Dog Days at HITS!

Life’s ruff! This year there will be no Purina “Top Dog” contest at Thermal. Look for it to return in Saugerties. But thanks to sponsor Purina and its Exclusive line of canine nutrition, we will be showcasing “Daily Dogs.” Because we couldn’t bear the thought of so many photogenic pups collected in one place going undocumented.

And yes, we considered calling this section “Dog Days,” but thought it had a “negative connotation.” (Maybe because the Sidney Lumet-directed Al Pacino-starring “Dog Day Afternoon” heist film is kind of a downer? We wanted to get to the bottom of the origin of that term. This is what we found on Yahoo Answers:

“The phrase ‘dog days’ is not about or connected to the lovable canines so many of us enjoy. ‘Dog days’ actually refer to the star Sirius, also known as the Dog Star. Found in the constellation of Canis Major, Sirius derives its name from the Greek word seirios, which means scorching.

The star Sirius is most visible in our hemisphere during the summer months when it is the brightest star in the heavens. So, a ‘dog day afternoon’ is nothing more than a hot summer afternoon.”

So if you are thinking about expanding your kennel with a new pup that is both bright and a star, consider naming him or her Sirius!