Double Dog Day: Holly and Missy the Golden Retrievers

These two are old friends of mine: I first ran into them in the dark one day last year in front of a restaurant. Couldn’t get any decent pictures of them in that lighting, but I remembered them, because they have very distinctive heads.

I wish I could say their greeting indicated that they remembered me, too, but I’m sure they greet everyone like that. Everyone with delicious bread in their pockets, at any rate. (But, given that they’re goldens, probably everyone else too.) This time I ran into them sitting on the steps of Grace Cathedral, along with mom, who graciously consented to my photographic tendencies.

Golden Retrievers and Woman

She did not choose this site specifically to be photogenic. However, I have to say, if she had, she couldn't have done much better.

Woman and Two Golden Retrievers

Aw, man. That's a lot of happy! So... do only happy people get golden retrievers, or do golden retrievers just make everybody as happy as they are?

Grace Cathedral

In case any of you don't know what it looks like, that's Grace Cathedral, atop Nob Hill. I live about six blocks' walk from there.

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Double Dog Day: Two Cocker Spaniels (and Friend)

A pair of regular cocker spaniels I ran into last week. They were mellow, but they were still very definitely cocker spaniels.

American Cocker Spaniel

Another dog that looks like it has fuzzy chaps on. I find that so hysterical.

American Cocker Spaniels

The other one had its chaps shaved off, but there're still those goofy ears!

American Cocker Spaniels and Poodle

The guy in back is a poodle. I think it's one we saw before on this site, in an imitation iPod commercial.

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Dog of the Day: Boxer/Labrador Retriever

The breed is Autumn’s guess… I didn’t even feel like hazarding a guess, but now that she’s pointed it out, he really does look like half-boxer, with the coloration and the dark muzzle and the white blaze on his chest and so forth.

Didn’t run into mom or dad… just the pup, sitting outside a Polk Street shop and being oh so patient.

Boxer/Labrador Retriever Mix

Somehow I look at this guy and imagine him as a philosopher.

Half-boxer, half-Labrador Retriever

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. -- James Thurber

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Caturday Supplement: More Macy’s Kitties!

These two were definitely good friends.

Two cats in a shop window. Yay.

Let's hear it for the 'fuzzy slinkie' effect. They're only slightly less good at it than ferrets.

Two cats hugging.

Aww. Hope these two were adopted by the same person.

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Dog of the Day: Dancer the Golden Retriever/Husky Mix

Wow. Dancer is one of the most distinctive-looking dogs we’ve had on here. And at 13 years old, he still goes to work (with his dad, who is an architect) every day. He’s got an important job, keeping dad’s stress levels down.

Golden Retriever/Siberian Husky Mix

Look at that dog. Looks just like a blond wolf. With a super-stylish haircut.

Golden Retriever/Siberian Husky Mix

Look at those ears. Amazing: I've never seen a golden retriever mix with fully-'up' ears before. I wish I had gotten a picture that included his tail, because it is magnificent.

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Dog of the Day: Doberman Mix

This gal is an older Doberman pinscher mix… I seem to recall 12 years old, but I can’t remember for sure, since I seem to have lost the notes I took on her. Anyway, I know she was very ladylike.

Doberman Pinscher Mix

I wonder why anyone would crop the ears of a Doberman mix? I guess I understand on a purebred, if you're showing the dog, but... oh well. Rescue dog, so we'll never know.

Doberman Pinscher Mix

At (12 years x 7 dog years per year) 84 years old, I hope I'm still going on 2 mile walks with my best friend, like she is.

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Dog of the Day: Beatrice the Pembroke Welsh Corgi

I was wandering around Nob Hill, and I came upon a car with this bumper sticker:

I (heart) My Corgi-Pembroke

For some reason, us corgi-fanciers seem more likely to do this than most other dog-breed-owners.

It didn’t seem likely that I’d run into a corgi, but I kept my eyes peeled. And what do you know? I found Beatrice, and her mom! (I didn’t ask mom if that was her car. I thought she might think it was a little… weird. Then again, she’s clearly a corgi-fancier, so maybe not.)

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

I wish I knew what made corgis so happy all the time. I would totally bottle it and make a mint. But first I'd take some myself.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Then again, if I were as cute as a corgi, I think I'd find it easier to be optimistic.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Then again, anyone who is 30 lbs and 12 inches high who has the self-confidence to herd cattle is probably not suffering from significant self-doubt.

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Dog of the Day: Saffron the Yellow Lab Puppy

I ran into this guy near my home, on Nob Hill: a 15-week-old Labrador retriever puppy named Saffron. I didn’t want to hold mom up for too long, since it seemed like she had somewhere to be, and everyone who walked by stopped to say hello to the pup.

Yellow Labrador Retriever Puppy

This is Saffron's 'I'm kind of overwhelmed by the world' face.

Yellow Labrador Retriever Puppy and Friend

I'm not sure if this guy was a friend of Saffron's mom or just another random dog-lover.

Yellow Labrador Retriever Puppy

He appears to like sticking his nose in places where it doesn't quite fit.

Yellow Labrador Retriever Puppy

That's mom in the background. He knows where to look when he's had enough.

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Dog of the Day: Annoyed Chihuahua Mix

It’s not often that the people seem friendlier than the dogs.

Chihuahua Mix

I'll cut him a break: he's a rescue dog, and therefore a little cranky. I'm often cranky with much less excuse.

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Dog of the Day: Hobo the Miniature Australian Shepherd

All of my previous experiences with miniature Aussies have been me saying how cute they are, and them hiding from me, scared stiff. Hobo is just about diametrically opposed to that. When I got near him, he came up and introduced himself. A little socialization does wonders.

Also, I love blue merles.

Miniature Australian Shepherd

Look at the fuzz on that left front leg. Pretty amazing.

Miniature Australian Shepherd

Lovely blue eyes. And the unruly head-and-ear-fur is totally adorable. People pay lots of money for products to make their hair look like that.

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