DogBlog and a FrogLog

I'm considering starting a frog count on the side bar over here. Our walks usually start at the end of Fairway Drive, and so the first thing we do is pause at the first pond and check for frogs. Today, we saw five frogs, and an egg mass.

Frog and Family

Chloe's owner says that dogs are a great help against depression, and I fully agree. I will extend that idea to any pet. My cats' veterinarian once voiced the opinion that if everyone would just get two kittens, the world would need a lot less anti-depressant medication. Chloe is MoriDog #39.

Chloe

Teddy isn't an official service dog,  but that doesn't stop him from performing a service. His owner's auntie has lost a leg, and Teddy helps her every day with his sunny disposition, darling "fox face," and the natural smile so well known in Pomeranians. Teddy and Chloe (above) are half-siblings, and their owners are related, too. Teddy is MoriDog # 40.

Teddy

Luna knows Barney already--he passes by her house every day. Barney tried to engage Luna in play at the beach today, but she politely declined. She can be so aloof! Barney is one lucky dog.  This is his third and forever home, which was already a rough start for him. His current family had only had him a little while when it became clear that something was wrong. It was first thought to be kennel cough, but a sharp veterinarian suggested that he be sedated and examined more completely. It turns out that Barney had swallowed a string which had wrapped itself around the base of his tongue and become imbedded. Barney's story reminds us all that many household items can be dangerous to dogs. I once heard a rule of thumb: "If it's dangerous for a child under 3, don't let your dog have access to it." I would apply that rule double for retrievers, because after all, they have been bred for the specific purpose of putting things in their mouths. Happily,  MoriDog #41 has made a complete recovery.

Barney

A Sunny Sunday on Mori Point

Luna would like me to apologize for not getting the new MoriDogs out as quickly as usual, but the Oscars were on, and the preparations just took up the entire afternoon. It was a very nice Sunday, and she met many new dogs!

In her previous life, Star was a backyard dog most of the time.  Now she has a more at-home family, with kids and regular walks to Mori Point! She has the typical Labrador friendliness, and her owner likes to say that she is dangerous to food only. MoriDog #32 likes her carbohydrates, and in stealing food from the countertops, Star has been know to take the loaf of bread but leave the steak.

Star

 

MoriDog #33 is Chico, a chihuahua mix with multi-level ears. He is great friends with the next dog, Foxy. They could be "friends with privileges," but alas, neither dog has the equipment he or she was born with. It's better that way, actually!

Chico

Foxy is a little shy but well-mannered. This German Shepherd Dog mix was found abandoned, and has been with her forever family for about a year. Foxy has found a good friend in Chico, above, and they often walk together. She is MoriDog #34.

Foxy

Here's our first Golden Retriever! Lani's tongue is so long, I couldn't get it all in the picture. She is shown here, out with her family for a bike ride. MoriDog #35, she is named for her owner's favorite beach in Hawaii.

Lanikai

Ring started life as a working farm dog, but he didn't take to herding very well, so he got an early retirement. A Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix, he seems to prefer being MoriDog #36 and doesn't miss the farm at all.

Ring

These two girls live together and walk together. They are often taken for mother and puppy, but they aren't even related by breed. Sierra, the larger dog, was found in the Colma Cemetery at about 2 months of age. While she was at the Peninsula Humane Society, a DNA test was done on her. The test showed that she is mostly Belgian Shepherd Dog, but also something else not quite dog-like, which could be wolf. Garnet, the smaller dog, was inherited from her owner's father-in-law. She is mostly Schipperke, and when she is in trouble, her name is "Darn it, Garnet!!" She is MoriDog #37, and Sierra is #38.

Garnet and Sierra

She's Already Famous!

MoriDog #31 is no stranger to the media. Misty Mae was "Miss October 2010" in the San Francisco SPCA Calendar. She was near death when the SPCA saved her life. Her humans only intended to foster her until she was well enough to be adopted...but she turned out to be just the dog for their family, and now she's theirs for life!

Misty Mae

So Many Dogs, So Little Time!

When Luna and I meet people out on the trail, often someone will stop to ask about Luna's status as a racing Greyhound. I never get tired of telling of how, at age 5, Luna would have been tossed aside as obsolete equipment, had she not been rescued and adopted.  Even though she is a senior citizen now at age 11, her sleek figure is often admired. I frequently comment that if dogs look like their owners, why can't I match her body fat of about 3%? So in an effort to approach that goal, I'm trying to put a few more daily miles on the Lunameter.  Today, we visited the pier again, and in the good Sunday weather, met many dogs. I admit that I had trouble keeping the stories straight, so this time I'll mainly focus on the beautiful faces!


Cleo is three-year-old Pekingese who is looking for love. She's done well at dog shows, and needs a father for her future litter. Cleo is  # 23.

Cleo

 

Ordinarily, I would take a photo at the dog's level, but when that level is three inches off the ground, it gets difficult. Curby the Yorkshire Terrier is great friends with Cleo, and is MoriDog #24.

