Zari, II

So the day before my phone experienced some technical difficulties (ie I dropped it and rendered it unusable for three weeks), I paid a visit to Salamander Bay to visit an old friend of mine - Zari. It was Easter Sunday and she was in a very festive mood. I had a lovely time seeing her, and she performed her usual trick of whimpering when she heard come inside the house and then stood beneath my feet when I tried to go outside to pat her. God, I love this dog so much - she's simply one of the loveliest and happiest I've ever met.

My return

A series of events and incidents (broken phone, meeting no dogs for some time, living/working in three cities, etc) have kept me away from this blog... But now I'm back with a vengeance! Over the next few days I'll be uploading the dogs I've met in the last two months.

Agnes

Well, wasn't yesterday's post well-timed? I was out and about today with Nel and El, and we found ourselves at the Collingwood Children's Farm (opposite Abbotsford Convent) for a very late brunch at the Farm Cafe there... all of this is a long way of saying that I bumped into an old friend of mine, Adrian, who I haven't seen in a few years... I looked down, and low and behold, he had a gorgeous one year old blue heeler x kelpie with him! Her name is Agnes, and Adrian found her at the Lost Dogs Home and brought her into his life.

Agnes was a very exuberant young pup, who was enjoying being out and about and amongst all the people at the farm. She had beautiful eyes and a cheeky energy - I can't wait to spend some more time with her one day soon!

Hesitation...

Today I was out and about in Fitzroy and saw two dogs that could have conceivably found their way onto this blog... But something stopped me from trying to meet them. I think because the next dog I meet and photograph will be the first 'real time' dog that goes on this blog - the rest are those I met prior to this starting. So there is some trepidation attached!

I spotted a black pug - he was quite young, and made me laugh as he walked along Smith Street... well, ran is more accurate, as due to the distance between his legs and the length of them from the ground, he had to run to keep up with the pace set by his owners... And to add to that, he also seemed to run with both his right legs hitting the ground, then both his left legs... which made his run seem very off-centre and very amusing. Then when his owners stopped to cross the road, he was absolutely exhausted. Heaving and making lots of noise while trying to catch his breath - and then they were off again!

The second dog was on Johnston Street - he was sitting at the front door of an antique shop. He looked very old and had little hair left. He didn't seem all that friendly, and really didn't want to respond when I said hello. I'm not quite sure what he was - perhaps a Jack Russell terrier crossed with something else?

The third and final dog was a small-ish brown haired monster that was full of life and energy. I said hello to him as he passed me outside the Malthouse - he really didn't pay attention, as he was too busy enjoying his stroll! His owner smiled, and I considered stopping to get his photo, but something told me to let this one go - but he was by far the most interesting dog and incredible photo candidate! Not sure of his breed though...

Dream Dog

Last night I dreamt that I met a large black and brown dog. I can't quite recall what breed he was, but he was very large. I was sitting on the ground and it was fairly dark - a few of his kind came towards me and my friends. This one particular dog, their leader, sat next to me and put his huge paw on leg. Then he started talking...

I cannot for the life of me remember what he was saying, but it was most definitely profound - and very soothing. His voice was deep and authoritative, but it had a pleasant sound. He was trying to calm me and make me feel at ease about something.

I woke up not long after, then fell back asleep... and you know how when you go back to sleep almost immediately after you wake up, if you stay in the same position, you can sometimes re-enter the dream? Well that didn't happen - at least, he was gone. Instead, I dreamt that I had to find him somehow and take a photo and write about him on this blog... But I couldn't find him anywhere and this really frustrated me. And then I woke up again, but this time it was morning and I couldn't fall asleep again... but for a few moments, I thought about how I was going to track down this gentle giant and record him for here... Then I realised it was a dream - and I was supremely disappointed.

Dream dog, wherever you are - please visit again soon.

EDIT: Well I've just completed some extensive searching (courtesy of Google Images) and I think the dog in my dream was a cane corso mastiff. I also came across the Bernese mountain dog, which I quite like the look of! Anyway, here is the closest approximation to what I saw last night. He was larger in the dream (though I was sitting down!), and his colouring was more black and tan... his ears were smaller and his mouth area was less... droopy. But still - the closest I could find.

Please note that this image does not belong to me.

Zari

Meet Zari - the most adorable small-ish dog ever! I first met this gorgeous canine just under four years ago, and I've had many happy times with her (except for when she spread her fleas like a wildfire!). She belongs to my beautiful friend Rox, and currently lives with her mother Vovo in sunny Port Stephens.

