Doggone Birthday Party
Only a wuss--the kind of sissy guy we old codgers used to call a Caspar Milquetoast--would ever venture out in public with one of those fluffy little pooches the dog shows classify as toys.
So, with apologies to my son Bud who clearly prefers German Shepherds as MAN’s best friend, I must confess a certain fondness for, not all of those small fluffy canines, but at least my own 11-year-old pet. ( Note: I’m too old and codgery to call them “companions”.) She’s my Lollipop--a puppy-farm Yorkshire Terrier who‘s also pleasantly codgery and set in her ways. Suits me fine.
(Editorial aside: Codgery is a term coined maliciously by Stafford Republican Committee head Susan Stimson to describe a column I wrote about a dinner reception for Newt Gingrich recently.)
Anyhow, last Saturday night found us there at another “toy” pooch’s birthday party, both of us costumed especially for the occasion. (That loud thud you just heard was my father, a totally somber Texas rancher, turning over in his grave--especially since he had been a Dallas Cowboys fan and because Lollipop and I both sported Redskins duds for the party.)
We didn’t look so bizarre, though, alongside Andrew, the little Maltese puff of white who strutted her stuff last summer on CBS-TV’s America’s Greatest Dog Contest20(winning second place), and whose owner-trainer, Laurie Williams, is a fellow columnist here at the Stafford County Sun.
The party at her central Stafford business (Pup ‘N Iron) attracted a lot of tail waggers like my wife Carole Lee, together with their fancy dogs, and even some tagalongs and otherwise macho husbands like me.
It was a scene to be savored, everyone happily comparing their own charges with others their proud owners had dolled up for the occasion. The canines in attendance must have numbered some 100 and seemed well behaved, with lots of sniffs but few growls and no major “accidents“ as far as I could tell.
Even so, to our surprise as soon as we arrived, we saw that Andrew’s birthday celebration was also a benefit for a Maltese dog rescue service. It was immediately obvious. Lollipop was among the minority of nonwhite pups there. Maltese dogs galore, with a smattering of other breeds, even a big Dalmatian which turned out be as docile as Lollipop.
The only other Yorkie there turned out to be an invited performer, Jilli, who with her trainer Rick Caran wowed us humans.
The whole affair was very enjoyable, but Lollipop was more than happy to get back to her old sniffing place. Mate Carole Lee took a shine to the little Maltese critters. Uh, huh. If we ever get one, I’ll let her try to train it.
Finally, a footnote for younger readers: In case you wondered, Caspar Milquetoast was a wimpy male character created by H. T. Webster in 1924 for his comic strip, The Timid Soul
So, with apologies to my son Bud who clearly prefers German Shepherds as MAN’s best friend, I must confess a certain fondness for, not all of those small fluffy canines, but at least my own 11-year-old pet. ( Note: I’m too old and codgery to call them “companions”.) She’s my Lollipop--a puppy-farm Yorkshire Terrier who‘s also pleasantly codgery and set in her ways. Suits me fine.
(Editorial aside: Codgery is a term coined maliciously by Stafford Republican Committee head Susan Stimson to describe a column I wrote about a dinner reception for Newt Gingrich recently.)
Anyhow, last Saturday night found us there at another “toy” pooch’s birthday party, both of us costumed especially for the occasion. (That loud thud you just heard was my father, a totally somber Texas rancher, turning over in his grave--especially since he had been a Dallas Cowboys fan and because Lollipop and I both sported Redskins duds for the party.)
We didn’t look so bizarre, though, alongside Andrew, the little Maltese puff of white who strutted her stuff last summer on CBS-TV’s America’s Greatest Dog Contest20(winning second place), and whose owner-trainer, Laurie Williams, is a fellow columnist here at the Stafford County Sun.
The party at her central Stafford business (Pup ‘N Iron) attracted a lot of tail waggers like my wife Carole Lee, together with their fancy dogs, and even some tagalongs and otherwise macho husbands like me.
It was a scene to be savored, everyone happily comparing their own charges with others their proud owners had dolled up for the occasion. The canines in attendance must have numbered some 100 and seemed well behaved, with lots of sniffs but few growls and no major “accidents“ as far as I could tell.
Even so, to our surprise as soon as we arrived, we saw that Andrew’s birthday celebration was also a benefit for a Maltese dog rescue service. It was immediately obvious. Lollipop was among the minority of nonwhite pups there. Maltese dogs galore, with a smattering of other breeds, even a big Dalmatian which turned out be as docile as Lollipop.
The only other Yorkie there turned out to be an invited performer, Jilli, who with her trainer Rick Caran wowed us humans.
The whole affair was very enjoyable, but Lollipop was more than happy to get back to her old sniffing place. Mate Carole Lee took a shine to the little Maltese critters. Uh, huh. If we ever get one, I’ll let her try to train it.
Finally, a footnote for younger readers: In case you wondered, Caspar Milquetoast was a wimpy male character created by H. T. Webster in 1924 for his comic strip, The Timid Soul
posted by Ben Blankenship at
7:46 AM
