A Big Hairy Dog

At my local doggy park, there are dogs of all shapes and sizes, and many weird and wonderful breeds.  There are of course the ubiquitous Poodle, Labrador and Jack Russell, but there are also unusual breeds such as this big guy:

He looks like a bear! You know what he is? Give up? Well he's a Tibetan Mastiff.

I've never heard of them before. At first I thought it must be a furphy, like the infamous Kenyan Giraffe Dog, but I came home and googled and sure enough, it is a fair-dinkum breed, and an ancient one at that. Apparently they were bred to be guardians of home and flock in the high mountains.

According to what I read, their origin in Tibet is 'hidden in the mist of time', kind of like Gary's favourite comic hero, the Phantom. Mmmm...

King George IV of England had a pair (of Tibetan Mastiffs, that is).

The big fella in the pic is 'Quan', by the way. He usually lumbers around the park, like a bulldozer in low gear, but every now and then, without warning, he'll break into a canter. He's not a lot of fun to play with, but I like him.

There you go...you learn something new everyday.

Sunday at the Beach

Sunday. Woo-hoo! Gary promised that we'll head to the beach today and I've been raring to go all week. Even better, my little Cocker mate, Shelley and her three human family-members, Ali, Jack and Haz, are coming too.

We usually go to The Spit, which is about an hour or so away by car. So the six of us squeezed into Gary's little car, and off we went.

It was Shelley's very first time at the beach and the little Cocker was super excited. She ran and played to her heart's content. Bless her hairy paws! And she made heaps of new friends - with just about every dog on the sand! She even christened the sand with her little doggy calling card.

Afterwards, we had fish and chips for dinner. Well they did, us poor canines had to wait until we got home for our dins.

What a terrific day! Can't wait to do it again. Here's a vid of our day:

You Too Can Have Magic Fingers...

Aaahhh...I love a massage as much as the next pooch. Gary's been learning the finer art of doing it. Check out this vid and give your best mate a soothing treat:

How To Massage Your Dog on Howcast

And don't forget - a big juicy bone at the end will top it of!

Over the K- Bridge

Aah Saturday, my favourite day of the week. Gary's too. Well, actually, everyday is a Saturday for him these days. Typical of this time of year, the sun shone brightly so we decided on the spur to head over to check out the new bridge spanning the Brisbane River.

Called the Kurilpa Bridge after the original inhabitants of the area, it's a wierd, chaotic looking thing, sort of resembling masts from a flotilla of boats rocking back and forth on the water. In engineer-speak it's a 'tensegrity' bridge and is one of the first of its type in the world. This fellow blogger and bridge-spotter seems to know a lot about it! (Mmmm...)

Evidently, it cost tax payers a whopping $63 m bucks. Money well spent? Who knows. Probably a decision made during an election. Pollies will do anything to win votes.

Well we strolled across and found it a very nice bridge as these structures go, and probably a welcome addition to the city landmarks. There are several viewing platforms which make for excellent places to take pictures and have a rest. And best of all it takes you across to the Gallery of Modern Art, which is one of Gary's favourite haunts in Bris.

Anyway, us canines don't care much for these things. Give us the park or the beach anyday.

By the way, this should have been posted last Saturday. Today we did no such thing : -) Today we went for a walk up to Mt Coo-tha Lookout, and, after, slothed at home.

Scoop Doggy Poo

Doggy poo! Hey that’s got your attention.

Yes, I know, this is a controversial topic: scoop or no scoop.

Clearly, if you are a responsible owner and upstanding member of the community this is a no-brainer. Of course you bend over and pick up.

So what does that make Gary? He hates doing it. He reckons it’s unsavoury and beneath him. Well of course it’s beneath him!

To be fair, he does pick up almost always. But I’ve seen him on occasions look furtively around to see if anyone is looking, and then casually walk on whistling to himself. One day a bloke gave him a dirty look and Gary said he'll return with a bag. A flat out lie, but it was hilarious!

In dog-loving cities, doggy poop is a big issue - and might even be the answer to our greenhouse gas problem. Get this:

"Municipalities are examining other approaches to treating animal waste as well. There’s a hope that the methane gas emitted by heated pet faeces can be harnessed for its energy as electricity, natural gas and even fuel, instead of leaching into the atmosphere where it may contribute to global warming."

It’s also a growing business!

And believe it or not, they've made film starring a dog poo. No shit!



All up it reminds me of what Seinfeld once said. He reckons if Martians looked down on Earth and saw humans picking up after their dog, they’d know straightaway which of the species is the higher being!

LOL. I’ve always known it anyway.

My Nemesis, Peter the Possum

In Australia possums are a common sight around suburban homes, often finding their way into roof spaces where they proceed to make themselves nice and comfy.

