DEBORAH CROMBIE: I have a rant! I was so aggravated on Tuesday this week when I couldn't find any way to watch the Westminster Dog Show. We have broadcast TV (antenna!) and we have lots of streaming services (too many!) but none of our options carried the show. Apparently, it was on FS1, which is Fox Sports on cable, and on Hulu+, which is streaming but ouchy expensive. So, I sulked, and tried to keep up with the New York Times live updates, but no pictures, so boo. Here's this year's winner (photo courtesy of Westminster Kennel Club), a gorgeous, sassy doberman called Penny. (Or, officially, GCHP CH Connquest Best Of Both Worlds.)
I adore dog shows. I think it's fascinating to see the variations in all the different breeds. Of course, I have my favorites--German shepherds, obviously. I also love all the Herding Group, the Working Group, and the Hunting Group, especially the spaniels, but I have cheered for little bichons and terriers and all manner of dogs.
This made me think about why we love the dogs that we love. We have had German shepherds (Jasmine, who will be twelve on Valentine's Day (ish) is our 4th) because Rick's family kept a friend's German Shepherd for a few months when he was about four. From then on, the GSD was the perfect dog for him and there is no substitute.
I love them, too, but as you might guess from the dog I gave Gemma in my books, I have a big place in my heart for cocker spaniels, both the English and the American varieties. A cocker was my first dog as an adult, brought home by my ex-husband as a six-week-old puppy--as a surprise! Here I am with my darling boy, Taffy, in my author photo on the back flap of DREAMING OF THE BONES.
Where Kit's little rescue terrier, Tess, comes from I don't know, as we've never had terriers in our family, but I can tell you that she looks like a Norwich terrier.
Dog genetics are endlessly fascinating to me. My daughter, Kayti, and her family adopted a rescue puppy after Christmas. Her name is Tillie and she's missing one of her front legs--it had to be amputated due to a bad break. Look at her little face!!
Kayti sent off her DNA to be tested and while waiting for the results, she did a fundraiser for the rescue organization, giving people a chance to guess Tillie's lineage.
You can see that we were all convinced there was terrier or schnauzer in there! We were so wrong.
Here are Tillie's DNA test results.
Tillie and Jasmine are cousins!
Dear REDs and readers, do you have a favorite dog breed? And, if so, why?
We love all dogs, but if pressed to pick just one, I'd have to say we're partial to golden retrievers . . . .
ReplyDeleteOh, they are so lovely. But I learned that a golden has never won at Westminter! #JusticeForGoldens
DeleteIndeed! Time for a Golden to be Best in Show!
DeleteHear, hear! Suzette Ciancio
DeleteI'd love to see a Golden win Best in Show, too . . . .
DeleteWe got a puppy the summer before I went into 2nd grade. He was part beagle, part terrier (so we were told in the days before DNA testing). He lived until I was out of college. His coloring was mainly black with some brown (his “stockings”) and a touch of white. The first dog I had as an adult were actually two — a mother-daughter bonded pair we got from a rescue group. The daughter was half mom (GSD and who knows how many other breeds), but we have always been pretty sure her dad was a Rottweiler because she looked a lot like a shorter Rottie. I was subconsciously looking for my childhood dog’s coloring! Years after our girls were gone and I had retired, we found a dog at a wonderful rescue group here in San Diego County called Frosted Faces. They rescue senior dogs and cats. Again, I fell in love with this great dog because of his good looks and sweet-as-the-day-is-long personality. This time we did have his DNA tested and although he looked like he was a majority Rottweiler, he was 50% boxer, some portion Chow, a few others and finally 4% Rottweiler. That 4% was all on the outside in his coloring! Unfortunately, the 50% boxer caused him to be prone to cancer (as that breed is apparently sadly known for) and he died last August after only 3.5 years with him. We both miss him terribly and haven’t decided if he’ll be our last pup. — Pat S
ReplyDeleteOh, Pat, so sorry. Yes, they are very prone to cancer. My daughter rescued a lovely white boxer named Gidget but lost her to cancer, too.
