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Mental health break
Thursday, Mar 21, 2013 * The Humane Society recently held a pet photo contest for legislators and staffers. Rep. Renee Kosel’s new puppy “Cookie” won for most adorable dog…  What a sweetie! * “Frau Frau,” whose owner is Senate Democratic legislative assistant Mitchell Remmert, won the most adorable cat contest…  Aww. * No offense whatsoever to Rep. Kosel, but I wish the Humane Society had allowed me into the competition because I would’ve submitted this undoubtedly winning video of my new puppy… Tell us about your pets.
- Posted by Rich Miller
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- anon - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:11 pm:
I have an adorable snake named Squeezy. He hates pensions!
- qcexaminer - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:11 pm:
Too cute—good dog!
- Anon - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:13 pm:
It was tough explaining to my calico girls (Kittykins and Mavis) that they didn’t win.
- RNUG - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:14 pm:
Buddy … 14 year old tricolor beagle / shepherd cross
gets me up every morning at 6; doesn’t care if I’ve been up half the night reading pension bills or writing …
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:17 pm:
Hurry up already and give him the treat!…two cats, from a feral Mom in the neighborhood…I TNR’d Mama…never was a cat person, but love having them as pets…
- G'Kar - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:18 pm:
A 15 year old Springer Spaniel who is as deaf as a post, has a hard time walking, but still wants to play frisbee everyday.
- Elmira Eddie - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:25 pm:
Some interesting winners, especially as cats and big dogs usually “scratch” their ballots Republican (”When the Dems get in, America goes to the dogs.”), but smaller dogs usually go for dems. Now to get outta here before a small one bites me for saying this!
- JoeVerdeal - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:25 pm:
No doubt about it. Oscar would have won.
- PM31 - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:27 pm:
Sophia - my 24lb Flemish Giant Rabbit!!
She thinks she is a lap bunny.
- South of I-80 - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:31 pm:
Rich-I could swear that I’ve seen Oscar’s beard somewhere before…………
P.S. He would have won!
- siriusly - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:40 pm:
We have a frog. He chirps at me when I am in the room with him. I don’t look like a frog, I swear.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:42 pm:
I have a 5 y/o black and white English Springer Spaniel, Riley. The breed is AKA “Go”. I also inherited the bird we gave our son. It is a lineolated keet. She decided I was her mate and that was that. The cats hate me (I think it has something to do with the dog) so they belong to Ms dupage dan.
Hye, G’Kar, are you sure your Springer is really deaf? My brother had a field Springer (16 y/o when she passed recently) who was supposed to be deaf but I swear she had selective hearing. Man, she loved her tennis balls.
- Chic Geek - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:44 pm:
Good training Rich! I have a 100 lb pitbull. He’s a big baby and so friendly. We try to be good PR for the breed.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:45 pm:
I have a cat that was abandoned as a kitten last summer; she looks a lot like the one pictured above (except for a black nose, whiskers and paw pads). She was born with defective eardrums/inner ear and can’t hear or balance herself very well, but she still manages to have fun and we love her!
Her name is Tansy.
- redleg - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:47 pm:
Rich ~ What breed is your Oscar? I’m currently without pets and a companion of that size would suit me just fine. Looks like he would make a pretty good buddy for a guy.
- HV@DHR - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:49 pm:
Lola wandered into my backyard cold, skinny and soaking wet a little over two years ago. The mixed breed chihuahua is now my constant companion and makes the trip to Springfield with me every session week. She’s become the office mascot and lies quietly in her bed in my office all day.
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:05 pm:
I accidentally became a cat lady too, Loop Lady. I found Cleo in an apartment next to mine. It had been empty for months, so she must have snuck in there when the landlord was painting or something. Anyway, new neighbors moved in, found a kitten in their oven, asked to borrow my phone. I got her out of the oven and into my apartment, thinking I’d find a shelter to take her in the morning.
That was 12 years ago. And I did find a shelter–Harmony House, now on Elston. I went there too. And got her a little brother. Ted is 11 now. And and Rich, Ted’s full name is Theodore Roosevelt Radcliffe. I used to find Mr. Radcliffe and hang out a while at every Sox game I went to when he was still with us.
- Joe M - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:07 pm:
Happy, a 16 year old Border Collie
- david starrett - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:08 pm:
/Users/davstar (new)/Desktop/DSC01812.JPG
- Sgt Schultz - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:08 pm:
I have a 8 month old polydactyly kitten that’s slightly larger than your bearded puppy, Rich. Also have a 15 y/o cat that is not amused.
- david starrett - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:12 pm:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4358596366885&set=pb.1347037491.-2207520000.1363893016&type=3&theater
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:13 pm:
redleg, Oscar is a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier. He’ll grow to be about 30-35 pounds.
- Wallendar - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:14 pm:
Just love them unconditionally the way they do us and skip all the tortuous obedience trials that just make the dog a nervous wreck to please you.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:16 pm:
===skip all the tortuous obedience trials that just make the dog a nervous wreck to please you. ===
If you want a dog who jumps on your guests, begs for food at dinnertime, barks all the time and etc., then that’s cool with me. I, on the other hand, don’t.
- AFSCME Steward - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:17 pm:
I’ll bet these 2 could fix the pension mess.
