Today marks the start of the year 4703 of the Chinese calendar — the Year of the Dog. That being the case, here's a kennel-ful of canine tidbits.
Personality traits of people born in the Year of the Dog
• Loyal.
• Intelligent.
• Straightforward.
• Idealistic.
• Artistic.
• Love to catch Frisbees in their mouths.
Famous people born under the sign of the dog
Michael Jackson, Andre Agassi, Kevin Bacon, Alex Baldwin, Ice-T, Kirk Cameron, Ethan Hawke, Andy Roddick, Uma Thurman, Bill Clinton, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon, Drew Carey, Tim Robbins, Bernie Mac and Khalid Moss.
Famous dog-based pop tunes:
Walkin' the Dog, Rufus Thomas.
Who Let the Dogs Out?, Java Men.
Hound Dog, Big Mama Thornton, later Elvis Presley.
How Much is that Doggie in the Window?, Doris Day.
Atomic Dog, George Clinton.
Top dogs
The American Kennel Club, founded in 1884, recognizes 153 breeds of purebred dogs from the affenpinscher to the Yorkshire terrier. Internationally, there are approximately 400 registered breeds. The 10 most popular breeds in the United States are:
1. Labrador retriever.
2. Golden retriever.
3. Yorkshire terrier.
4. German shepherd.
5. Beagle.
6. Dachshund.
7. Boxer.
8. Poodle.
9. Shih tzu.
10. Miniature schnauzer.
World-record dogs
World's largest/longest dog: An Old English mastiff named Zorba, born in London in 1989, weighed 343 pounds and was 8 feet, 3 inches long from nose to tail.
World's tallest dog: Shamgret Danzas of East Calder, Scotland was 42 inches tall (at the shoulder) and weighed 238 pounds.
World's smallest dog: A 2-year-old matchbox-size Yorkie from Blackburn, England, was 21/2 inches tall by 33/4 inches long and weighed four ounces.
World's oldest dog: A cattle-dog named Bluey, born in Victoria, Australia, in 1910, was put down at the age of 29 years and five months.
World's best drug-sniffing dogs: A U.S. Customs Labrador named "Snag" has made 118 drug seizures worth a canine record $810 million. The greatest number of drug seizures in one year by dogs is 969 in 1988.
SOURCE: Barmoodie Boarding Kennels
TV- and movie-star dogs
Lassie.
Rin Tin Tin.
Old Yeller.
Benji.
Spuds McKenzie.
Eddie (on TV's Frasier).
Beethoven.
Toto.
Cujo.
The Hound of the Baskervilles.
And don't forget Goofy, Snoopy and Underdog.
Rowdy Dawgs
The Dawg Pound is the bleacher section behind the east end zone in Cleveland Browns Stadium. It is known for having some of the most rabid fans in the National Football League. People barking and wearing dog masks are common at this rambunctious kennel club. Pittsburgh Steeler fans are not welcome.
How old are you in dog years?
If you want to convert your age into dog years or dog years into human years, onlineconversion.com (click on "fun stuff") has found the formula.
It's a common belief that one human year is equal to seven dog years. That's not accurate, since dogs reach adulthood within the first couple of years. The formula used below is from a canine expert and is a bit more accurate.
The formula: 10.5 dog years per human year for the first two years, then four dog years per human year after that.
The Dog Whisperer
Ever heard of Cesar Millan? He's Dr. Phil for dogs.
On his National Geographic Channel series The Dog Whisperer (8 p.m. Fridays), Millan rehabilitates canines and teaches owners to be the "pack leaders" their pets need them to be. He is one of the most sought-after experts working in the field of dog rehabilitation.
Want to adopt a dog?
The Montgomery County Animal Shelter has a variety available for adoption.
Visit the Web site for a list of adoption animals
www.mcohio.org/animalshelter or call 898-4457.
The Humane Society of Greater Dayton, 1661 Nicholas Road, also offers dogs for adoption. Call 268-7387 of visit
www.humanesocietydayton.org.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/life/.../0129dog2.html