Bear - a handsome Mutt!

After we met Roxie and had some ice cream in Downtown Northport on Sunday we walked over to the park. My aunt wanted some quality time with the kids on the tire swing.

This was fine since it led to my meeting Bear. Bear is a very handsome and yet quiet mutt, although it is easy to see how they came up with his name. He is a bigggggg dog. According to his dad - he is part Chow and part Pyrnese mountain dog. Personally I think he might have a little German Shepherd in him too - he has the look in the face.

He is about 10 years old (if my memory serves me correctly) and has a relatively new human brother - about a year and a half old whom he loves.

Bear posed with a quiet dignity for me and let me get 2 good portraits of him.

D300, 18-200mm VR, 42mm, f/4.5, 1/320s, ISO 400
Click on photo for a larger view

Roxie – Bernese Mountain Dog

The whole family went to Northport NY on Sunday to see my Aunt and Uncle. In the afternoon we went for ice cream downtown. Northport has quite a few places to buy the food of the gods and as we were walking through downtown we passed the Northport Tasting Room & Wine Cellar and that's where we ran into Roxie.

Roxie is an absolutely gorgeous dog who was lazing by the window. I always thought Bernese mountain dogs were almost as large as St Bernards so I figured Roxie was a puppy. Of course I was wrong. She is a beautiful 3 year old although a little on the small side. Doogie came in with me to meet Roxie and they both behaved very well.

Roxie has her bed right by the window of the Tasting Room and she seems happy to meet all the customers. She was extremely friendly and I even got a kiss from her. Roxie, although very photogenic, had no desire to sit still - to busy being friendly but I did manage to get a few good photos of her.

If you happen to be in Northport and need a bottle of wine or just want to pop into to say hi to Roxie or Matthew the owner of the Northport Tasting Room & Wine Cellar I am sure they would be happy to meet you.

D300, 18-200mm, 34mm, 1/60s, f/5.6, ISO 200, Flash
Click on photo for a larger view

Sugar, Sugar

Meet Sugar. I met this pretty dog on a walk around Sunset Lake while I was taking pictures on my way home from work. She is an 8 year old long haired Jack Russell Terrier without the classic Jack Russell Terrier attitude. The amazing thing about Sugar is that as friendly as she is, as soon as you take a camera out she runs and hides. It was very comical that as soon as I pointed the camera at her she ran away. As soon as you turn it away she comes back and wants her tummy rubbed. Sugar's still a cutie in my book!D300, 50mm f/1.4, f/10.0, ISO 200, 1/400s

Igor - German Shepherd

Igor is a German Shepherd that I met a little more than a week ago. His owner Peg was walking him around Sunset Lake when they happened upon me. He is 18 months old and was rasied by the Monks of New Skete. They have been breeding and training German Shepherds for over 35 years. Igor was very well behaved and he and Peg were having a grand old walk.

D300, 18-200mm, 53mm, f/5.6, 1/160s, ISO 200

Winston Finally

Ok, ok, I promised a post on Friday but after we got home form NH I woke up sicker than a dog (sorry for the pun Winston) on Friday and spent most of the day in bed.

On to Winston. I met Winston at the Franklin Falls Dam for the first time last Sunday the 23rd. The weather had been horrible all day and the fog was thinker than in London. Winston was at the dam with his Mom and Dad as well as one of those balls that comes with a flinger. He bounded up to say hi and then just turned into a full grown playful puppy. The pictures didn't come out great but I got lucky when I ran into him 2 days later at the dam.

Dad forgot to bring his tennis ball but Winston still wanted to mug for the camera. We discovered that he loved to chase snowballs too. He bounded into the snow and looked just like a hunting dog watching the snowball leave Dad's hand. He waited, timed his jump and caught everyone except for the one that was thrown too far. Didn't stop him from trying though. I am sure that next time we visit NH we will run into Winston again and maybe we will bring Doogie along for him to play with.

It's a dog, dog world!

I took a ride to Maine today from here in NH (up for the holiday) and went to visit my old haunt of Ogunquit Beach with stops in York and Kittery Point.

Winter is the best time for dogs in Maine. They are allowed in the parks and on the beaches and they just love to run around in the sand and snow.

I cannot remember all their names but a few stuck out - Barkley the Irish Setter in Ogunquit, Gracie the Beagle mix (Labrador I think) and of course, Sierra the cute (too young to be handsome) 9 week old Husky pup from Kittery . Extremely well behaved and very friendly. Wait until Friday when i post pictures of Winston, a great Black Lab who loves to play.