Day 298 - Animal Control

new dog stuff

Difficult photo choice today...a horribly under-exposed snap of new dog stuff, or alternatively, a horribly over-exposed snap of new dog stuff.

I've gone with the horribly under-exposed version...and ignored the third option, that I didn't mention, which was to light the damn subject a bit better...and conveniently overlooked the fourth, which was to get the DSLR out and take a better photo.

Photo quality wasn't really the point, you see...the point being, of course, New Dog Stuff!

We have lots of old collars, leads, and one thing or another...but most of it hasn't been used for years, and smells of Jazz and Bluez, and is probably covered in cobwebs or stiffening with age in a crate in the loft...

So we nipped out to PetsAtHome to get some New Stuff for our New Dog...a new collar and lead (nice Red collar!), an extendible lead (which we'll need for a while), and a name tag (which he's legally obliged to wear).

Now that it's all confirmed, and we're collecting him tomorrow, I can share his name with you...he's not actually Batman - he's Robin!  

robin

I think that makes me Batman, probably - and makes Anna Batgirl!  That works - we've already got the tee-shirts and everything... ;-)

Anyway, I don't know how long the name Robin will last, but we'll go with it for a while...as the rehoming officer pointed out: everything is going to change for him - all he really has is his name.

So we'll try to resist giving him too many nicknames straight away...although the phrase red robin keeps flitting across my mind like...well, like a little red robin...that might become simply Red...maybe.

But maybe Robin will stick...we'll see.  I feel that his real name will emerge as we get to know him. 

I've installed a dog gate cordoning off the kitchen from the rest of the downstairs, in order to introduce him gradually and give the cats the option to escape should they venture in with him. 

Loz has already twigged that something is going on, and has been charging around, wide-eyed, and looking at us with an accusing glare...I'm sure she's reading our minds!

Before tomorrow night I'll move the gate to give Robin additional access to his bed...he has a choice between a brand new bed, only used once (by Loz the other night), and a stinky old dogged up bed that Jazz and Bluez used to use...it will be interesting to see which Robin prefers.

Right, I'm just burbling along, preoccupied and distracted by the imminence of Robin's arrival, so I'll sign off there.

Just one more night in a dogless house...

:-)

Day 297 - Mutt-ley Crew

batman

Today we had a wonderful and exciting opportunity to meet a quartet of handsome young dogs that are available for rehoming!

All are withdrawn (read: failed) Guide Dogs, for minor behavioural issues...all are 15-24 months old...none have quite reached the very high bar required to become a Guide Dog, and none are quite suitable for other service work. 

But all are potentially perfect as pets. 

Discovery.

Having applied to rehome a young dog, as one of several avenues we've explored for finding a new dog (and our preferred route, all things said), we were invited to meet a few young males that seemed to suit our requirements.

We had a long conversation about the dogs, and more importantly, what we could offer to them...the conversation went very well, and I think both parties felt that we are all on a similar wavelength in our attitudes and ethics...

In any case, I think we passed muster, and will therefore be offered the opportunity to take one (or two?!) of these dogs as new members of our family, should we choose to.

Dogs.

Dog # 1

The handsome chap above - let's call him Batman (all names changed to protect the innocent!) - was our first suitor.   He is 2 years old, and a Labrador/Golden Retriever Cross...this is a popular cross breed for service dogs, and they are sometimes referred to as Golden Labradors, Goldadors, or even Glabs(?!)...

He has been rehomed before, and has one or two issues...notably, he guards food, and eats poo!  He's smart, somewhat independent, and something of a Top Dog...he has a quiet confidence, that can sometimes lead him to challenge his owner.

He's fine in pretty much all other respects, and he has a lovely, smiley energy about him that I really liked. 

Dog # 2

roddy

Roddy (again, not his real name!) was the second dog we met.  He was pure Yellow Lab, around 16 months old, and to be honest, a little odd.  He was by turns bouncy and energetic, then disinterested and distracted.

