My beloved Maximus
My little Chihuahua/Chinese Crested mix. = Chihuahuanese :o) / - Exciting News Features: / —-— —-—— —-—- / Painted in Photoshop with some filters & flourish brushes. /
A sudden snow storm set upon us out in the Rockies the other day swirling snow and blowing wind I love the blur of this image, I think it emphasizes the cold and the storm. The dogs loved it the first snow of the year. Nikon D300 / Nikkor 18-200mm
Featured in the PhoDOGgraphy group and / in the Our K9 Friend group. Another shot from the Husky Farm. When we were there it was dinner time for the dogs. They had around 60 dogs in about 10 separated groups. These 3 (actually there were 4 in this group), was the last group who got their food. / / In the winter they do the dog sledge riding tours. You’re riding a sledge with about 8 dogs to pull it. The two in front are the leaders of that group then. It’s always one male and one female. The male is for the power, the female for the wisdom….lol. Canon EOS Digital Rebel (= 300D) / Canon Zoom lens EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 II USM / Exposure time 1/80s / Aperture value f/5.6 / ISO 100 / Focal length 21mm
Our dogs bring us solace and no matter how we feel or how ill we may be, the dog is the one animal that can swim across the psychic moat and trot right inside our heart and soul. They intuitively know us in a way humans cannot given their special sense about our psychological and physical needs. The clinical literature on dogs as agents of healing is vast. Boris Levinson, an American Child Psychiatrist, coined the phrase pet therapy in 1964, following observations he made when he began to use his dog, Jingles in his sessions with severely withdrawn children. I could write a book on this subject since my dogs have always been my co- therapists since I spend the majority of time working in an office in my house learning from many of my canine colleagues invaluable insights. One woman who my English Setter, Willard adored came in one day and would not stop berating herself for not being a better mother and hoping she had not made irreparable mistakes after a nasty divorce. Willard stood by her chair and the more she criticized herself, he would bat her with his paw until it became so noticeable that she asked me, Why Is Willard hitting me with his paw? I found the scene quite amusing and knew at some point given Willards persistence batting her every time she spoke of her lack of self worth that my client who also owned two English Setters would finally break down and notice his peculiar behavior. I replied, Willard loves you and by the tone of your voice knows you are being very unkind to yourself. He will not stop communicating through physical action until you stop your self criticism. At first, my client looked at me in disbelief and could not believe that Willard was communicating to her despite his usual position on my couch upside down with all four legs straight up in the air. I always knew sessions were going well when he went to sleep in this position alerting me that he felt relaxed about how well the session was progressing and I could do all the work. Today was his work day and despite my comment, the client continued to list all the things she felt she had done to break up her marriage and damage her child. With each comment, Willards physical reminders became more pronounced, and although he would never hurt her, he made sure she knew her berating herself would result in a quick paw smack to her closest thigh. Obviously, we were not making any progress as she continued to describe herself as the most consummate failure of a mother in this century. I asked her if we could talk about the impact of the divorce on her son without her harsh and angry critique to see if Willard would stop his disruptive and insistent pawing. She agreed and began to express deeper feelings about her fear about her sons welfare and her rage at his fathers lack of attendance to his sons needs. As she explored deeper issues affecting her mood, Willard went back to his cozy position on the couch and finally fell into a deep peaceful sleep. As I said, examples of my dogs as therapists are numerous and like Boris Levinson, I had an experience with a child who was selectively mute. She stopped talking to adults although occasionally she would speak to her very few friends. Again Willard came to the rescue. If children were ever afraid of dogs, this would change after meeting my sweet, loving and dopey looking partner. At first, my little client would only talk to Willard telling him about her shyness and pain of