DeleteOh Pat, that’s such a tough decision. When we lost our last one 3 years ago, we hit pause because we knew we would be traveling a lot. But we sure have missed having one around.
DeleteI am on my 12th Boxer - obviously a deeply loved breed for me. I think there has been one Boxer winner at Westminster. True. sadly, that they are prone to a variety of cancers. Great companions and youthful all their lives. There was a lot of coverage on YouTube. Jan Clemson
DeleteI love dogs. My dad brought home a puppy when I was small and I loved him to pieces. We lived in the country and he disappeared when I was around 10. We never found out what happened to him. That is really tough to go through. Dad got us a beautiful golden retriever pup when I was about 12 . He was hit by a car just a couple years later. Another tragedy. I was devastated. But I always knew I'd have a dog when I grew up.
ReplyDeleteMy brother had a lovely German Shepherd who had a litter of 11 puppies. The father was an Irish wolf hound or probably a crossbreed. I was living in Israel at the time. I came home for the summer and chose my puppy, then went back to Tel Aviv and let my brother raise him. The next summer I came home and a few months later, brought this gigantic dog to live in my new condo. A guy I was dating took one look at him and left! I told everyone that the dog screened my dates!
I took this dog through all kinds of training at a police dog training facility. You can't have a dog that size making his own decisions about people. He was off-leash trained and would go through commands just from hand signals. He was amazing!
Irwin fell in love with him. His first words to me were, "I've always wanted a dog like that." He and I had 3 more GSD'S over the next 40 years. When Kenai passed over the rainbow bridge, Irwin said no more dogs. It was hard to get used to and probably would have been healthier for me to have a dog to take for walks, but I am getting used to it.
Irish wolfhounds are ENORMOUS! When I was single I lived in a house with four guys downstairs, and one guy's girlfriend brought her wolfhound and her SIX puppies with her for a couple weeks. They were in the basement, which is where the laundry was, and I was completely intimidated by having seven exceedingly friendly giant doggos who all thought they could put their paws on my shoulders.
DeleteJudy, are you not a cat person? We adore our cats, and they are such good company. Such personalities, too, and all so different.
DeleteI've had a dog since I was five and usually try to have a different breed each time (so I don't compare them). Only exception was college years when I could not have a dog in the dorms and had a Maine Coon Cat ... which is as close as a cat comes to being a dog. Now is the only exception. We adopted a rescue dog in late September and two weeks in she met my daughter-in-law and fell in love, so now she lives in the other half of the house and deigns to visit. Favorite is beagle I am afraid. Or the next dog ...
ReplyDeleteI love that you'd had all that variety!
DeleteI'm not a dog person, but I do love German Shepherds.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone should love German shepherds!
DeleteDebs, how old is Tillie? I think they might have mixed up her test results with another dog LOL!! We always root for the Australian shepherds in memory of our glorious Tonka, which Lottie is very tired of... I especially enjoy watching agility trials because any kind of dog can win. I tried both Tonka and Lottie in those classes, but Tonka was afraid of heights and Lottie is her own dog.
ReplyDeleteps we had German shepherds growing up, but they were poorly trained and not my dogs
DeleteYour Tonka was the best of the best, Lucy. And Lottie is definitely her own dog:-)
DeleteTillie is only about six months. I should have posted another picture that showed how long her legs are, but with that black coat, it's hard to see her features unless in a close up. You'd think there was some greyhound in there, too!
