Wag-A-Meter=1 — Page 2

National Howl-iday Scene, Part VI: President’s Park

December 25, 2013 by admin

Tavish beholds the National Christmas Tree from the Pathway of Peace in President’s Park. The national tree has been illuminated by GE since 1963–originally with thousands of incandescent bulbs and now entirely by eco-friendly LEDs. The lighting design changes each year.

Intrepid Pup Tavish has been in dogged pursuit of the best of the national howl-iday scene. In Christmases past and present, he’s sniffed out “Season’s Greenings” activities at the U.S. Botanic Garden, Christmas at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, yuletide preparations at The Biltmore, and much more (see the blog index for the others). His next stop? The National Christmas Tree!

The tree lives year-round on the grounds of President’s Park, 82 acres maintained by the National Park Service and encompassing the White House itself. For much of the year visitors take little note of the evergreen on the Ellipse, but come December, it becomes the focal point of the park. Fitted with a mantel of LED lights, the tree is officially turned on by the President during a televised ceremony complete with a concert.

Tavish in President's Park with the 2012 National Menorah

Lighting of a national menorah was a tradition begun by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 in nearby Lafayette Park. The 30-foot menorah was incorporated into the President’s Park festivities in 1987. Here’s Tavish in 2012 on the final night of Hanukkah.

President Franklin Pierce is credited with putting up the first Christmas tree inside the White House in 1856, but it wasn’t until 1923 that President Calvin Coolidge lit a national tree outside for the benefit of the American people. For more than 90 years, the storied tradition of a national Christmas tree has continued. Early on, the ceremony took place either on the White House lawn or in nearby Lafayette Park, and various trees were designated as the “national community Christmas tree.” During WWII a national tree was decorated but never illuminated. When the ceremony permanently moved to its existing location on the Ellipse in 1954 to better accommodate crowds, the National Park Service began annually cutting and transporting a tree to the site. By the early 1970s, however, they returned to having a planted tree, and there have been 5 since. The long standing 1978-2011 tree was removed after irreparable storm damage. Its replacement lasted only a year before succumbing to transplant shock. The current National Christmas Tree—a 28-foot-tall Colorado Blue Spruce—was planted in October 2012.

Just as the trees have changed, so too has the pageantry at President’s Park evolved. Various elements have been added, such as a menorah (1987), a model railroad (1993), and Santa’s Workshop (2008); others have fallen by the wayside like the Yule Log (2012) and live reindeer. Performances by local choirs and musical groups occur nightly (except Mondays) following the initial tree lighting ceremony and continue all the way up until Christmas Eve. What has remained a constant since first introduced on the Ellipse in 1954 is the Pathway of Peace, a walkway lined by cut Fraser Firs to flank the National Christmas Tree each December. The Pathway now contains 56 tree representing all 50 states, plus Washington, DC, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each is decorated with distinctive ornaments handmade by schoolchildren and artisans from that region.

Dogging the Details

38°53′41.57″N, 77° 2′10.98″W
The National Christmas Tree, President’s Park, Washington, DC
Annually, early December to January 1 ( site is accessible 10 AM – 10 PM)

The 2013 National Christmas Tree with the White House in the background.

President’s Park ranks a “1” on the Intrepid Pup’s wag-a-meter for being relatively easy to get to and for providing a unique experience once you’re there. If you’re coming with your dog, plan on doing some walking as you can’t bring your pup on the Metro system. Metered street parking is available, though, and we’ve found that it’s usually a little easier to find a space in the blocks west or north of the White House. Timing your visit for during the week or early in the evenings also helps.

Leashed dogs are permitted on the grounds of the National Christmas Tree, and admission is free—no tickets or reservations are required. Be forewarned, however, that there are typically large crowds, which aren’t always every pup’s cup of tea. If your dog doesn’t like getting jostled or is otherwise prone to claustrophobia, simply forgo walking along the Pathway of Peace; you can still enjoy the tree lights from afar from various vantage points throughout the Ellipse. It’s also been our experience that visitors are so busy looking at the tree that they’re not necessarily looking down and may even be startled to see a pooch in their midst. For your and your dog’s comfort, we recommend visiting at an off-peak time. If you’re going at night, consider adding something reflective so your pet stands out and is visible to other passersby (Tavish’s Chilly Dog® jacket has reflective piping, and he sometimes wears his Nite Ize® SpotLit blinking LED collar light, too). Your best photo ops will come a bit away from the fray, where the Pathway leads south from the tree and opens up onto the Ellipse. With the tree and the White House as your backdrops in the middle distance, you also won’t be holding up throngs of foot traffic to get that perfect shot!

