Dog of the Day - 30th May 2013

This morning I took some photos of some sweets that I'd found in a sweet-shop in Cambridge last week, so (as usual) wasn't in the mood to take the camera out to snap any local pooches. I also went out at a time when no-one walks their dog (around 1.30pm), and there was the usual chance of rain.

So, today's Dog of the Day is another oldie from the archives. He's a lively chap called Alfie (one of the many!). He's about 2 and is a cockerpoo (cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle - probably a miniature). He can look very different when he's had a haircut, but looked fairly normal a few months ago when I snapped these shots.

Dog of the Day - 28th May 2013

It's been a slow month for my dog photography. The weather's been generally atrocious, my in-laws have been here, and I've got to a point where I've taken photos of most of the dogs in the neighbourhood! Well, not quite, but I did actually suddenly get worried that it might be inappropriate to put photos on the web, with locations and the dogs' names, given the horrible prevalence for dog theft in the UK at the moment.

So today the Dog of the Day is going to be Henry again, who I will never stop taking photos of! I capture him in all sorts of positions (usually when he's on the sofa, looking a bit pissed off). Here is a shot of him doing just that. It's focused on his nose, which I used to be a bit obsessed with (but at least with the 5D the old macro lens doesn't work, so it's not that close). I don't think that the eyes have to be in focus in every shot.

If he could talk I reckon he'd be saying "mummy, get that thing away from my face; you know I don't like it!" Okay, enough of the anthropomorphising...

I made a collage a couple of weeks ago that show an array of his usual expressions. There will be more soon, no doubt!

Dog of the Day - 25th May 2013

The sun's out again, so the camera is too. Back to a dog today. Today's Dog of the Day is a clumber spaniel. I don't know anything about it, as it just trotted up to say hello, with its owners in the distance. They're not a very common breed any more; in fact they're on the Vulnerable Native Breeds list (compiled by the Kennel Club for dog breeds registering under 300 puppies per year), with only 271 pups registered in 2011.

Dog of the Day - 24th May 2013

There was absolutely no way that I was taking the camera out today (in spite of its alleged waterproofness) - I barely even left the house (discovered that the dog doesn't always want to go out, perhaps because it was so cold, wet and miserable out there). So today's Dog of the Day is a little bit different - it's a cat! (and the photo was taken at the weekend, in rather more favourable weather).

This is Amber, one of my aunt-in-law's cats, living near Welwyn in Hertfordshire. She is apparently a bit naughty, but posed nicely for me on the wall behind the house.

Dog of the Day - 23rd May 2013

Been away again, so not so much dog photography action. Took the camera out to the park on the dog's afternoon walk as the weather was reasonable today, and managed to capture a shot of little Alfie, Henry's pug friend who lives nearby. Henry tries to grab his little legs with his mouth, but Alfie doesn't seem to mind too much.

He looks a bit miserable here, but I think he was happy after a good play with Henry.

Dog of the Day - 16th May 2013

I went for a lovely walk on Hampstead Heath this morning - a place I haven't been for a good few years. The London Overland train got us from West Brom to Hampstead Heath in 25 minutes, so there's no excuse not to go more often!

While we were there we came across a dog breed that I've never seen before. I believe that it's a Komondor, a Hungarian livestock guardian dog. I did get its name, but it was something unfamiliar and I've since forgotten! Anyway, it was a superb creature, with endless matted dreadlocks and a couple of bunches in its hair to help it see!

Find our Dogs! - Please help to find Tia and Maisie!

On New Year's Eve, two working cocker spaniels, Tia and Maisie, were stolen from their home in Hampshire. Their owner has been desperately trying to find them and get them back during the last 4 and a bit months. I follow her heartbreaking search on Facebook every day. If you read this, please spread the word, as the more publicity this gets, the better her chances of getting her dogs back. Who knows, with more publicity someone who knows something might suddenly realise something, eg. that they were the recipient of these dogs on the second-hand market. Thank you!