We grew up in a no pet household (sad!). In college our roommates had two golden retrievers, 3 cats, and a rabbit. The goldens were beautiful, but annoying (mostly due to eating habits, like snacking from the dirty laundry basket and the cat box). I promised myself that I would never have a golden retriever. Famous last words. When my son was 10, he was reading The Boxcar Children series, and in it, there was a golden retriever named Gloria. He organized the kids on the school bus to say, "Get a golden retriever Gillian!" as they exited the bus. So for Christmas, we got a puppy and we named her Gloria. I loved her completely, but she was a problem child, with alpha behaviors and an eating disorder (she ate everything) that led to many vet bills. After Gloria passed on to the great plastic toy, paint roller, and chocolate candy buffet in the sky, I adopted Marley from Golden Bond rescue. She was very submissive and sweet, and never got into trouble. She was my perfect match. She's the one in my picture. When she died in 2018, I was heartbroken and so far haven't been able to really look into another one. I do take care of my friend's golden for her, so I get the occasional fix.
ReplyDeletePS, I have a friend who breeds English cockers. In the beginning, she was breeding show dogs, but now I think they are mostly for agility. Very sweet!
DeleteI take it your friend is in Oregon, Gillian? I saw an English cocker last year at the farmers market but the owners weren't friendly and I don't know if they got it locally. I have looked for English cocker breeders in north Texas with no luck.
DeleteActually no, my friend is in Wisconsin. Here's a link to her English Cocker FB. https://www.facebook.com/p/Nohea-English-Cocker-Spaniels-Working-Cockers-100054198263781/. Danae's been my friend since college--in fact one of the goldens I lived with back in the day was hers.
DeleteThanks, Gillian! Her dogs are wonderful, even if too active for us. Sigh.
DeleteWe were cheering the black standard poodles, especially the poodle who won an agility event. Wow! And I loved the Afghan Hound for best in show...but Penny the doberman is a special girl, too.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think Penny the doberman is gorgeous!
DeletePenny has such attitude! "Look at me! I am the coolest!" I have a thing for the standard poodles, Margaret, and I love seeing the photos of yours, and Robin Burcell's gorgeous dogs. I've told Rick I want a standard but so far I am not getting any traction on that.
DeleteHaving watched my little sister get attacked by a German Shepherd when she was five and I was seven, I was fairly prejudiced against that breed, and a lot of other dogs for a long time. We never had pets growing up, but after Steve and I got married I wanted a dog for company, since he traveled six months of the year. I saw a sign for free puppies, and fell in love with a ball of fur the owner said was the product of a German Shepherd and a border collie. The collie was the mom, and Knife (meant to be my protector, see) had her coloring. He was such a smart dog, I--who had no idea what I was doing--trained him to sit, stay, roll over, and speak with hand commands.
ReplyDeleteLong story short, Knife ended up with an elderly neighbor couple after we moved to a place with no fence. But we used to see him often, trotting alongside his new master on their daily walks, living his best life.
We have not had a dog since, but all three daughters have had dogs. My personal favorite was my oldest daughter's best boy, Sebastian, a border collie with attitude and amazing intelligence. He was light-colored with the softest fur, and so much personality. They also had a black Lab mix named Otis, who was a loveable, insecure dimwit, especially compared to Sebastian. Since then, all their dogs have been Bernese Mountain Dogs, which is the sweetest breed, ever. Unless they are like the newest pup, Daisy, who has eaten half their house in the past year. She is banned from our house until she grows out of that.
Honorable mention: Samson the sweet, globetrotting chocolate Lab who has lived in Kenya and now Greece. And Odin, the smart and energetic Australian cattle dog in Portland.
My mom was attacked by a German shepherd when she was a child and was ever after afraid of dogs. She did get used to ours, though, and eventually loved them very much.
DeleteI love dogs. All dogs. Even the dog that bit me. It wasn't his fault; I think he had been trained to be as mean as possible. He looked like a black lab, of which there is no sweeter dog, but who knows what other ancestors he had. Someone had given him to my parents because we 'lived out in the country.' After he bit me I never saw him again and don't know what happened to him. I didn't ask.
ReplyDeleteBut my favorite breed is the Shetland Sheepdog. Their size is just right. They do have a lot of fur so constant brushing is mandatory. I had always heard they were known as barkers but of the seven I had over the years, only the most recent one was a barker. I so miss having a dog which is one reason I love to see them in the books I read.