Every time I see Zari she still behaves like she hasn't seen me in years. It doesn't matter whether it's been a few months or a matter of an hour, Zari will start whimpering and shaking as soon as she knows I'm nearby, and then when she sees me is uncontrollable. The routine usually goes like this: I'll open the door and try to step outside to say hello, but then she immediately lays on her back beneath the foot I am placing on the ground (one time I stood on her because she slipped under me so quickly!). I'll then stumble over the top of her and find some ground to stand on that she isn't laying on, and then I rub her on the belly and behind her ears. She'll then jump up as soon I stop, and find the nearest ball or toy that I can throw for her - and so begins a session of throw and retrieve in her small backyard that sees her leap into the air and almost run into fences and get down very low to the ground... She is amazing! I remember when we would take her for walks to the park near her last house, and she was so fast at catching even the furthest thrown balls... She also loved running up the slippery dip, and wouldn't stop even if she was exhausted and heaving... Zari is one in a million!

Zari is an eight year old blue cattle dog x King Charles Cavalier and something else... in the words of her family, "she's a mutt". She comes from Queensland, and was driven from the sunshine state to New South Wales when she was a pup. She had mange at the time, which wasn't great news for Rox who nursed her the entire trip - and subsequently contracted mange herself. Delightful.

For those interested, mange (according to that fountain of reliable scholastic knowledge, Wikipedia) is "a class of persistent contagious skin diseases caused by parasitic mites. The term is sometimes reserved for the infestation of domestic animals... These mites embed themselves either in hair follices or skin... They generally infect... dogs and cats and also other canines, livestock, wild animals and even humans (such as scabies)." This intense research also helped me learn that scabies is colloquially referred to as "the seven year itch". Fun facts all round!

Tao

This is Tao - one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met. He lives with the gorgeous Sal and spends many of his days at Salawi, a fantastic Fair Trade shop/gallery/cafe in Newcastle. He is very attentive, and enjoys chasing his tennis ball around the shop. I would always schedule meetings to take place in Salawi just so I could spend more time with Tao - those meetings were always the least productive though! The first time I met Tao was when I was crossing at the lights directly in front of Salawi. I saw this stunning young dog standing in the doorway looking at me, and I wondered why he was so drawn to me... When I crossed the road I realised he was actually staring at his tennis ball that had rolled into the gutter, but he couldn't collect it himself because he knew he wasn't allowed to leave the shop. So I scooped it up for him, which caused him to give me a huge grin, and I returned it to him... and we've been the best of friends since!

Here Tao is patiently waiting for me to throw his ball. Much of his time at Salawi is spent on the ground, waiting! One day I offered to take Tao for a walk, so Sal fixed me a makeshift lead of rope and off we went! We ran through Civic Park and he chased his ball through the grass and leaves and bark... the only problem was that I had failed to realise how dirty the ground was due to the recent rain, so by the time we'd finished playing, nearly all of Tao's white fur was brown and filthy... I hung my head in shame as I returned him to Sal, the remnants of our putrid fun showing all over him - and found out that he had only been bathed that morning! Tsk tsk tsk. Let's just say I never took Tao for another walk...


Tao would often follow me to the door when I left, ball in mouth, hoping for more fun. He would drop his ball, and wait for me to turn around and throw it again. So many times I would cross the road and walk back to the office, and whenever I turned back I would see Tao standing in the doorway watching me walk back to work. So sweet!

I miss Tao very much, and when I'm back in Newcastle I'll be dropping in to Salawi to spend some time with him. I highly recommend you drop in to this great shop/gallery/cafe whenever you can - fantastic coffee, wonderful items for sale, lovely owner, and one of the most amazing dogs you will ever meet.

Banjo

The pooch that started it all - Banjo. I met him the same afternoon as Chelsea, and he spent the better part of thirty minutes with us, running around and playing and getting lots of attention while his owners (two young boys) kicked around a soccer ball.

Meeting Banjo was a real pleasure, and I've been so happy in the week since sharing his photos. He's the inspiration for starting this blog. And it honestly isn't because his tongue made contact with my open mouth on more than one occasion...

Banjo in the sunset...

Banjo having his way with Hari while Rach looks on, helplessly.

Chelsea

I met Chelsea just last weekend (Sunday 3 April 2011) when I was back in Newcastle for a brief visit - she is a curly coated retriever x kelpie, and absolutely beautiful. She was brought to Centennial Park by a friend of Justine's (pictured) on her way home. Chelsea spent a bit of time with us all and said hello, and then was a bit aloof after that - she seemed more interested in watching than interacting. Having said that, she was very friendly and clearly enjoyed being around new people.

Buddy

I met Buddy on Friday 18 February 2011, when I was homeless just before moving to Melbourne - I was staying with a friend who was housesitting, and she invited me over for a few nights... and there I met this effervescent whippet cross collie! He enjoys dancing, moonlight swims and retrieving soccer balls. He's a very affectionate and gangly younger dog, and I had a lot of fun with him! He lives with his family, which includes two small children, so I can see why he has so much energy but has the ability to be calm and patient at times.

