Hubby Dotty For Doggy

Dear Dog Lady,

My best friend's new husband seems obsessed with his two year old Golden Retriever, Dottie. Is this possible?

My friend has severe allergies and asthma and her new hubby is unwilling to move his pet outside or give her to another family. I don't mean to pry but it seems odd that he dotes on his dog, but his new wife is suffering. It’s as if he is using his dog as a crutch to avoid discussing these things with her. He accuses my friend of hating Dottie, and he is no longer sleeping in the same room as my friend. Of course, he's still letting Dottie sleep in the bed and the dog has the run of the house.

My friend is a beautiful, intelligent, funny woman, but her husband says she is being inconsiderate of his feelings. Is he being a brat? Or am I just taking sides?

Josephine, Amarillo, TX

Josephine, good heavens. Why didn’t your friend and her dotty husband work out these issues before they got married? C’mon, severe medical conditions and the consequences thereof are supposed to figure into the romantic equation when a couple is in the dating dance. These newlyweds walked down the aisle without crossing their “t’s” and Dottie-ing their “i’s.” It’s a depressing lesson in dysfunction.

Yes, you’re taking sides and he is being a brat, but what’s a meddlesome friend to do? You can give support and comfort to your best friend whenever you see her. You might suggest therapy for her. Otherwise, keep your distance. This couple must figure out things privately. When a dog in a marriage is this divisive, there’s other stuff going on under the surface.

Nom D' Fume

Dear Dog Lady,

We love your column and sound advice. We are interested to know your thoughts related to a matter of etiquette. We are partners and have a nine-month-old Westie with an uncommon name. She is the center of our universe. Recently friends of ours got a second dog and gave her the same name. We were a bit taken aback, but have not said anything about this to our friends. Are we being too proprietary about this name thing? Is it in poor taste to name one's dog the same unusual name of his friend's dog? Your thoughts would be most appreciated.

Ian and Antonio, Boston, MA

Ian and Antonio, you guys are quite clever to conceal your Westie’s uncommon name from Dog Lady, and your guile is understandable, considering you don’t want anybody else to steal the marvelous moniker.

Imagine the homeowner who proudly paints her house a sumptuous shade of Martha Stewart “Bedford Grey” only to see the next-door neighbor copy the same posh palette. Or think of Reese falling to pieces when Ms. Witherspoon discovered the exact Chanel dress she wore to the Golden Globes was worn by Kirsten Dunst two years earlier.

It’s very awkward, but there’s nothing you can do except hope the other dog with your Westie’s sobriquet is not a rampaging pit bull that makes a criminal name for itself. Don’t be copy catty. Try to ignore the whole thing and feel flattered you made the first move in the name game.

State of the Art Dog Park

For Dog Lady, rubbernecking at dog parks gives immense enjoyment. (Yes, the Lady is a tramp). In the middle of Boston, this dog recreation space was recently sanctioned by city poohbahs and designed by one of the area's top architects. The peastone ground cover can be a problem as the pebbles tend to drift far and wide, but, overall, this dog park is a big success. Privately funded and imaginatively designed, the space continues to win over urban dog doubters.