Buster in GQ August Issue

Hello All! This is Buster after we came home from the GQ shoot :) It went great. He was a champ! He looked so cute and did everything I asked him to like a pro. He didn't seem nervous or flustered at all. You would have thought he'd done this a hundred times! What a pro. He really seemed to be having fun. We both had a great time and why not? Everyone said over and over how adorable he is and how well behaved. He did a great job posing in a sit/stay and stand/stay. He stood on his hind legs with me holding a treat above his head of course :) But that was the only time he needed a treat and it was because we hadn't known to practice that so it was the only way he knew what I wanted him to do. Everything else he knew. Then they got great pics of him playfully romping around. I have to say it...he WAS adorable...and still is btw :) I am so proud of him. His agent and the photographer were very please and complimented him generously. His agent told me she'd like to use him again and asked me to stay in touch with recent photo's and anything new that he learns. She also told me they don't get a lot of calls for black dogs, they are not easy to photograph, but that she'd use him again when she can. So, all in all it was a great success and we had a blast. I wish everyone who has a canine companion could have an experience like this. He will be appearing in the August 2008 issue of Gentlemen's Quarterly (GQ). Thank you all for your encouragement and well wishes. Buster and I thank you. It means a lot to us. Now he wants his water served to him with a little umbrella in it but what can you do? He's a celeb now. I just hope he doesn't get out of limos with no panties on. Oh that reminds me. There was no clothing involved in the shoot. He was in his birthday suit, so those of you who have an issue with nudity best not look below his furry face. We would not want to offend. :)

One funny thing that happened...as you may know from earlier postings, Buster loves to go into people's bags and take things out. He never chews on them but he just loves to snoop around. Anyway, he happened to be laying across MY bag when the photographer came over to greet him. He reached down to let Buster sniff his hand but Buster thought he was encountering another bag snooper like himself. But this time Buster was protecting his mom's bag and he wasn't having any of it and he softly growled at the photographer. Not a great way to start out but I explained the situation and all was forgiven. They immediately warmed up to one another and were a great team. My Buster, who has never bitten man nor beast or ever growled at anyone but his old conventional vet (who TOTALLY deserved it btw)...and he goes and growls at the photographer! Can you believe it?! Kids!

Above:Buster and his mommy sharing a celebratory smooch and Buster doing his now famous sit/stay pose.

Stay tuned for more adventures in the canine kingdom of Buster and Pandora!

Sniffing Supermodel Butt

That's right! My Buster sniffed the butt of a little wirehaired dachshund named Lucia who recently graced the cover of the Spring Bergdorf Goodman catalogue...the little devil. We were at his agent's and we ran into her. It's a crazy story how he got an agent. Someone we know knows an animal talent agent and heard they were looking for a black Havanese for a shoot for GQ magazine. We sent her some pics and met with her today. She liked him and is sending his pic to the client. So now I'm officially a stage mom. Is anyone really surprised? Buster was a champ. He sat and stayed like a good boy while his agent walked around him. A genius! But he hasn't changed much really. Except now he feels confident enough to sniff model butt. I think he might have done it anyway. Once when we were sitting in our lobby, Rita Cosby ( you know the one who wrote the book about Anna Nicole Smith and said that her lawyer and the baby's dad were lovers?), came in to do a radio interview on her cell phone. She needed to get off the noisy street and do the interview where it was quiet. Anyway, while she was on the phone Buster had a high old time going through the contents of her bag. I probably should have stopped him but I admit, I wanted to see what was in there too. I hope he gets the gig so I can start acting like Lindsey Lohan's mom. We'll keep you posted. What do you think of "B Diddy" for a stage name? Above is a pic of the sexy Lucia. Her human companion's web site is on the pic. We'll write again soon. Right now Buster needs me to help him come up with a list of demands for his dressing room.