He has some digestive issues at the moment which means he's on a special diet, and so won't be available for a few weeks yet.

He was nice, and we had one or two little moments of interaction with him, but overall our feeling was, sadly, that we didn't really click immediately...this wouldn't necessarily preclude working on it and building a bond with him, but we are in the luxurious position of having a variety of options...which leads us to:

Dog # 3

nigel

Nigel(!), is the prettiest of all of them.  He is a Goldador, very young at only around 15 months, and still with an air of puppyness about him.  He was very lively and energetic when he first greeted us, but after a while calmed down nicely.  

I found him very sweet and seductive, and I must admit to having a little crush on him from the off...

He has had little to no training (although a lot of brilliant socialising, of course), and would require some work...but oh boy, was he cute?!

Dog # 4

saturn

Our final dog, Saturn, was, quite simply, Bluez in a slightly larger, yellower body. 

A little standoffish, but with hints of a strong inner warmth...quiet but intelligent, and fairly low energy.   

We were with him for about 20 minutes, and for most of them he didn't pay us much attention...but with 10 minutes left on the clock, he made his move, and started slowly circling Anna, giving her the lovely slow wag and smiley mouth...

He just drew her in, snuck under her skin, and gave her a good tug on the heart strings...


Dilemma.

So, what to do?! 

Do we want one or two?  Which two?  At the same time, or staggered?  Which first?

In a late twist, a spanner was thrown into the works in the shape of an Irish Water Spaniel/Black Labrador cross...a 5 year old bitch, which is apparently the best dog ever and would suit us down to the ground, and which we'd immediately love if we met, is also available...

I won't go into the endless machinations we've been through since leaving there around 8 hours ago...but I'll tell you where we are going from here.

Decisions

Firstly, we are going to offer a forever home to Batman...there are many reasons for this decision, and this is one of them...

dozing

After about 20 minutes where he'd bimbled around and we'd had some nice interactions, he came and lay down with one paw over my foot.  After a few minutes he rolled over, wedged his head against my ankle, and dozed off...

This is a dog I can bond with!

We think he will make a lovely, solid member of our little pack, and we're happy to help him work on his one or two little issues.   We're hopeful that they'll ease away as he settles into a relaxed, stimulating home life with us.  

Roddy isn't immediately available, and has current dietary issues, so we passed on him.

Unfortunately, it turned out that there are question marks over Nigel's suitability to live in a multi-dog household, and this really is a show-stopper for us - we are always going to have more than one dog in our home...so with a pang of regret, we had to cross him off the list too.

Saturn could really work, and there is some thought that he could benefit from living with another dog.  Anna has quite a soft spot for him.  I find that he constantly reminds me of Bluez...and I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or bad!

Also we feel it would only make sense to meet this spaniel/lab X, and then we think we'll choose between her and Saturn, if we still think we can make it work well with two, and assuming Batman is settling in happily. 

Deal.

So we're hoping to pick him up this Thursday, which will be his 2nd birthday, and the day before Anna's birthday too. 

We will try to arrange to see the other dogs then, and see where we go from there. 

In any case, we're very happy and excited, and I'm sure you'll hear much more in the coming days...

Done.

B-)

Day 283 - In the Doghouse

erm...hello?

This is possibly one of the worst photo's I've used on my blog, but I quite like it all the same.

We are really missing having dogs around the house, and for some weeks now we have been getting increasingly desperate to find a new dog. 

However, our requirements are quite stringent, so finding the right dog is proving to be something of a challenge.

Our high level plan is to get a dog of medium size and middle age as soon as we can.  We need it to be safe with cats, have a calm and gentle energy, and not be an escape artist.  It needs to be fairly comfortable with being left at home during the day, and of course it needs to be fundamentally house trained...any further training or reconditioning, we're happy to undertake as necessary.

Something like a golden retriever would be perfect, although we'd also be interested in labs, flat-coat retrievers, spinone or similar...maybe even a bearded collie or a rotty or something like that...

