More beautiful dogs!
Once again, taken from Pexels.
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Aren’t they gorgeous!
I don’t know how long I will be able to republish these photographs but until I reach that point I will keep them coming!
Category: Photography
Happy Birthday Jeannie
It is Jean’s birthday today.
This photograph was taken on the 8th January, 2008. Jean and I had met for the first time late in 2007.
It was close by in San Carlos, Mexico. Jean then lived in San Carlos!
Picture Parade Three Hundred and Sixty-Five
Still more from Pexels!
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There!
And another set of fabulous photos in a week’s time.
Happy Thanksgiving wherever you are!
Have a very happy time!
Jean and I send you our love!
Picture Parade Three Hundred and Sixty-Four
There’s a theme to this week’s Picture Parade.
First of all I must again thank Pexels for providing these photographs. They are from a grouping called Man’s Best Friend.
This is the theme. That dogs are our closest and longest animal companions by far. Indeed, the era that humans befriended wolves is so long ago that an exact time is far from settled. Here’s a piece in the August 2020 issue of Scientific American magazine:
In the 14,000 to 40,000 years during which this domestication process occurred, wild wolves were probably doing better than dogs in terms of numbers – after all, our dogs were probably another food source for humans when times became lean. The first written record of a wolf hunt was recorded in the sixth century B.C.E., when Solon of Athens offered a bounty for every wolf killed.
So in all these photographs today there is a human with the dog!
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Fabulous even though I say it myself!
Picture Parade Three Hundred and Sixty-Three
Still sharing more photographs of dogs!
The next wonderful batch of free photographs of dogs.
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They continue to be so beautiful.
That last one, for example, is truly a work of art!
Dogs are smart!
Yet another tale of smartness!
We have to be so careful here at home when we are speaking of anything to do with the dogs. For they listen even when they don’t appear to be so doing.
So, for example, me saying: “Jeannie, shall we let the dogs out?” is a no-no because almost before the sentence is finished they are up on their feet and crowding towards the front door. And there are plenty of other examples.
That requires speaking in code or sign language in an attempt to communicate something without the dogs cottoning on to what we are speaking about.
All of which is my introduction to yet another story from The Dodo to be shared with you.
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Dog Fakes A Limp Every Time He Sees Stairs
“He is a great actor!”
By Caitlin Jill Anders
Published on 11/11/2020
Titan was adopted by his family from Furry Friends Animal Refuge in Iowa at the end of August. His parents have had so much fun getting to know him over the past few months, and have learned that he’s pretty much the friendliest and most stubborn dog they’ve ever met.
“He has to say hello to EVERYONE when we go out,” Natalie Bretey, Titan’s mom, told The Dodo. “Everyone is his friend. While he does love being a big, friendly baby, he is also severely stubborn. He will frequently halt on walks until we go the way he has decided, or to stop and watch cars and people go by. We knew he was loving and friendly, but we had no clue how stubborn he was.”
Titan’s favorite thing in the world is going on walks, and his least favorite thing is when it’s time for his walk to end. He frequently tries to make his walks last longer, and he and his parents have already had many standoffs in the short time he’s been in their lives.
“He walks as if he has never had a walk before in his life,” Bretey said. “Which at first, may have been the case!”
Titan is 7 years old and does have a few health issues, including chronic ear ulcers, mild hip dysplasia and allergies. While his parents are actively addressing his ear issues, his hip dysplasia hasn’t acted up yet — but they were worried it might be the very first time Titan encountered stairs.
“We realized he wasn’t a fan of stairs the very first day,” Bretey said. “We got back to my boyfriend’s apartment, and quickly realized that Titan had no intention of walking up the stairs. We started panicking; was this because of his hip dysplasia?!”
Titan’s parents were worried that his aversion to stairs might be because he was in pain — but quickly realized it was just because he didn’t feel like climbing them.
Now, every time Titan encounters the stairs, he tries to convince his parents to carry him up them. Sometimes he’ll even fake a limp, but as soon as his parents reach the top of the stairs and put him down again, the limp magically disappears and he runs down the hallway like the most athletic dog in the world.
“Titan pulls his limp trick at least once a week,” Bretey said. “This past week, he tripped on his new jammies going up the first step and stumbled back. He held his paw in the air and looked at me with the most pained look he could muster. I called his dad to come carry him up the stairs. Since he had stumbled this time, I was worried he wasn’t faking it for once! His dad came down and said, ‘He’s probably faking it again’ and hoisted him into his arms and up the stairs. Before we even reached the top, Titan was wiggling his way out of the set of arms and onto the floor. His limp was gone, and he jogged to the front door. We just laugh. He is a great actor!”
Titan’s parents are pretty sure he’d never encountered stairs before he came to live with them, and just never developed a taste for them. They’re very careful to listen and watch for any signs of actual pain and carry him up the stairs frequently — even though most of the time, it’s just Titan being Titan, but that’s OK. They love him enough to carry him anywhere.
When Titan was first adopted, there was a lot he had to learn about being a dog. His parents have absolutely adored watching him come out of his shell and explore the world around him. They want to give him the best life they possibly can, and are more than willing to put up with a little stubbornness along the way.
“We try not to think about all the things he went through, but have had fun watching him learn how to ride in a car, enjoy pup cups from coffee places, go on walks, and interact with everyone,” Bretey said. “His big heart has made every hard moment worth it.”
