A Beautifully Haunting Wyeth at Auction

Speaking of the Wyeths, this 1971 Andrew Wyeth painting, "The Intruder," will be available at auction Thursday at Christie's New York.

As you saw this summer in Jamie Wyeth's "Dog Days of Summer" exhibition at the Brandywine River Museum, the artistic Chadds Ford clan does love all animals, especially dogs.

"The Intruder," signed by Wyeth in the upper right, is tempera on panel. His last painting sold at Christie's - "Ericksons" - went for $10.34 million in May. So sadly, the only way for most of us to get this beautifully haunting painting - love the use of light and dark - is to find a print for sale. Good luck.

Master of the Couch and a Bonus Question

Life clearly does imitate art. I found this photo while cleaning out e-mail from our Jamie Wyeth Dog Days of Summer Contest. The image comes from Kathleen Kendall of Newark, with these words:

"There was no mention to send a photo - but I want to share a photo of my dog Dax under the Andrew Wyeth print here at home ... I call it 'Master of the Couch.' "

We call it priceless. Wonder what Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth would think? Bet they would love the symmetry - and the irony.

Bonus prize (A very cute "I love cat" coffee cup) to the first person who correctly identifies the source of this quote: "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life. "

Why Should Dogs Have All the Fun?

Why should dogs have all of the fun, especially when it comes to Loofas?

For years, Multipet has made the fun Loofa Dogs in all sorts of styles, tied to holidays and other events. Anyone remember Uncle Sam Loofa?

Now, equal time for cats with the creation of Loofa Cat. What self-respecting cat wouldn't thoroughly enjoy chewing on a canine replica, especially one filled with catnip and one that crinkles?

The mini Loofa Cat ($3.99) comes in all sorts of great colors. I found this lavender one at Concord Pet in Middletown.

I'll mail out Loofa Cat to the first person to e-mail me at pets@delawareonline.com about why their cat would love it.

Vick Goes to Prison, But Dogfighting Persists

If you think dogfighting is no longer a problem because Michael Vick is is prison, think again.

I stopped by a Delaware shelter this week, and saw a woman literally drag in a female pit bull mix who had just given birth. The dog was so scared -- her tail was down and between her legs, she was shivering and she lowered her body close to the floor to try to stop from going forward.

The dog was so malnourished that her ribs clearly could be seen through her white hair and skin.

Still, when approached by a welcoming staffer at the shelter, the dog wagged her tail. It is clear evidence of the unconditional love that exists inside these wonderful creatures.

The woman bringing in the dog said the dog was her son's. The staffer asked about the puppies, and the mom said she would bring those in next. The staffer said the dog would have to go to the SPCA because of the apparent abuse.

Unsaid in all of this is that the puppies likely were conceived to be raised for dogfighting. Likely, the ones that didn't "measure up" would end up at the shelter. The others likely would be raised to fight - for sport and for money.

Michael Vick might be in prison, but dogfighting continues in Delaware and across this country. It will take courageous people standing up by alerting the authorities. Dogs like the one dragged into a Delaware shelter deserve the chance to wag their tails for owners who truly respect their right to live.

Philadelphia Dog Shows Add a Twist This Weekend

This weekend's Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Shows are adding a twist: Four new breeds, including the Swedish vallhund (above), will make their major U.S. competition debuts.

The beauceron, Tibetan mastiff and plott also will be among the more than 1,200 dogs in 150 breeds competing for Best in Breed, Group Winner and Best in Show honors in Philadelphia. If you can't make the shows in person, the newcomers will be introduced to a nationwide audience from noon to 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day on NBC's "National Dog Show Presented by Purina."

Like the Wilmington Kennel Club's dog shows the last weekend every April at Lums Pond State Park, visitors are encouraged to see the dogs up close outside of the rings, and to talk to their handlers, owners and breeders. It's a great way to learn about a particular breed or how to handle your dog better.

The Kennel Club of Philadelphia Dog Shows return to Philadelphia this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St., in Center City. The shows run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Best in Show judging winding up each day. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for kids 11 and younger. For more information, visit http://www.philadogshow.com/ or call (610) 627-1911.

The addition of the four new breeds brings the number of breeds and varieties recognized by the American Kennel Club to 169. The AKC has placed both the vallhund (long a farm dog used for herding cattle and sheep) and the beauceron (related to the long-haired briard) in the Herding Group, while the Tibetan mastiff is part of the Working Group, and the plott (a hunting hound) is in the Hound Group.

Anyone have any of these new breeds? Drop an e-mail and photo to me at pets@delawareonline.com.

Make Time to See Winterthur's 'Pets in America'

If you enjoy pets -- and who among us does not? -- you owe it you and your family to see Winterthur's "Pets in America: The Story of Our Lives with Animals at Home," opening Saturday.


This wonderful exhibit was curated by Katherine Grier, who also wrote "Pets in America: A History," and is a professor in the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Early American Culture. She's down to earth, has plenty of her own pets (including a horse named Sipper) and has assembled an exhibit that reflects her personality.

Consider her take on kitty litter. In 1946, Edward Lowe, who sold granulated clay to absorb grease spills, realized that same clay could also be used by cats.

"When kitty litter came along, it rally changed things for cat owners," she says. "The indoor cat -- the one who never goes outside -- might not have been possible without this."

That's driving history home. "Pets in America" even has one of the original five-pound bags from the company's historical vaults on display. That's got to be a first for Winterthur.

One of Grier's favorite items -- and mine, too -- is a small amateur oil painting on black velvet (has to be another Winterthur first) of a cat named Tippy. Grier bought the painting in the '70s for $5 at a junk store in San Antonio, Texas, while she was a student. She was touched by the personal nature of the art.

"I guess because it was homemade," she says of what drew her to it. "It was not some big fancy pet portrait. Even then, I was a curator at heart." She was determined to get it into the show, and it's there.

"Pets in America" continues through Jan. 20. If Grier has one wish for the exhibit, which she's taken to other museums, it's this: "Visitors talk their way through the entire show. I'm really hoping we're going to see that phenomenon here as well." So leave that museum quiet voice behind. Talk. Have fun. Enjoy. Bring the kids.

P.S.: If you are inclined to share, take along a photo of your pet -- the exhibit has a place for pet lovers to post photos and to leave notes. "We're giving visitors an opportunity to join the exhibit," Grier says.

And don't miss the little gift shop -- filled with hundreds of pet-related items -- at the end of the exhibit. I have to get the paw print ornament balls -- black paw prints on a white ornament, or white paw prints on a red one -- for $12. So festive.

A Kitty Miscalculates

Ah, the kitten. So curious. So smart. So adventurous.

Keep watching to find out what happens when kitty makes a serious miscalculation. (Note: No kitty was harmed in the making of this video.)

Coming to Delaware Pets: Bengal Cats

Look for a story and photos in the next issue of Delaware Pets about Bengal cats. Kathy Canavan who wrote the story is so impressed by the athleticism of this fairly recent breed.

"It was stunning the way they caught balls on two legs," she says of Karen Williams' two Bengals, which will be featured in the December issue.

"The main point of the story is the cats are really doglike, enjoy people, being part of the pack.
Also very athletic and muscular."

A fascinating breed you'll read all about in the December issue.

Goodbye, Halloween

We'll leave you with one last Halloween image sent in by HoundManager, with these parting words: "Mr. Bones and Gulliver dressed up as Pancho and Lefty."

Don't you just love the holidays!