In fact, we currently share our home with a ring-tail possum, which Gary in his infinite wisdom has named 'Peter'. He's an uninvited guest and a complete nuisance. He actually lives downstairs under our floor boards, and from time to time he makes such a racket that it sounds like he's renovating! There have been many occasions when he's woken us in the middle of the night. 

Every evening when night falls, he'll wander out from his cubby hole in search of food. He drives me nuts when this happens. He runs along the rafters of our back deck just out of reach; so close yet so far.

I'm determined to get him, just to teach the little blighter a lesson. This house is only big enough for one animal, grrrr...

Mind you, I wouldn't have the foggiest what I'll do with him once I get him. Are they good to eat?

Here Pussy Pussy...

I am fascinated by cats! I've never been up close and personal with one yet, but everytime I see one I go nuts.

It doesn't help that the next door cat often plays silly buggers with me, preening herself in full view just to get me excited. She knows I can't get at her because I'm on the other side of the fence but one day, who knows, she might get a very rude surprise.

I guess I'm not the only dog fixated with cats, check out this funny video:



To see other funny doggy videos, scroll down and to the right ------>

Roll Camera!

The other day as I was walking Gary, a passerby called out 'Hey Rex!' Naturally I took this as a compliment; after all, 'Inspector Rex' is my favourite TV show. Every Wednesday we hunker down after dinner and follow the exploits of this indomitable and savvy police dog as as he solves yet another perplexing crime on the mean streets of Vienna.

As a German Shepherd he of course has it all over his human crime fighters. But not only is Rex a sleuth of the first order, he's also a funny character, forever playing tricks on his hapless colleagues, especially when a ham roll is on offer.

Rex though is just one in a long line of German Shepherd movie stars. It all started with Rin Tin Tin, who starred in many films and radio shows throughout the 1920-30s and beyond. In his prime, Rin Tin Tin was getting 10,000 fan mails a week! He has even been honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. How good is that!

Then there was the movie K-9 and, in more recent years, the film 'I am Legend' starring Will Smith.

There have been other doggy movie stars of course, like Lassie (Collie), Benji (mutt), Beethoven (St Bernard), Hooch (French Mastiff) and most recently, Marley the Labrador. But usually these movies play on the cuteness or incorrigibility of the dog involved. Few, except for maybe Lassie, focus on their intelligence. That figures.

By the way, Rex's real name is Reginald von Ravenhorst and he is a trained police dog as well as a consummate actor. One smart woofer.

Setting the Record Straight

When Gary first took me to our local off-leash park, I noticed straightaway that other dog owners would view us with great suspicion. I thought 'mmm...must be the weird clobber Gary is wearing...'  but quickly realised that it was me they were concerned about. 'How could this be', I wondered.

The owners would instinctively form a protective circle around their dogs, like pioneers forming a wagon circle to defend against marauding Indians in the Wild West! Precious poodle owners were the most anxious. Typical!

Some owners would even approach and, with furrowed brows, inquire 'Is she ok?'

Then the penny dropped. 'Ah the reputation of my breed has preceded me.'

Well folks, I'm here to set the record straight. First off, shepherds are one of the most noble of breeds. We were bred to work alongside man, herding and protecting sheep. Since then we have served mankind admirably. As well as herding, we have worked as guards, in search and rescues, as guides for the blind, and as police dogs (keeping you mob under control). In war zones, we have served gallantly alongside soldiers, detecting bombs, providing security, and tracking bodies. Check out the vid.



We excel in all these jobs because we are super intelligent, easily trained, reliable, and have a great temperament – which is more than you can say about most humans.

As a pet we make a loving, protective and loyal companion – just ask Gary.

And no we aren't aggressive by nature. Few if any dogs are. Aggressive dogs are usually that way because they are trained to be so or if they are mistreated.

Oh, by the way, our proper name is German Shepherd Dog (‘GSD’). Some folks still use the term ‘Alsatian’ but this is not strictly correct.

Just a Bunch of Trendy Fuglies

Is it just me or are we seeing more and more of these so called 'designer dogs'? Down at my local dog park I've seen Cavoodles (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Poodle), Labradoodles (Labrador x Poodle), and just the other day, I was told there is something called a 'Jug'. Can you guess what two dogs came together to end up with this little beauty? Can't? Didn't think so. Try a Pug crossed with a Jack Russell! In other words, fugly crossed with hyper-snappy.

Hey, try this quick quiz. Here's a list of designer dogs. Try and guess the two breeds that are involved in each:

• Schnoodle
• Peekaboo
• Cockerpoo
• English Boodle
• Doxiepoo
• Papoo
• Puggle (pic below)
• Pugapoo
• Westiepoo
• Jackabee

Designer dogs tend to be crossed with Poodles. Apparently what drives this is the desire to have a dog that sheds little hair. I can't think of any other reason.

