Dear Dr. Forsythe: My husband and I are having a disagreement on whether or not to take our kids to the circus in August. I think it would be fun and the children would enjoy it too. (Our kids are ages three and six.) I always went when I was a little girl and still think it is the “Greatest Show on Earth.” My husband, who is a card carrying member of PETA thinks any circus with animal acts are bogus and cruel. He refuses to go and says that we should not subject our son and daughter either. What do you think? Isn’t it all just fun and glitz and glamour? You mentioned in a previous column that it is good fun to dress pets up. Isn’t a circus with elephants and tigers a type of extension of that? – Mother of Two, Wife of One, Sonoma
Dear Mother of Two: Sorry to side with your husband on this one, but when it comes to the famous circus brothers, I have a tiger in my tank. I think there is a big difference between dressing a little pet dog up for a few giggles and forcing elephants to stand on their hind legs in succession one after another. In my opinion, watching a man like Gunther Gabel Williams crack his whip at tigers to jump thru fiery hoops is not only passé, it is a cruel and unnecessary form of “entertainment.” Like bullfights—who needs to see a beautiful bull get slaughtered and bleed all over the place? I guess I’m too much of a pacifist for some, but I recommend you take your children to Pier 39 and get tickets to Cirque de Soleil where the music is lyrical and unusual, the acrobatics are astounding, and the show is creative and compelling. And no animals are kept in cages or beaten in the making of that show. Plus, when I think about the traditional circus, I must say, clowns are really creepy, don’t you think? – Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I have an adorable Pug who is the pride and joy of my world. I can’t imagine life without her. She has now gotten old and a little grey, but aside from that she is as beautiful as the day I got her from the breeder in Texas. One thing that disturbs me are all the constant comments people make about her tongue, which she can’t keep in her mouth. She has lost her teeth and it sticks out all the time. People have asked me what is wrong with her tongue. At first I was okay with it but some days I get tired of it and last week a little boy tried to pull on it and hurt her. How can I protect her and get people off my back when I’m not in the mood to address this problem? – Maggie’s Mom
Dear Maggie’s Mom: Problem? What problem? Is the Mona Lisa’s beauty a problem? Is Oprah Winfrey’s fame and power a problem? Is Bill Gates’ millions of dollars a problem? I don’t see a real problem here! Owning a Pug comes with many joys and many responsibilities. One of the duties is answering to your pet’s public. They will comment, they will ask, and they will chatter away about your pet. Some will comment that she is ugly, but many more will tell you she is gorgeous. There may even be those who tell you she looks like an alien from another planet, but when people stop commenting, that is when you know something may be severely wrong with your pug.
If she truly can’t keep her tongue in her mouth – and she hasn’t had a stroke – she is like many aging brachycephalic dogs. Our resident pet, Dooney the Bulldog has a tongue that stays out most of the time, but it only seems to make people love him more and more. Recently one client’s little girl exclaimed, “Look Mommy, his tongue looks like a piece of bologna, but it’s all dry and sand papery.” Then she just sat beside him lost in what can only be described as “Dooney delight” and gently pet his little “luncheon meat” tongue with her tiny finger. As she looked down at him, marveling at his feature, Dooney looked up at her with his big, bloodshot eyes, soaking in the adoration.
But if you’re truly annoyed at the unwanted attention Maggie is getting, I’d just keep her home if you’re in a “sour” mood and can’t deal with the comments. I believe that the best way to deal with people would be to infuse some humor – let people know that her little pink tongue is a beautiful asset and she only sticks it out at really naughty children. This might be a way to get some smiles and make some friends. – Dr. F