Next we'd like a bigger, younger dog, and finally maybe a small dog with a big character...some sort of terrier, most likely. 

Of course all these plans are subject to immediate change with no prior notice, upon finding the right dog of any age, size or breed!

Anyway, we had some time today so decided to pop to the Dogs Trust and have a look.  We weren't too confident that we'd find the kind of dog we're looking for but wanted to see for ourselves. 

It was sad to see how many of the dogs in there have issues...some just lie in their crates, clearly depressed...others spin round in circles, frustrated and stir crazy...yet others still just bark and bark at passers by...a few are friendly, and one or two have lovely soft energy and a nice slow wag, but often even these seem somewhat cowed by their circumstance.

The saddest thing of all is that we feel like we can't help any of them.  We think we have the knowledge, the calm energy, and the patience to bring them back from the dark psychological places they're floundering in...but with full time jobs, we just don't have the time and attention that they'd need to turn them around. 

Maybe one day, when we have a calm, stable pack, we could think about taking one of these poor mutts home...but for now, we're going to have to look elsewhere.

We're in touch with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (whose breeding centre is just nearby), and we've had a good word put in for us by our (and their) vets...so we're hoping to get on the list for a failed guide dog of whatever breed...

We're also looking for any adult dogs for sale that fit our specification.

So it's all a bit of a waiting game...

In the meantime, it was nice to have a moment's connection to this dog at the shelter today...he and his little Jack Russell buddy had been dashing frantically between their indoor and outdoor rooms, over-excited about all the activity in the centre, and no idea what else to do with it...

But he stopped long enough to briefly enquire of me what I thought I was doing...it was kind of painful not to get skin on fur - it's such a natural way to communicate with a dog - but lovely to get the momentary psychological connection, at least.

In other news, check out this impressive website that my daughter has just launched...if you know of anyone getting married soon, do point them in the direction of Pingle Pie...they won't be disappointed!

I'm so proud!

:-)

Day 269 - Ode to Jazz

RIP JazzyB

This evening, we bade farewell to our lovely old boy Jazz, with a little remembrance ceremony up in the woods he so loved.

I carved his name into a tree, just below the carving I made for his brother, late last year...we lit a candle, and crouched in the fading light, weeping as we reminisced over JazzyB, the happiest, friendliest dog you could wish to meet. 

slippery

Sprinkling some ashes (to join with his brother in nurturing this fine old tree), we told tales that reminded us how much we love and miss him...so many tales...

Anna wrote and read these lovely words, which somehow get to the heart of who Jazz was...

Ode To Jazz   By Anna, aged 34

our boys

My Jazzy boy

When I first met Jazz, I found it hard to tell him apart from his brother. I chose to distinguish them, initially, on physical characteristics. Think of stiff legs, a tucked in tail, submissive posture, noisy snuffle when playing 'hunt the treat', and you have Jazz...but also think of a dog that was so gentle, so pleased to see people and loved to demonstrate this by bringing you the oldest, smelliest slipper he could find and it'll bring a big smile to your face when you think of the real Jazz!

Jazz lived up to his name! He was the life and soul of the party, mostly because the party had lots of food and he wanted to be in the middle of it...but also 'cos he loved everybody and everybody loved Jazz, how could you not? If we took him for a walk in the woods he'd launch himself into any pond or water body he could find. Sometimes without even checking if there was any water in it first! Then he'd find a scrappy old stick and carry it all the way home, all the while being super impressed with himself.

Jazz would be happy with you, he'd be excited with you, he'd chill out with you and he'd be sad with you. Jazz loved company and he especially loved Tony. Jazz was Tony's shadow. If Tony was sat in his chair, Jazz would be lying by his feet...unless I was in the kitchen cooking dinner!

