Puppy Play Date

 Rusty, MoriDog #167

Rusty, on  the left, is a failed foster puppy. That's not a BAD thing! It just means that his foster family decided to keep him for ever. Both of Henley's cats are failed fosters, too.  So we set up a play date with Henley and Cricket (another MoriDog) to get in some socializing for Rusty. He was great--stayed with the big dogs, did whatever they did. 

 After a little run time, Rusty was ready for a portrait. And here we were thinking about his parentage. He's a rescue, so we'll have to wait for the DNA results to be sure. But it looks like Labrador and...something else. His long legs and tail, and deep chest suggest greyhound, or maybe Great Dane. His hobby is digging in the yard.

Go, Giants!

Clancy, MoriDog #166

Clancy's wiggly nature belies his 11 years. I really thought he was a puppy! He has been with his new family for just two weeks, since his previous human entered assisted living.

Henley approves of Clancy's new collar--Orange and Black to show support for his favorite Giants. Clancy loves treats, and his special skill is making everyone feel good!

Trail Buddies!

Gentle Giant

Theo, MoriDog #165

Theo is an American Akita, distinguished from the more commonly seen Japanese Akita by their larger size. 

Henley, at 80 lbs, is often one of the bigger dogs on Mori Point, but as you can see, Theo is nearly half again his size, and all friendly muscle. (It's ok Henley...size doesn't matter!) 

Theo was the first of 7 puppies born one night. Next morning--Surprise! Two more brothers! He is obsessed with the squirrels who hang out on the levee.  He knows he can't catch one, but he feels that he MUST try.  His hobby is waking up raccoons along the golf course. He can't understand why they are sleeping in the daytime, so when he smells one, he barks his wake-up call. In a kind, and gentle way, of course! 

Glamour Pose!

Dutch Treat

Pepper, MoriDog #164

 

Pepper is a Dutch Shepherd, the first of her breed on MoriDogs, and she is indeed a treat. Found in a DUMPSTER with her littermates, she shows only the tiniest bit of residual shyness from her difficult start in life. But she has so many excellent qualities! Her superpower is that she understands human language very well. She knows her favorite toys by name; Pelican, Lamb, and Ball. She is super gentle with them, and never destroys them. (Henley could learn a LOT from her in this area!) Pepper is also very tidy, and always puts her toys away in the basket. 

Little Dogs Dream Big

Claude, MoriDog #163

A friend of Henley's human was dogsitting Claude, and they came to share a MoriWalk. It turned out to not be much of a walk, because the Mori Point trail was seriously overgrown, and Henley got a tick on his head before we even got to the first trashcan. So we stopped for a photo-op at the frogpond, brushed everybody off, and did a neighborhood walk instead. Remind me to send an email to GGNRA about this!

Claude is 15, and was named after his human's grandfather. Even at this advanced age, he still loves playing, walks on the beach, and the wind on his face. (particularly through the car window) He hates baths and stuff touching his ears. He thinks he is a Great Dane/Pit Bull mix. 

Another Yellow Labrador on the Block!

JuJu, MoriDog #162

Juju was a 70th birthday present to her human. They had been without a dog after the passing TimberWoof, who was MoriDog #112. As Henley's neighbor, Juju has been watching him from afar for a couple of months. She needed to wait for all her shots before she could finally play with the big dogs. Henley was extremely patient, and allowed all of the usual puppy antics without complaint. She doesn't have the huge puppy-feet that Labs sometime have, but her ears are already full-sized, and velvety soft they are!

 

Somebody's Got to Watch the Wild Things!

 Fior

MoriDog #161

Fior (Italian for "flower") is named for one of her human's favorite opera characters. A rescue of Chihuahua/Pomeranian type, her life's work is to watch for wildlife. In the mornings, as shown here, she prefers the wooden walkway on the Old Mori Road trail, where she observes rabbits. At home, Fior waits till dusk, and then takes up the surveillance at her dog door.

When one of her neighbors comes home from work each day, she gives Fior a treat. Though this generous neighbor lives some distance down the street, Fior has the ability to detect the opening of her garage door, so as to not miss a snack opportunity. She doesn't react to other garage doors. 

If Fior were an opera singer, she would be a Soprano.

It's All About the Ears

 Jesse
MoriDog #160

First of all, I must apologize for the lesser quality of the image. Rain was forecast the day Henley and I encountered Jesse, so I didn't bring my usual camera. My iPhone X just doesn't do the job you usually expect on this blog!

Jesse is a Chocolate Labrador with an unusual characteristic: His fur is THE softest I have every encountered beyond that of a tiny kitten. If you see Jesse, be sure to indulge your fingers in the velvety smoothness behind his ears. He likes to be the one who gives permission for this. He is not aggressive at all, but has a bit of "cat-like indifference." You can see it in his photo. As I stood chatting with his human, Jesse indicated that he would like to be recognized, and he appreciated the extra-long head scratching I gave him. An athletic dog, his human reports that he can catch a ball on the fly at 300 ft. Jesse dislikes puppies, but has excellent doggie manners. He and Henley had an appropriate greeting and butt-sniff.

Finally, the Individual Attention She Deserves

 Annie

MoriDog #159

Annie was recently rescued from a place with an unhealthy number of dogs. Fortunately, she had enough  previous contact with humans that she adjusted easily to her new home, and is enjoying more personal space.  So far, Annie's hobbies are chewing shoes and chasing birds. 

