Only In France
Via Q&O: Former French President Mauled by Clinically Depressed Poodle
Former French President Jacques Chirac was rushed to a hospital after being mauled by his pet dog who is being treated for depression, in a dramatic incident that rattled the ex-president's wife.
The couple's white Maltese poodle, called Sumo, has a history of frenzied fits and became increasingly prone to making "vicious, unprovoked attacks" despite receiving treatment with anti-depressants, Chirac's wife Bernadette said.
As an aside, does anyone else of my generation remember the Saturday Night Live fake commercial for "Puppy Uppers" and "Doggy Downers?" Do you remember how this seemed, you know, like a ridiculous spoof? (video here).
Update: By the way, here is our white Maltese, who to date has not received any of the benefits of veterinary psycho-pharmacology, but who is a great dog none-the-less.
Ken:
I hope the dog didn't get food poisoning.
January 26, 2009, 3:54 pmJohn Moore:
That dog looks amazingly like a Bichon Frise, a breed we had a few of before deciding they were terminally stupid :-)
January 26, 2009, 6:12 pmcoyote:
John, it is actually a fairly pure-bred Maltese. Most folks are used to seeing those Maltese's of the super rich where the hair is long and combed. We aren't really big on grooming, so we have a shaggier version of the breed.
I used to be a big opponent of small dogs, arguing they have small brains, small bladders, and short GI tracts. As it turns out, our Maltese is actually pretty smart. She knows several commands and is well-behaved. She also is very good natured, and barks only when someone crosses our property line (she is incredibly territorial about our house and seems to know when any stranger is about). She actually is a pretty good guard dog, if by "guard" you mean "alert the family to danger." If you mean "rip the throat out of an intruder," she is probably not the best choice.
January 26, 2009, 7:40 pmcoyote little sis:
Hey big bro, I see you leave out the fact that you have a dog named Snuggles. As a person with a dog named Slinky, you just have to throw your shoulders back, stick your chin out and be proud that you have a dog with a ridiculous name. At least your dog doesn't eat her own poop.
January 27, 2009, 3:10 amMethinks:
a breed we had a few of before deciding they were terminally stupid
Yeah, but this dog is obviously the smartest dog in France.
January 27, 2009, 6:38 amKelly:
a "nice" dog maybe, but a "great" dog...nah...
January 27, 2009, 6:42 amLark:
"If you mean “rip the throat out of an intruder,†she is probably not the best choice."
-Well, maybe. They do say Chirac was "mauled".
//Clearly he didn't surrender fast enough.
//Obama wasn't available to talk without preconditions?
//It isn't Carter's rabbit, but it'll do.
//Sumo? Somebody has a sense of humor. And the dog doesn't.
January 28, 2009, 6:38 pm