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Glamour Grrrrls

Mallory Before....

After head-to-paw makeovers, these NYC shelter pooches are no longer ruff around the edges

...and After

Like any model, Mallory, Heart and Myrtle adapt easily to the mood of a typical NYC fashion shoot: Mallory tries to snag a pink tulle number off the stylist’s table, Heart won’t come on set until all the other models leave the room, and even timid Myrtle gets distracted when the pace slows.

But in truth, these are no ordinary models: They’re shelter dogs, who with the help of doggie stylist Dara Foster, get the ultimate makeover.

Foster, a passionate advocate for shelter animals, hopes that these makeovers will help the ordinarly unkempt pups get adopted quickly. “My job mixes fashion with creativity,” says the pet style expert and author of “Now You See It! Pup Style” (Scholastic). “But mostly I love that I get to help rescue dogs.”

First, Mallory, a 1-year-old shih-tzu/poodle mix, was spritzed, trimmed, blow-dryed and air-brushed with an easy-to-wash-off, vegetable-dye “tramp-stamp." Doggie stylist Dara Foster then dressed her in a bright coat to keep her dry during spring showers.

To do that, Foster brought a suitcase and two totes — full of doggie wigs, tutus, mini-hats and collars donated by Poetic Paws — to Animal Haven shelter so she and her team could transform three scruffy, homeless dogs into princesses for a day. Her super-connected band of stylists includes go-to celebrity dog groomer Jorge Bendersky who keeps Ralph Lauren’s pups looking polished.

“When you dress your dog, you really want to think about the environment: where you’re going, what season we’re in and the temperature,” says Foster.

As the dogs get primped, the stylists’ squeals of delight over each over-the-top outfit and tiny accessory appear to encourage Myrtle and Mallory to prance a little prouder.

Asked what to do with a dog that doesn’t like dressing up, Foster remains optimistic: “If a dog freezes like a statue, give her a few treats and see what happens. If she still freezes, take the outfit off — it might not fit right. Then find another accessory and try again.”

Visit animalhavenshelter.org for info on adopting Mallory, Heart, Myrtle and other dogs.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Cholesterol Away

Well, it kinda looks like an apple

Apples may be a "miracle fruit" for individuals who have received unhealthy cholesterol test results, according to a new study from researchers at Florida State University. Their findings show that an apple a day not only keeps the doctor away, but it also results in dramatic decreases in bad cholesterol.

Bahram H. Arjmandi, who led the study, said that apples are full of antioxidants and fiber, both of which have been shown to benefit heart health. In addition to reducing cholesterol levels, these nutrients have been shown to bring down inflammation in the body, which is a leading cause of chronic diseases.

For the study, researchers asked a group of 160 women between the ages of 45 and 65 eat either one dried apple or a comparable amount of dried prunes every day for a year. They administered cholesterol tests throughout the study.

By the end of the investigation, women who ate apples every day saw a 23 percent reduction in LDL, or "bad," cholesterol levels. They also experienced a dramatic reduction in C-reactive protein levels, which are a marker of inflammation. No such gains were noted in women in the prune group.

Is Your Pet Right Or Left Handed?

To the surprise of pet owners, scientists have discovered that cats, dogs, parrots and even fish are right or left-handed.

Psychologists played with 42 pet cats for several weeks as part of the research, according to a report in the New Scientist.

The researchers from Queens University said:

"Male and female cats differ in their behavioural patterns, for example hunting styles and parental care, and it is possible that these place different demands on motor functioning."

Apparently, female cats are more likely to be "right-handed" while toms favour their left paw.

The same preferences occur in dogs.

Parrots have a dominant foot to pick up food and other objects with while toads are mostly right-handed.

When fish dodge a predator they tend to veer to one side more consistently to the other.

Talking to Buddha

My beautiful boy Sherpa, now 18-months old.

Are Girl Dogs Smarter Than Boy Dogs?

Above: A very smart girl named Pandora

Shout out to my bitches!

Turns out female dogs might have a leg up on males when it comes to detecting the unexpected.

In an experiment designed to mess with their furry heads, females took note of a surprising outcome while males apparently remained oblivious.

The team designed an experiment to test whether the dogs would notice a ball that inexplicably grew or shrank.

In some trials, for instance, a tennis ball-sized ball would roll behind a screen, and after a short wait, a larger ball would appear on the other side. (Young babies don’t seem to notice this violation of how the world normally works, but start to react to the weirdness during the first year of life.)

The researchers can’t tell if males really don’t perceive the difference, or do detect it but don't care.

Whether a dog had been neutered didn’t seem to make a difference in the experiment.

One neuroscientist noted that females need to effectively nurture offspring, and that might have provided very strong pressure to set up this behavioral difference.

Jazz Guitarist Jeff Golub Loves his Tibetan Terrier

Little Charlie Parker is Jeff Golub's adorable Tibetan Terrier

Jeff Golub

"I have so many friends that are great singers," Golub said Wednesday morning from his house in the Hamptons, while dealing with his 3-month-old Tibetan Terrier.

"I’ve been focusing on instrumental music," Golub said. "I’m such a crappy singer and a pretty good guitar player."

Golub has passed on his musical ability to his sons, Chris, 10, who plays guitar and Matthew, 8, who plays piano.

"We had a family jam just the other day," Golub said.

The family still has an apartment in Manhattan, but when he saw his oldest son playing soccer in the hallway, he decided maybe they should move to their summer home.

Golub borrowed some of his friends for four vocal tracks on his eighth solo album, "Blues for You," released in August.

"I think jazz is blues done gone to college," Golub said.