BIG DOGGIES!!!

I'm a dog addict - and while I have smaller dogs right now - I spent my teenage years with a 100+ pounder named Sofie, a giant, black, fluffy mix of Akita and Golden Retriever. What did she look like? Take an Akita. Add long hair to the tail, and kinky fluffy hair to the ears and in between the toes. You basically have a Newfoundland at that point, and that's what she was frequently mistaken for. I love big doggies. They give excellent hugs, and despite taking up too much room on the couch, they are notable cuddlers. Through a mutual friend I met an amazing woman, Rubi. Rubi is amazing not just because she loves animals as much as I do, but because her job is to improve the quality of life for our companions - she is a dog massage therapist! Rubi has three, big, wonderful companions who came to play in my studio one night - and I got cuddles and kisses from them all!

The herd consists of Satcha, a "tripod" dog, a rescue from the Galapagos of all places. From what I understand, stray dogs are a problem there as they eat the turtle eggs. (Who knew?) Satcha is curious but reserved in new situations, and it took a great deal of treats to convince her that the paper she was standing on was in fact A-OK. Satcha also has the best dog ears EVER - when fully erect she could take off like a sailboat, and they rotate around like satellite dishes. The next doggie I met was Kai, a VERY enthusiastic young Husky, who could enter her giant tongue into competitions of some sort. Kai smiles beautifully and was so very, very easy to work with in the studio! And the last doggie in the family is Thor - who true to his name is a giant. A giant ball of fluffy Great Pyrenees LOVE! Thor doesn't know his own size, and when he leans on you excitedly as you give him rubs, he nearly knocks you over. He also likes to put his paws on you and give you doggie hugs. A sweet and wonderful as Thor was, I couldn't stop laughing at him, as he made two faces in his time in front of the camera: happy or confused.

All three doggies were a true delight, and it's always nice to see Rubi!