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It’s very true. Dogs can be stubborn. It often comes from their early days when they were unloved and had to decide what to do and what not to do.
I would like to think that over time Titan will display less stubbornness and, as was written at the end, learn lots of new things to do and, above all, to be loved.
This gent loves Pit Bull dogs!
I don’t think his route is near us.
But I wish it was.
I am speaking of a UPS driver who has a love for dogs and, like my Jeannie, loves Pit Bulls. The breed have got such a bad reputation for being aggressive and always fighting but the truth is that men have used a few of them as fighting dogs and trained them to be the way they are.
There’s more about the breed on WebMD and I just quote a small piece from the article.
Doberman pinschers, rottweilers, and German shepherds topped lists of dogs some considered dangerous in the not-too-distant past.
These days, pit bulls often make headlines and it’s rarely good news. If it isn’t about an attack on a child or a shooting by police, it’s a tale of neglect or abuse. The heat of such reports has forged a frightening image of the pit bull as having a hair-trigger temper and a lock-jawed bite.
But pit bull advocates and some experts say the dogs get a bad rap. They say the dogs are not inherently aggressive, but in many cases suffer at the hands of irresponsible owners drawn to the dog’s macho image who encourage aggression for fighting and protection.
Indeed, the ASPCA web site gives the breed an endorsement that could fit a golden retriever. It says, “A well-socialized and well-trained pit bull is one of the most delightful, intelligent, and gentle dogs imaginable.”
So back to that UPS driver. This is his story.
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UPS Driver Has The Sweetest Relationship With All The Pups On HIs Route
“I know most, but not all, of the pitties by name” 🥰
By Caitlin Jill Anders
Published on 10/16/2020
For as long as he can remember, Scott Hodges has loved pit bulls. He used to have a pittie of his own, Sheba, but after 15 years she passed away in 2004.
Luckily, Hodges has been a UPS driver for the past 32 years, and gets to see pit bulls every single day as he goes along his route. He sees lots of animals on the job, including a very friendly pig, but he’s always had a particular soft spot for the pit bulls. He’s gotten to know them all over the years — and they love him just as much as he loves them.
“I know most, but not all, of the pitties by name,” Hodges told The Dodo.
Every day, as Hodges does his UPS route, he stops to say hi to his pit bull friends (and all the other dogs, too). They know who he is by now and are always waiting for him, because they know Hodges can always be counted on to give them love and treats.
“All the pitties on my route are friendly and I give them biscuits every time I see them,” Hodges said.
In order to keep track of all the pitties he sees, he takes lots of pictures …
… and probably has at least one picture of every pit bull on his route by now.
The pitties are of course always happy to see him …
… and some like to ham it up a little more than others.
Sometimes he takes pictures of the other dogs along his route too …
… but the pit bulls will always and forever be his favorites.
Hodges is lucky to get to work a job where he can see pit bulls every single day, and he never gets tired of stopping to say hi to all of his friends.
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Scott has been a UPS driver for 32 years!
My guess is that he was pretty quick at welcoming pit bulls and one can presume that he has been kind and generous to these dogs for most of the 32 years.
I think this is a delightful story and one that I am so pleased was carried by The Dodo.
Picture Parade Three Hundred and Sixty-Two
Dogs, dogs and more dogs! 🙂
Another wonderful batch of free photographs of dogs.
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They are so wonderful.
I would love to know the stories behind these photographs, especially the first, the fifth and the last one.
That last one is a very natural, unposed and, may I say, romantic one.
The two of us!
A guest post from Sarah.
I have only recently made the acquaintance of Sarah’s blog The Two Of Us but it already has been a delight. So much so that I reached out to Sarah and asked if she would like to be a guest author. I am delighted to report that Sarah was pleased to do so.
First, let me add a little more about her blog. The Two Of Us has a sub-title of A college student and a Border Collie stumbling through life.
Next, Sarah explained in an email to me that:
I’m Sarah and my dog is Brèagha. She’s a Border Collie and I’m a college student hoping to become an animal behaviorist of some sort. Brèagha and I have been together for 3 years, and they have been the best three years of my life so far.
So with no further ado, here is Sarah’s guest post.
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Every breath you take
By Sarah, November 6th, 2020
One of the things you get used to when you have a herdy type of dog (especially a Border Collie) is the staring. They stare. And they stare intensely. Your own personal stalker.
One of those things that might be rated “annoying” for some but definitely falls under “endearing” for me.
I love every last weird thing about her.
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Now that last picture reminds me of a recent post on Learning from Dogs, namely The dog world! where I republished the scientific work by Associate Professor of Psychology, Illinois Wesleyan University.
In her report Ellen said, and I quote an extract from that post:
A recent study found that dogs that have been deprived of food and owners choose to greet their owners before eating. Further, their brain’s reward centers “light up” upon smelling their owners. And, when your eyes meet your dog’s, both your brains release oxytocin, also know as the “cuddle hormone.”
All of this research shows that you can make your dog happier with just one ingredient: you. Make more eye contact to release that cuddle hormone. Touch it more – dogs like pats better than treats! Go ahead and “baby talk” to your dog – it draws the dog’s attention to you more and may strengthen your bond.
So that second photograph of Brèagha is a prime example of her meeting Sarah’s eyes and should be held as long as both dog and human can manage.
Wonderful!
Learning from Dogs 