Zion National (Dog) Park

Zion

Moridog #158

 

The late afternoon lighting makes Zion looks so mature! But underneath that thoughtful face is a wiggly, adventurous 13-week old puppy! Zion was born in Fresno, to a Border Collie mom who had been dumped, and thankfully taken in by a rescue group. He may not be registered with the AKC, but he has his DNA results! Dad was mostly Husky, with some Malamute and Cattle Dog as well.
The rescuers named all of Zion's littermates after a National Park. 

Now THIS is more like what you'd expect from a puppy Zion's age! Caught in the act of digging!

Just for a Day...

Penny

MoriDog #157

Sometimes a dog finds her forever home right away. In Penny's case, it was a bit like the game of Telephone. There was a neighbor, who had a friend, who had a dog she couldn't keep... And the neighbor asked Penny's eventual human if she could look after her "just for a day" while they figured out how to rehome her. (How many of us have heard that "just for a day" story? It's like a temporary tax.)  In any case, Penny was sent next door with all of her things, and was waiting patiently for a late-night snack when, unprompted, she performed the neat little trick you see just above. It clinched the deal! But our soft-hearted foster dogmom had agreed with her boyfriend that dogs needed to be approved together. The next day, Boyfriend also agreed to "just the day." That was 5 years ago, and Penny is still melting hearts with her treat sit.  Her breed? Maybe Australian Kelpie with some Pharaoh Hound in the mix,

Big Trip Coming Up

Cooper
MoriDog #156

Don't let Cooper's slightly inattentive gaze fool you. He is a dog in MOTION! This wiggly guy is only 8 months old, and his stillness lasted only a fraction of a second. I'll let you in on a secret, but you have to promise not to tell. Cooper is about to go on his first duck hunting trip! 

New Pup in Town

 Sweetie Pie

MoriDog #155

Sweetie Pie is a terrier rescue of uncertain mix. But just look at that sweet face, and soulful eyes! She has been in town only only a few months, so she and her human are just getting to know each other. 

The Friendliest Dog on the Beach

Buddy

MoriDog #154

Buddy is a MoriDog on the move!  His human assures me that as a Pointer, his work in the field is excellent. I don't think there were any pheasant in the bushes down at the south end of Sharp Park, but Buddy was checking. In between (and also during) hunting trips, Buddy likes to sleep in the car. He is reported to be the friendliest dog on the beach!

The Blog is Back!

Max
MoriDog #153

News Flash! MoriDogs is back in action! Luna is gone now, but Henley (MoriDog #152) will carry on her work.

Separated at birth? Max, on the left, looks a lot like Henley! They are both the big chunky "English" style yellow Labrador. Max was a Christmas present 6 years ago. Lucky humans! Max is everything they could dream of in a dog. His hobby is swimming, and he has the superpower of unconditional love.

Jumping Joslin

Joslin, MoriDog #151

Joslin isn't jumping here--we couldn't  get a good shot in good light. But just imagine this Dalmation/Border Collie mix happily hopping to catch her favorite ball!

A Theraputic Duo

Cricket, MoriDog #149

Ginger, MoriDog  #150

Cricket (on the left) and Ginger are certified Therapy Dogs. As such, you may have seen them with their human at South San Francisco Kaiser, serving as calming influences to anyone about to endure a stressful event. They are a well-balanced pair. Cricket provides the energy, running laps around Ginger, who is usually looking for a comfortable place to lie down. Points, too, for style--they are well color-coordinated!

I Blame the Dog!!!

OOPS!!

Luna would like to apologize for her human's error in deleting photos that should have been saved. This caused MoriDogs to NOT appear here! Scrappy was photographed near the pier. Rose, Happy, Lu and a flying dog whose name was also lost in the pipes were snapped on the trail. Hope to catch you guys again, and do better!

Third's the Charm!

Winni and Angel, MoriDogs #147 and 148

Winni says, This ball isn't going to throw itself, you know!"

"Ok, now you're just mocking me..."

"The things I do to please my humans..."

"Now let's try it again, and this time, WITHOUT the attitude?" 

Angel doesn't quite understand all the fuss about a scruffy green ball.

The third time IS the charm for this cutie. Angel lost her first home to a divorce, and her second when her elderly human entered a care facility. Luckily, she found her forever home with a dog-loving couple who take her on regular outings with her canine friend Winni. Winni has her own tale of drama.  She was on the street at the age of 3 months, and had the good sense to hang out at Angel's house, where it didn't take long for her to be welcomed into the household.

I Felt a Presence...

Georgia, MoriDog #146

At the Moss Beach Distillery, there is a legend of The Blue Lady, a ghostly vision that appears from time to time. She's sort of the mascot of the restaurant. We were having a nice hamburger there tonight, outside on the patio so that the canine member of our group could stay with us. Dinner arrived, and I commenced enjoying it. But I felt...a presence. Maybe it was the Blue Lady!! But out of the corner of my right eye, I saw what it was. Georgia, being very patient, was watching my every move. It's not that I was so interesting, but every movement revealed a french fry. I could feel Georgia willing me to move the fries closer...within reach...just a little bit more...

Georgia is rescued Boxer mix from New York. Her human is now at home in Berkeley, and Georgia likes the change. As mentioned above, her special power is Telekinesis, and her hobby is stealing plastic iced coffee cups.

The fries were long gone, but the delicious smell remained.