Jazz had this uncanny ability to fall asleep on anything, anywhere...quite often with his eyes open, with his head hanging off the edge of the sofa, snoring. Sometimes he did the same things whilst awake, cos who cares, right? Even Loz didn't mind as they would often curl up on the sofa side by side, tails touching.

Jazz didn't bark much, that was Bluez' job. Jazz was smart, he'd just join in when it really mattered...or otherwise barely raise an eyebrow.  "No need to move from this comfy spot just yet, is there? No, didn't think so...Bluez is onto it...I'll wait here for a bit, see how things pan out".

Sometimes Jazz would just know what you were thinking. It's like some kind of mind meld; it was surreal and I loved it!

All food was Jazz's favourite and to Jazz, all people were brilliant.  But only now do I really understand why Jazz and Tony were best mates...it's because they both live life to the same mantra:

"everything can be improved with cheese"

Thanks for being my awesome Jazzy boy.

me and jaybles

Day 267 - Dog Plants

jazzpots

We shed a few tears today, as we potted up Jazz's memorial plants in the warm, late summer sunshine.

We've been putting it off for a while, but today there were no excuses.  For my part, I think I'd been avoiding opening his lovely cardboard urn and facing the truth of his ashes...and sure enough, I find I'm still quite emotional, and I realise that I still think of him often...every day I suppose.

We're going to go up to the woods and carve his name in the tree with Bluez's, one cool evening this week...it would have been too warm for him this afternoon - he would have struggled on the long walk up the hill, so it seemed somehow inconsiderate to go today...

But we spent a melancholy half an hour pottering and potting and pondering, quietly contemplating our old boy as we sprinkled some of his ashes into these pots.

As a ritual, it works nicely...I can't look at these plants and not see Jazzy B strong and clear in my mind.

Similarly with all of our growing collection of lovely pots...they're not all specifically for Jazz or Bluez, but together they invoke (for me) a striking nostalgia for my boyz. 

dogzpotz

We have all of these in pots, but our plan is to plant some of them in the ground when we get into a home we own (or have sold our souls to the banks for).

Our lives are undergoing transformational change this year, it seems...everything has been coming undone, and the turbulence has been a little nauseating at times...so far it's mostly been a process of deconstruction, as our settled home life has slowly imploded, coincident with the loss of the dogs. 

But now things are starting to fall into place, as our plans are solidifying...the way forward is starting to emerge from the mists of uncertainty and doubt...

I guess more of that will come out over coming weeks and months, and by the time I complete this series of blog posts - everything could have changed!

Hence, having spent much of today looking backwards with fond nostalgia, and sweet, painful reminiscence, I'll now see the day out looking forward...

To a week in Font, leaving in a few days...

To a new home...

To...who knows what else?

;-)

Day 260 - In Remembrance

jazz pots

Having bought some memorial plants for Bluez, today we went shopping for something similar for Jazz...

We wandered around our local gardening centre looking for inspiration, and in the process discovered that, for some reason, in our heads, where Bluez was blue and green, Jazz is red and orange...warm colours for the endlessly loving being that he was.

I'm not generally very interested in flowers, but Fuschia is one I know and like...when we happened upon them they immediately seemed right to both of us...

And curiously, I don't know many trees either, but Rhus is one I'm both familiar with and fond of...its leaves turn a glorious orangey-red at certain times of year...and when we found a few small ones in pots, we were both immediately happy to have one to match Bluez' Rowan.

So we found a couple of nice pots in warm earth colours and brought them home.  We'll plant them in their new pots, complete with a sprinkling of Jazz-ash, when we have a little ceremony for the old boy in a week or so.

With Bluez we had our funeral ritual within a week or two of his death...with Jazz, it's taken a lot longer...I'm not going to analyse that to work out why - it is what it is, and these things happen in their own good time. 

For now, suffice to say that we still miss him keenly, every day...the plants (both Jazz and Bluez') will come with us when we move home, and we'll plant them as a permanent memorial to two of the best friends we ever had. 


In other news, it's the end of August!