isolation in her family and in school. It was amazing how open she was with him completely ignoring me without a greeting or a goodbye. I was the conduit in which she could speak because of my intuitive and very special dog. The most poignant story involves my dog Mikey who you see in his photo looking depressed and in a deep state of despair. For many years, Mikey was a therapy dog working with children on the Oncology Ward at Children’s hospital. He has a staff badge with his cute freckled face that says, this staff member must be admitted to the hospital at all times. The only thing he lacked was a beeper or cell phone that would alert him to the condition of the forty kids he related to in the recreation room every Monday. It is amazing how intuitive this breed is. I have been told that bird dogs have amazing memories since they must remember where that bird was when it was time to do their dog work. There were times in the intensive care unit that Mikey would point the whirling machine that looked like a bird and we explained that although he seemed human, he also was bred for another purpose. Mikey knew how to selectively relate to each child. For those that were frightened he would simply sit quietly in front of them until they felt comfortable petting him and for many who called him Freckles he would lie on their laps and be allowed in their rooms to comfort them when they had a difficult day due to chemotherapy or the ravages of their disease. The kids were troopers. They were brave, rarely complaining and always in great spirits on the day “Freckles” visited them. His pictures were all over the walls of the unit and with the help of a child, we made a coloring book of Mikey so the kids would have their own special drawing of him on the days when other therapy dogs would arrive. Mikey knew every child in the recreation room and if one was missing, he knew he or she had passed over what was referred to as the rainbow bridge. He would come home despondent and would not eat for two days after the loss of one of his kids. One evening I got a call that a young boy requested that Mikey come to his bedside at Childrens Hospital. He was seven and had told the doctors and his parents that he knew they had done all they could for him and there was only one living creature that could help him now, Mikey, his precious red haired freckled friend. He told his doctors sensing he would not make it through the night that he wanted to hold Mikeys paw until he passed over to the other side. In graduate school I had a close friend who worked as a Psychologist on a Cancer ward and wrote her dissertation on the dreams of children who had Cancer. She was urgent to change the policy not to tell children they were dying. This disturbed her greatly since she recorded their dreams that reflected that they knew they were dying and would not live much longer. If Elaine could hear the doctors and parents whispering in the halls, she knew that the kids also could hear the grim news. Until the regulation was changed, the children who were not told had a much harder time dealing with their disease and having the opportunity to pass away in a more peaceful way. Kids know these things and it is a disservice to be untruthful since what is imagined can be much more difficult to handle, especially when children are all alone knowing the truth about their fate. Elaine was the only one who talked to them about their illness learning about their fears and noting the difference in their behavior when the no tell policy existed. Due to the open policy of childrens hospital, Mikey’s little boy was able to call him for assistance and as he was asked, Mikey held the small boys hand throughout the night until this brave child eased into a coma and died early the next morning. Dr. Mikey as he is still referred to never moved knowing how important he was and although he could not change the length of his life, there is no doubt he made his death very peaceful with the tender touch of his warm paw that also helped the parents deal with the grief of losing their beloved child. All proceeds of this photograph will be donated to the wildlife rescue operation in Australia.
/ OUR K9 FRIEND November15 2009 / NUTS ABOUT MUTTS November 19 2009 This is our dog Precious with her long coat. We get her trimmed in the summer, but it has grown longer now for winter. She looks more like a Border Collie with it long. She is a mix of a few breeds, Shetland Sheep dog, Terrier, Border collie, and poodle. She was advertised as a small dog… but as she grew from a 3 month puppy she grew into a medium sized dog.