Curby

Tina's owner didn't have much time to chat, but was generous enough to pause for the camera, so that she could become MoriDog #25.

Tina

Another Boxer! I could make a bad joke about it not being Boxing Day... Jack's color is unusual in his breed. He's named for that other boxer, Jack Dempsey. MoriDog #26.

Jack

 Millie's owner doesn't have a computer, so he won't see that his Siberian Husky is MoriDog #27.

Millie

Toby, MoriDog #28 is an enthusiastic 13 year old Corgi. Here's one dog who didn't get left behind when his young owner grew up and went out on her own!

Toby

Sofie was good enough to do one of her tricks for this photo. Actually, there was a treat just off camera, but it's a great shot anyway. This Dachshund mix is MoriDog #29.

Sofie

MoriDog #30 is Nugget, being fostered while she recovers from a broken leg. She can walk a bit with her cast, but when she goes out with her friend Sofie, she needs a little help. When she has recovered, she will be looking for a forever home. Nugget needs someone who can be home with her most of the time, and can be adopted through the San Francisco SPCA.

Nugget

Luna Visits the Pier

Actually, I dragged Luna out of a nice warm bed so that I could photograph the reallyreally high tide. The Chit-Chat was getting a free, salty wash-down. Technically, we weren't on Mori Point, but it was clearly visible in the distance when we met T-Bone, so he becomes MoriDog #23. His story is one that I am hearing over and over.  As a half-grown puppy, T-Bone was found abandoned and in bad shape about 13 years ago. He's one of those breeds that get a lot of bad press, but even at his advanced age, T-Bone is gentle enough to give his owner's grandson rides around the house. The Grandson-to-T-Bone weight ratio is slowly tipping in favor of Grandson, so they may have to work out a deal soon.

T-Bone

Good Things Come in Threes

Luna and I decided to get a walk in before the rain started. Lots of others had the same idea, which produced three MoriDogs today. The first one, Milli, looks as if her bangs are obscuring her vision. Actually, our diminutive MoriDog #20 is completely blind, so it doesn't bother her at all. Like most dogs who lose their vision, Milli has adapted very well, and still enjoys all the smells and sounds during her regular walks on the trail. She wasn't always so lucky. Her former owner had gone away to college, and the college student's mother was keeping Milli outside. Milli didn't like that very much, and escaped regularly. Finally, the animal shelter began looking for a better home for her, which is how she came to live in Pacifica.

Milli

 

Copper is a ChowChow/Terrier mix about 1 year old.  He was originally found in Lodi, watching the cars go by on the Interstate. Luckily for him, a driver from Petfinders noticed him, and was able to coax him into the car. Copper was almost named "Rusty," but during of his first walks, and before he had a permanent name, another dogwalker right here on Mori Point suggested the name "Copper," and it stuck, sort of like the sand on his nose in this photo. Here's MoriDog #21.

Copper

Dog #22 is a local boy, having started life at Shamrock Ranch. Cody is a year-old Australian Shepherd, whose training is coming along nicely. Luna watched him wait (if not patiently) in a long "stay," until his owner released him to retrieve a tennis ball. Good dog, Cody!! 

Cody

For Valentine's Weekend, it's...Liebchen!

Luna and Liebchen have sniffed butts several times before, so it was only natural that they would do so again when I paused to snap a photo of the frogs. Liebchen still has a lot of her puppy energy, and uses it to "go bananas" over cats. Her owner told me that earlier today, a bold cat had blocked their path, and no matter how much fuss Liebchen put up, the cat would not budge. They had to wait until the CAT  decided to move. Liebchen is MoriDog #19.

Liebchen

Playdates for Dogs?

Happy, dog #16, had a couple of friends over for the day, and they all went for a walk.

 

And now, the individual photos. Happy is a Poodle/Tibetan Terrier mix, and had been kept in a garage until surrendered and adopted from the Peninsula Humane Center.

Happy

 

Dog #17 is Bodie, a terrier mix. He came to his current owner via Craigslist, and was very timid at first. But he caught on to the joys of a human bed on the first night and became a world-class cuddler.

Bodie

Sarah is clearly the leader of the pack. Her past is a little bit questionable--she was with a group of other puppies not from her litter, with no mother. Puppy mill? Smuggled? We'll never know for sure, but we ARE sure that MoriDog #18 is in a loving home now.

Sarah

MoriDogs Doesn't Discriminate on the Basis of Species...

Luna and I were climbing up from the beach, when I heard someone comment to the guy just ahead. He had pet-carrier backpack, and I assumed that it contained a little dog. Did he say something about a CAT??? I trotted a little faster to catch up, and indeed it was a serene-looking cat happily riding in the pack. Apparently, they've been doing it for years. "Snowball" will venture out of the pack if there aren't many dogs about, then he hops back in, and they're on their way. He didn't seem to mind Luna, and Luna has always ignored cats. Snowball is #15, and is ten years old. He was born on a farm near Yosemite,  and adopted by his owner as a tiny "snowball," just a few weeks old. His owner reports Snowball will do almost anything for his favorite food, Whiskas.