My Holistic Vet

Hi I'm Buster, Pandora's canine companion. Just got back from my yearly physical with my holistic vet, Dr. Marty, so I'm taking a snooze. He's a great guy. I started seeing him when I was a year old. My mother takes me to him because he understands how harmful vaccinations can be for dogs and cats. When I was a puppy my mom didn't know about how bad vaccinations and dog food are but she learned really quick when I started getting allergies. First my mom took me to a fancy shmancy dermotologist/allergist in m
Manhattan but she was giving me too much medication and wanted me to be on prednisone. Thank goodness my mom's too smart for that. So then my mother asked everyone she could think of what to do. That's how we found Dr. Marty. I like his office. It's very homey and nothing ouchy happens to me there. My mom and everyone, even the other dogs and cats are so relaxed, I feel safe and at ease. I used to whine and scratch at the exam room door to be let out because I thought it was going to be like my old vet's place. But now I just lay on a little couch in the exam room with my mom while she talks and laughs with Dr. Marty. Every so often he says, "Buster man!" and holds me and checks me over but I don't mind. He's funny. Then this nice guy named Lou takes me in the back and takes some blood. He's good, doesn't even hurt, so I stay still like a good boy and everyone tells me I'm so cute and kisses me. I don't get vaccinated anymore...I get titter tested to see if I even need vaccines, which I never do. Rabbies is the only shot you legally have to get. My old vet way over-vaccinated me when I was a puppy. My mom is so mad at herself for not knowing about vaccines back then. She's also pretty mad at my old vet for convincing her that I needed all those vaccines. She says he's lucky she's a peace loving woman whatever that means. Anyway, then we went outside to play in the grass and since my mother and Dr. Marty don't believe in all those harmful preventatives (depending on where you live), she sprays this all natural stuff on me called Vantum 100% all natural flea and tic spray and sings the"there ain't no bugs on me song". It's a little embarrasing because she can't sing but I love her anyway. She and Dr. Marty have figured out how to control my allergies without medication using all natural things like something called "Spring Tonic" and another formula Dr. Marty gives her and I feel fine. I'm not itchy and I don't have to have any medicine that will compromise my immune system! If you've read earlier posts you also know that pet food isn't good for dogs. At least that's what my mom believes and I'm glad. They smell bad and taste even worse. So, lucky me, I get real food :) So that's my story. I hope it helps someone in case they ever go through what me and my mom did with allergies or some other kind of problem. Holistic vets know best how to keep us healthy without medication if at all possible. Take care and feel free to write me anytime. My mom sits with me at the computer so I can try to answer any questions you might have. Be well! Love, Buster

What You Can Do To Help Stop Puppy Mills

I received this message from The Humane Society of the United States about how to help in the fight against puppy mills. Please take a look: https://community.hsus.org/humane/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=23166082

Puppy Mills are CRUEL places for dogs. The Breeding mothers are kept in cages their whole lives, some don't know how to walk after they've been rescued. You do NOT want a puppy from one of these places. As I've said in earlier postings, no matter what a pet store owner tells you, 99% of ALL puppies in pet shops are from puppy mills. The way to stop this cruel and inhumane practice is to NOT buy a puppy from a pet store, or any other items from pet stores who sell puppies or kittens. Tell the owner that until he/she stops selling puppies and kittens you will not shop there. The Humane Society needs help to investigate and shut down puppy mils and relies on donations. For as little as $5 a month you can help buy clicking on the link above. You can donate as much as you like or even make a one time donation. EVERY bit helps. Please DO something, anything. Don't just hope that someone else will. It would break your heart if you saw how these dogs are treated and how they exist. I don't say live because they are not living but merely existing. Thank you for taking the time to read this as well as my other postings.

Canine Nutrition & Pet Talk

I've done a lot of research regarding canine nutrition and commercial dog foods just don't cut it. Too many fillers and preservatives and not enough real wholesome food. They NEED human grade meats as well as other protein, whole grains, vegetables and fruits just like us. Not to mention bone meal cartilage, vitamins and supplements. There is a chapter in Dr. Martin Goldstein's book, "The Nature of Animal Healing" that's invaluable if you want to know more about canine nutrition. Or you could go raw. My dog Buster doesn't like raw and I would have to introduce it to his system very slowly. One day I hope to have him on raw because I think it would take care of his allergy issues. In the meantime, my friend Megan has started a great company called Zen Chien. She makes nutritious meals for dogs and vacuum seals them and delivers them once a week. Here's a clip of a show we did called Pet Talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DwDRn7ZLYk

PUT PUPPY MILLS OUT OF BUSINESS!!!