Dog of the Day - 10th May 2013

Today's Dog of the Day is one of Henry's two Cavapoo friends (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel crossed with a poodle). He's been spoilt today - seeing the first one, Abby, this morning, and the second, Gilbert, this afternoon. He is now fast asleep on the sofa, hopefully exhausted from all the frenetic playing they do. Gilbert is only 6 months old, but very outgoing and playful. Sometimes the playing between him and Henry gets a little hectic, sometimes Henry gets a little irritable and snappy with him, and usually Gilbert ends up trying to hump him! Tomorrow Gilbert's getting his first haircut, so this may be the last time I see that cute teddybear-like little chap with his puppy mop!

Dog of the Day - 9th May 2013

A couple of days late, but today's Dog of the Day is Henry (again)! On Tuesday it was his 1st birthday and I took him out to see my parents. We went for a lovely walk in the Chess Valley near Little Chalfont and he enjoyed running through the bluebells while I tried to photograph them! Happy Birthday my darling little man!

Dog of the Day - 6th May 2013

I decided to go somewhere different today, partly to avoid the picnickers, and partly hoping to find some bluebells to photograph. I googled to see if anywhere in London was any good for bluebells, and found a site that said Barnes Common had some. So off I went on the No. 22 bus, dog in tow, to Barnes. Being a Bank Holiday the roads were empty so it took no time at all.

I found a few bluebells, but only a few scattered bunches, not the profusion that I was hoping for. I did, however, see loads of cocker spaniels, which more than made up for the lack of flowers! I chatted to a woman for ages as Henry played with her dog, a female orange roan cocker spaniel called Angelica. She's only a month older than Henry, but smaller and had the most wonderful smooth silky coat (whereas Henry's a ball of woolly fluff). I couldn't get a picture of her alone, as she wouldn't sit still, but got a couple of her playing with Henry, as well as a brief stop for breath!

Dog of the Day - 5th May 2013

Today's Dog of the Day is Whisper, an incredibly shiny black working cocker spaniel puppy. She's about 6 months old, and her whole body wiggles when she wags her tail. And just like my little cocker, she is rather partial to sticks! Very sweet little girl.

Dog of the Day - 4th May 2013

It's a bit late for the 3rd, so today's Dog of the Day is for the 4th of May. And it's a lovely Westie that Henry was in puppy class with, many moons ago now (they're almost a year old now). This is Mac, and a real sweetie he is too. Now the summer has suddenly sprung upon us the picnickers are out in force and the dogs are restricted to leads (or fiercely watched!) to stop them enjoying the feasts (otherwise they'd be annoying all of these people who only realise that the park exists in the summer - grrrr!). Little Mac seems pretty well-behaved though, and sat nicely for a few seconds for the camera :)

Dog of the Day - 2nd May 2013

Last but not least is the fourth of the cocker spaniels I had the pleasure of walking with during my trip to Iceland. Today's Dog of the Day is Skotta, another of Chelsea's puppies, who was staying with JP while his owner was on holiday. She'd had a haircut, so looked a lot smaller than the others, but she's also got a much smaller build. She too is adorable, just like the rest of the brood! Here she is blowing in the wind along the coast at Grafavogur, running through the remains of a couple of containers, and finally at home in the warmth with JP.

Dog of the Day - 1st May 2013

It's May, the sun is finally shining and the leaves are beginning to return! Now it's a pleasure to be out and about with the dog. Not that its without its problems - with the return of the sun and warmth comes People Having Picnics. And a Dog Off Lead + People Having Picnics = Trouble (dog running up to people having picnics to try and get their food). It's going to be a bit of a pain, especially since we dog walkers kind of feel that we own the parks, since we've been out there all autumn, winter and spring, come rain, snow or shine. Ho hum, I'm sure we'll manage.

So to distract Henry from the nearby picnic were a few dogs - not many out this afternoon. He played with Bailey, his Rhodesian Ridgeback friend who is now about 9 months old and just a bit too big for proper playing. One of the others on today's afternoon dog scene was the beautiful, fluffy, happy and friendly Angus, a 2-year-old golden retriever, who I met last summer when Henry was a tiny pup. In spite of his size, he plays well with smaller dogs and stops short of them, rather than landing on top of them. He looked as if he was smiling as he stood posing for the camera in the late afternoon sun for me.