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!

A Serious Case of Puppy Lust

It all started with a walk to the food carts, which is basically a daily occurrence. I cross the North Park Blocks daily - and see a whole slew of doggies - and my heart goes pitter-patter for smushy faced dogs, anything that can fit under an airline seat, and for dogs so terrifyingly large you wonder about the physics of walking them. I've gotten to know all sorts of dogs in the neighborhood - Dot, the teeny Pomeranian whose fur is kept trimmed short and as a result she looks like a stuffed animal. There's Rocko, the handsome Pug. There's Duke, the biggest Bloodhound in the Northwest (I bet, but this is an unconfirmed rumor I'm starting about him). There are two little Chihuahua/Pug crosses. There's Apache, the darling black Chihuahua type doggie. And one of these days I'm going to photograph the Pomeranian/Pug cross that has to be seen to be believed. There are some gorgeous Australian Shepherds in the neighborhood. And a handful of happy mutts who know I keep treats in my right pocket at all times. So, going for lunch is always a fun little jaunt, full of doggies. And yesterday...yesterday it happened. Walking back from lunch I spotted it. A tiny ball of fluff. Looked a little like a pillow had burst in the park. It was no bigger than a make up applicator, and I had a very strong desire to dash over, snatch up in my hands, and rub its little furry face all over mine in excitement. I have a pretty serious case of puppy lust. I'm pretty sure it's the most severe case in the PNW. I have fantasies of laying on a soft floor being covered with hundreds of puppies, all squirming, all with their awesome puppy breath, round little bellies, and their little feet that smell of Fritos.

Instead, I went home, and had a good cuddle/roll/playtime with my own little doggies. Someday there will be room in our home and lives for one or two more, I certainly have room in my heart to love a herd, but for now I'll just be grateful for the doggies I already live with. And I'll try really hard to remember all the things that WEREN'T fun about having puppies in the house. (Someday I'll tell you all the story of Gromit and the night he ate a tube of diaper ointment...)

So, with my puppy fix yesterday, and lots of dog kisses at home, I leave you with some of my favorite snapshots of my monsters when they were babies. And I do mean snapshots! Nothing formal today...just silly cute puppies!

Gromit totally knows how to nap. He's a Pug Boston Terrier cross, we call him the Bugg. Or Perrier, depending on the day. He was barely 5 pounds when he came home at 8 weeks and the runt of the litter. He has always considered my bed the finest in the house.

This photo cracks me up. I came out and found him sitting on my walkway like this. I have always called this his "village idiot" pose.

Wallace the Pug at 10 weeks - he was SO CUTE! Just look at that round belly and big feet!

Wallace went through a phase where I wondered if he were going to be a very, very ugly dog. It didn't last long, but for a short while he was distinctly alien.

This photo has always, ALWAYS made me laugh hysterically! Walligator (Wallaby Jones, Wall-eye, Wally Man) LOVES his big brother and was giving chase to Gromit (Grommie Salami, Gromit Ertegün, The Groms).

Snorty Adventures with Miles

For the sake of full disclosure: I have a soft spot for snorty, flat-faced, snuffly, grunty little dogs who snore while awake. I have had the pleasure of knowing Miles since he was a baby - having a little warm Miles snoring on my lap was total bliss, and gave me a serious case of puppy lust. Miles is now two years old, and a Canine Good Citizen, which is no easy feat! His typical state is laying around with just the little tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth - and the desire to give a little tug on that tongue has been overwhelming a few times much to his dismay.

Miles recently came to visit me in the studio - and we spent most of the sitting with me on the floor covered in Miles kisses. He, like some dogs, figured it would be waaaaaaay more fun to play with me than sit just out of my reach! (I love dog kisses) He also had a habit of finally sitting for his mom...and totally facing the wrong way. You'd swear he was doing it willfully, only this whole "sitting for a photo" thing is pretty new to most doggies, and it's pretty much how it goes. Just like working with a small kiddo, or a flower blowing in the wind, or waiting for a great sunset, sometimes the universe has other plans for you and you have to change tactics mid-stream. Miles gave me LOTS of smiles and kisses, and plenty of brief moments of perfect, doggie, cuteness.

The point is, Miles is a brilliant, well behaved, ADORABLE doggie, and despite his unfamiliarity with the studio, the situation, and what we were asking of him, we had a really great time and got some really fun photos of the little man. Do not worry about how your companion might or might not behave - I'll work around it - and have plenty of laughs while doing it. Dog kisses pretty much make everything better.

I now present to you, the handsome little Miles!

Welcome to Rover Exposed!

Thanks for coming by and visiting Rover Exposed. I hope from poking around the site, viewing my galleries, reading a little bit about me, you get an idea of who I am and what I love! I'm quite simply a woman loves dog kisses, loves to travel, and while not featured heavily here on the site, the food and lifestyle of Portland make me swoon! I can't wait to bring you new "tails" of time in the studio and photo adventures, right here, every week, on the blog (which rhymes with dog).

I cannot express enough thanks to my friends and family for their encouragement and nerd-support as I decided to embark on this venture, and as I occasionally banged my head on the keyboard trying to get the site ready.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Jenna

Wallace, the kitsch-loving Pug