They say politics is a dog eat dog business, but for President Bush’s dog Barney, it became a dog eat reporter affair.

You can see what happened on You Tube (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BQOG969hElQ&feature=related) when the Scottish Terrier decided he had had enough press attention. I don’t know about you, but when I watch that video what I see is a dog clearly giving off, “Don’t come near me signals.” The reporter ignored these at his peril.

I recently met my young niece’s boyfriend for the first time. I felt protective and wanted to establish that this young man was a suitable escort for my niece, but I didn’t want to come over as heavy handed and intrusive. What conversation could I have with him to set my mind at rest? What question should I ask to gain the measure of his character?
And then it came to me in a moment of inspiration.

“So,” I asked, “are you a dog person or a cat person?”

It may seem as familiar as the nativity at Christmas, but it’s time for a reminder about puppies and Christmas. Don’t buy a puppy as a Christmas present. Apart from anything else, Christmas is far too busy a time for most of us to devote the necessary attention to a new dog. The comings and goings will make it impossible for them to bond with their new pack and settle into a new home.

The American Veterinary Medical Association has produced its 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook. The statistics included make fascinating reading. For example, while there are 43 million dog owning households in the USA, there are 37.5 million cat owning households. However, there are more cats – 81.7 million – than dogs – 72 million – in the country. So clearly there are a lot of multi-cat houses.