the command “here,”  and she had been nicked a couple of times in the last two months for not responding, but not recently, and not since I started taking her out to ride with me.

Choices:

1) Leave her home. Sure, but she loves going out on the trail, and she really, really needs the exercise to stay sane.

2) Put a long line on her. That ruins the ride for all three of us, and it’s dangerous: It could get her, me and the horse hurt or killed when Patrick trips over it or gets otherwise tangled.

3) Use a very low-level “nick” from an e-collar to remind her if I need to that there are consequences for ignoring a command she damn well knows and knows well.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. But then, see, I am one of those people who believes an e-collar is a tool, not an instrument of torture that should be banned and its proponents sent to jail for animal cruelty. I believe that someone who knows what she’s doing with this tool is perfectly fine in using it. And that someone who doesn’t bother to learn how to use it or who uses it incorrectly is not.

I also believe that someone who uses a head halter and a reel-type leash — which I see all the freakin’ time and no one ever says a thing — is putting a dog at more risk of pain or injury than I ever have or ever will. Tools used incorrectly are dangerous, no matter now well-intentioned their design or intended use.

This morning the three of us were on the trail for two incredible, beautiful hours. We had the greatest time ever and not once — not once — did I need to do anything more than ask Faith “here” in a normal voice one time and one time only when she ranged a little too far afield. She turned and happily raced back every time I asked. I’m not even sure she remembered after a little while that she had an e-collar on, although she knows what it does and when it does it.

She also responded beautifully to “sit,” “down” and “heel” — and I do not use an electronic reinforcement on any of those behaviors. I’m prepared to get off the horse to follow through with her, if need be. I never had to.

The e-collar is on her to keep her alive if I need to use it by insisting that she immediately come when called.

I’m sure if you’re dogmatic about this issue, you’d tell me I need to train her “better” in some way or leave her home. And I’m thinking that since she comes when called the very first time 99.99 percent of the time, I’d wonder how much better she could be trained.  That means you’d rather her stay home and miss such a joyful outing than wear an e-collar.

And then, I’d be wondering why you think it’s better to deny her the pleasure of the ride and the exercise she needs because some think an e-collar is evil without exception.

Or maybe you cool with what I’m doing. Or maybe you’re seeing this in an entirely different way altogether.

There you go … now discuss.

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What’s YOUR favorite post of all time? Also: The e-collar conundrum

Picking up from the comments for an open thread …

Since we’ll be around a bit longer, I’d like to know: What are your all-time favorite posts here?

I have a few. Off the top of my head I like this one of mine:

If only people knew what good breeders do

And this one of Christie’s:

Poop in food: What’s up with that?

I’m going to go through and pull some others to put in the comments, but I bet those two are the ones I’ve linked to most often.

You?

***

And you want controversy? OK, here you go:

Faith is wearing an electronic collar in the picture below. Doesn’t she look miserable? This is about 30 minutes into a two-hour ride this morning, poor thing. (And yes, I bought a horse. I’ve desperately wanted my own horse since I was three years old, and now I am kicking myself for having waited 5o years. He’s an 8-year-old gaited trail horse gelding, name of Patrick. Well-trained and well-mannered. An absolute pleasure to ride. I love him.)

No, I’m not training Faith with an e-collar. It’s there to remind her of what she knows, if she needs to be reminded.  She knows “here” perfectly well, and responds to it 99.99 percent of the time. But when we’re on the bridle trail, that’s not good enough. A failure to come when called .01 percent of the time on a bridle trail that’s 500 yards from a street could be deadly. So …there’s an e-collar on her and it’s turned on to a very low setting. She understands the command “here,”  and she had been nicked a couple of times in the last two months for not responding, but not recently, and not since I started taking her out to ride with me.

Choices:

1) Leave her home. Sure, but she loves going out on the trail, and she really, really needs the exercise to stay sane.

2) Put a long line on her. That ruins the ride for all three of us, and it’s dangerous: It could get her, me and the horse hurt or killed when Patrick trips over it or gets otherwise tangled.

3) Use a very low-level “nick” from an e-collar to remind her if I need to that there are consequences for ignoring a command she damn well knows and knows well.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. But then, see, I am one of those people who believes an e-collar is a tool, not an instrument of torture that should be banned and its proponents sent to jail for animal cruelty. I believe that someone who knows what she’s doing with this tool is perfectly fine in using it. And that someone who doesn’t bother to learn how to use it or who uses it incorrectly is not.