 

When the Owner is Ready, the Puppy Will Appear

Yes, she was an unplanned puppy, but let's not tell her that. Her owners' elderly dog had recently passed away, and they hadn't yet thought about whether they would get another. Mrs. Owner tells that she had a dream in which she had another dog. The next day, she visited her (dogless) brother-in-law, and to her suprise he had a very young puppy. It seems that brother-in-law had rescued the puppy from a violent household the night before. "What should I do with this puppy?" he asked her.  Her heart melted at once--could YOU resist those eyes? Or those ears? Meet Lelu, a German Shepherd Dog mix and MoriDog #14.

Lelu

Super Bowl Eve

As the rest of the world is snowed and iced-in, we and our dogs smugly enjoyed a beautiful Saturday morning on Mori Point. May the team of your choice win tomorrow!

And now, the dogs!

 Dog #10 is Rufus, a teenaged Flat-Coated Retriever. Rufus' hobbies are wriggling out of his harness and chasing squirrels.

Rufus

Before becoming a Pacifican, Toby was in a puppy rescue home in Lodi. His mom was an Australian Shepherd, and we're not too sure about dad--perhaps Bernese Mountain Dog. In any event, our dog #11 is very happy to be living near the beach now!

Toby

 

Ally and Flash are "cousins," since their owners are brother and sister. 

After her rescue, Ally was timid and fearful. In the effort to bring the Belgian Malanois mix out of her shell, her owner trained her in Dog Agility. Not only did this give Ally the confidence to become friendly and outgoing, but she also became a champion in her weight class.  A trained dog is a happy dog! Ally is MoriDog #12

Ally

Flash, a lucky dog at #13. She is happy to sit in the stands and cheer her cousin Ally in agility. The name of her breed, Basset, comes from the French word bas, meaning low. Yup, that's Flash!

Flash

She's an Angel!

Six years ago, Angel was found along a freeway in Los Angeles, seemingly tossed aside. She had a badly injured hind leg, which the vet initially recommended be amputated. Her guardian "Angel" rescuer wanted to save the leg, and the vet agreed to try. Today, you can still see the scar, but Angel (dog #9) trots happily on four legs.

Angel

Here he is, girls!

Dog #8 is a year-old German Shepherd Dog named Tugg. Still just a puppy, his owner is faithfully training him to be a good citizen, so when she sees another dog approach, she will put Tugg in a "down," which helps him to maintain his composure.  It's working well for them!

Tugg

 There's a certain elastic quality to German Shepherd tongues...

 

Welcome to The Dogs of Mori Point!

Here, you will find pictures and stories of the dogs Luna and I encounter during our walks in Pacifica.

Dog #1 is Luna herself. She is an 11 year old greyhound, who raced on the dog track until her mandatory retirement at age 5.  Had she not been rescued by a non-profit organization dedicated to saving such greyhounds, she would have been destroyed. Luna is as gentle a dog as you will ever meet--characteristic of a retired racer. Though she has no formal obedience training, she walks easily on the leash and socializes well with other dogs.

An ancient breed, greyhounds are generally long-lived and without many of the maladies present in more recent, human-created large dog breeds. You may have heard that greyhounds have two speeds: 40 MPG, and "couch potato." Luna upholds this stereotype, leaning heavily towards "couch potato."

Luna

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Dog # 2 is Gracie, photographed on 24 January 2011. She is perhaps 2 years old here. Before being rescued, Gracie was dumped at the animal shelter, in ill health and with a litter of sickly puppies.  Because her "blue" coloring is uncommon and desirable in the Pit breeds, it is guessed that her previous owner bred her for profit, without thought of her care.  Sweet, gentle Gracie quickly recovered, and is now a  loving member of her forever family.

Gracie

 I couldn't choose between these two pictures, so Gracie gets two!

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Dog #3. Cheka is a 4-year old Rat Terrier/Chihuahua mix, who found herself in the animal shelter after her owner passed away. On 29 January 2011, we happened to meet her as she enjoyed her first walk with her new family.  

Cheka

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Dog #4 is Blaze, an exuberant 3 1/2 month old puppy photographed on 29 January 2011. In the excitement of finding a puppy, I forgot to ask her breed and story! I'm going to guess Siberian Husky, but please forgive me if I'm wrong. She was named for her "blazing" blue eyes.

 Blaze

For some reason, she wanted to sit under Luna.

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On 31 January 2011, Luna and I came upon this group. Since the ladies were "mature," we didn't ask their ages.  Maggie and Lily were rescued from the animal shelter; Bobo is rumored to have sprung fully-formed at her Sharp Park home.

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Dog #5--Maggie, an inquisitve boxer mix.

Maggie

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Dog #6--Lily, a terrier mix whose fashionable wardrobe is provided by her grandmother.

Lily

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Dog #7--Bobo, a wire-haired terrier and...something else. Based on the ear spots and pink nose, I'm going to guess Brittany Spaniel.

Bobo