Our cherished dog Truman recently died. He was a black Labrador retriever who lived well for nearly 15 years. At first, we got him as a therapy dog for my dad, a quadriplegic from an accident, who needed assistance with daily living. After dad died, Truman continued on as a valued member of the family. My brother, sister and I felt that Tru was another sibling. My mom had a variety of nicknames and would call the dog Tru or Trumancito or Trubador or Trubinski or Trubaduba. The funny thing is that she would often call each of us "Truman" and then correct herself, (hoping we didn't notice). Do you think it would be appropriate to send out an obituary honoring this member of our family?

I love going to movies and reading about movies. In many reviews of the new Disney/ Pixar film "Up," critics talk about the great dogs in the movie. Maybe I'm missing something but I didn't understand how the dogs are anything but dumb and menacing. I don't have a pet so I would appreciate if you'd explain the dog appeal in "Up."

My parents are in their late 70s -- very healthy, retired and nuts where their dog is concerned. I am 55 years old and the eldest of three.

We've decided to welcome a dog into our family this summer. We're going to the pound to pick one out. Once we bring the dog home, what do we do? How do we know what food to feed it? When we need to take it to the vet? How often to feed it? How to housebreak it? We're likely coming home with a puppy.