I figured out that not having a dog as part of the family is a red flag test. Anyone looking for my vote better have a dog or two or three.
I like beagles, golden retrievers, labrador retrievers.
ReplyDeleteWe've always had rescue dogs so we often got a strange mix - but they seemed to be mostly part beagle - part something else (!) but light colored.
Years ago we had a rescue dog, we thought might be part poodle but we we later found out was a Hungarian Puli. She was quite the dog! She liked to climb up on the roof via a staircase and watch cars go by. One day she jumped off the roof. When it rained she would not stop barking until it stopped raining. She occasionally would get out of the back yard (unknown to us) and run across a busy street to a local bar. They would let her hang out for awhile then call us (our phone number was on her tag). One day we had to leave and we didn't want her to escape (AGAIN!) so we leashed her and tied her to a post in the garage - doors and windows closed. When we got home she was sitting in the back yard - we never figured out how she escaped -- possibly pushed a board from a window?
We should have named her Houdini.
That was one very smart dog!!
DeleteOur son’s rescue dog’s DNA came back with something like 75 things. He looks a lot like this dog from the Westminster Show https://www.kttc.com/2026/02/04/dog-with-chatfield-roots-wins-big-honors-westminster-kennel-club-dog-show/
ReplyDeleteWe no longer have a dog ourselves, but our kids all have rescues and our oldest son and his wife fostered quite a few different dogs for a terrier group.
A lot of people in our community have dogs and the nearest dog park is just a block away from us.
My favorite breed is beagle.
Oh, the Chessie! What a lovely dog he is! I like beagles, too, but no one in our family as ever had one.
DeleteDEBS: My family had dogs for generations. Dogs play a role in my family stories.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, we had a dog, who looked like the dog from the movie Babe the Pig. Our dog was half German Shepherd (dog mom) and half Border Collie. He was always trying to herd me and my friends - lol. My Uncle had a Golden Retriever named after a song then a white short haired dog (no idea which breed). My relatives have dogs. If I lived in a house with a yard, then I would love to have a dog. What is my favorite breed? For me, I would like a dog that is small enough for me to pick up and carry.
Did you know about the hearing dogs? I think there is a waiting list for hearing dogs. They are similar to service dogs. There are also emotional support dogs. I just read about a dog that detects cancer in people. Another story about a dog who alerts her human when her human is about to have a seizure!
I did know about hearing dogs, Diana! And I have a story about our cocker, Taffy. I had several years of very severe rotational vertigo (due to Meniere's Disease.) This type of vertigo can strike without warning and you go down like you've been pole-axed. Taffy, however, learned to sense when an episode was coming and he would "dog" me, staying right at my feet whatever I was doing. Then when I did go down, he would plaster himself against my side and not move until either I could get up, or help came. Dogs are really, really remarkable.
DeleteI was a little surprised to read that French Bulldogs are often the #1 most popular dog. They are cute though. They often share the #1 spot (depending on the year) with labs and golden retrievers followed by German Shepherds. Border Collies are considered the smartest.
ReplyDeleteBorder collies, standard poodles, and German shepherds are usually considered the top three in smart department. Which can be a good thing or a bad thing! My friend Gigi's border collies were so neurotic that it made me a little wary, but I'm sure they're wonderful with the right training and circumstances. I'm not a big fan of the Bullies--too many health problems.
DeleteI love golden retrievers, having adopted one in my younger days. She was priceless. I eventually gave her to my son (honestly, she chose to stay there), his wife and their first-born child. Dusty was quite the protector and would even come between my DIL and the baby if she didn't like her tone of voice while addressing the little one.
ReplyDeleteMy second love is for Great Pyrenees. Those animals are magnificent. I met one once and he held eye contact the entire time I chatted with him. Talk about feeling seen! That dog could look straight into your soul. Granted, I could probably ride him, but I still fell totally in love with Pyrs that day. -- Victoria
They are such gorgeous dogs! I'll bet that coat takes some maintenance, though.