Filed Under: Historic Home, National Park, Special Events, Wag-A-Meter=1 Tagged With: Carter, Christmas, Coolidge, dog, Hanukkah, holidays, menorah, National Park, Pierce, presidents, Tavish, tree, vizsla, Wag-a-meter=1, Washington DC, White House

“Bark Upon the Gale”: Adventures on D.O.G. Street

October 9, 2013 by admin

For 81years, Williamsburg was the seat of Virginia government. It was in this Colonial Capitol building on May 15, 1776, that it was proposed to “declare the United Colonies free and independent states.” The rallying cry, taken up by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, led to the Declaration of the Independence.

Extending just shy of a mile between Williamsburg, Virginia’s Colonial Capitol and the steps of the historic Wren Building is the primarily pedestrian-only thoroughfare known as Duke of Gloucester Street. Abbreviated to just “D.O.G. Street” by the locals, it’s coincidentally also a great place for experiencing America’s colonial history with your dog.

Preservation and restoration of the downtown’s 18^th-century buildings began in 1926 with the financial backing of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Opened to the public in 1932, Colonial Williamsburg today constitutes the nation’s largest living history museum. Costumed interpreters stroll the streets, bringing the “Revolutionary City” to life for some 1.5 million visitors a year.

Begin your visit at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center. Pets aren’t allowed on the shuttle buses, but it’s only about a quarter-mile walk on a wooded path from the Visitor Center to the heart of the historic district. The walkway comes out near the Governor’s Palace, approximately halfway down D.O.G. Street. Keep in mind that if you want to go inside certain buildings you’ll need to go solo (and buy a ticket), but otherwise it’s a dog-walking feast for the senses. Lots of bonnets, tricorn hats, and horse-drawn carriages. Kids perfecting their hoop-rolling technique on the palace lawn. Sheep munching away in their pens. Colorful gardens. You might even talk with “Patrick Henry” or “George Washington.” We found many of the colonials eager to engage, and Tavish got his share of head rubs as we made the rounds past Bruton Parish, the Courthouse and the Colonial Capitol.

Tavish sprawls in the shadow of the Lord Botetourt statue on the grounds of the Wren Building, the oldest academic building in continuous use in the United States.

Nearing lunchtime, Team Tavish headed to Merchants Square at the far western end of D.O.G. Street and ordered take-out from storied The Cheese Shop. Seriously, this place has been fueling the masses since 1971. In a not-so-scientific taste test, Tavish always approves of the roast beef and cheddar sandwich with “house dressing,” The Cheese Shop’s signature condiment. While patio seating in the Square is an option, do you and your dog a favor and take your picnic lunch to where the tourists aren’t: just across the street at The College of William & Mary.

To borrow—with a bit of poetic license—from the chorus of William & Mary’s alma mater, here’s your chance to “hark (or bark?!) upon the gale” and check out the campus of this Virginia state school. Thanks to a 1693 charter from King William III and Queen Mary II of England, the College is the second-oldest in America and is the academic home for approximately 6,200 undergrads and 2,000 graduate students. Famous alumni of this “Public Ivy” are as diverse as Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Monroe and Tyler; actress Glenn Close; NFL coach Mike Tomlin; and “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart.

Tavish mugs for the camera at the College’s picturesque Crim Dell. “Legend” has it that if lovers kiss as they cross the footbridge, they’re destined for marriage…indeed, many a wedding proposal has taken place here. Romance aside, all degree candidates walk over the bridge as part of a final processional through campus preceding each commencement ceremony.

