Are you schizotypal?  a little crazy?... CA 'To be diagnosed as a schizotypal, you've got to display five of 11 oddball traits... plus others like believing your television set is talking to you or that the dog is barking your name...' [Straits Times] (When Homeland Security tells us to buy duct tape and plastic sheeting and not to worry, and when people talk about war as if it will solve problems you know the whole world is more than a little crazy... Disclaimer: my dog's opinions are his alone... )

Salukis: Ancient Dog Breed Still in the Hunt National Geographic profiles the beautiful, graceful Saluki: dog of the Middle East and Egypt. [National Geographic News: Animals & Nature]

Pet owners slow to learn new tricks 'Many [dog] owners persist in behaviors that just don't work.' Yelling and screaming at a dog does not encourage it to come to you, but that doesn't stop the average human from trying that tactic over and over and over...  [San Francisco Chronicle] (You can't teach an old dogma new tricks. Dorothy Parker 1893 - 1967)

Dog rescued from ice flow put up for adoption NJ [Lycos News] Related: Lucky, rescued dog, gets star treatment

Pets suffer from winter blues too Tips to keep the winter weather from getting your dog down in the dumps [Yahoo News] (Dogs get depressed, especially the ones  who aren't lucky -- the ones dumped at the animal shelter)

Family Says Police Shot Dog 11 Times OH 'An Akron family is filing a complaint against police after they said an officer shot and killed their dog while responding to a domestic violence call... '

'I seen him reach for his gun and I looked and he said, 'Get the dog.' And I said, 'OK, let me get the dog, he's not vicious.' And before anyone had a chance to do anything he's done pumped three shots into him..'  [Cleveland - NewsNet5, Yahoo News!] Related: Dog shot by police dies at veterinarian

off topic, but too cool not to pass along:  find of the week 'I will get you... you will pay...'

'we collect FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles- anything that gives a glimpse into someone else's life. anything goes...' [Found Magazine]

Hero dog: Cavalier King Charles spaniel saves owner from freezing UK 'The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is known as one of the most faithful dog breeds. And three-year-old Chloe proved true to form ...' [Exeter Express]

Caring for canines at Camp Collie MT When customs seized a truck-load of emaciated and filthy collies at the Canadian border, citizens of Shelby, Montana, rallied to their rescue. This inspiring story chronicles the town's pride in their recovery.. [MSNBC News] (11 cats were also rescued)

Tornado carries Rhodesian Ridgeback dog away, dog missing for 10 hours NZ At 7:00 pm, a fierce tornado plucked a dog from his back yard and carried him off; his owner rushed outside, only to discover a wrecked yard and no dog in sight. A neighbor thought she saw the tornado drop the dog, but it was a false alarm; the dog wandered home hours later... 'We were all out looking for him. It was awful. He came home at five this morning pretty shaken up. If only he could talk...' [Ananova Quirkies] Related: Violent twister rips dog from yard (If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of the fun out of owning one. Andrew A. Rooney)

 
Pomeranian and  girl fend off woud-be abductor  NC 'Police credit a 10-year-old girl's Pomeranian and karate lessons with helping her fend off a man who tried to snatch her from her grandmother's sport utility vehicle...' A man tried to tempt a little girl away from her car with promises of ice-cream and 'want to see my puppies' ploy... When that didn't work, he reached into the partially open window and  the dog, Ladybug, barked and bit him... [The Charlotte Observer]

You're not crazy; the dog understands you NY Because we treat pets as part of the family, we want to understand them. The body language of our pets can signal their moods:. 'If a cat's whiskers are bent forward, it is a sign the cat is embracing you; bent backward, it means the cat is alarmed...' more...   [The Olympian] Related: Behold the power of pets

Alaska: lack of snow hampers dog sled races AK  '...Dogs are spraining shoulders and hamstrings while training on uneven trails instead of running smoothly on the snow...' [Baltimore Sun]

Woman found frozen in home with her pet dog MA A woman reported missing by a concerned neighbor was found frozen in her bed with her pet chihuahua. When police broke down her door, they discovered an icy pool of water throughout the unheated house; the electricity was not working and the heat was not on, even though her gas service was not turned off. The emaciated chihuahua, Paulie, was taken to the city pound. [Boston Herald]

Got a happy tail to tell about your dog? Tell Petfinder.org your amazing tale of your dog's transformation from a homeless dog to happy pet and you may win a subscription to The ASPCA's Animal Watch magazine.

Man falls to his death: dog arrested Taiwan 'Police arrested a dog on Sunday in connection with the death of an 85-year-old man, who died after falling off a hospital bed recently. The man, identified only as Lin, was treated for a bite wound on his right leg at a hospital in Ilan before his fall...' The man's family blames a dog's bite for the man's death... Police arrested the dog... [Mercury]