Dog Star Ranch

02/01/2025

02/01/2025

“February is the border between winter and spring.”
― Terri Guillemets

And just like that, February is here! Happy birthday to all our February frens 🥳

Have you ever wondered why February is the shortest month? Fun fact! It's because the Romans were superstitious 🤨 and believed that even numbers were unlucky, so in order to make the year 365 days, they had to make one month shorter than the rest. And for whatever reason, February was chosen as the month that got the least amount of days!

01/31/2025

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” - Lewis Carroll

01/30/2025

Unusual Forms of Victorian Era Entertainment Starring Dogs 🐶

1️⃣ The Dog Orchestra
Louis Lavater, an entertainer, spent years preparing his dog orchestra to debut in Amsterdam. The group consisted of six dogs with specially made instruments that were attached to their paws with small bracelets. The band consisted of:

Jack, the trombone player
Tim on bass
Patsey as 1st violin
Prince on the big drum
Bob on the little drum
and Peter playing cymbals

Issues that the band supposedly faced were that Prince (the big drum) was too excitable, Jack (trombone player) had to learn to stand on two legs for 30 minutes at a time, and then there was the occasional troublemaker nipping at their bandmate when Lavater wasn't looking.

2️⃣ The Burlesque Bullfight
This "bullfight" attracted the attention of Queen Victoria, who sent a telegram to the organizers inquiring about the rumored bullfight, wanting to know what was precisely being proposed and that even if the intention was only burlesque with dogs, she wanted to make sure there would be no cruelty.

The Burlesque Bullfight was performed by two dogs named Shutthatdor (Shut that door) and Bangthatdor (Bang that door), who were dressed in carefully padded bull costumes to face off the "matador." One of the dogs would charge at the matador until they finally placed a dart into the costume, "killing" the bull. The dog would then feign death and be dragged from the arena on a sack pulled by a horse.

Post-performance, each would receive many well-earned treats for their magnificent performance 🦴