The oldest part of campus abuts Colonial Williamsburg and features a triumvirate of stately brick buildings: the Sir Christopher Wren Building (it holds the distinction of being the nation’s oldest academic building), the President’s House (yes, the College president really lives there), and The Brafferton (formerly an “Indian School”). To embark on about a mile-long walking tour loop of campus, take the brick path around to the other side of the Wren Building and be rewarded by a vista of the Sunken Gardens, a grassy common where you’re likely to find students studying or sunbathing. Walk down James Blair Drive on the right, and you’ll pass the Campus Center and catch a glimpse of Zable Stadium where William & Mary’s Division I football team plays. As the drive curves and slopes downhill to the left, glance across the pond for a view of Crim Dell; it’s consistently in contention as the most-photographed spot on any college campus. Glance to your right and you’ll notice a small amphitheater and the entrance to the Wildflower Refuge. If you take this shaded path and eventually bear to the left, it comes out across from Swem Library. Turn left and follow Landrum Drive past Barksdale Field and various academic buildings and dormitories until it connects with Jamestown Road. Make one final left, and hug the sidewalk, walking along the backside of more dorms…you’ll be back at the Wren Building in no time!

Tavish stands tall at the gates of the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg. The original structure dated to 1722 and was home to seven royal governors, plus Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson.

Dogging the Details

37°16′34.18″ N, 76°41′41.09″ W
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Chalk up a “1” on the Intrepid Pup wag-a-meter for Colonial Williamsburg! Having your dog along means you won’t be able to enter ticketed areas like the Governor’s Palace and garden, some 22 sites where interpreters are plying their 18^th-century trades, or many of the historic dining taverns. However, exploring the general historic area is free, and if the weather is pleasant, you’ll find it readily walkable, and there’s no shortage of things to see. You can quite literally cover a lot of ground in just an afternoon. Although Colonial Williamsburg is attractive in any season, the summer months tend to be hot and humid, so be sure to keep your pup and yourself plenty hydrated.

As of October 2013, expansion plans for AleWerks’ existing microbrewery and tasting room/retail shop call for pet-friendly outdoor seating and a “taproom” offering light snacks.

If your dog is spooked by loud noises, be mindful of when the colonial militia is doing artillery demonstrations on the grounds. A confession: Tavish the Intrepid Pup is completely unfazed by fireworks and thunderstorms, but he categorically abhors smoke—be it from a grill, a cigarette, a car’s tailpipe, or a musket salute (Tavish once held up an entire parade because of this, but that’s another story). So while Tavish was fine with the cannon firing near the colonial Magazine during our visit, he was completely undone by the ensuing cannon smoke that was drifting our way, and we had to beat a hasty retreat upwind.

Finally, are you looking to extend your excursion? Two other nearby points making up the region’s “Historic Triangle” are Historic Jamestowne (the 1607 site of the first permanent, colonial English settlement in North America) and Yorktown Battlefield (where the Revolutionary War ended in 1781 with the British surrender to General Washington). Both welcome leashed dogs in the outdoor areas. And if you do end up venturing further afield, you’re going to need additional sustenance. Might we suggest AleWerks Brewing Company? Located on the outskirts of town in an industrial park, Williamsburg’s (only) microbrewery came onto the American craft beer scene in 2006. Another edge-of-town option is Pierce’s PITT Bar-B-Que, a long-time establishment based on a secret family recipe. From the comfort of the outdoor picnic tables, your dog can happily score a couple of samples from your hickory-smoked, down-home meal…just like Tavish did!

Filed Under: Cultural Heritage, Historic Home, Statue, Wag-A-Meter=1 Tagged With: AleWerks, College of William and Mary, Colonial Williamsburg, DOG Street, intrepid pup, Pierces, The Cheese Shop, Virginia, vizsla, Wag-a-meter=1

Ahhh-zaleas!

April 30, 2013 by admin

Tavish smiles at the sight of the Arboretum’s azaleas, spanning the color spectrum from to pale pink to deep purple.

Washington, DC’s cherry blossoms are justifiably famous, but don’t be fooled…there’s a rival bloom in town! By late April the cherry trees’ delicate pink petals have long given way to tender green leaves. But a mere 4 ½ miles from the oft-photographed Tidal Basin, some 15,000 azaleas are just reaching their peak at the U. S. National Arboretum.

Established by Congress in 1927, the National Arboretum’s 446 acres are managed by the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). And while there’s admittedly way more to the Arboretum than the Azalea Collection, there’s no denying that it sure makes one heck of a first impression. Visit on a sunny spring afternoon, and you’re in for a retina-jarring display of deep magentas, purples, corals, oranges, and ruby reds.