- AFSCME Steward - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:17 pm:
4 year old cdat named Pippen (Pippie Squeekie)
- AFSCME Steward - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:18 pm:
typo
should be 4 year old cat
- Skeeter - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:27 pm:
I’ve spent a lot of my adult life working with very large dogs.
I’m a big believer in training. Dogs seem to like having a task. My current dog was happiest when he was doing agility. It gave him something to focus on. Plus, it built a great level of communication between him and I. He learned to look to me for instruction.
On that note, one of the most amazing things is watching a really well trained dog heal. The dog will not look forward as it walks. Instead, it will look up at the handler. There is such an amazing level of trust. Again, the dogs view it as a task and they seem to really enjoy it.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:48 pm:
We have a Bichon Frise “rescue” dog that my wife calls “Butters” and I call “coyote bait.” We’ve had him over a year.
He’s afraid of the snowman the kid down the street made a few weeks ago; the mailbox and fire hydrant.
He’s cute and makes my wife happy but he’s more of a bunny than a dog.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:05 pm:
My canine companion is Louis the Wonder Dog. He’s a black and gray Shih Tzu, 10 pounds of pure fury. A great little guy.
His “brother by a different mother,” Clark, a caramel Shih Tzu lives with AA Jr. and stays with us when Jr. is deployed.
- Skeptic - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:10 pm:
Two utterly useless dog-shaped piles of fur.
- Nearly Normal - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:17 pm:
The winning cat looks my cat Tigger. Sadly, she had to be put to sleep due to poor health and was going to die in inches. She now resides in an urn on my mantel. Haven’t had the courage to get another pet so spend my pet funds helping the humane society.
- Langhorne - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:26 pm:
Berkeley is my 18 mo old Flat Coated Retriever (think black golden retriever). Her mom has titles in obedience, agility, and tracking. I always do obedience w my dogs. Its not torture if you do it right.
- Steve Downstate - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:42 pm:
Sally, 13.5 yr old bassett, gentle as can be
Paige, boxador puppy
(and Maggie, in heaven as of last summer, the best lab this world has ever seen)
- dupage dan - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:46 pm:
I’ll second Skeeter’s remarks on training. As pack animals, dogs want to know where they stand with their other pack members - in our cases, their humans. A well trained dog is a sight to see - I love it when I am working on a new command and Riley will get so eager that he tries out all his old tricks hoping that he’ll get rewarded. I am convinced that he believes he is training us.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:48 pm:
We have a westie (West Highland White Terrier) who is the most adorable and adoring pet I have ever had. Of course, she doesn’t know SHE is the pet - she thinks its the other way around. I have no intention of informing her otherwise.
- just an ordinary lawyer - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:51 pm:
Mia, my Lab/Mastif mix with a heart of gold, 4 cats (one named Stray) and 2 geckos (Cheech and Chong) Wouldn’t be without them
- 1776 - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:55 pm:
Do 173 mushrooms count as pets!!!
- collar observer - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 3:57 pm:
Oscar brought a smile to my face - hands down a winner and since he will get 35 lbs or so, he is a real dog! Great post BTW Rich.
- zatoichi - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 4:18 pm:
Trinity, a 60 pound Huskie who will happily drag you down the street then run away when she hears little kid’s voices. A cat, with at least 5 names, who likes you when food comes out.
- Levois - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 4:48 pm:
Thanks for the mental health break. It makes me really want to go out and adopt a dog RIGHT NOW!
- Sunshine - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 4:52 pm:
It will be hilarious in about a year when Rich’s dog will have complete control of him!
- Soccermom - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 4:56 pm:
Gatsby lives agility training. He gets bored very easily and likes a challenge.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 5:10 pm:
Sunshine, he pretty much already does.
- NoNameNick - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 5:22 pm:
Brody a Border Collie/Lab mix: very smart except when he chases skunks. A 18month old mastiff female who is very pretty and an 8 month old beagle my wife brought home from the Spoon River Drive. Just couldn’t stick to the crafts I guess.
- park - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 6:16 pm:
Brittany, rescue dog. My daughter’s idea, before she left for europe. Dog didn’t leave for europe, guess who picks up?
Very smart, good bird hunter, but don’t get one if you think exercise is one walk a week.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 6:31 pm:
BTW, Rich’s puppy video should get a special mention. Oscar was trying so hard to be a good boy!
Train them when they’re young; you’ll achieve lifelong positive results.
- StreetervilleSnookie - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 6:46 pm:
I have a shih tzu rescue that rules the house. Oscar is adorable.
- Just The Way It Is One - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 6:55 pm:
The Winner kind of vaguely reminds me of your new Pup, Rich, the best I can picture the little dude…!
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 7:04 pm:
AA is eagerly awaiting Oscar’s first blog post.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 7:27 pm:
I agree, Oscar is adorable. We have a dog that’s at least 12 years old. She is a mutt of some kind, like a lab/border collie mix, and looks like a flat-coated retriever. A family member rescued her and gave her to us 10 years ago.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 8:15 pm:
Oscar is awesome! Cute face and seems fun.
- RNUG - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 11:19 pm:
*** Train them when they’re young; you’ll achieve lifelong positive results. ***
How do we do that with politicans?