Dog of the Day: Stella the Yorkshire Terrier Shih Tzu Mix

Stella! Stella is a friendly sort, which is a good thing, because she is the official customer service department, spokesmodel, and canine liaison for An Urban Tail (Facebook, or here for Instagram), which makes, in Stella’s own words, ‘Woof woof bark arr arr grr!’ Or, in the words of her human business partner, ‘Handmade Upcycled Dog Goods’.

Unfortunately their online etsy store is currently offline after a disagreement of some sort with a business partner — I gather Stella and she had some sort of artistic differences — but they sell at markets in the San Francisco area sometimes, and if you like them on Facebook or follow them on Instagram you’ll probably hear about it when they get their new online store set up. Hope it’s soon!

In the mean time, Stella, a Yorkshire terrier shih tzu mix, is rocking her customer service outfit. At 12 years old, she is blind in one eye, but leads a very active lifestyle, and keeps herself young by plenty of aerobic exercise and lots and lots of sniffing. When asked what her favorite part of living in San Francisco was, she said, “Whimper scratchscratchscratch whine”… oh, I used that joke already, didn’t I?

Yorkshire Terrier Shih Tzu Mix Wearing A Shirt That Says Customer Service

This is an ‘upcycled’ shirt… cut down from a tee shirt found at a thrift store. I LOVE it!

Yorkshire Terrier Shih Tzu Mix Wearing A Shirt That Says Customer Service

That is (obviously) her blind eye. The other one’s fine, so I hear.

Yorkshire Terrier Shih Tzu Mix Looking Noble

Look at her little goatee!

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Dog of the Day: Mattie the Cocker Spaniel Golden Retriever Mix Puppy

Mattie just wants to be your best friend. And your best friend, and your best friend, and EVERYBODY’S best friend!

Cocker spaniel golden retriever mix puppy? Well, that’s my guess. Mom didn’t know, so I did my best.

Cocker Spaniel Golden Retriever Mix Puppy Looking Sad

Mattie managed to get a really good lick in across the back of my phone, just after this picture was taken. Consequently, I have one picture of a dog tongue, very close up.

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Dog of the Day: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

I ran into two other dogs on my trip back from Indiana to San Francisco. This one, a very happy and friendly Cavalier King Charles spaniel, I ran into at the San Francisco airport. Her mom was busy at a food counter, but several people snuck in brief greetings on the way by.

The other dog was a ridiculously adorable 7-month-old puppy named Ava Grace that I ran into in the airport in Chicago. I was walking down one of the terminal corridors, and I was about 2 hours early for my flight so I was dawdling. I saw a couple carrying around this adorable happy puppy and I said, “Excuse me, hello, I’m a licensed dog blogger, and I’m afraid I’m going to have to take some pictures of your dog.” I got a couple weird looks, but I’m used to that. But when I gave them my card, they said, “Oh, wow, she’s from San Francisco! We’re headed back there right now!” And yes, this dog was on my flight.

And I took over 50 pictures and not a single one of them came out, because the dog was wiggly and the light was dim. DAMMIT!

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel In A Travel Bag

If that isn’t a doggie smile then you can take away my dog blogger license.

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Dog of the Day: Assistance Shiba Inu In Training

Ran into this fine example of awesome doggitude — the first assistance shiba inu I’ve ever met! — when I was flying out to Indiana for Christmas, in the San Francisco Airport. In fact, as I recall, he was even on my flight. I didn’t get his name, unfortunately, but I do remember that his dad told me he was kind of nervous with the sudden giant crowd of noisy people around him, so I didn’t get too close.

Damn, shiba inus are ridiculously photogenic. You more or less can’t get a bad picture of one.

Assistance Shiba Inu In A Purple Vest

I gather he had to sit in a carrier under a seat. He seems kind of big for that.

Assistance Shiba Inu In A Purple Vest

Ears forward, tail up-ish… he doesn’t look too freaked out to me.

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Sunday Switchup: Horse

I was out in Indiana for Christmas, which was less snowy than I had reason to expect. But that meant I could take a couple of walks and take some pictures. And one of the things that I took pictures of was this ‘lovely horse‘.

I don’t really know what that coloration is… palomino? Champagne? Something like that, anyway. Sure is pretty. Anyone know what the marking on her side might be?

Pretty Tan And White Horse

She caught a glimpse of me just as I was taking her picture.

Pretty Tan And White Horse

She decided to come over to investigate, but got distracted by something else a moment later.

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Caturday Supplement: Tuxedo Kitten and Black Kitten

Two kitties for this lovely caturday, one tuxedo kitten and one that was pure black, and both adorable.

I say ‘lovely’ even though it was raining much of the day and grey for the rest of it, because I was feeling quite a bit better yesterday, and even better today. I hope this means that I’m improving quickly, though it could just be a hiatus. Still, it’s very encouraging, and makes me nearly cheerful.

It helps that we really really really need the rain. I can keep telling myself that when I look outside and it’s spraying down.

A Black Kitten And A Tuxedo Kitten Cuddling On A Chair

I caught the left-hand one in the act of meowing at me.

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Dog of the Day: Huskorgi

This gorgeous huskorgi (husky/corgi mix) was so excited to go to the beach that he could not contain himself, so he’d dance up to passers-by and bark and wiggle and just generally show off. So adorable. He just thought this was the greatest thing in the history of all greatest things that could ever happen. I want to feel like that just once in my life, but I suspect that it may not be possible without really, really good drugs.

Huskorgi (Husky Corgi Mix Dog) Grinning

Half-husky, half-corgi. If that isn’t a recipe for a smart-ass dog, I don’t know what is.

Huskorgi (Husky Corgi Mix Dog) Looking Goofy

And an awesome dog, too, of course.

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Dog of the Day: Unknown Terrier Mix

I have absolutely no idea what this guy is, but he was just too happy not to include.

Small Grey Unknown Terrier Breed Looking Delighted

This is the last thing you will see before your ankles are licked.

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Dog of the Day: Coco the German Shepherd Puppy

Coco is another one of those dogs that I ran into right outside work, and I was like, ‘okay, well, here is a dog who is going to make me late to work, and work is just going to have to deal with that, because Coco is too awesome to miss.’ She was, at time of this photo, a 6-month-old German shepherd, so for those of you keeping count, that’s two German shepherd puppies in a period of five days.

And for those of you who are not keeping count, darn it, why aren’t you keeping count?

Also… well. The hovertext went in a direction rather different, and rather darker, than I’d expected.

German Shepherd Puppy With Huge Ears Sitting On A Sidewalk

Look at those ears. Coco has dainty little paws, but giganto-humongous ears.

German Shepherd Puppy With Huge Ears Trying Very Hard To Jump On The Photographer

It was a real struggle keeping Coco in one place long enough for me to get some pictures.

Man With German Shepherd Puppy On Leash

That expression is just as she was turning around to jump on dad instead. Unfortunately all those pictures were too blurry to post.

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Dog of the Day: Shiba Inu

Shiba inu shiba inu shiba inu shiba inu! It has a nice rhythm to it, doesn’t it? Well, I guess it does come from one of those ‘musical languages’. As opposed to, say, English, which, while it does have its good points, isn’t exactly considered among the most lovely in the world.

Work went all right today. The slow normalization of my life continues, hopefully the normalization of my health will continue as well.

Tan Shiba Inu Walking On A Leash

I love the little ‘grapevine’ dance step you sometimes get when a dog’s interested in going one direction and his leash says to go in a different one.

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