Picture perfect: Tavish, boxwood, and vivid azaleas fill the frame in this shot of the Morrison Garden.

The core of the Azalea Collection is comprised of hybrids that were carefully cultivated at a USDA research facility in Glenn Dale, Maryland, and planted in 1946-47 to blanket the slope of the Arboretum’s Mount Hamilton. Rising just 240 feet, it’s a pretty meager mountain, but as one of the higher elevations in the nation’s capital, Mount Hamilton’s real street cred lies in being a living wall of color. Over the course of more than half a century, the historic Glenn Dale shrubs have matured, sprawling outward and reaching towering heights. A strategic pruning in 2012-13 has rid the area of invasive plants and dead branches, improving growing conditions so that this floral legacy will continue to flourish for years to come.

Tavish the Intrepid Pup visibly enjoys romping along the Henry Mitchell Walk in this section. When he’s not literally snuffling the azaleas, he’s absolutely entranced by the bees methodically inventorying the buds. The casual landscaping that otherwise characterizes much of this hillside is punctuated by two garden settings. The Lee Garden features Japanese azaleas set amidst stonework and a pond, and the compact Morrison Garden is even more formal with manicured ornamental hedges interspersed with samples of the Glenn Dale hybrids. The latter was designed by Benjamin Morrison who was not only the Arboretum’s first director but also the USDA plant breeder responsible for creating the Azalea Collection. Take note: the Morrison Garden seems to be a magnet for folks wanting to take pictures of families, babies, and dogs—and we were no exception!

Dogging the Details

38°54′30.65″ N, 76°58′18.95″ W
U. S. National Arboretum, Washington, DC

With free admission, 9.5 miles of roadways and 14 distinct garden “collections,” the Arboretum is ideal for exploring with a canine companion, and you’re bound to see several other dogs during your visit. Just be sure to abide by the rules: you must keep your dog on leash and out of the plantings. You’re also required to pick up after your pet, so bring those bags along. Finally, no dogs are allowed in either the visitor center pavilion or its adjacent National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.

These koi aren’t coy! Tavish is mesmerized by these guys. And with good reason: the largest are upwards of 18″ in length! A nearby coin-operated machine dispenses handfuls of pellets for feeding the fish, and boy, do they know it. The koi charge to the surface in a burst of color and nearly launch themselves onto the patio!
Note: The ornamental pond surrounding the Administration Building is being restored in 2013, so the fish aren’t there at the moment. Look for them to return when renovations are complete.

The Arboretum scores a “1” on the Intrepid Pup wag-a-meter as a truly accessible place for all seasons. Crocus, daffodils, magnolias, redbuds, and flowering cherries greet spring visitors. Summer gives way to water lilies, herbs, crapemyrtle, and wildflowers. Hosta, hibiscus, and ornamental grasses are the stars of autumn, and winter showcases holly and the conifers.

Though trails and roads are well-marked, it’s easy to lose track of time and distance at the Arboretum. Even the most casual of wanderings will quickly add up to a few miles, so be sure to carry water for you and your dog and/or seek out the bubbler by the National Herb Garden—it has a pet-accessible reservoir and a special tap for refilling water bottles. When the capital’s infamous humidity hits, head for the grass and shade of the National Grove of State Trees. Tavish never fails to take a breather beneath the boughs of the eastern white pine that is the official tree of his home state of Maine. Another refreshingly cool spot just beyond the grove is Fern Valley, a naturally wooded area rife with native plants. A half-mile trail loops through a meadow and past a small pond.

Veni, vidi, vici! Tavish surveys the National Arboretum’s sweeping landscape from the vantage point of the Capitol Columns.

Bring your camera to zoom in on the blooms, but go for the wide angle shots, too. The Capitol Columns make for a particularly dramatic backdrop. Completed in 1826, these 22 sandstone columns were among the 24 that once supported the east central portico of the U.S. Capitol Building. They’ve witnessed every presidential inauguration from Andrew Jackson’s through Dwight D. Eisenhower’s. Modifications to the Capitol necessitated their removal in 1958. With marble replicas going into the Capitol facade, these columns were subsequently restored and permanently sited at the Arboretum in 1990.

