Beth Ostrosky Stern Talks About Dogs, Cats and Husband Howard Stern

Beth Ostrosky Stern and her megastar husband Howard Stern have two pets: an English bulldog named Bianca Romijn-Stamos-O'Connell, and a newly adopted, special-needs cat named Apple. A lifelong animal lover, Ostrosky Stern is the author of the new book, "Oh My Dog: How to Choose, Train, Groom, Nurture, Feed, and Care for Your New Best Friend." She took a few minutes to talk to us about her book and living life with a pampered bulldog.

Why did you write "Oh My Dog"?
I go on TV shows and talk about my work with animal rescue, and my husband talks about my work. And because of my association with [North Shore Animal League America] and hearing my husband talk about me, people just assume that I'm this animal expert. People ask me dog questions on a regular basis, and I'm not a dog expert; I just love animals! [But] when I realized there is so much bogus information out there I thought, why don't I take all of these experts that I know who are at the top of their field, give them all the questions I've been asked over the years, and come up with a guide?

It's filled with invaluable information that you never thought you needed to know, but once you read the book, you're going to be so glad it's there. It's something to keep with your doggie supplies. For example: What is the normal [body] temperature for my dog? That's what I hope people will use it for, to answer quick questions.

Is Howard a softie with your pets?
He's in love with this dog. And now this cat, Apple, just sits at his table. Howard plays chess, and she sits on his desk and watches him, and it's the cutest thing ever. Bianca at his feet and Apple at his desk.

Do you think some people go too far in treating their dogs like children?
Yeah. You see the crazies, but I guess I'm a crazy too.

Well, you're not dressing her up.
I do for fun. Bianca accompanies me to a lot of TV shows. She was on ["The Tyra Banks Show"] with me, and I put her in a bridesmaid outfit because I was talking about my wedding and how cute it would be if Bianca was in my wedding. So I do dress her up for fun for TV. But on a regular basis, no.

And Howard doesn't want to walk a dog with a pink leash and collar. He's a little macho. So we have a red leash and harness for her. But we don't go overboard.

Do you pamper your dog, Bianca?
In the way that I take such great care of her, yes. I do all of the grooming myself. She doesn't go out and get fluffs or anything like that. She's with me all the time, and I treat her like she's my daughter. She's clean as can be and just well taken care of.

Does Howard help take care of Bianca?
Howard is so good with Bianca. He cleans her folds -- Bulldogs have tons of folds. And she can't lick her butt if she has... remnants... so Howard will wash her off. He's really good with her. I go "you have to dab the dog", and that means take a paper towel and wet it and... wipe her bum. And Howard does it!

What are some of your favorite tips from the book?
Brushing your dog's teeth is not an option; it's a necessity. Periodontal disease can effect the overall health of a dog, and it can shorten your pet's life span. Plaque and tartar can [cause] bad breath and tooth loss. Another [reason to brush their teeth] is that tartar and plaque can build up so much that when you take the dog to the vet, the vet says the dog needs a professional cleaning. They have to put the dog under anesthesia, and it costs three or four hundred dollars. Even if you brush your dog's teeth once a week, it's going to help. I do it three times a week.

Does Bianca eat people food?
I give her high-quality kibble and then enhance it by steaming chicken, or I put an egg in there. I don't feed her from the table because most of my food has sauces on it, or spices, and you definitely don't want to give that to your animal.

I was feeding my dog a name-brand food -- one that you see on billboards and commercials -- that [I learned] consisted mostly of peanut shells. I was appalled. So I gradually changed her diet. Her fur has gotten fluffier, softer; her energy level has [increased]; she's like a puppy. She's 8 years old, which is old for a bulldog, and she's completely changed from this [new] diet. I think that's the most important thing that I learned through this whole process.

Does she sleep in your bed?
She does not. First of all, she doesn't go on any furniture. We have beds for her in every room, except for the master bedroom because she snores so loudly. Walls vibrate when she snores. She knows not to even go in the master bedroom.

What's the naughtiest thing she has even done?
She's never had an accident or made a deliberate accident in her seven years of being with us. When Apple arrived, she didn't like that I was giving Apple so much attention, so she peed in the house. I learned that I'm the one doing the wrong thing, because I used to give all of my attention to Bianca, and now all of a sudden she's seeing me give all of my attention to this special-needs animal. I thought, Apple needs it more than Bianca, [but] Bianca needs it too. So I just make sure to give them equal attention when they're around, and it's never happened since.

So dogs and cats are OK together?
Yeah. I always say they'll work it out. And if they don't, they're just going to find their way to live together without getting in each other's way. But Apple and Bianca, they stare at each other. It's so cute. They get a foot apart from each other and they're just head to head, staring at each other. I'm hoping someday that they're going to cuddle. That's all I wish for.

On ["The Late Show With David Letterman"] you showed a picture of Howard and Bianca and said, "this is my husband and my daughter." So you do think of her as your kid?
Yeah, she's my child. My baby.

Tags: beth ostrosky stern, BethOstroskyStern, bulldogs, dog books, DogBooks, howard stern, HowardStern, pet books, PetBooks