They Bark, They Rule
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THERE was a brief confrontation on the coat-check line -- some growling, a bit of pushing -- but otherwise the guests at an event held Tuesday night in the basement of the Muse Hotel on West 46th Street were extremely well behaved. Part book party, to celebrate the publication of "It's a Dog's World: The Savvy Guide to Four-Legged Living," by Wendy Diamond, chief pet officer of Animal Fair, the pet lifestyle magazine, and part benefit, for the Humane Society of New York, the "Yappy Hour" welcomed dogs and their humans from 6 to 8 p.m.
Ms. Diamond, who has enormous blue eyes and the energy level of a Jack Russell terrier, greeted guests of all species with a hug. To keep her hands free, she and her assistant, Kathryn Del Re, passed Lucky, Ms. Diamond's Maltese terrier, back and forth all evening. In her book, Ms. Diamond -- who had decorated herself on Tuesday with a red jersey Marilyn-style halter dress -- exhorts dog owners to decorate defensively, by choosing fabrics, for example, that don't contrast with the color of your pet's fur, and compassionately, by painting walls with clay paint or lime wash (made without V.O.C.'s), because, as she writes, "the only force stronger than a child's desire to write on the walls is a dog's desire to lick them."
What tips would she add to those in the book?
"The most important thing is, Are you sleeping with your dog?" she said.
Is Ms. Diamond?
"Every night, but I'm not sure it's the best feng shui," she added, noting that relationships of the human variety have suffered.
Tuffy, a Chihuahua-poodle mix sporting a red mohawk and satin tuxedo, arrived with Lourdes LeBron, who shared her own dog-decorating secret: "Bully sticks -- to keep them from chewing on everything else."
Israel Cronk came with Dozer, a Boston terrier; he left his bull mastiff puppy at home in Montclair. Mr. Cronk admitted that Dozer was a "marker," which is why he bought a plastic fire hydrant as a living room sculpture.
Really, for inside?
"It's meant for dogs, and there's a trough in the bottom," Mr. Cronk said. He also swears by his Swiffer and purple Dyson vacuum cleaner.
First Published February 11, 2010 2:00 am