I've been thinking about how the fitness training and Font preparation has come on, especially since realising how tired I've become as the month has drawn to a close. 

I had a look back at how much I've done over the last 31 days:

• Number of climbing sessions = 6
• Number of Pull-up Challenge sessions = 11
• Number of Push-up Challenge sessions = 4
• Number of Tai Chi sessions = approx 15.
• Number of non-rest days = 26

I don't think I've lost any weight, and I may even have put some on (although I don't trust my scales at all, so I'm not really sure)...but I do feel that I'm stronger and overall in much better shape. 

I'm fairly pleased with all of that, and I reckon I've earned a bit of an easier time over the next couple of weeks...I certainly won't get an easier time at work, but I'll ease up on the exercise and let my body recover a little.

Recovery certainly takes longer than it used to, as you get older...I probably shouldn't have waited until I was in in my mid-40's before I started doing any sort of exercise!

Still, I think I'm in reasonable shape for a 50 year old...I'm even considering doing the Insanity Workout 60 Day Challenge in the New Year...more on that in due course!

Otherwise, it's been a somewhat dramatic and fairly stressful month:

• Traumatic times for my nephew and his family...
• The constant frustration and disruption of the drainage contractors saga...
• Dealing with the loss of Jazz, and missing him every single day...
• Learning to live with no dogs at all, and realising how wrong that is...
• Busy and difficult issues at work for both of us...
• Skateboarding accidents...
• Annoying telecomms supplier issues...

But alongside all that, there's been lots of good stuff too:

• Learning Tai Chi...
• Meeting random dogs here and there...
• Sticking with the Pull-up Challenge...
• Chris making miraculous strides in his recovery...
• Bouldering lots...
• Meeting some very old trees...
• Fun on skateboards...
• Deciding to buy a new house...
• Getting fitter and stronger...
• Receiving a bunch of cool new 2117 clothes (absolute bargain!)...
• Starting to look for a new dog...
• Paying off all my debts...

On balance, it's been a typically hectic, mournful, active, stressful, chilled, engaging, sore, positive, sad, frustrating, painful and happy month!

Here's to a new one, starting tomorrow...

Do you remember?

;-)

Day 253 - Ancient Oaks

treebeard

We took a trip out to see a load of old trees, and this old man oak was the king of them all...he's said to be over a thousand years old!

He really does have an entish quality to him - I can quite see him plodding across the hillside, if he so chose...

We were in Staffordshire meeting Anna's folks for lunch, and went for a walk across what used to be an old country estate, to take a look at all these old trees.

There were a number of ancient oaks, all with their own individual character...

an old oak

Some of them look in fine fettle, despite clearly being a shadow of their former selves.

another old oak

I wonder what changes they've seen over the centuries.  The M6 motorway is a scant half a mile away across the fields, and I wonder how the constant air and noise pollution has impacted the trees over the last half century. 

yet another old oak

I hope someone studies this, to perhaps shed a little light on the invisible damage we do when we treat the planet as though it's entirely our right to do with it as we will, disregarding the needs and interests of all other species...

sweet chestnut?

Someone could perhaps examine the rings in a dead portion of this beautiful chestnut...I'm sure he would gladly make a small sacrifice for the betterment of everything else...

Back in his glory days he would have looked a bit like this...

horse chestnut

So, a fine collection of grand old trees...

Also of interest, this beautiful damselfly, that I tracked for a while until he landed...I crept up and managed to find him resting on this leaf...didn't quite get him in focus, but hey, he's another good addition to the species collection!

banded demoiselle

Finally, we were by a lock on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, and Jack here was watching her boat putter into the lock with keen interest.

when the boat comes in

She's a lovely little thing...maybe we'll add someone like her to our pack as the final terrier addition, in a few years time.

I'm really starting to yearn for another dog...I'm not sure we're going to be able to resist much longer now...

Can't wait!