Lucy

Another dog I recently had the pleasure of minding was Lucy, for my friends Vanessa & Will, while I was in New York City. Not only did I get to spend morning and night with this delightful poodle (crossed with some sort of terrier), but I was living a block away from Central Park - ah, the life! Lucy is a charming and relatively quiet twelve year old who has a walking routine she sticks to (including waking me up if I hadn't gotten out of bed yet). She loves running in the park as much as she loves cuddling on the couch. And yes, she attracted a lot of attention - she's so friendly and enjoys nothing more than meeting new friends on the street, regardless of the time of day. I loved every minute I spent with this gorgeous friend, and hopefully I'll get a chance to see her again very soon.

Chu Chu

This is Chu Chu - a twelve year old Chihuahua and the beloved pet of my former housemate Jasmine. When she was away in China with her family, she asked us to mind him... So Nel & Ingunn (my housemates at the time) and I had a temporary housemate throughout October 2010 while I was still living in Newcastle.


I'm the first to admit - I'm not a huge fan of small dogs. Especially those as small and vocal as Chu Chu (or, 'the dreaded Chu Chu' as he became known). However this little beast had just enough charm to win me over - and he most certainly held Ingunn in the clutches of his paws!






Little Chu-banger would sleep in her bed, follow her around the house, and generally attach himself physically and emotionally to her whenever possible. He tried this with me in the first few days, but it soon dawned on him that I was in no way prepared to offer him the love he desired so much... which could explain why he relieved himself all through the house (and, in particular, on some mail of mine that was sitting on the floor). One day though he did manage to make it onto my belly and stay there for a while.

Chu-bacca also found himself a nice little doona that we dubbed the Cave of Dreams - he would enter it and stay in there for hours at a time, unmoving and silent. Sometimes we had no idea whether he was in there or not!

I took great pleasure in photographing Chu Chu when Ingunn bathed him... Here he is, desperately clinging on to her for dear life as she attempts to dry him.

Hot Rod

I met this incredible Italian Mastiff on Saturday 12 March 2011, just after moving to Melbourne. He was sitting at a cafe on Acland Street. His sheer size (this photo doesn't do him justice) terrified me... but his owner encouraged me to say hello.

He was introduced to me as Hot Rod - two years old and weighing in at a whopping 70kg, with plenty more growing to do. I gave him lots of pats, which he heartily received. His owner mentioned that Hot Rod visits St Kilda nearly every weekend for breakfast, so I intend to be making that street my haunt until I meet him again!

Chief

Meet Chief, aka 'Chiefy'.... probably the most female-looking male dog I've ever met. Chief lives with two dear friends of mine, Frances and Brock, and lives inside mostly. He is an excitable and very friendly two-year-old King Charles Cavalier, crossed with a spaniel (thought to perhaps be a Welsh Springer).

I've spent quite a bit of time with Chiefy since I moved to Melbourne at the beginning of March - in fact, Frances has now taken to calling me 'Uncle B-B', and Chiefy apparently knows who she is referring to... oh dear.

I was staying with F & B in the first few weeks of relocating here, and because they both work, I was holed up with the little man while I was doing job applications. As you can see from this image, he clearly had a more relaxing time than I did...

Chuck, Boris or... Errol?

This is a dog I spotted while wandering down Fulton Street in Brooklyn on New Year's Eve 2010. He was sitting in the front window of this liquor store, staring off into the distance... though I like to think that he is eyeing off the Moet!

I didn't have time to stop in and meet him properly, but I imagine he belongs to the owner of the store, and that his name might be Chuck or Boris... or maybe Errol?

Phoebe

This is Phoebe. I met her at Pacific Park (Newcastle East, NSW) during rehearsals for Tantrum Theatre's As You Like It on Wednesday 9 February 2011. Her owners are an elderly couple who walk her through the park to the area near Newcastle Beach twice a day.

Phoebe really quite enjoyed the attention I gave her, and then was even more excited to meet the cast of the show. She snuck into their tent and got lots of pats from everyone. I saw her later that night, and then again the next morning, and each time she was filled with joy... except that next morning she was a little more focused on the ball being thrown for her than me!

Welcome!

This blog is an attempt on my behalf to share the names, faces and stories of all the amazing dogs I meet in my travels. The aim is to photograph dogs that I meet, then 'interview' their owners and post about them here. I love dogs and I get a lot of pleasure sharing images of them with friends, so I thought I'd take this somewhat odd obsession and share it with the world! I'll be primarily using the camera on my phone, so don't expect breathtaking photography - rather, just an honest portrait of beautiful dogs.