Filed Under: Gardens, Nature, Wag-A-Meter=1 Tagged With: arboretum, Azalea Collection, azaleas, Capitol Columns, dog, flowers, gardens, Historic Glenn Dales, intrepid pup, koi pond, landscape, Morrison Garden, spring, Tavish, U.S. National Arboretum, USDA, vizsla, Wag-a-meter=1, walk, Washington DC

Canine Connections with the Interior

April 26, 2013 by admin

Tavish checks out the view from 1849 C Street, NW. While the U.S. Department of the Interior dates to 1849 (easy to remember because it’s also the street address!), this headquarters building opened in 1937.

Given the Intrepid Pup and Team Tavish‘s affinity for national parks, it should come as no surprise that making a stop at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has been on the “to do” list for awhile now. The Department’s 70,000+ employees are scattered far and wide—all throughout the United States, U.S. territories, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau. DOI’s main headquarters building located just north of the National Mall in Washington, DC, contains offices for some 2,000 of them.

Simply put, DOI is a huge agency with huge responsibilities concomitant with being the steward of approximately 20% of U.S. lands. The National Park Service? DOI. Bureau of Land Management? Also DOI. Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Reclamation, Surface Mining, Ocean Energy Management: all DOI.

If you imagine a federal building encompassing two full city blocks to be pretty imposing, you’d be right. Portions of DOI are open to the general public, however, including an extensive research library, a cafeteria, the Indian Craft Shop and the Interior Museum.

“Pups and Petals”–especially timed for the National Cherry Blossom Festival– is just one of several pet-friendly ranger talks presented within the National Mall and Memorial Parks.

As you might have guessed, the “general public” gaining admittance to DOI doesn’t include the canine variety, so Tavish the Intrepid Pup had to be content with seeing the exterior of Interior. But just because dogs can’t enter the building doesn’t mean dogs aren’t well represented within its halls and walls. Case in point: the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service has expanded upon an initiative first piloted in the 1990s by newly training four retrievers—Butter, Lancer, Locket, and Viper—as “wildlife detector dogs” stationed at various ports throughout the country. The dogs can sniff out protected species as well as smuggled wildlife products like ivory, canvassing as many containers in a few minutes as a person working unassisted can inspect in a single workday.

Within the National Park Service, Denali National Park & Preserve is the only national park in America with historic, working kennels. A corps of approximately 30 sled dogs performs an integral role in the ongoing management of the park, especially during Alaska’s winter months. You can even track new litters of pups on the park’s puppy cam. And clear across the country, the National Mall and Memorial Parks has integrated dog-friendly, ranger-led walks into its roster of interpretive programming. What a fun, healthy way for people and their pets to get out and enjoy the parks!

Finally, there are the DOI building’s murals. With more than 50 of them embedded throughout the 1.3 million square-foot structure, there is more Public Works Administration artwork here than in any other U.S. government building. And the icing on the cake? Four of these murals feature dogs. Let’s take a closer look…

Dogging the Details

38°53′36.86″ N, 77°02′33.21″ W
Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building, Washington, DC

Murals tours at the U.S. Department of the Interior are offered to the public free of charge. Check here for times and reservation information. Tours last approximately one hour.

North Country by Gifford Beal (1879-1956).Oil on canvas, 1941,
104.5″ h x 224.5″ w

When the current DOI headquarters started being built in 1935, 1% of the construction budget was expressly earmarked for art. Interestingly enough, that concept continues to this day via the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Art in Architecture Program, through which GSA “reserves one-half of one percent of the estimated construction cost of each new federal building” for commissioning artwork.

DOI’s murals thus technically belong to GSA, but staff of the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum are the ones who provide murals tours to the public. There’s not enough time to visit every mural in the building, but the guided tour takes you past dozens and gives you a good workout to boot; there are nearly three miles of corridors!

Alaska by James Michael Newell (1900-1985). Fresco, 1939, 114.5″ h x 234.5″ w

Some of the most illustrious artists of the 1930s were commissioned to paint these murals. You’ll find that some are oils on canvas while others are frescoes (painted onto wet plaster) or seccos (painted onto dry plaster). The murals portray the work and salient themes of DOI’s bureaus contemporary to 1935, making them both artistically and historically significant for today’s viewers.

So, it’s a particular delight to discover the dogs in four of the murals. It’s akin to Forrest Gump showing up at seminal moments in American history, except here it’s dogs at the Oklahoma Land Rush, homesteading, and the opening of Alaska.