DeleteI am a cat woman, ever and always. I do like dogs as individuals. Two of our best friends have always had golden s and I love them. I prefer mostly larger dogs but do adore corgis, and the owner of Bear Pond Books in Stowe, VT has an adorable French Bulldog (his name is Tucker and he would always come and sit with us on my sales calls). I do love Gemma’s and Kit’s dogs, Deb’s. And your photos here are adorable.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you, Suzette! I saw TWO corgis at the farmers market this morning, different owners. I can never remember which type is which but they were beautiful dogs. And of course I always think of the late queen.
DeleteI grew to love corgis because I loved Queen Elizabeth II! And their fur is SO soft!
DeleteLoving the comments! I have to run out for a bit this morning but will be back to chat!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite dogs are the ones well-trained and controlled by their humans. I have met dogs I like (couldn't tell you the breed), and they all came with responsible humans. I'm a cat person, and yappy dogs, dogs that jump up on me, dogs that are left in the yard (adjacent to mine) barking loudly for hours, dogs that are too needy - just not for me.
ReplyDeleteThat's the fault of the owners, not the poor dogs. You know we are cat people, too, as we have three of them, but I have a hard time imagining life without a dog.
DeleteMorning all and thanks for telling me how to not be anonymous anymore. I love Pomeranians and Cocker Spaniels. Duffy was the English cocker and acted very proper and was definitely my dog by his choice as he chose me at the dog adoption place. Then along came an American Cocker. Total opposite in personality. Always the puppy. She once “sneaked” up the arm of my chair, across the back (never once looking in my direction - always off in space and then sloooowly came down the other arm of the chair … and promptly put her muzzle in my coffee cup.They got along very well together. I’ve had 4 Poms throughout my long life. Such sweet dogs. Loves everybody. She loves to investigate sacks, purses but especially open suitcases which she sits in once she’s investigated the contents. May I ask, what’s everyone’s opinion: do you think a person “ages-out” of getting a new dog? 70’s? 80’s? There’s always the chance we will pass before the dog. Is that fair? Yet, there are all those years of no furry hugs. Perhaps not a puppy, but adopt a senior dog?
ReplyDeleteThat's such a hard question, Paula. Rick really wants another shepherd but I am just not sure I'm up for that, although I do want another dog. In our case I think our daughter would be sure a dog had a good home, but that's not always the case. When our friend Gigi died we had to place three dogs and two cats (how we ended up with Ella) and it was tough.
DeletePaula, as I said in my story above, there’s a Senior Dog and Cat rescue organization in Ramona, CA (northeast of the city of San Diego). They take animals whose people have died through their Final Wish program. Perhaps you can contact them (www.frostedfacesfoundation.org) and see if they know of another organization closer to you who offer the same service. (I just looked at their website. You have to look at the center top of the home page for the word “Menu”. There’s a lot of information on the drop down menu from there.) Good luck! — Pat S
DeletePaula, I think that’s such a personal decision. I think it is even more important to match energy levels so both you and the dog are happy - naps or walks? And good training to avoid a tripping hazard.
DeleteI don’t know that the concern of leaving the dog behind should be the biggest issue - that could happen to anyone. It makes sense to have a plan - when we still had our dog, I made sure our nephew in Chicago, our executor, had info about local friends or dog-sitting services that could help him out if we died unexpectedly.
Thank you, Debs, Pat and Lisa for your assistance. The information is perfect. I’ve noted the program, and taken the advice to heart.
DeleteWe've had a number of dogs--one was Rugby, a German Shepherd who would open his mouth and Junior the cat would put her head inside. I never understood the ritual, but they carried on until they died. Diva, a Great Pyrenees was claustrophobic and had a fear of water. She was also very smart and an escape artist. She had her own pen in the dog pound because it had to have a special lock so she couldn't get out when she was there--which was frequently. The first time she was there pre-lock, she got out of her pen and then opened all the pens for the other dogs. It was almost impossible to keep her home!! I loved them both and cried a lot when Diva died.
