March 10, 2005

• Not sure why this site caught my attention. Something about the idea of taking pics of dogs you meet on the street and blogging about them intrigued me. I am a dog lover. I own four of my own. Two adopted from the shelter.
• Too bad he can't make a living doing this. There's plenty of material here, in terms of dogs tied up waiting for their people.
• *w00f*
• Pretty doggies! I hope nobody wants a hunting license for them either.
• I like dogs, big ones more than little ones. Huskies with their bright blue eyes always fascinated me. And speaking of dogs waiting for their owners, here's a treasure. And from the site: What the heck is that??? Ditto.
• i always try to reassure dogs waiting outside stores that their friends will be back soon. they seem to appreciate it. recently in d.c. three dogs have been stolen from where they were tied in front of a starbucks. stupid owners. i'd never do that to my dog.
• SideDish, I try to do the same for dogs outside stores here in London-- recent adventures include warming up a shivering Italian Greyhound and comforting a crying Setter pup. Some people go clucky over babies; with me it's animals every time.
• Years ago when I was living in NYC there was a story about a guy who would abduct dogs tied up on the street and take them home. He would wait for the "lost dog" flyers offering a reward to appear, and then "heroically" return the dog to its owner. I think that there must be a special circle of hell reserved for people like that. I tie my own dog up without fear, however, because I don't think people would willingly untie a giant black 115 pound Shepherd/Rottie mix...
• Alnedra, Hachiko's story reminds me of Greyfriars Bobby, another faithful fellow, soon to be the subject of a cheesy movie.
• I think that there must be a special circle of hell reserved for people like that. If there isn't, I'd be more than happy to design one. We'll start with stakes, ropes and some hungry dogs gnawing on tender bits.... Pallas Athene, I remember that story! Although partly because Terry Pratchett parodied it in one of his novels. I notice that Christopher Lee is in the cast; I wonder what role he'll be playing.
• Alnedra, thanks for the link to Hachiko's story. I was thinking, as I was reading the Dogblog, I wonder how many people have their dogs stolen? I don't think I could leave a pet outside like that on the street.
• Well, Dogster shows 1445 profiles for SF. But maybe that's a better indication of how many dogs are looking for dog friends.
• I miss San Francisco and its dog-friendliness so much I can't even click on that link. See, there, one can go ahead and tie up one's dog, if the dog is fairly well-behaved, and feel secure in its safety. Most neighborhoods have a dog park to which everyone goes. So say I went shopping over on Fillmore and tied my Brandydog and Sophie up (briefly) on the sidewalk. Not only would several people walking down the street recognize them from the dogpark, some would know their names, and some would holler in from the street to say hi to me. Certainly I never felt that anyone could have abducted them - said abductor couldn't get more than a block before one of my neighbors would say Wait! Who are you? Where's Goofyfoot! I see lost dog ads often here in Los Angeles, but never in San Francisco.
• This was great - and I too am a they're-never-ever-coming-back-I-just-know-it store dog interim buddy. I always tell them they are the best dog ever, to wait so nicely for their mom or dad. I've noticed that if you pet a store dog, people who have seen you do it without getting eaten will then stop and pet the dog too - you can single-handedly cause a dog petting wave of goodness.
• Works for cats too - Captain Calvin down the road has hordes of friends, because he sits on the street corner outside his house in an area that gets a lot of foot traffic. Last time I was petting him, a guy walking by told me where another pettable sidewalk cat hung out. It was pretty cool; I should make up the West End Guide to Sidewalk Cats Detailing Their Various Temperaments and Peculiarities. Lavishly illustrated, of course.
• And from the site: What the heck is that??? Ditto. Ditto looks like an Australian shepherd, at least mostly. The coloring is called a merle; looks like a blue merle to me. that looks like a mutt, with one parent being something that create a merle coat. Could be Aussie, collie, border collie, some others. Conceivably a Cardigan, but that seems... unlikely.
• cool site.
• In Prague, I encountered inumerable dogs waiting for their owners outside shops and such completely leash free. They were always sitting perfectly still, staring with preternatural intensity at the door their owner would presumably come back through. I swear, the palace guards had nothing on these guys when it came to distraction resistant devotion.
• Thanks, Xeny. I had never heard of merle coats before. I think seeing dogs like that in real life would either freak me out or send me into paroxysms of fondling. The dogs, that is.
• MonkeyFilter: paroxysms of fondling
• Perhaps we should preserve this one also: MonkeyFilter: I think that there must be a special circle of hell reserved for people like that. Or not.
• Hey, found this site, which is pretty cute (although mostly posed shots). Phodography (very indirectly via Mefi)
• Mostly posed or not, they are some cute pups.