I also believe that someone who uses a head halter and a reel-type leash — which I see all the freakin’ time and no one ever says a thing — is putting a dog at more risk of pain or injury than I ever have or ever will. Tools used incorrectly are dangerous, no matter now well-intentioned their design or intended use.

This morning the three of us were on the trail for two incredible, beautiful hours. We had the greatest time ever and not once — not once — did I need to do anything more than ask Faith “here” in a normal voice one time and one time only when she ranged a little too far afield. She turned and happily raced back every time I asked. I’m not even sure she remembered after a little while that she had an e-collar on, although she knows what it does and when it does it.

She also responded beautifully to “sit,” “down” and “heel” — and I do not use an electronic reinforcement on any of those behaviors. I’m prepared to get off the horse to follow through with her, if need be. I never had to.

The e-collar is on her to keep her alive if I need to use it by insisting that she immediately come when called.

I’m sure if you’re dogmatic about this issue, you’d tell me I need to train her “better” in some way or leave her home. And I’m thinking that since she comes when called the very first time 99.99 percent of the time, I’d wonder how much better she could be trained.  That means you’d rather her stay home and miss such a joyful outing than wear an e-collar.

And then, I’d be wondering why you think it’s better to deny her the pleasure of the ride and the exercise she needs because some think an e-collar is evil without exception.

Or maybe you cool with what I’m doing. Or maybe you’re seeing this in an entirely different way altogether.

There you go … now discuss.

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My 10 favorite cat books of 2010

December 10, 2010

Reading is as essential as breathing to me.  I usually have at least two or three different books going, and at least one of them will have something to do with cats.  I’ll read anything from books about cat health to stories about cats who changed their owner’s life to murder mysteries featuring cats.

Here are ten of my favorites from this year, in no particular order:

Grey Matters by Clea Simon is a cat-themed murder mystery and the second in a series featuring Harvard grad student Dulcie Schwartz and the ghost of Mr. Grey, her beloved deceased cat, who offers his wise and comforting, but often veiled and cryptic advice.  While the premise of a ghost cat may sound like a bit of a stretch for many readers, Simon makes this work by combining it with immensely likeable and multi-dimensional characters, exceptional plotting, and a fascinating academic setting.  I’m a huge fan of all of Simon’s books, and she just keeps getting better.Your Cat – Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life by Elizabeth M. Hodgkins, D.V.M., Esq.  is a comprehensive guide to feline health and nutrition.  From kitten through adult life to the senior years, Dr. Hodgkins explores the full spectrum of cat care, and offers a closer look at the common chronic diseases that afflict so many cats.  Hodgkins believes that the underlying cause for many of these diseases, as well as the key to managing or even curing them, is nutrition.  I loved this book because it approaches feline nutrition from a perspective that makes sense to me.The Confessions of a Catnip Junkie by Alan Goldstein is one of the most unique cat books I’ve ever come across.  As much as I love cat books, I never expected to find one I actually couldn’t put down until this one.   Written from the perspective of an orange long-haired cat named DooDoo, this is the account of how a sudden impulse sends the self-confessed catnip addict into the wilds of San Francisco and beyond, and his subsequent six thousand mile, year-long journey across America, trying to find his way home again.  Along the way he encounters a subway cat named Rass who becomes his new best friend, helps a homeless drunk find his way home, a minor league baseball player and a small town TV reporter find the big time, and a widowed pilot find peace.Complete Care for Your Aging Cat by Amy Shojai.  I have a soft spot for senior cats, and I was thrilled when I came across the newly released and updated edition of this book.  This comprehensive guide on caring for senior cats is a must have for any cat owner’s cat care library, and the “golden moments” stories from real life cat owners caring for senior cats are heart touching.The Cat, the Professor and the Poison by Leann Sweeney is the second mystery in the author’s Cats in Trouble series featuring amateur sleuth and quilt maker Jillian Hart and her three cats, Merlot, Chablis and Syrah.  I loved that this book was not just a highly entertaining and fun mystery, but is also interspersed with plenty of fascinating facts about cats.Houdini by T.J. Banks is the story of Siamese kitten who goes from the despair of being abandoned to the joy of finding happiness when he meets a young girl who smuggles him home on a plane.  I was touched by the author’s deep connection with the feline soul that comes through in every word.  It melted my heart over and over again.Dear Sparkle – Cat to Cat Advice from the World’s Foremost Feline Columnist edited by Janiss Garza is a beautifully designed and unique cat care book that provides solid information from a cat’s point of view on the various problems Sparkle is asked to address by fellow cats.  Presented in a humorous fashion, it gives the reader insight into how cats think and provides a fresh new look at some of the same old problems.Cleo:  The Cat Who Mended a Family by Helen Brown is a sweeping memoir of heartbreak, changes, new beginnings, and ultimately, happiness.   When Brown is faced with the unthinkable – the loss of a child – this small black cat becomes the thread that holds Brown’s family together through devastating grief, illness, moves across continents, and other challenges.   This one goes on my list of best cat books ever, right along with such classics as A Snowflake in My Hands and The Cat Who Came for Christmas.The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care:  An Illustrated Handbook by Celeste Yarnall and Jean Hofve, DVM is a beautifully designed guide for cat owners interested in natural remedies such as herbs, homeopathy and flower essences, hand-on healing modalities including chiropractic, acupuncture and Reiki, as well as some more esoteric therapies such as Applied Kinesiology, crystal, color and sound healing, and magnetic therapy.  The photographs in this book are stunning.The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle is not strictly a cat book, but since it features a very cool, cranky, but ultimately loving three-legged one whose life was saved by the protagonist, and since I loved this book so much, I’m including it in this list.  Blessings is a beautifully written and plotted relationship drama featuring a veterinarian who finds solace and healing from her animals as she deals with some of life’s challenges.

