Happy Halloween

Some day I'll master the art of photographing dogs... without the glowing eyes.

Grand Theft

I love this series of photos. These truly reflect the personalities of Scout and Max. Enjoy a good laugh!

More on Max

Max is my boy. He's now officially a seven-year-old golden retriever. The very rare, very exotic golden retriever. I always say that, despite the fact that they are amongst the most popular breeds of dogs. I can't help it. I think they are the perfect breed. My parents got me and my sisters our first golden for Christmas when we were quite young. We've had them in our family ever since, so of course when it came time to choose a dog of my own, I could only consider the golden. I love them. Any time I'm out and about and I have a golden siting, I can't help but get excited. They truly are the best dogs.

Now as for Max, well, he's merely the best of the best. I have been absolutely spoiled with this boy, and after having Scout join the scene, I am more and more convinced of this fact. I've had him since he was 6 weeks old, and while puppyhood will be puppyhood, I really have no complaints. He is completely dependable, absolutely faithful, always huggable. He's my giant teddy bear. "Big hug" is actually one of his tricks, where I open my arms to him, and he'll walk up to me and put his head up on my shoulder. I love a dog with substance, and he loves it when I wrap my arms around him and just pet him. He's a complete pushover without an aggressive bone in his body.

Now being a golden, he has some athleticism in him, but before we moved into our house, he was the laziest retriever. I'd throw a ball for him, and he'd casually stroll over to it, pick it up, then lay down and chew on it. Since the house, he's become more ball obsessed than ever, and will actually run after the ball, and occasionally bring it back. He's much better in the water, and when there's a pool, lake, creek, you name it, present, I can't keep him out of it.

Now inevitably, the most endearing trait about Max is the fact that he's an absolutely clown. His face is very expressive and his personality is very carefree. He's got these eyebrows that move, ears that perk up, a mouth that smiles, and eyes that sparkle. And now, now that he's a seven-year-old boy, he's got the beginnings of white fur around his eyes and muzzle. His coloring had many depths to begin with, but the white is just adding another subtle layer.

Birthday Boy

Since it's just after midnight, technically, Max's birthday was yesterday... but you get the idea.

About Scout

Scout is my little girl. Officially a one-year-old and no longer small, I still call her my little girl nonetheless. She was the result of a weak moment at the mall last holiday season. There was an SPCA adoption site at a nearby mall, and I was wrapping up some shopping. The sound of dog barking caught my attention, and I had to investigate. She was irresistible. A little white fuzzball. As I said, I had a weak moment... and as they say, the rest is history. She was advertised as a Great Pyrenees mix, but looks quite a bit like a white retriever, with freckles and broken ears, and thankfully is much closer to the size of a retriever... 60 lbs versus the standard 100+ of a GP.

She has a way of making her way into your heart. She's a total spaz and has this zest for life that's completely endearing. She can also settle down long enough to curl up with you. She's a cuddler, and loves to snuggle up with me on the couch. She's got sass and loves to woof at you in a manner of talking back, which I promise to capture on video here.

I call her my little girl, I call her little miss sassafras, I call her a diva. As I was saying, she's irresistible.

Birthday Girl

Want to go for a walk?

Every time, without fail, when I ask the dogs this question I get this reaction from Max... his ears perk up, he cocks his head to one side, and immediately I know the answer. A resounding... Yes! Yes! Can we? Can we? Can we really? Can we go? A walk? Now? Really? Really? Really? Yes! Yes!

Wake Up Call

Sharing my house with a puppy has been a lesson in patience... Patience and barricades. I have found that I don't have the heart or diligence to crate train dogs. One yelp in the middle of the night, and that puppy is in the bed with me. So it was with Scout. We slept much better that way. As she approaches her first birthday, she has grown to be quite a reliable dog. The barricades have come down. There are still times when I second guess this decision, but most days we do alright.

My favorite part of having this grown girl is my morning wake up calls. I use the radio to drag myself out of bed most days, and thanks to a Scout that can wander freely, I can no longer use the snooze button. Each morning, as the radio starts playing, she gets up and comes to the side of the bed where she lays her head down and waits for me to pet her. If I ignore her or stop petting her, she reaches up a paw and tries to grab my hand. Within minutes, I'm up and moving, and that's a much more pleasant wake up than a buzzer.