Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross

Better Orgasms. Better World.

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I just got a tea cup Schnauzer. His previous owner Daniel said his name was taken from the Harry Potter books: Phineas Nigellus, the Slytherin Headmaster at Hogwarts. The first time I saw this sweet 5 month old creature, he was laying on his back in a young girls arms riding in the elevator. When I looked into his tiny black button eyes, it was love at first sight and I asked, "What planet are you from little one?" That's when she said he was for sale at a price that was prohibitive. l later discovered she was living with Daniel who bought Phineas in Texas for $2,500 and was selling him for 3 grand to cover costs of shots and doggie equipment. He'd recently moved into my building and although he loved his little dog, he had two large Mancoon cats that Phineas would not leave alone. Daniel feared the big cats were going to hurt the little guy so he put a for sale sign in the mail room. I resigned myself to seeing Phineas in the elevator or lobby with his new owner from time to time.

When I returned from the West Coast September first, Phineas could be bought for a price I could afford. Eric grew up with two Schnauzers, never my preferred breed as they are too yappy and hyper. But this little guy is silent and painfully adorable- it hurts just to look at his tiny face because he's just too cute. I know, I'm out of my mind to do this, but friends had encouraged me to get a dog so I wouldn't sit all day at the computer. I call him "Puppy" but I will keep his original name as he responds to it when he's called. Such a smart little fellow, but of course he pees and poops all over the carpet that is wall to wall throughout my apartment. I'm working on paper training him so I don't have to go out in bad weather but so far I haven't had much luck. I've only heard him bark once; he's a very happy and contented Puppy who greets people joyfully even when they ring the doorbell. Yup, I've got a little alien alright!

Yesterday Phineas made his debut on our website with a video blog post. His previous owner Daniel brought his pedigree and papers to sign ownership over to me. It's the third day and I'm still overwhelmed with my heart bursting with love while my head tells me I'm crazy to be doing this. The question I asked myself is when was I ever not "out of my mind" when I did most major things in my lifetime? Beginning with moving to NYC at 20 to study art, sacrificing an art career to teach masturbation skills to women, taking on a new career of writing and then self-publishing my first sex book, going into the mass market with the taboo subject of masturbation, producing video tapes and getting a PhD in sexology, setting up a website to sell my erotic sex-ed DVD's, inviting Eric to be my live-in apprentice and finally going into business with Carlin after we'd known each other a month to start a new hi-tech website just before I turned 80? Taking great leaps of faith has kept my life endlessly challenging and exciting. What's next?