In Heat Poem by gershon hepner

Dogs are better, when they sniff,
at telling if a cow’s in heat
than bulls. It would be nifty if
I had this power when I meet
those girls to whom I am attracted,
for then I’d know if they were too;
I wouldn’t have to be distracted
by those who aren’t—there are a few.

By noses girls lead lots of men,
who could save many an expense
if they precisely knew just when
a girl is ready, by smell sense,
as dogs do. But I think I’m not
a dog, at least I’m told so by
a few who, when I’m feeling hot
and sniffing, do not seem too shy.


Jennifer 8. Lee writes about the powerful noses of dogs in the NYT, June 14,2006 (“Dogs and Their Fine Noses Find New Career Paths”) :
Dogs have long been partners in law enforcement's searches for narcotics, explosives and people (both dead and alive) . But now their keen noses are being put to use in a wider variety of areas, like medicine, environmental protection and anti-piracy efforts. The number of dogs with the new, specialized skills remains but a fraction of the number trained for more traditional law enforcement uses. Still, dogs are entering new career paths, learning to sniff out mercury in Minnesota schools, invasive weeds in Montana, cancer in people — even cows in heat.
'The dogs do better than bulls, ' said Lawrence J. Myers, a professor of veterinary science at Auburn University who wanted to increase the success rate of impregnation attempts, a pressing demand in the dairy industry. Dr. Myers, a leading expert on dogs' sense of smell, added that because dogs 'have no innate interest in cows in heat, ' it takes repetitive training to teach them how to know when the cows are ready. (The bulls do not benefit from the dogs' work. Dairy cows are usually artificially inseminated.) Dogs' sniffing prowess, well known for ages, lends itself to any number of needs. 'Cocaine or peanut butter: whatever you want to find, we can train a dog to find it, ' said Bill Whitstine, Jada's original trainer and the founder of the Florida Canine Academy in Safety Harbor, Fla.
Jenny Lee (jenny@nytimes.com) wrote to tell me she loved the poem and suggested I post it on the Web!

6/14/06