7 JUNE 1957, Page 7

A FEW YEARS ago I met in Venice some American

friends who were touring Europe with a large poodle. When I asked if the presence of the poodle was not sometimes rather inconvenient, they explained to me that he had suddenly started making messes in their New York apartment and when all else failed they had taken him to a psychiatrist, who told them that the poodle needed to travel. Hence their tour, which did the trick perfectly. I was not surprised, therefore, to read in the Chicago Tribune recently that the strain of urban living is causing dogs in Chicago to develop ulcers. According to a Dr. William C. Glenney, this is largely due to the volume of traffic. It seems that cats know how to relax, and so do not suffer in this way.