ReplyDeleteA very smart dog, Gerri! Our dogs have always gotten along really well with the cats. One of Rick's four-year-old memories of the temporary German shepherd was sticking his hand in the dog's mouth and pretending he was a lion tamer.
DeleteWell, of course, Kayti’s Tillie HAD to have German Shepherd DNA…with you and Rick in Kayti’s family. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteKayti thought it was hysterical.
DeleteAnd an off-topic comment: has the Reds and Readers “at 7 on the 7th” permanently retired? I miss it. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to be missed! We will still do some happy hours! We've just found it so hard to schedule all seven of us. Maybe we will do a Spring Fling.
DeleteYay for a Spring Fling (possibly)! It’s completely understandable that seven busy women would be hard to coordinate schedules. Please do know that we love it when you can make it happen. — Pat S
DeleteThanks, Deborah… just make sure Spring Fling is better publicized (for old ladies like me) than December get together. I only saw it 2 weeks after and that is because I was wondering about January 7! Understand that you all are busy writing and publicizing and all. Elisabeth
DeleteI've been lucky to have had many top dogs in my life, beginning with the sweet Polly (full Name Polly Sweetie-Pie Puppy Dog House, bestowed on her by sister when she was three-years-old), a loving and gentle giant Newfoundland-St. Bernard mix who was terrified of thunder and lightning. Other dogs included two wonderful rescues: Declan, a Black Lab mix /who would bark like anything whenever someone came to the door and then would help them clean the house of all valuables once they entered, and McGillicuddy, an incontinent Pekinese who (in the words of my late father-in-law) ws a "pretty good boy." Currently, I am often visited by Duncan, a little indeterminant black mop of phlegm-inducing allergens who has taken to sleeping on my pillow. There have been many other great dogs, all loyal and loving and trusty and sometimes brave. I have been as lucky with animals as I have with friends and family.
ReplyDeleteJerry, do you read Paula Munier, who has a Newfie in her books, as well as Elvis the Malanois. And Paula has two Newfies herself, as well as Blondie, her own Malanois.
DeleteI have been watching the Westminster Dog Show on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to watch bits, but it's been a busy week. Hoping to catch up on some more of the videos in the next few days.
DeleteI love dogs, and would love to own one or four! I love Dachshunds and Yorkies. Every day I watch three or four dachshund videos on Instagram. I can’t get enough of them. When I was growing up we had a dog that was half dachshund and half cocker spaniel. He was the exact shape of a dachshund but the size of a small cocker spaniel. That dog had “attitude” and brought a lot of fun into our lives!
ReplyDeleteDebRo
The farmers market was choc-a--block with dogs this morning, so much fun. There was an adorable blond doxie, not a coat color I've seen that often. And then two long-coated ones. So cute.
DeleteI love dachshunds! My husband read that dachshunds walk like they are late to a meeting, so I think of that now whenever I see one.
DeleteI am a cat person more than a dog person, but I love them both! I have owned German shepherds (when I was growing up: first Rex and then Fritz) and as adults we owned a black lab mix (Kelly) and then an Australian shepherd (a black and tan tricolor named Penny - for the little Pennies over her eyebrows that jumped up and down as she was trying to figure what was going on; she looked so quizzical and adorable!). Penny was also the smartest dog I have ever met. I don’t think I could find another to compare to her.
ReplyDeleteI love Aussies, too! My best friend has two mini-Aussies and they are adorable. And I'm partial to all the smart breeds.
DeleteI'm mostly a cat person, but when it comes to dogs, German Shepherds hold my heart. I've never owned one, and it's unlikely I ever will because I'm a big believer in adopt don't shop, but my dream dog - yep - bring on Rin Tin TIn
ReplyDeleteOh, us, too. We are a generation who grew up on Rin Tin Tin. And Lassie!! I still love the rough coated collies. Now there is a dog that would tempt me, and I do see a few around our neighborhood.