Dolly and Shelley @ New Farm Park, Sep 09

Walkies!

Gary has been 'between jobs' for the past few months. He reckons the job market is the pits at the moment but to his credit he is still relatively upbeat most the time. Poor bugger. I see him hunched over his PC feverishly typing out applications to various jobs and refining his CV (his nose growing ever longer!) but so far to no avail. The upside to this is I get to see more of him throughout the day - yah!

In between applying for jobs, chores and learning about the wonders of the internet, we often go on long walks around the neighbourhood and laze about at coffee shops, catch up with friends or just chill at home. Gary says this is good thinking time, and will yield benefits in the long run. Mmmm...

A typical walk would take us out of our immediate neighbourhood, through a tunnel, along the Brisbane River and up to Milton's famous Park Road. We'd stop at our favourite coffee shop, Mary Ryan's where Gary would have a flat white and I'll enjoy a bowl of water.

If I'm lucky a pretty girl would 'ooh' and 'ahh' and tickle me behind the ears. If Gary is super lucky he may get a smile and a friendly chat. This seems to please him no end. Our route home would take us pass the dog park where we'd usually stop for a play. All the while, Gary would have his Ipod on. When he hears something he fancies, he'll sometimes play air-guitar. Silly duffer.

We love this time of year in our home town. Days are warm, nights are cool; the stifling humidity yet to set in. But forget what the tourist board tells you. Brisbane has basically three seasons: 'summer-lite', 'summer' and 'shit, let's get out of here!'

My New Naughty Mate

Over the past month or so I've made a new mate. She's a Cocker Spaniel puppy called Shelley and boy is she a little naughty dynamo. She belongs to our friends, Ali, Jack and Harry. Each time she's visited it's like a mini-cyclone making landfall, wreaking havoc and causing chaos. At last count she's chewed up the following items around the house:

• water buckets (2)
• pair garden gloves (obliterated beyond recognition!)
• newly potted jade plants (2)
• left Blundstone boot
• big sponge (into a zillion pieces)
• shopping bag containing a year's worth of my brushed out fur
• plastic door jam
• my hair brush (the handle was at least an inch longer).

And these are just the items we've found! But, I've got to admit we do have heaps of fun together. The moment she arrives, she totally energizes the house, and starts throwing herself at me with gay abandon, head-butting and trying to chew my face off with her sharp little teeth. Good thing my personal attributes include tolerance and patience. When she leaves I need at least 24 hours to fully recover! (Gary 48!)

We've been to the park a few times too. Being a super cute puppy with long silky fur and a smiley face, she attracts plenty of attention especially from young women. Gary reckons this is a good thing.

After she's caused havoc for a good few hours, she would rest and put on a big cute Cocker pose - see below. I''m onto her though as I reckon it's just a ploy to win redemption points!

They say Cockers have boundless energy and I can't argue with that! Gary has nick-named her 'Naughty', which is apt but I reckon 'Cyclone Shelley' is more to the point.

Wilson the Fun Police

I don't know everything but I am sure of one thing; that is, Basset Hounds aren't very quick on the uptake. They are sweet, lovable dogs though.

A couple of years ago there was this Basset called Wilson who'd wander around our local dog park in a fog, in a world of his own. We called him the 'fun police' because whenever two or more dogs were having fun together Wilson would lumber over, long ears flopping all over the place, and start woofing and generally getting in the way. This he would do very effectively as he was huuuuge; like a bar fridge tipped on its side!

On some days, Wilson would appear at the park without his owner, all on his pat-malone. He'd just wander down by himself, and then one of us would have to take him home. One thing for sure, judging by the size of Wilson you'd not want to get in between him and a bone. S'funny!

Poodles Aren't So Smart

I was reading the other day that German Shepherds are one of the smartest breeds around. No surprises there. But, get this! Apparently we aren't THE smartest. Surely that can't be right. According to something called the American Temperament Testing Society (ATTS) we're only third on the list behind wait for it...bloody poodles! Here's the list:

1. Border collie, 79.7%
2. Poodle, 76.2%
3. German Shepherd, 83.1%
4. Golden Retriever, 83.7%
5. Doberman, 76.8%
6. Shetland Sheepdog, 66.9%
7. Labrador Retriever, 91.4%
8. Papillon, 79.7%
9. Rottweiler, 82.5%
10. Australian Cattle Dog, 78.1%

Mmm...there's got to be a mistake here somewhere. Border Collies, fair enough, but the poodles I've seen at the dog park don't seem particularly razor sharp to me. In fact, there used to be a couple of boofy standard poodles whose intelligence level you'd describe in the same sentence using the word 'door stop'. I suppose their owner, a head wobbling yuppie who arrived in a massive BMW four-wheel drive, may have something to do with that. Anyway, if poodles are so damn smart, why aren't they in the police force, rescue services, leading the sight-impaired or sniffing out contraband at the airport? More likely you'll see the fluffy no-hopers in a grooming salon or on the lap of a well-heeled matron. As Paul Keating would say: 'all tip and no iceberg!' In France they just go around pooing everywhere and farting in restaurants!

