I gotta jump in here, too! I admit that poodles groomed to look like weird topiary, with bulbs of fur in between bare spots and what-have-you, just make me feel sorry for the poor animals. But my doctor tells me about her four poodles (who are NOT groomed like that!) and I've come to realize their intelligence and sense of humor.

The kicker was in a recent issue of The Bark magazine, where I read an article about search and rescue dogs--and learned that there's such a thing as "avalanche poodles"! Apparently they are very good at finding people buried under feet of snow, and they're light and careful enough not to disturb the scene and cause new snowslides. Go poodles!

BTW, if any of you haven't yet discovered the joys of The Bark, I highly recommend it. Portions of each issue are always online at their website: www.thebark.com I hope my birthday subscription renewal goes through with no missed issues!