What are some of your favorite cat books of the year?

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Give the gift of manners to your favorite dog-owner

At the beginning of each class at Kindred Spirits, I try to talk to each dog owner individually for a few minutes. “How was your week?” “Did you and your dog make any progress with teaching her to sit at open doors?” And so on. Not only do I like to give people some individual attention, but sometimes people are little more comfortable talking to me one on one rather than in front of the whole class.

Far too often, though, as I talk to people I find they emphasize the negative rather than the positive; they’re focused on the problem rather than the solution. “My dog tears around the house like a mad dog when I let him in from the back yard. So I leave him outside more.”

When I offer some solutions, such as, “Let’s make sure he gets plenty of vigorous exercise every day and let’s change him to a better diet. Then how about putting him on leash when you bring him inside until you teach him better manners?” The response is usually, “Wow, I can do that.”

My newest book is, “A Dog in the House: Experts Offer Advice on Living with (and Loving) Dogs.” In this book I focus on easy to implement solutions. Solutions that can be implemented by dog owners not just dog trainers.

The solutions offered come not just from my knowledge and expertise as a trainer and behavior consultant, but also from thirty different experts. My Pet Connection friends, Dr. Marty, Christie and Gina were kind enough to participate, but I also heard from other dog trainers, behavior experts, veterinarians, service dog users and trainers, groomers, and more. There is a wealth of knowledge in this book.

The subject matter in the book is a little different from many other dog books. Oh, I talk about raising puppies, house-training and other needed but common topics, but I also talk about the wonders of adolescence, how to help elderly dogs, and why good nutrition is so important. I also have a chapter on time management for busy dog owners and some budget tips for these tough economic times. There are 18 chapters total.

I also ventured into unknown territory with this book. It’s not available in print! This is an e-book that can be downloaded to a PC or Mac. It can even be emailed as a PDF to your Kindle. I have to admit it’s weird not to have a fresh copy of my newest book to hold in my hand, but my Dad told me when I was debating writing my first book that I would never get anywhere by hesitating.

If you would like to see more, go to my website or  the publisher’s website.

Now, here’s my blatant plea: If you have friends with dogs and you’re wondering what to get them for Christmas, “A Dog in the House” is a very cost-effective gift at $12.50. You can purchase it at the publisher’s website and your friend can download it at their leisure during the holidays. Since I can’t offer to autograph the book, I will be happy to send your friend (or you!) a personalized Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays email. Just let me know the details when you buy the book.

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