LOS ANGELES — Watching as a beloved dog is swept out to sea is heart-wrenching. Doing nothing seems unthinkable.

Visiting this spring's décor previews often felt like exploring an art gallery. There was an artistic vibe to everything from dinnerware to drapery, art photographs to textiles.

LOS ANGELES — People want their dog to be a friend, not afraid.

Our dogs are often as fat as we are, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Family cats can look like furry ottomans. At Tufts University, they've set up an obesity clinic at the vet school.

BeagleFest 2013 will be held on 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at the Ruben Romero Corporate Ramada at Kiwanis Park.

Although all of us go to the dog parks for our furry friends to socialize and have fun, I do believe SOME folks need a good bonk on the head. The dog parks all have little guy areas (for obvious reasons) and the big boy area. I hear over and over from folks that have a shih tsu size dog (10 pounds or less) tell me that “He really thinks he is a big guy.”

Four Peaks Brewing Company has been an East Valley fixture for 16 years. Its variety of beer retails not only across the state, but nationwide and even in other countries.

Four Peaks Brewing Company has been an East Valley fixture for 16 years. Its variety of beer retails not only across the state, but nationwide and even in other countries.

PHOENIX — The children buzz in excitement, boisterous and barging in, their little hands covering seemingly every part of the Australian shepherd’s body.

A list of America’s most popular dog breeds

The American Kennel Club has been tracking the popularity of purebred dogs for 128 years as the number of recognized breeds grew from nine to 177. A list of the country’s most popular dog breeds by the decade, according to data released by the AKC:

— 1880s: Top five breeds (English setters, Irish setters, pointers, Irish water spaniels and Gordon setters) were all working gun dogs, which helped hunters retrieve game.

— 1890s: The Saint Bernard takes the No. 1. spot, becoming the only giant breed to reach the top but never return.

— 1900s: The collie debuts at No. 1. The Boston terrier becomes the first small companion dog to reach No. 2.

— 1910s: The Boston terrier becomes the top dog and remains the only American breed to reach that spot.

— 1920s: The German shepherd takes over at No. 1 in 1925.

— 1930s: Boston terriers reclaim the top spot, and cocker spaniels begin their impressive climb. In the 1930s, the decade of the Great Depression, all top 10 breeds are small or medium-sized companion dogs.

— 1940s: Cocker spaniels (American and English, all colors) begin their reign. Influences included My Own Brucie, who won dozens of best-of-show titles and a likeness on the cover of Life Magazine.

— 1950s: The beagle becomes the nation’s top breed for most of the decade. Charles Schultz’s Snoopy makes his first appearance in national newspapers on Oct. 4, 1950.

— 1960s: Poodles take over as No. 1 in 1960 and stay there until 1982.

— 1970s: Poodles have the top spot locked up but in a harbinger of things to come, the Labrador retriever makes the top 10 for the first time.

— 1980s: Cocker spaniels return to the top.

— 1990s: Labrador retrievers take over and hold tight through at least 2012. Hollywood’s fascination with pocket pups is having an effect, as the decade marks the first appearance of the Yorkshire terrier, and the Pomeranian returns to the top 10 for the first time since the 1930s.

— 2000s: The Labrador retriever is overwhelmingly No. 1.

The letter asking for a dog was written in the curvy, careful handwriting of a grammar-school girl wanting to make an impression. Crumpled drafts were on the floor of her room, explorations of different arguments to press her case. In the end, my daughter used them all.