Dog of the Day: Maremma Sheepdog

I was heading down to meet Autumn a few weeks ago — she was dogsitting for a gorgeous dog, and I wanted to meet her — and my mood wasn’t terribly pleasant, as it was raining periodically, the busses were not being cooperative, and I had forgotten my umbrella. As I was walking down Chestnut Street on the last leg of my journey I spotted a gorgeous if rather bored-looking Maremma sheepdog lying on the sidewalk, and of course had to stop and pet him.

I hung out at the home of the people Autumn was sitting for, while Autumn took care of various doggie business, and then she and I went out to get lunch. And, a full hour later, the dog was still there. Don’t feel too sorry for him, though: Maremmas were bred to be able to comfortably hang out in the rain and snow for days, and this one didn’t seem unhappy or uncomfortable… just bored. (The dog’s owner came out of the cafe at that point, and that’s why I’m certain that this was a Maremma and not a Great Pyrenees or a Kuvasz.)

Maremma Sheepdog Lying On The Sidewalk Looking Woeful

This was on my way by the first time. Seems a little overly melodramatic, don’t you think?

Maremma Sheepdog Staring Hopefully At The Camera

Clearly a vicious guard dog. You can tell by the puppydog eyes.

Woman Petting A Maremma Sheepdog

See? Just vicious. He did this to everyone who went by. Clearly a menace to society!

Posted in Dog of the Day | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Dog of the Day: Wrigley the Fluffy Goldendoodle

Wrigley (a male, 1 year old super fluffy goldendoodle) is not the shy and retiring sort. Definitely not the sort of dog who has any trouble making his needs known. Autumn and I ran into him outside a store, and we spent so long petting him that his owner had enough time to come outside and watch in amusement for a while before we noticed. Well, it’s pretty clear where our priorities are, since we wear them on our sleeves. Along with all the dog hair.

And yes, Wrigley is. Very.

Woman Petting Fluffy Goldendoodle Who Is Lying On His Side On The Sidewalk

I got eight good pictures of Autumn and Wrigley. Autumn’s eyes were closed in every single one.

Woman Petting Fluffy Goldendoodle Who Is Lying On His Back On The Sidewalk

You have to find just the right spot to get the leg going.

Fluffy Goldendoodle Being Petted By Photographer

I love the little glint of a fang.

Posted in Dog of the Day | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dog of the Day: Sir Otis Wellington the (Almost) English Bulldog Puppy

Sir Otis Wellington (a 4-month-old almost English bulldog puppy) is called ‘Otie’ to his friends, of which I absolutely guarantee you are one. You needn’t call beforehand… just drop by, he will be delighted to see you at any time of the day or night. If you ask nicely, he will show you his leaf collection, which is quite extensive and well worth viewing. He also has an extremely nice vintage of San Francisco Hetch-Hetchy water (15 minutes ago, perhaps a trifle young, but delicate and playful with just the tiniest hint of a chlorine bite) set out in an extra dog bowl, just for visitors.

Just don’t make any derogatory comments about beagles. Despite his very proper English appearance, one of his great-grandparents was actually an all-American beagle, and he’s therefore a bit sensitive about such things.

English Bulldog Puppy Looking Plaintive

Squooshy bulldog-face!

English Bulldog Puppy With Ears Lifted Halfway Up

His ears periodically did this. Flip! Half up. Floop! All the way down. It was aww-inspiring.

English Bulldog Puppy Going After A Treat

The problem with using treats in pictures is that you often have to get them really close to the dog to get their attention… and then they tend to disappear suddenly.

Posted in Dog of the Day | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Caturday Supplement: Snoozy Marmalade Kittens

Just when you thought it was safe to go out without a spoon (for marmalade sampling, of course!), here are two marmalades… spooning!

And yes, I’m pretty sure these are different marmies from last week’s.

Marmalade Kittens Sleeping Squooshed Together

The slightly squooshed ear!

Posted in Caturday Supplement | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dog of the Day: Katara the Australian Shepherd Mix

I asked if she was ‘Cat’ for short, but apparently not. Which is a shame because I like the idea of a dog named Cat. Instead, if I recall correctly, she might’ve been ‘Tara’ for short. She’s apparently an Australian shepherd mix, although mom didn’t know mixed with what, and she’s one year old. And very curious, and perhaps just the slightest bit rambunctious.