DeleteDebs, I'm laughing so hard at "woodland creature" being a possible part of Tillie's background. I used to describe our last Big Dog, Marvin, as part Rottweiler, part Lab, and part cow, due to his extremely placid temperament.
ReplyDeleteWhen Victoria adopted Janey, who started out life as a Mexican street dog, she did the DNA thing as well. The report came back with small percentages of, I kid you not, every dog breed available! I told her Janey wasn't the offspring of various purebreeds, she was the origin spring for all of them. I'm pretty sure I was right - I've seen reconstructions of the dogs that accompanied H. sapiens out of Africa, and they all looked like Janey - 35-40 pounds, shorthair, brown and black!
Tillie does look like an elf! And I would never in a million years have guessed GSD. The marvel of dog genes!
DeleteJulia, one of the other choice's on Kayti's grid was "pure chaos." Kayti declared the friend who picked that as the winner of the contest:-)
DeleteOur family has a long tradition of mutt adoptions and we have loved every one of them! If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say it was Francis (named for Frances of Assisi, because heaven knows he needed a patron saint). Frances was a rescue Lab mix, who had been used as a bait dog before he was dumped on the freeway. He was the gentlest soul. He died in 2018 and I still miss him.
ReplyDeleteTeam Golden here! Otherwise known as DANIEL WAS ROBBED!
ReplyDeleteOur Great Pyrenees was smarter and more aware than we were and a big part of the family. Also kept politicians away. Have to say that I have found the Bernese Mountain dog to be one I'd consider. That said, no more pets after the cat goes.
ReplyDeleteI love terriers! Our first dog as a married couple was George the Airedale. His parents were moving to a condo so needed a new home for him. Was he a character! Two more airedales after him, then we turned to a pair of airemutts. They too were characters. Then we adopted an elderly farm dog who looked like a miniature airedale. Then my beloved Boo who was a border terrier mix. Finally, and I mean finally, Jack the Jack russell/corgi/sheltie mix. Our guesses, not a DNA test.
ReplyDeleteOur last dog looked just like a picture I saw of a co-jack, but neither Corgi nor Jack Russell showed up in the DNA test.
DeleteMy first dog as a grown-up was also an American Cocker-Spaniel. My sister-in-law rescued him from the streets of Louisville, as he was just wandering around and not a person in sight. I know she did some checking to try and find the owner, but when she didn't have any luck with that, she asked Philip and I if we wanted him. He was irresistible, and we said yes. He was a young dog, and since we hadn't had children yet, he was our baby. Not too long after that we took in another do who was wandering our neighborhood for some time, obviously abandoned. One day it was storming, and I couldn't stand the of the dog being out in it alone, so in he came to be ours. We named him Fella because that's what we had referred him as when we interact with him outside. I don't know what breed he was, a lovely mutt about the size of a Brittany. The next dog was sort of a gift from Ashley's boyfriend. I say sort of because he paid for half and she paid for half at the shelter. This was Abbie, mixed but largely Blue Heeler. Abbie quickly became the family dog, and when Ashley went to college and Kevin followed a few years later, Abbie was my dog. When Philip got back from his Army and then contracting jobs, we were ready for another dog and went with the National Brittany Rescue to adopt Coco, who was a sweet older girl and who made us fall in love with the Brittany breed. When Coco died after a few years, we adopted another Brittany, Lulu. Lulu had been rescued from a breeding mill and had given birth multiple times. She started out extremely skittish and leery of her new surroundings. She had lived for years (she was eight when we got her) with little human contact and certainly little, if any, affection. I wasn't sure she was going to adapt, but she finally came through and let us be her people. She loved me massaging her back. She, too, is gone now, and we are thinking about adopting another Brittany. I left a dog out, Philip's Short-Hair German Pointer. We got him as a puppy when the kids were little, but he was Philip's hunting dog, not really the family pet. He ended up missing, and we think someone stole him.