The Alaska fresco by James Michael Newell is up on the 6th floor. There are three huskies in a panorama which also contains narrative elements about Eskimos, fishing, and prospecting for gold. The remaining three dog murals are on the 5th floor. Gifford Beal’s North Country is also set in Alaska, with a team of seven sled dogs in the foreground as the focal point. Finally, both of John Steuart Curry’s massive 19-foot murals (see below) include canines. In Rush for the Oklahoma Land – 1894, a black whippet races along, caught up in the melee of people, horses, wagons, and even a train all streaming westward. Curry’s other painting across the corridor, The Homesteading and the Building of Barbed Wire Fences, shows a far more tranquil scene. A shepherd-like dog in the background keenly follows along behind two men pounding fence posts into their newly claimed land.

If these works have inspired you to take the murals tour at DOI, tell them the Intrepid Pup sent you! This excursion earns a “1” on the Intrepid Pup wag-a-meter for packing art and exercise into the same visit.

Rush for the Oklahoma Land - 1894 by John Steuart Curry

Rush for the Oklahoma Land – 1889 by John Steuart Curry (1897-1946). Oil on canvas, 1939, 109.5″ h x 235″ w

The Homesteading and the Building of Barbed Wire Fences by John Steuart Curry (1897-1946). Oil on canvas, 1939,109.5″ h x 235″

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Filed Under: Cultural Heritage, National Park, National Register of Historic Places, Nature, Wag-A-Meter=1 Tagged With: Denali, dogs, DOI, Gifford Beal, Harold Ickes, Interior, James Michael Newell, John Steuart Curry, murals, Public Works Administration, sled dogs, Wag-a-meter=1, Washington DC

Championing the “Underdogs”: Intrepid Pup Bracketology 2013

March 21, 2013 by admin

Tavish takes his basketball very seriously. Unfortunately, he’s consistently inconsistent.

67 pieces of kibble were sacrificed in the making of this article.

Yes, it’s once again time for the Intrepid Pup to release his bracket picks for the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament. If you recall…with food (and an affinity for basketball?) as motivation, Tavish forayed into March Madness last year, enthusiastically indicating his picks by tipping Planet Dog™ bowls.

Lessons learned:

1. Tavish likes underdogs. In the Land of Intrepid Pup, Detroit would have gone to the Sweet 16, and Southern Mississippi was headed for the Final Four.

2. Unfortunately, Tavish lacks the accuracy of international sensation Paul the Octopus, who made a pretty impressive run in picking European soccer matches in his short but brilliant career as an oracle from 2008 to 2010. So, Vegas bookies, listen up: let the exact opposite of the Pup’s picks be your true guide!

But all in all, the 2012 edition of Intrepid Pup Bracketology was such fun that Team Tavish decided to resurrect it for 2013. We kept the same technique as last year—a choice between two identical treats each representing a team—but sped up the process. What originally involved three separate bracketology sessions last year (which also incorporated filming the YouTube video) we were now able to accomplish in a single lightning round this year lasting about an hour. What can we say? Tavish was focused!

Once again, Tavish reveals his one consistency: championing the underdogs and thus picking some wild Cinderella teams. For example, in rapid succession Tavish has #16 North Carolina A&T ousting #1 Louisville and Harvard beating New Mexico. Oh, and news flash: LIU-Brooklyn is marching all the way to the Final Four! Seriously, pup, what’s with the fascination with LIU? You’d also picked them to upend Michigan State in the first round last year…do you think their mascot is a vizsla or something? We’re beginning to think this is more about what Tavish would like to see than what will actually happen.

Without further ado, here are the Pup’s complete picks. Spoiler alert: as this post goes to press, we’re mere hours into the tournament and already large chunks of Tavish’s brackets are blown to smithereens:

On a final note, we should mention the cat. He doesn’t often appear in the annals of the Intrepid Pup, but he was watching with cool disinterest from afar while Tavish careened all over the living room, merrily advancing LaSalle and Iona in the “big dance.” While the cat is also extremely food-driven, there was simply no way he was going to sit there and make 67 picks. Leave that to the dog. But, once Tavish had come up with his Final Four, we couldn’t resist—in true Deus Ex Machina fashion—reeling in the cat to pick a champion: Southern University. Oh, brother.