Pictures taken during a rainy day in San Francisco. Fortunately a couple of them came out all right, because the other fifty or so were totally blurry. So I guess you can add ‘fast-moving’ to the adjectives above, too.

Australian Shepherd Mix Standing In A Planter Sniffing A Bush

When I first saw her she was investigating a planter out in front of a building. Well, you have to take the time to stop and smell the flowers.

Australian Shepherd Mix Looking At The Camera Out Of The Corner Of Her Eye

Keeping a careful eye on me.

Posted in Dog of the Day | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Dog of the Day: Charlie the Pomeranian Corgi Mix

It’s gotten so that every time I hear the name ‘Charlie’ I hear these voices saying it. I’d like that to maybe stop please, so if anyone has any ideas on exactly which neurons I can destroy, that’d be good, thanks.

That said, I liked meeting Charlie, with or without the voices in my head. He is a charming and cheerful Pomeranian corgi mix, one year old and exactly as awesome as one might expect that combination to be. He does have to work a little on the ‘not jumping up’ thing, but he’s surprisingly polite about it even so.

Pomeranian Corgi Mix Sitting On The Floor

Look at that haunch.

Pomeranian Corgi Mix Putting One Paw On A Woman's Leg

See? One dainty paw placed gently on the leg. “Please, may I have some petting? It has been nearly a minute, and I feel quite starved for affection!”

Posted in Dog of the Day | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Dog of the Day: Doggie Bag

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a doggie bag, I believe one is in order. I did not get this one’s name or breed, her mom being in rather an obvious hurry (though very, very gracious) but we made friends nonetheless. Perhaps I should post something on the craigslist ‘missed connections’ board? Alas, I don’t think they have ‘m4d’ listings.

Doggie Bag: Woman's Bag With Dog Head Peeking Out

In the full-sized pictures I can ALMOST read the tags.

Posted in Dog of the Day | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dog of the Day: Sadie the Golden Retriever

It’s raining golden retrievers over the last week or so, isn’t it? Well, that’s okay, they’re gorgeous dogs, whether they’re ridiculously happy-looking or turning on the sad puppydog eyes. Sadie is a lovely example of the breed, and at a year and a half old she’s quite polite. Most of the time. Which is better than some people would say of me, so I’m certainly not going to fault her for that.

Quick post today, because I just spent a surprising amount of time researching one of my old posts, for someone who has a dog who looks like she could be Nibbler’s twin sister, except for the part where she’s 8 years older than Nibbler. Come on, ‘fess up, who has been doing the doggie cloning experiments?

Golden Retriever Gazing Upward Into The Camera

I really like this one. I may spend some time erasing my leg, the leash, and the chair, and doing some tweaks and see if I can’t make it print-worthy.

Posted in Dog of the Day | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Dog of the Day: Sad-Eyed Golden Retriever

Autumn and I were having brunch at a sidewalk cafe (the better to see all the dogs go by, of course) and we heard a lot of really loud barking. Like a lot. Like a half hour of intermittent but almost painfully loud barking, and that was from all the way across the street and down the block, somewhere we couldn’t see. I finally got too curious for my own good and snuck away from the table, where I came upon this ridiculously sad-eyed golden retriever.

Someone was very, very disgruntled that mom and/or dad was in a pub and she was not, in fact, allowed into that pub. Someone has clearly been working on her ‘sad puppydog eyes’ game and is in it for the long haul. And when no one was responding to that amazingly well-polished expression, someone clearly got frustrated and tried to bring in a little more attention.

Sad-Eyed Golden Retriever Lying On The Pavement

There’re like half a dozen dog-friendly pubs within a three block radius. How hard would it have been…?

Sad-Eyed Golden Retriever Looking At The Camera

Clearly the face of a tortured soul.

Posted in Dog of the Day | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Caturday Supplement: Two Macy’s Marmies

Two adorable Macy’s marmies: marmalade (oh god I love marmalade) tiger tabby kittens, aka Ginger McStripeypantses. I don’t know why the soft food was still there, it normally disappears instantly upon being put out.

Two Macy's Marmies, Marmalade Tiger Tabby Kittens In A Shop Window

So, who would you adopt, the philosophical-looking one, or the task-oriented one?

Two Macy's Marmies, Marmalade Tiger Tabby Kittens In A Shop Window

Trick question: the only acceptable answer is BOTH OF THEM.

Posted in Caturday Supplement | Tagged , , | 2 Comments