Thinking of adding a pet to your household? You are in for joy like you couldn't imagine if you spent 100 years in a smoke filled room just thinking about it! But PLEASE...first think of rescuing. If you have your heart set on a particular breed (which is a fine way to select a dog or cat that will best suit your lifestyle), shelters have MANY purebreds or designer mixed breeds. There are also many rescue sites dedicated to certain breeds (just Google!). Another way to go is to find a responsible breeder. You can find help with that through the ASPCA website and the American kennel club. BUT PLEASE DO NOT get your animal companion from a pet store!!!! The chances they are from a cruel puppy mill are 99%!!!! In fact, please do not even buy pet supplies from stores that sell puppies or kittens. We need to put these inhumane puppy mills OUT OF BUSINESS!!! To find out more on the cruel practices of puppy mills you can check out this link I obtained from the ASPCA website: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_puppymills
Good luck with your search and if there's anything I can do to help just contact me by adding a comment. There's a lot of valuable info on the ASPCA web site. Good luck!

Dogs & China

This is an email I recently received from the author of Merle's Door (Ted Kerasote), please check out the link.

Dear Readers and Friends:
China not only has a poor record when it comes to human rights. It also treats dogs and cats with unusual cruelty. I've written an op-ed on this topic, which appears in the March 23, 2008 issue of Salon.com. You can read it by clicking on this link: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/03/24/animal_cruelty_china/index.html
As always, thank you for your many kind comments about Merle's Door and your continued support.
With warm regards,
Ted Kerasote

I wrote back...what can we do? This was his reply:

What can we do? If we're stockholders in a company that does business in China, we might attend a shareholders' meeting and suggest that the company make one of the requirements of sealing a deal with its Chinese counterpart be that the Chinese company begins an educational campaign with their workers about treating dogs and cats more humanely. We cannot buy Chinese goods, but that's extremely difficult in that so much of what we use in our daily lives is no manufactured in China. We can support the better-organized campaigns that target Chinese terrible human rights record. Both human and animal rights are connected in China, and if they soften on the former, the latter, I think, will follow.

Merle's Door

If you'd like to read the best, most insightful, amazing, touching wonderful true story about a human and their canine companion...read Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote. You will learn the most amazing things about the mind, emotions and capabilities of a dog. I have never had a more wonderful, insightful reading experience. It's incredible what you can learn from your dog if you give him/her the chance. I have never heard of a dog that was given this kind of a chance until now. It's not only the best dog story I have ever read; it's one of the best, if not THE best book I've ever read. Everyone who is blessed to be the human companion to a canine should read this book. And even if you don't presently find yourself with a dog, you will love this book. I cannot say enough about it. Read it and let me know what you think.

meeting people with dogs

I was just walking my dog, Buster, in Bryant Park and met a lovely woman who had a Westie named Sophie. She told me she'd had a rough year and Sophie was the only reason she got out sometimes. She joked that if there were only a way you could drink wine and meet people with your dog and it got me thinking. I told her about a site called meetup.com. It's a great site to sign up for. It's a way to meet people that are interested in just about anything you can think of. It's not a dating site although it is a great way to meet people that are interested in the same things you are and you can sign up to join as many groups as you like. They have reading groups,walking groups (just about anything you can think of) and groups for almost every kind of dog breed. They meet up and often plan great events. You can even start your own. Get out and do something you love with your pal!

If you have a dog or cat companion the best book to read is The Nature Of Animal Healing by Dr. Martin Goldstein. It tells you what you need to know regarding vaccinations and feeding and more. It's the best thing you can do for your companion animal to educate yourself on these topics. Did you know that 52% of dogs die in the USA of cancer now? And it is widely believed it all has to do with over vaccinating, medicating and poor nutrition. This book will change the way you look at all of this.

Pandora's Briefcase

This is my first entry. I plan on writing about all things Dogs, saving companion animals, holistic care of animals, humane treatment of animals, and to pepper it with interesting things I hear, see or experience that may or may not have anything to do with animals.