More blogs about pitbull pit bull dog travel southern california.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

No more pets in costumes



After this, I promise.

I actually have shown restraint because there are so many photos out there. That said - I can't explain why I picked the few I did....I guess I was looking for ones where the pup looks like somewhat of a willing participant.

Which brings us to:

A pumpkin-cuteness rival for Honey with half a jack-o-lantern smile.








Here we have some couples that have obviously put a lot of thought into costumes that work together...










Gotta love that smile....









I think this pup has come into his/her own in this costume. The expression seems to say: I'm going to own that cat next door!








And again, my favorite is the group shot. Tell me these dogs don't look jaunty and rakish and every other old-fashioned word that says "Lock up your dog biscuit cabinet...."

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Sunday, October 22, 2006

Are Dogs Like Their Owners? Or, Can A Pit Bull Catch ADD

People talk about how much dogs look like their owners and I believe there is a lot of truth in that. This is not true of Honey and me. Right off the top, my hair is dark and not in a buzz cut, she is a short-haired honey blonde. Often, when dogs look like their owners, there is similarity in hair color and/or style. There was an ad campaign that showed that:




(more pics here )

There was even a study done to see if similarities between dogs and owners could be proved. It seems like there is some truth to it - IF - the dog is a purebred, implying the owner chose the look of the breed specifically; that dog owners wanted to hang out with a familiar looking creature. (Because there wasn't any proof owners looked like their mutts and, it also didn't matter how long the owner had had the dog, it didn't follow they grew to look the same.)

I do believe it's true since I see it myself (lots of times, to my own internal amusement) on the street. I have also seen it in friends. One of my friends is a 5'1" brunette with a dark red-highlighted shag. She and her husband looked all over for their Cairn Terrier (Toto/Wizard of Oz dog), Marley, whose dark-coat got dark red highlights when she had been out in the sun a while. What I find cute is my friend's 6'2" husband is the one that wanted the small, dark-haired dog. No long-legged golden retriever for him...

But, that's not really what I'm talking about. I sometimes see nervous owners with nervous dogs, stand-offish people with stand-offish dogs, pushy people with pushy pups, etc. Are personality traits contagious? Do dogs pick up on what you're going through?

I'm thinking about this because, when I went to pick up Honey at daycare, I asked how she did. Of course, he said "great" - I think they have to say that - but, then he added something. He said she moved from dog to dog, playing with one for a while, then would get interested in a toy, then would run over to another dog. He said she seemed to have some kind of doggie ADD that day. Since I had spent my day unable to work on any of my projects for any length of time before I had to make a phone call, or get lunch, or make a note about something else, ya gotta wonder...

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Monday, October 16, 2006

Kaneda - a very good dog


I received a eulogy today for my friends' dog, Kaneda. I thought I would post it here in honor of Kaneda. I met him quite a while ago - pre-Honey - and thought he was a wonderful pup and that this was a very fitting tribute.

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Dear Friends:

Our faithful friend Kaneda “K-dog”, age 10, died this morning at about 8am.

Born on a ranch, he was a mixed breed Anatolian Shepard and Black Lab. Beloved by many as a 115-pound lap dog, Kaneda excelled at lying down, begging/swiping food, short walks, escaping for excellent adventures, charming the dog catcher or neighbors when out and ferociously protecting his pack from squirrels and Grant Road traffic. Known for a deep baritone bark that would startle mailmen and wake babies without fail, he will be remembered for his soulful brown eyes and a calm demeanor befitting a buddhist.

Kaneda, named for a Japanese superhero (but often confused for our northern neighbor), was J.’s companion almost before D., and their friendship marks J.’s tenure in California. Smarter than the average dog and able to break out of any confine, Kaneda was a great friend to J., and when home was always at his owner’s side or underfoot.

Kaneda began his career at 3dfx, sleeping during meetings and joining the engineers on their sunshine/smoking breaks. After 3dfx, he decided to be a stay-at-home dog, a well timed move to support the growing pack that is the T. family. He faithfully stood by as babies were born, redefining his role from first fur-child to protector of the boys. He was a wonderful and loving dog with all, but especially tolerant of children, often being used as a pony, stepstool or a furry couch and was always a great petting attraction at the park. Knowing his limitations he couldn’t be bothered with fetch, but was always good for “sit” -- but only for a treat or a bellyrub.

He will be missed by his loving friends Max, Ruby, Champ, Dart, Henry, Nala, Oscar, Amber, Parker and Nellie.

Kaneda is survived by his parents J. and D., his kanine brother Akira, and human brothers G., M. and A.

In lieu of flowers, please send any funny or kind remembrances of Kaneda to J. — We know he touched many of your lives and J. would really appreciate the thoughts at this time.

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He was a lucky pup. The T. Family were lucky pet owners. We'd all be lucky if that's how our lives were - the better for being intertwined.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Pitbull Pumpkin Worth A Thousand Words



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Monday, October 02, 2006

Dog Costumes


A few friends have sent me an email with dogs in costumes. I don't know if everyone has seen these shots but, if nothing else, this shows how inventive people can be and how unbelieveably patient our dogs are with us. I do not know where the photos came from so my apologies to anyone if I've usurped their pics:





For some reason, the following pic is my favorite. I think it's because it looks like it's all about the treats which makes me think this group of dogs came up with the idea themselves.



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