Dogs

Canine Lover for Life


I love dogs. I really do. And much more than any other animal (except for maybe red pandas). So I thought I might post some of the photos I have taken of dogs over the years. Each of these photos has a story behind it too--one I shall gladly share. 

Example of a Stud

Let's start with a photo of Stock. He is a Dalmatian from Australia that wound up in Japan. And since he is not of the local gene pool his seed is desired by breeders. Stock is thus in the privileged position of being a stud. One session of his time will cost 500 dollars. Unfortunately, Stock never sees any of that money. But what he does come away with is the satisfaction of a job well done.

No Entry

Unlike Stock this dog had the misfortune of being born in the outerskirts of Ulan Bator in Mongolia. It is a hard life with winters that drop so low the inside of one's nose freezes with a crunch. Moreover, the owners of the homes haven't running water or very good sanitary conditions. What this dog eats to survive I can only imagine. It probably rummages through garbage and begs for scraps. Poor, poor mutt.

Life is good

Here is a dog lazing about in the shade on a fine Sunday afternoon. I stumbled across her in the historical town of Shirakawa-go, Japan where the locals still build houses in the traditional manner from centuries ago. I figured a beer would suit the dog's mood and posture so I used photoshop to add in a can of Asahi. I too like Asahi, and it comes as no surprise that it is Japan's number one beer.

Noble Beast

The first day of snow swept across my town this year, and unlike most people who had the good sense to stay indoors, I grabbed my camera and went out to take shots. I ended up at a Shinto shrine and was snapping away when I heard this incessant barking coming from a nearby house. When the dog finally shut its yap I switched to a telephoto lens and took its picture.

Hungry Pup

I saw this dog on a Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona. We had met a group of locals passing through and they invited us to a BBQ. So we stuck around for a bit while the Navajos fired up the grill. Once the meat was out this little pup came looking for scraps. One of the Navajo men snapped at it, and when the pup persisted he give it a hard kick. I thought that was a messed up thing to do, but I kept my mouth shut. 

A dog and her chew toy

Layla is fine little Dachshund belonging to my friend Boris who lives in Australia. When I visited I was delighted to see the feisty dog. But after a while she became a nuisance. She would always run up to me and bark. And the only way I could shut her up was to give chase, after which she would manage to escape me. To her it was all a game, but I soon wore tired of playing. Finally, I got angry and managed to catch her. She was so frightened she peed herself.

Homeward Bound

In the norther part of New Mexico is the Taos Pueblo. The local indians still live in traditional adobe abodes with fire ovens and workshops for pottery making. The place is not too far from where my grandfather lived, so I had visited several times. On this day however, I had my camera. Two local girls were playing with this doggie. After they finally let him be he wandered off towards the back of the village. I followed him and took this shot.

Potpie on legs

This is Pommi, a Shitzu belonging to my friend in Tokyo. She is a rather mild mannered dog that never barks or whines. If anything is extraordinary about her its her many nicknames. My friend calls her "Pommi Fluffybutt," "Pommi Potpie," "Pomonosuke," "Pommi Two-shoes," "Pommi of the Valley of the Wind" and so forth. If I had a dog I think I would just stick to the one name. Keep it simple you know. But alas, I don't have a dog and probably never will. As much as I like them they are a lot of responsibility, and more than I know I am willing to deal with.