Arvos Down at the Park

Just about every afternoon, I take Gary for a walk down to the local off-leash park. I love this ritual, and look forward to it all day. Not only do I get a good sniff around (which Gary refers to as 'reading the news'), I've also made some good doggy mates there especially with the handful of regulars: Trudy the Boxer (one crazy nutter!), Harriet the Labrador, Lucy the Cairn Terrier (Gary reckons she looks like a loaf of bread), Jedda the bitzer, and a few others. Some days there are over 20 or so dogs, different breeds, all shapes and sizes, running about having the time of their lives. Other days, there may be just me and a couple of others.

Gary probably likes going to the park as much as I do, although some days he's a tad lazy and prefers to drive the short distance rather than walk. On those days he usually comes up with a piss-poor excuse like 'my knee is feeling wobbly today' or 'it's too hot to walk...' and so on. Lame I know but I can excuse him as he is getting long in the tooth.

Gary and I have a good old laugh at some of the humans down there. Not only do they start to look like their dogs (yes, even the pug owners) but some aren't even genuine dog lovers! For example, there's this gent who who hasn't a clue about any other breed other than his own. He once pointed his gnarly finger at me and asked curiously 'what kind of dog is that?' I just about launched myself at him! I mean what the heck...I only represent one of the most popular breeds in the world and certainly one of the most famous. Geez, everytime you turn on the teev and there's a story of a disaster, riot, demonstration or melee anywhere in the world, well, there I am at the end of a leash held by someone in uniform (well not me in person, mind, but one of my kind).

There was also this one occasion when Gary was telling this guy (same one) about Labradors and the guy asks 'what do they look like?' What the! I had to laugh because Gary could barely disguise his disdain; after all, 'Labbies' are one of the most popular breeds in Aus and there were like four or five of the buggers frolicking in full view of us. And then there is this woman (with poodles, what else) who would get hysterical everytime I even so much as wander towards her silly dogs. 'Shoo, get out of here, help!' she'd scream. Bloody woman should get a life. All I want is a sniff. Poodle owners are just plain weird, like their dogs.

A Brief History...

Hello!
My name is Dolly. I am a 6 year old German Shepherd. I live in sunny Brisbane, which is the only state in Australia that has no daylight saving. But that's Queensland for you. Perfect one day and very odd the next!

My best mate is Gary. He is also my 'master/owner', which in reality is bollocks as I am the master of my own domain. I just let him think that to bolster his self-esteem.

I was united with Gary when I was a sprightly 2-year old. Before I came into his life, I lived at Debbar Kennels with my mum and siblings and other very smart GSDs (that's German Shepherd Dog to you ignoramuses). At that time I was a show dog, and had won many ribbons. Check out my show pose below. My official name is Debbar Dolly by the way.



I enjoyed life at Debbar Kennels but one day this odd looking man of Asian appearance appeared on the property. He told my previous owners that he was seeking a dog with a gentle nature but also one who is sharp and alert. He said he used to own two Boxers, Coco and Tyson (pic below), but they were now at Rainbow Bridge after living a long and happy life with him.


Well, I looked this dude up and down and gave him a good sniff-over, and figured he seemed okay. He looked like someone who would take care of me...someone who would have decent taste in music (none of this 'Who Let the Dogs Out' crap!). So I put on a dog and pony show (sans pony of course), just to indicate how clever and smart I was. I eagerly fetched sticks, rolled over and sallied back and forth with a grin on my face. It must have worked a treat because the very next day he returned and said he'd take me, and handed over a thick wad of red bills.

I was sad to leave my mum and siblings but figured I'd be foolish to look a gift horse in the mouth so I bid farewell to everyone, jumped in his little red car and so began my life with Gary. Well, there was also Tiziana, but that's another story best saved for another day. Anyway, he and I have been inseparable ever since.

I've decided to start this blog in order to show Gary (the technophobe and computer illiterate that he is) how blogs work. Apparently he has a silly notion of re-inventing himself by re-starting his marketing communications business. Well it's not so silly. I've read his stuff and much as it pains me to say so, it ain't half bad.

Well I hope you'll continue reading my blog. I shall endeavour to make an entry regularly. There's a ton of stuff I want to reveal and share. I'll tell you about our little adventures, my afternoon playtime at the off-leash park, my dislike of poodles and other yappy dogs, and much more besides.

Respect!
PS: in case you don't understand Italian (Gary's been trying to master it for the past few years, poor sap), the title of my blog means "a dog's life". Cool hey?