Pics of Portuguese Pups

Everyone who knows me knows that two of my greatest passions are travel and dogs. And more often than not these passions overlap. So while most tourists focus their lenses on historic sites, natural beauty spots...and each other, I find myself zooming in on local residents of the canine variety.

And, as these images from Portugal--from small pampered pups to a huge wolf companion--demonstrate, there's never a lack of furry four-legged "models." (Click pictures to view larger images.)


Thank goodness!

Of Hairless and Powder Puff Cresteds

I realized that so far the only dog photos I've posted have been of black dogs, and while it's true I have a weakness for black dogs, I thought I should start giving some equal time to dogs of a different hue.

Meet Fancy. She reminds me of nothing so much as some sort of garden sprite or canine gnome. In reality, however, she is a "powder puff" Chinese crested.

Now, if you're like me, you associate Chinese cresteds with those little naked dogs whose "hair" is limited to little leggings, a sort-of Mohawk do on their head, and a little pom-pom on the end of their tail. It turns out, however, that if it weren't for the hairier variety like Fancy, Chinese "hairless" cresteds wouldn't exist. According to Fancy's human mom, the hairless variety are the result of the mating of a hairless with a powder puff parent...at least when it comes to responsible breeders. Apparently, mating hairless Chinese cresteds to each other can result in offspring with skin problems.

So now you know.

Passing of a Muse

Why is it that life's highs are so often counterbalanced by corresponding lows?

Sadly, the printing of my new book, A is for Angel: A Dog Lover's Guide to the Alphabet, an event that brought me great satisfaction, coincided roughly with the diagnosis of one of our dogs, Samba, with hemangiosarcoma. What made this coincidence particularly painful and ironic was the fact that Samba had been something of a photographic muse for me.

My husband and I adopted Samba and her brother Tango when they were 3-and-a-half months old, following the death of one of our first dogs, Boris. We discovered them at an adoption show of the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George's County and burst into tears. Black and fluffy, they reminded us so much of Boris as a puppy. We were smitten!

Over the years, Samba posed for many photos, including Halloween portraits, Christmas cards, and the cover of my book Black is Beautiful: A Celebration of Dark Dogs. There's something serene and soulful in her expression in that cover shot that will stay with me always, as will the photos taken of her in the snow and on her bed just a week before she died.

Before Samba's diagnosis, I had never heard of hemangiosarcoma, but desperate for any information that might help us help her, I scoured the web, and quickly learned that it is discouragingly common...and deadly. Despite the removal of her spleen, site of the original tumor, Samba succumbed just one short month after diagnosis. But during the course of my information search, I discovered a source of hope for all dog lovers: the National Canine Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds grants for researchers investigating the prevention, treatment, and cure of cancers afflicting our canine companions. So in an effort to channel my grief, I established a fundraising page in Samba's memory on the NCCF's website. I encourage you to read her story there and make a donation to the cause if you're moved to do so.