ReplyDeleteI adored watching the dog show too. All the dogs were beautiful, and I thought the afghan hound deserved her own hair products commercial. I live in a household with two West Highland White terriers. They are lovely dogs, sweet and friendly, but rather stubborn. I suspect their persistence comes from being bred originally to hunt rodents and "varmints" on farms. Our Wally is a great hunter of squirrels and rabbits. If he sees a rabbit nibbling away on some grass, he will crouch down and slink toward it, completely focused, as though he was a lion on the savannah hunting gazelle. Of course, he never catches one, they are much too quick and agile for him. When the neighborhood squirrels see him on our dogwalk, they start shrieking in alarm, and the calls move forward tree by tree as we walk along. I have been towed down the street numerous times while the dogs chase a squirrel that decided to cross the road in front of them, rather like Capt. Ahab trailing the white whale out to sea. Terriers are definitely characters. And how is your Jasmine doing, Debs? I hope her neck has finally healed.
ReplyDeleteWesties are very popular in Nice, France.
DeleteMy brother and sister-in-law commented on how many Westies they saw during a visit to southern France a year ago. There is a certain jauntiness about Westies that is very appealing. -Maggie M.
DeleteYears ago we had friends who had a Westie that watched TV, just like a person. It was adorable!
DeleteSorry, hit publish before I put in my name. This is Maggie M. from Lincoln City, Oregon.
ReplyDeleteWe grew up with dachshunds, so I have a love for long, low dogs. We took a trip to the Cook Islands after reading an article how their island dogs are long and low (and they were!).
ReplyDeleteI have been delighted to see that dachshunds are very popular in Nice - along with Westin’s, they seem to be the most popular dogs. Maybe when we get our schedule figured out we can get one. As an adult, 2 of our mutts have had dachshund, corgi, or basset influence.
And the Doberman is beautiful, but what caught my eye in the picture was the sparkly purple dress! It would look great with my still-somewhat-red hair.
DeleteI love all dogs and have had so many over the years. Dobermans, Afghan Hounds, Schnoodles, Rotweiler-Lab, Standard Poodle, Schnauzer, Pitbull-Cattle Dog, and Lab-Pitbull. I have been blessed. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to read about all these beloved dogs--I'm glad for everyone who has a pet that makes them happy. I've never had a dog and don't have a favorite breed, but I enjoy other people's dogs if they don't jump on me.
ReplyDeleteoh, so late today! I grew up with many Irish setters, Penny, and Rusty, and Roderick St. John. Ridiculously named, so beautiful, and basically, adorably dumb. We had a Puli named Maggie, and two English spaniels, Bailey and Barkley. And when I went off to college, my mother got a Harlequin Great Dane, named Milton. Milton was absolutely huge. Jonathan and I decided we can’t have a dog, we are never home. So we have an invisible soft coated Wheaten terrier, named Wheatie, It’s very easy to have an invisible dog, I have to say. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love dogs of all kinds. I had some sort of mixed breed as a kid, but it was when my mother had cancer and the dog smell made her extra nauseous, so we had to give her up. Then there was Casey, who I think was a beagle/yellow lab mix. Just a great dog. He was so energetic and had never been around kids, so we worried a bit when we brought The Girl home, but he was so protective of her. And of course now there is Koda, who is the perfect dog for me now. I fell in love with a friend's retired racer and was determined to own one. So glad I did.
ReplyDeleteI've given Jim Duncan a Golden Retriever and as a kid I dreamed of a GSD. I love dog shows, especially all the Hunting/Working/Herding breeds.
My favorite dog breed is rescue. All my dogs have been rescues. My last dog, Waldo was a cocker spaniel. I had him for 14 years and 1 day. I had to have him euthanized on June 2. He was between 16 & 18 years old and very sick. Everyone told me to wait until I was over grieving for him before getting another dog. I didn't wait. On June 20 I brought home my new dog, a 1 year old miniature poodle, Shih Tzu, and mini long haired dachshund. He's wonderful and brought joy back into my life. I'm also getting used to his energy.
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