"dogs" news and stories

This week North Carolina became the latest state to consider relaxing its restrictions on animals in restaurants.

"The current law does not allow animals," explains North Carolina Division of Environmental Health public information officer Laura Leonard, who yesterday participated in a public hearing on a rule revision that would permit pets on patios.

According to Leonard, the lone citizen who spoke at the hearing felt the new rule – which prohibits animals from entering the indoor dining area, eating table scraps, licking utensils and nuzzling with employees – was overly strict. But many North Carolinians aren't so inclined to share their restaurants with feathered and furry diners: The News & Observer reports hundreds of people have complained to the state that dogs would bring germs, fleas and noise to their favorite eateries.

The new rule would leave it up to restaurant owners to decide which animals – if any -- to welcome in their al fresco sections.

We've seen you Slashfoodies pressing your noses up against the windows of new restaurants or talking for an unseemly amount of time about the pasta you made last night. And we love it, since that's what we go nuts for, too.

But we also know you have multiple obsessions, so if a meowing, drooling or swimming compadre is one of them, check out our brand-new sister site Paw Nation, featuring adorable photos, smart advice and even pet horoscopes!

For those canine-lovers devoted to both dogs and food, there's also a new book out there for ya: "One Nation Under Dog: Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics and Organic Pet Food." Say that six times fast. An exploration of America's puppy prediliction, the book features a whole chapter devoted to the grub we feed our four-legged friends. Journalist Michael Schaffer's tours Bogner Meats, where they manufacture human food and raw dog food alike. Though one manager declares his father would have "rolled over in his grave" at the notion of upscale dog food made from people food, Schaffer seems pretty taken with it, especially in the wake of the salmonella scandals.

But seriously, folks, Paw Nation? One Nation Under Dog? Who's in charge here, anyways??

I was in Napa a few weeks ago for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, and had the opportunity to visit Tres Sabores Winery on my way out of town. (I won a fellowship to the symposium, and Tres Sabores was the sponsor. One of the reasons the judges matched me with that particular winery is that I write a lot about green issues, and Tres Sabores is a sustainable winery.)

At the Tres Sabores ranch, I toured the property with owner Julie Johnson and one of her sweet dogs, who acted as if she owned the place. Turns out, she does. She and Julie's two other dogs have been featured in the U.S. Wine Dogs book, one in a series taken all over the world by Australian photojournalists Craig McGill and Sue Elliot.

To date, they've got two U.S. editions, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and the Australian Deluxe edition. It seems they've tapped into something: wherever there's a winery, there's a dog (or two or three).

If you love dogs and wine, this book is a winning combination.

OK, I think I've now seen it all. What the heck is the world coming to? I was perusing the frozen organic food aisle at my new neighborhood supermarket, trying to memorize where everything is located. It's just a hair under ten miles to the nearest market and I want to make my trips there fast and easy. I don't like most prepared organic foods, I find them a bit to crunchy, dippy hippy, bland, and boring for me. After working for many years out in the wilderness for Outward Bound I ate a bit too much granola, and bland, easy to pack and carry but tasteless, organic and vegetarian schlock; called food by my partners. But I try to buy organic produce whenever possible and I love the thought of organic food. So I tend to try every new product that catches my eye. I was checking out all the faux "Ice Cream" when I saw it. Yöghund: Frozen yogurt for dogs- Banana and Peanut Butter flavor!

From their website, "Our Organic Banana & Peanut Butter recipe features potassium rich bananas, which are also a great source of the prebiotic inulin, along with peanuts for flavor and antioxidants. And of course, its primary ingredient is organic, low fat yogurt with live and active cultures, complete with all the benefits of probiotics."

Can you tell which one is made of butter and flour?

Pastry Chef Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes is the mastermind behind this and many other magnificent reproductions made of cake and fondant.

She put together a video of the construction of the dog cake, a four hour process sped-up to four minutes and set to hurried classical music that makes the whole process seem even more impressive. Watch as she whizzes through the crumb coating, tosses on layers of fondant and double-times the "fur" sculpting.

You should also check out a video montage of more of Strauss' cakes, from cheese steaks to hat boxes to Yankees caps. You'll walk away in awe, with a new appreciation for cake making and an unmistakable craving for sugar.