Being a hound, The Hound knows dogs and Bo the first dog, definitely is one. Bo also knows who'll be feeding him. The puppy's nose told him President Obama would be the one putting kibble in his bowl.
That's why the first photos of the six-month-old romping after the president had Bo following him. Dogs always know who's the alpha male.
As for the Obama kids naming the puppy, that's all well and good. But, did they check Bo's papers? Everyone says Bo is a Portugese water dog, but The Hound says that pup looks like a Labradoodle gone bad. After all, it was a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.
The Hound is just glad the Obamas opted for a dog instead of a cat.
So-called dog lovers certainly have their leashes all wrapped up in a knot over plans to have a real bulldog be the mascot for Waukegan High School in the very near future.
Waukegan Unit School District 60 has been bombarded with e-mails from "outraged citizens", as has The News-Sun, The Hound has been told. Most of them don't live here and are concerned about the dog's mental state.
The Hound says: Chew on a Milk Bone for awhile, will you.
Waukegan High students voted for a flesh-and-blood mascot, an American, not an English bulldog, and picked a brindle-colored puppy. School officials have high hopes for the so-far-unnamed mascot. Besides being paraded around at various sporting events, it will be used as a partner dog in special ed classes. During the day it will have a dog house at the school being built by woodshop classes and at night go home with a faculty member.
The anti-mascot patrol believes this is a bad thing because? How many of these so-called dog lovers leave their dogs home all day when they're at work or put them in a kennel when they vacation?
He without sin shouldn't cast the first kibbles at this mascot plan, which The Hound, who should know about such things, heartily endorses. Arff!
The Hound originally thought Gurnee was Skunkland, but it appears Zion is starting to rank right up there on the smell-o-meter. But, wait. There's also been complaints from Green Oaks residents about skunky smells. What to do? What to do?
Skunks smell. There's no getting around this fact of animal life. The Hound has had run-ins with skunks and can testify they smell --- bad. There's no correct way to describe the smell of a skunk. It is a mix of urine, ammonia, burning rubber and, well, skunk. It is one mean cologne. It can make one's eyes water and have one embark on a coughing fit.
How to get rid of skunks in your neighborhood? Good luck. The Hound has seen humans try soaking rags in ammonia and laying them around their lawns. Doesn't work. The reason skunks are around is the grubs under one's lawn. The nicer the lawn, usually there's more grubs.
What Zion, Gurnee and Green Oaks needs are more owls. Skunks are a delicacy for owls. They can't smell the creatures. And, since both are night-time predators, well, you get the picture. Give a hoot, invite an owl to dinner. And not takeout at Hooters.
Isn't it about time the apologists for pit bulls in what is becoming Pit Bull County start to admit there's a problem with this breed. Oh, you can blame the owners, but these dogs are running wild in the streets and elected officials need to start biting back.
What has the hair on the The Hound's neck up is the latest mauling by members of the breed which took place the other day in Waukegan. A 19-year-old woman was attacked by three pit bulls which ripped off a part of her ear and chewed on her arms and legs. A relative described Kiara Lynn's arms as looking like "they were stuck in a meat grinder." She had gashes as wide as three and four inches to her skin and remains in stable condition in the hospital. She was attacked while walking past the dogs which broke free from their yard.
Officials must take action. Either banning the breed, as North Chicago has done, increasing fines for owners of the breed, making them register the dogs or keeping a bond on file. And, The Hound doesn't want to hear about how any dog could bite someone. They don't attack as viciously as the pit bull breed.
And, let's not forget the two Round Lake Beach residents who were arrested the other day after police discovered 27 pit bulls at their home. Guess they own a pet store, huh? Not! They were charged with animal cruelty for allegedly running a dog-fighting pound.
If these two mopes represent the pit bull owners of Lake County, it's time to put these folks away for along time and get tough on the breed. Sorry, pit bull owners, your friendly and lovable dogs are no longer wanted here.
What's in a name? For dogs, more traditional names like Spot are Buster are out. According to a study conducted by Veterinary Pet Insurance, the top names among male dogs are Max, Buddy and Rocky. For females, Bella, Molly and Lucy head the list.
You don't have to stray far from the pages of the News-Sun to find that dog names have gone wild. In fact, the April winner of the Tuesday Pets drawing is named Gannymede. Tuesday's Pet of the Week is named Eppe. If dogs are truly man's best friend, why do we give them such silly names? Poor pooches.
It's not a question of if the Lake County cougar is captured, it's when. It would be a good idea to have a plan of what to do with the beast once it's captured. How about starting a Lake County Zoo, with the cougar as the centerpiece.
After the big cat is tamed, it could be loaned out to roam the sidelines during Vernon Hills football games, or lick the hand that feeds it at kids birthday parties. It's clear the cougar likes it here. Don't ship it out to Wyoming. Keep it in Lake County, and let's have some fun with it!
It's not a question of if the Lake County cougar is captured, it's when. It would be a good idea to have a plan of what to do with the beast once it's captured. How about starting a Lake County Zoo, with the cougar as the centerpiece.
After the big cat is tamed, it could be loaned out to roam the sidelines during Vernon Hills football games, or lick the hand that feeds it at kids birthday parties. It's clear the cougar likes it here. Don't ship it out to Wyoming. Keep it in Lake County, and let's have some fun with it!
The Hound has been attacked by skunk lovers who want to own the animals as pets in Illinois. Well, read on what Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle did to a similar wild animal.
According to The Associated Press, Doyle signed a bill into law late last week that declares wild pigs harmful wild animals. Wild pigs have been a problem in southwestern Wisconsin for years as their rooting destroys the ground and crops. Designating the pigs as harmful means no one can possess, sell, buy, display or rehabilitate one.
The keywords here are possess, sell, buy, display or rehabilitate. Wild pigs may not be vermin, like skunks, but they certainly sharing the rooting around gene. Wisconsin also bans having a skunk as a pet and requires a special permit to keep one. That's because the state classifies them as wild or exotic animals. If you want to own a skunk, you need to have an an approved dwelling place for it, a licensed vet to care for it and have its musk sack removed.
But remember, skunk lovers, the animal is a member of the weasel family. Some people call them "stink cats," "polecats" or "smell cats." Gee, wonder where they got those names? Probably from some hound who got skunk stink on him or her.
If The Hound knows one thing in the universe is true, it's that skunks smell. They smell real bad. How bad? Bad. So The Hound can't figure out why people in Illinois, mainly downstate Illinois, want to keep skunks as pets. They do and they are waging a war to change state law.