:-)

Day 251 - Dog Fix

bighead

Since losing our two best canine buddies Jazz and Bluez, in the space of nine months, we now find ourselves drawn to any available dog for a quick dog fix to keep us going.

This evening at the vets with Maisie, this lovely chocolate lab cheerfully obliged with boisterous, bouncy enthusiasm.   He was a big chunky boy, and despite having just had his bits chopped off, he was in good spirits, so we each got a good dose of doggy goodness whilst Maisie was having a blood test.

The amount of positive energy and positive input that a dog brings to your life cannot be under-estimated - they're endlessly friendly, and forgiving, and generous with their affections...of course they can beg and bark and bounce and other bothersome behaviour, but this pales against the vast, deep, rich joy that comes along with the doggy package deal. 

I can't recommend finding and making a good furry dog-friend highly enough...and suffice to say, we just can't be without one for much longer.

It's only three weeks until our bouldering holiday in Fontainebleau, after which we'll be actively looking for a new tenant to fill the large, empty vacancy that is our house now.

We're going to have a section of the garden fenced off and a kennel installed, to make a run where a new dog could be left for a while whilst we're out.   We'll need a bit of an integration period before trusting a new dog and the cats to be left in the house together...so the run will give us the flexibility to separate animals as required.

Our longer term plans involve three dogs of different sizes and ages, and it seems most sensible to start with the middle ground. 

We'll initially be looking to rescue or adopt a middle aged, medium sized dog...something like a lab or a golden retriever.  It will need to be fairly laid back (always get a dog with equal or lower energy to yourself), cat tolerant (if not cat friendly), and reasonably well-behaved, although we're happy to work on any issues. 

Once that's settled in, we'll go for something bigger.  Anna has a bit of a thing about the Italian Spinone, and having introduced me, I'm immediately sold on them too.   They're bigger than a lab, although not huge...they have that brilliant shaggy-dog look, which I love...and they're placid and peaceful like a golden retriever. 

Unfortunately, they're rare and expensive, so we'll have to go slightly against our better principles and buy a pedigree pup. 

(We're largely disapproving of the Kennel Club breeding system, which encourages inbreeding and selection for arbitrary physical characteristics, often without concern for the health and well being of the dog or the wider gene pool).

Finally, once the two bigger dogs are well settled into our pack, we may add a smaller dog, probably a terrier of some type - perhaps a scottie or similar. 

And maybe we'll stop there for a while...although maybe, if we buy our own place, all bets will be off!

Can't wait!

B-)

PS Bonus again, you lucky people...

snake in the grass

Just to demonstrate the exciting life we lead, here's another grass snake that Anna found when doing a quick reptile check on the way back from the vets...

Must be the Year of the Snake, or something...

Day 218 - Does Not Compute

no jazz...

In due course, I will a write a full celebratory blog post in honour and remembrance of our old boy...but here, today, all I'm aware of, through tear-filled eyes, is that the world is full of holes shaped just like Jazz.

He's not by my feet...and nor is he by Anna's feet...

no jazz...

...but he's not under my chair by my desk either...

no jazz...

...and he's not on the sofa (with or without Loz)...

no jazz...

...he's not even on the rug in the kitchen, begging for tidbits...

no jazz...

...he's not in his bed...

no jazz...

...and he's nowhere to be found in the garden (I've looked)...

no jazz...

The world seems to be short of precisely one Jazz...

...and all the worse for it...

:-(

Day 204 - Birthday Boy

distinguished old gentledog

The 6th of July, 2014 marks a significant milestone for our JazzyBoy...he is 13 years old today!

The average life expectancy of a Labrador Retriever is 11.5 years, which is the labrador equivalent of around 67 human years.  13 years is around 80 years old...he's well and truly in the geriatric age bracket!

Of course, his brother (and litter mate) Bluez made it to 12.5 years, or about 77, so Jazz is doing well.

