Must be Aussie Week...

Charlie, MoriDog #133

One of the things I love about doing this blog, besides meeting the dogs and people, is that I get to learn new things about dogs. Until  this morning, I didn't know that there is a distinction between a Labradoodle and the Australian Labradoodle. It's too long to go into here, but if you Google it, you'll know too, and see some darling puppy pictures along the way. Charlie is of the Australian variety. He's about 7 months old, and his human is doing a brilliant job with his training. Dried chicken helps a lot, which Charlie was kind enough to share with Luna. Charlie loves to run in the surf, and do the "high five." (For a piece of chicken, of course! See below.)

A Tiny Aussie

Sierra, MoriDog #132

Sierra is a Miniature Australian Shepherd--everything that is lovable in a regulation Aussie, in a tiny package. Here she is, waiting very patiently for her human to finish interacting with the birds. She came to her current home because of a divorce, but has a very nice second life now, complete with her own cat. Her human has created a memorial to his past dogs--if you climb Bootlegger Steps, you might see CJ's and Toby's names inscribed in seats he made and installed there. We're hoping that Sierra's name won't be up there for a very long time.

A Yellow Lab with a Secret

Gunny, MoriDog #131

Would you believe that this sweet-looking dog has a bad habit? Ordinarily, Gunny is obedient--but if the humans aren't looking, no Kleenex or paper napkin at Labrador level is is safe from her jaws. So far, she hasn't tried to blame the cat.

Fog Dogs

Ringo, MoriDog #130

Ringo is an lively Great Dane/Greyhound mix. He looks and acts like a half-grown Dane, though he is six years old. In these photos, he is at the Pacifica Fog Fest, playing with his new friend, Odin. Ringo' female human found him in Las Vegas, on Craigslist as a 6 month old puppy. On  the phone, she was reluctant to disclose his breed to the male human of the family, focusing instead on his need to be rescued. But it all worked out, and even the 5 household cats get along with him now. His male human tells me that Ringo is running for mayor of Pacifica, and as such promises "a cat on every couch, and a milk bone in every hand." Here are some more photos of the spontaneous play date:

Welcome to the Neighborhood, Mochi!

Mochi, Moridog #129

What a sweet face! Mochi is a new arrival to Pacifica and Mori Point. She is most recently from the Outer Sunset, where there was no dirt, and hardly any sun. Yes, she did get to visit Ocean Beach often, but aren't the Pacifica beaches more FUN?? Mochi thinks so, and is enjoying a backyard dig once in a while, too.

I usually post only one photo of each dog, but today I make an exception . First, it's been so hard to find a new dog, now that we're up to #129, so there's lots of room here on the DogBlog, and second, isn't it amazing what a dog can do with her TONGUE? I just love silly dog tongues.

 

 

 

Camera shy

Bella, MoriDog #128

Bella is a Shamrock Ranch puppy who is a little camera shy. I find that sometimes dogs are suspicious of the lens; perhaps it looks like a big eye, "dogging" them down. She has the intelligence typical of her breed, if not the overwhelming desire to obey humans. If she is loose, when called to "come" she will come, but stands just far enough to avoid being leashed. A game of "hard to get," I suppose. So like Luna, when she goes out it's all leash, all the time. Not such a bad thing!

It's the Whippets!

Bentley and Aston Martin, MoriDogs #126 and 127

I've been hearing about these two for a while now, when we talk to people on the trail about Luna's Greyhound-ness. "Have you seen the Whippets?" they will ask. I have to hang my head and sadly reply, "No...not yet..." But today, there they were, all sleek and shiny. Bentley, the tan-and-white, still has a bit of puppy exuberance, but he settled down nicely. Aston Martin, the black-and-white, was more reserved, which suited Luna just fine. Both are rescue dogs, and were being walked today by a kind neighbor who often takes them out.

The Nose Knows

Cletus, MoriDog #125

Cletus is a Redbone Hound of indeterminate age. Years ago, he was on the shelter's Death Row, when his sentence was commuted with only hours to go. Here, Cletus uses his favorite sense to investigate Luna. Luna, being a sighthound, had already sized him up from a distance, but is willing to display good doggie manners in a friendly sniff.

Luna, meet Luna!

Luna, MoriDog #124

Luna was found wandering the streets of Oakland, picked up by Pets in Need in Redwood City, and has been with her human for about 7 years. She eats everything in sight, and particularly enjoys grazing on the trail. Luna's human tells me that her special ability is that she can gaze directly into your soul. I didn't realize it at the time I took this photograph, but I think she's doing it right here.

We didn't get blown off the Point, but only just...

This blustery day, when the ocean froth was blowing all the way up to the trail, Luna came upon four new dogs.

Ripley, MoriDog #120

7 years ago, Ripley's first human was transferred to Canada. There is a very long quarantine period for dogs entering Canada, so it was decided that Ripley would  better off in his current home. A Whippet-Labrador mix, she is still working on her  relationships with other dogs, but she and Luna got on very well. Butts were sniffed, and life goes on.

John Duke, MoriDog #121, 

Patsy Mae, MoriDog #122 and 

Dudley, MoriDog #123

That's Dad on the left, Mom in center, and their 4-month-old puppy Dudley on the right. Mom and Dad are attentively posing, but Dudley wanted none of that sitting-still stuff. You can almost see him roll his eyes impatiently.

New puppy next door!!

Petunia, MoriDog #119

Petunia really isn't old enough to be outside yet, so we are lucky to get a glimpse of her. Since she needed to get inside to warm up, I didn't press for details, but I'm eager to find out how her housemate Boots (MoriDog#100) feels about her. Details as they happen!

Spring comes to Pacifica

We are so lucky to live here, where we can enjoy a sunny day in February. With the spring comes Luna's birthday; she is now officially twelve years old. She's a young 12 despite her grey muzzle, (she is a GREYhound, after all) perhaps in part due to the fresh sea air of Mori Point.

Jessie Jane, MoriDog #118

Jessie enjoys a vigorous scratch in the warm sun. Soon after acquiring Jessie, she and her human met another Golden Retriever named Jesse James. No relation,  they're just good friends.

New year, four new MoriDogs

I haven't photographed a new MoriDog in a long time, and suddenly there are four of them!

Marcy, MoriDog #114

Marcy is only 2-1/2 years old, but she's already had three rescues. Her first was a Los Angeles veterinarian who treated her  broken leg, probably from being hit by a car. Rescuer #2 took her from the vet to live with her loving Grandma, where she had a happy life. But Grandma got too sick to care for her, so Grandson (and her current human)became Rescuer #3. They live in Napa, but love Mori Point so much that visit here frequently.  Marcy is an Affenpinscer, which translates in German to mean "Monkey-like Terrier." In the show ring, they are groomed in a way that will enhance their "monkey faces."

Brownie, MoriDog #115

Brownie has a good trick--she fetches and dances for money! Her humans report that 20s are her favorites. While one holds a bill, she will dance, and then take the cash in her teeth, over to her other human. Brownie has a twin named Kitty who lives nearby, but they are hardly identical.  Not only is Kitty white, but does everything opposite to what Brownie does. 

Tucker, MoriDog #116

Tucker is already a star. He appeared in Proctor and Gamble commercials with his littermates before he came to Pacifica 12 years ago. He was sometimes seen in the Chronicle courtesy of his Travel Editor human. He's in semi-retirement now, but still knows how to strike a pose.

Naka, MoriDog #117

Naka is short for "Nakama," which his human tells me means "family member" in Japanese. He's a Shiba Inu, which looks like a small Akita. Naka has a special talent--he is bilingual. In addition to English, he also understands Cantonese.