19×25 colored pencil. Original available. Appearance / The bulldog is a stocky breed, with a compact body and short, sturdy limbs. Its shape results in a peculiarly unique gait. Bulldogs are known for their short muzzles and the saggy skin on their faces, creating the apparent “frown” that has become a trademark of the breed. Bulldogs come in a variety of colours and ideally have a smooth, short coat. The only disqualifier for the breed in the show ring is a liver colored nose, however a black-coated Bulldog is also not preferred. In the US, the size of a typical mature male is about 50 pounds; that for mature females is about 40 pounds. In the United Kingdom, the breed standard is 55 pounds for a male and 50 pounds for a female. / Temperament and characteristics / The temperament of the Bulldog is generally docile, friendly and gregarious but are known to be fiercely loyal. Breeders have worked to breed aggression out of the breed, and as such the dog is known to be of generally good temperament. Bulldogs can be so attached to home and family that they will not venture out of the yard without a human companion. Due to their friendly nature bulldogs are known for getting along well with children, other breeds of dog and any house-broken pet in general. A bulldog is suitable for houses as well as apartments due to their size and comparative lack of energy, but puppies may be destructive until they reach maturity. / Health / The bulldog is prone to health issues. Breathing issues can be prevalent in the breed due to the shape of the lower jaw and the shortness of muzzle – bulldogs are known to snore. In the United Kingdom, some dogs can be prone to interstitial cysts, that is cysts which form between the toes. These cause the dog some discomfort, though they are treatable either by vet or an experienced owner. Other problems can include cherry eye, certain allergies and amongst older bulldogs, hip issues. Because of the large heads in proportion to body size, puppies are frequently delivered by Caesarean section as they can get stuck in the birth canal during natural birth, however it is not uncommon for a bulldog bitch to whelp naturally and successfully. Bulldogs require daily cleaning of their face folds to avoid unwanted infections caused by moisture accumulation. Daily teeth brushing with a regular human soft toothbrush using a vet approved toothpaste is also recommended. Like all dogs, Bulldogs require daily exercise. If not properly exercised the bulldog could gain weight, which could cause health problems relating to the lungs and heart. Bulldogs are extremely sensitive to heat and cold and great care should be given to the dog during overly warm periods. During these times, ensure the dog has plenty of shade, water and should be ideally kept out of standing heat. As the breed has developed, the tail in some dogs can be tight to the body and can cause infection if not treated or cleaned underneath regularly. complete 2000
My little twins. These are Reggie’s daughters. A litter of 6 puppies and I get 1 set of twins. / / FEATURED IN FUNNY CRITTERS 2/10/09 / FEATURED IN WORKING DOGS (HERDING) 9/10/09 / *TOP 10 FINISH “The Awww Factor” PUPPIES ONLY. 15/11/09 /
This is Harley. He is a golden retriever/australian shepherd and chow mix. We adopted him when he was 6 years old. This month we will have him in our family 3 years. This was taken last January, and the wind chill was below zero. Harley did not want to wear a coat. He looked like he was saying “You gotta be kidding …. I’m already wearing two coats, and this makes three. How many coats do I need?” Featured in the Our K9 Friends Group – 11/05/09
Canon Powershot G9 / 1/60th second / Aperture 2.8 / iso 125 / Matrix metering
Oil on Canvas
My girl Is a clown at the best of times, but also when she sleeps, she can still bring a smile on my face! lol
Pentax k1000 / Film – kodak 400 asa / Taken – 2003
Napping Pandora.
Stand Clear! Nikon D70s; Sigma50-500mm lens; f/6.3; 1/60sec; 420mm focal length; no edit With Taka it’s all about fun, love, and being with us. He’d still be happy if the three of us were locked in a broom cupboard together, he’s such a pal. Best weekend wishes from our house to yours!
McGee stands next to a cactus plant, looking back to ensure her pack owners are joining the fun trek in the woods.
This is the look of a naughty puppy trying her best to look innocent. I have a sore throat and temp. today so I did not go to school. Samantha needed to go outside, so of course, I let her out the door. She is never tied outside because she stays in our yard or goes into the park a little ways behind our home. Today, however, she took after, you guessed it, a squirrel! She ran completely out of my sight! I called and called for her to come back. I sat on our backyard patio, hoping she’d return soon. Sure enough . . . she’d run a little ways, lie down and try to ‘get a feel’ of what my mood was, then she’d come a bit closer. She really likes to please me, I couldn’t really punish her . . . she knew better . . . silly dog! Anyway, it was the squirrel’s fault afterall. :)
Sold Matted Print / 2168 views 49 fav This piece is the part of Calendar :
Boston Terrier / Luci, in the backyard, Long Island, NY Pentax K200D, 1/1000, f/11, 800 ISO, 200 mm
Taken in Calvi, Corsica. Hot day, hot dog. Just chillin’
Kaylee taking a rest on her toy. She doesn’t share very well.
Any questions you have on the dog group please ebubble me , or my co-hosts Patricia (aka PPPhotoart) .
or Angel perry—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-
Our kk-9 Friends Challenge winners—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
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In Tribute to a redbubbler who pass away on Oct 9,2008
he being feature in remeberace of him.. Paul his real name
was a magnificent artist and photographer .. he loved his dog and loved to help
the homeless animals. Play tribute to this artist.. He will be dearly miss…
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January 2009 Artist choice Winner
Curious Pup By Lover 1969
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Dog Fancy Magazine on Line
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