That said, if he was human, he'd have a Zimmer frame, a walking stick, maybe one of those chairs that helps you stand up, and probably a Stanna Stairlift...being canine, the NHS doesn't provide those things - instead he has to make use of the Tony Stairlift, as I carry him up and down each night and morning.

He is showing signs of wear nowadays.  For instance, he's increasingly grey around the muzzle these days, and the white hairs are appearing around his eyes:

what's happening?

But he can still look cute with it!

what?

I know, it's impossible to get the exposure right on a black dog - Jazz is under exposed, the background is over exposed...still haven't worked out how to deal with that.

He can still look young, interested and alert though:

did you say chicken? cheese? chips?

Ears up in this way usually indicate that he thinks there might be some food in the offing...

But he can also look like an old fellow, and with his eyesight fading considerably of late, he now needs glasses:

are these supposed to help?

They do give him that distinguished old gentle-dog look though, don't you think?

I presume I'm getting a treat for this?

Happy Birthday, my old boy Jazzer - here's to another few doggy years, at least.

And thanks for being my friend for so long...see me later for bonus treats and fuss!

I love you, JazzyBoy...

:-)

Day 186 - Mad Dogs and Englishman

go out in the midday sun

May-Z is a lot better today, whilst Jazz seems weary.

May-Z seemed to recover a little overnight, appearing on my pillow some time during the night, much more like her usual self.  Today, although a little wary of going outside on her own, she seems less psychologically fragile, and physically fairly normal.  

Anna tells me that the poo in the lounge was in fact a furball, vomited up by one of the cats...this was most likely a stress response from May-Z, following the attack.  So that potentially explains that aspect of it, and maybe why May-Z has been reluctant to eat today...her throat may be sore. 

Still doesn't quite tell the story though...the neighbours tell us that a big, black, feral cat has been passing by regularly...in which case, is the fur Loz's?  She didn't look as though she'd lost fur, and she didn't seem as though she'd been in a serious fight - she was very relaxed, and still is.   Given that she's generally a fairly stressy cat, as far as intruding cats go, this doesn't seem quite likely either. 

So yeah, hmm, I'm still not settled with any theory...

Anyway, I was working from home today, so had the opportunity to spend a few minutes sitting out in the midday sun...Jazz slumped in the doorway, soaking up the heat quickly, being black...mad dogs and Englishmen, and all that.   

Black dogs are really cool, in my estimation, unless the sun's out, in which case they're really hot!

But their black fur must be tiresome in the summer sun...literally within seconds of being out in the sun, Jazz is hot to the touch...he just soaks it up! 

It also makes photographing him problematic, for exactly the same reason - those rays of sunlight that he's absorbing aren't bouncing off him to be picked up by the camera's sensor...so the camera finds it impossible to set an appropriate white balance, as it struggles to "see" the dog.   It just sees darkness, and consequently ramps up the light sensitivity, with the effect of utterly over-exposing everything in the shot that isn't the dog, whilst still under-exposing Jazz - the worst of all worlds. 

There are some hints and tips relating to photographing black (or white) animals, but I can't remember what they are...must look them up...

As it happens though, sheep turn out alright.

not as white as advertised

As do blackbirds - when they're brown anyway (due to being female and whatnot):

not as black a advertised

This one has an odd feather protruding from behind her wing on her left flank...it's been there for a few days, and is starting to intrigue me now.  If it's so loose, why hasn't it detached?  I wonder if it bothers her?   It's not like blackbirds have to fly huge distances...they mostly just flit around in the hedgerow and trees within 10 or 20m of where they live.

Curious.

Finally, here's the big ol' Dobermann that lives next door, Diesel.

diesel the dobermann dog

He's as old as Jazz, and absolutely covered in humongous tumours, although they all seem to be benign and don't seem to bother him much, if at all.  His owners insist he's at deaths door, although he seems reasonably well to me...

Saying that, I have to acknowledge that they could quite reasonably say the same thing about me and Jazz!

Yeah, yeah, I know...

:-p