When the initial Disney version of "101 Dalmatians" was first released, it caused great harm to the breed.

Smitten by the adorable Dalmatian puppies, multitudes sought puppies "just like the ones in the movies" for themselves.

Well, similar to the huge fad for old English Sheepdogs that grew from a series of commercials in the '70s for, of all things, toilet paper, the Dalmatian puppies grew up and became — ta da — Dalmatians. As with the fad for Old English, the fad for Dalmatians resulted in a plethora of young adults and adults being dumped throughout the country.

Old English and Dalmatians are strong, smart and somewhat independent dogs. The Old English came equipped with a whole lot of hair, which matted, shed in gobs and proved to be a huge maintenance problem. The Dalmatians came equipped with a large need for daily exercise, which proved to be as big a problem for most owners as did the hair of the Old English.

The moral of this story? Better find out about what the adult version will be before allowing yourself to be smitten by any adorable puppy.

Labrador retrievers are already, far and away, the most popular dog breed in this country. They are also adorable puppies that grow up to be intelligent, independent and just a bit hard-headed when being trained by a novice. But this time the film producers, working in consort with the American Kennel Club, will get out in front of the curve.

See what John Grogan, author of the very popular book "Marley and Me"(soon to be released as a film staring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston) had to say about his darling Labrador puppy, named "Marley" — "Puppies ... they're so cute. Until they're not. Then they become 100 pounds of thundering, hairy, yelping, jumping, drooling, go-exactly-where-you-don't-want-them-to-go ... commitment. In a word: Marley. I'm John Grogan. I was Marley's very patient and loving owner for over 12 years. I know there is nothing like the joys and rewards of pet ownership but ... someone's got to the responsible one ... most likely you.

"Unlike other films and aspects of popular culture that idealize dogs, we think Marley & Me depicts a more balanced view of dog ownership and we want to underscore that further. ... Dogs bring us love, affection, comfort, security and unrivaled devotion despite our flaws, but there is a lot that is required of us in return for the wonderful privilege of having a dog. We applaud 20th Century Fox and John Grogan for providing the public with an entertaining story that drives this message home to all animal lovers," said Daisy Okas, AKC spokesperson.

The AKC, working with Grogan and Fox, will release a series of public service announcements aimed at reminding all dog lovers of the commitment it takes to own a dog. Until the spots are released, you can view them at www.akc.org/marley.



DOG CARE PODCASTS

Podcasts are beyond my ken. But those who are adept at this modern communication option have a whole new source of reliable dog care information available to them. The AKC Canine Health Foundation and the AKC have initiated the Genome Barks series.

One recent podcast featured Dr. Wendy Ware, a professor in the departments of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Biomedical Sciences at Iowa State University and staff cardiologist at the ISU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Ward discusses topics such as the most prevalent cardiac diseases in dogs and screening recommendations for breeds with predispositions to cardiac disease. Ware also addresses the symptoms to watch for if heart disease is suspected.

The Genome Barks series features lectures from the highly successful AKC-CHF Breeders Symposia and provides responsible breeders and pet owners an inside look at the work being done by the AKC and the AKC Canine Health Foundation. Breeders Symposia are scheduled twice a year in different locations across the country, most often in association with a teaching Veterinary Hospital.

New podcasts are released every two weeks and can be accessed from the American Kennel Club website at www.akcchf.org — click on "podcasts." They are also available on Apple iTunes or directly at www.genomebarks.com.



ONE MORE PET FOOD RECALL

On Oct. 27, the Mars Petcare Company announced a voluntary recall of bags of Special Kitty Gourmet Blend dry cat food sold at Wal-Mart stores in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and 12 other north-eastern states. The food is being recalled by Mars after a test indicated a potential contamination with salmonella.

Given the chance, most dogs will steal a few bites from the cat's food dish, so if you feed this product to your cats, your dogs may also be at risk.

This product absolutely should not be fed to pets. If you have any of this product in your home, you should dispose of it in a safe manner (for example, in a securely covered metal trash receptacle), then return the empty bags to the store where you bought it for a refund.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and if there is a cross-contamination caused by handling the food, in people as well, especially in children, the elderly or people with a compromised immune system.

Healthy people who may have been infected with salmonella should monitor themselves for symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Should you experience any of these symptoms, you should contact your health care provider immediately.

Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will show reduced symptoms.

Some animals can be carriers of the infection with no visible symptoms, and therefore, a potential exists that an exposed, but asymptomatic animal could infect other animals or humans. Safety decrees that you contact your pet's doctor any time it may have been exposed to a food product that may contain salmonella.

If you bought this product from a Wal-Mart store and have questions, call 877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com.