"Look. I haven't got a ton of time to talk, lady. In fact, you've already interrupted a big chunk of my napping and/or bone chewing time." Salty was far more interested in the different smells on the ground and his human than he was in a photo shoot, but this sprightly 13 year old puppy was an intriguing interview. Trying to get his attention was quite the challenge but as soon as I asked him to describe his perfect day, his ears perked and he was happy to tell me all about it.

"I sleep with one of my humans. I always sleep with one of my humans, usually the youngest one. They are warm and have the best beds." He sprinted to his human for a couple pats and a treat, then laid in her lap. "She always wakes up before me but if she isn't planning on walking me right that second I wont get out of bed. I mean, why would I leave the cozy sheets if she is going to do her own thing? I'll wait there until she grabs my leash and then we are on!" It seemed he forgot I was asking about his hypothetical perfect day and just started telling me about a normal one instead, but I couldn't interrupt him. "It's so cold these days, I've got to wear my jacket. If my mom doesn't put it on for our walk I shiver like crazy so she knows just how cold I am. Then when we get home I sit in front of this hole in the ground that shoots out hot air. It is the BEST thing. I'd sit there all day if I could, but it shuts off after a while and I have to find a new place to lay down and nap."

"My days are mainly spent napping and groggily chewing on my bone or raw hide. Those things are so good. So yummy. When I start chewing on one of them I forget everything. I get lost in the tastiness and before I know it...the sun has gone down. My human will have these big books out and she pays way too much attention to them. So I jump up on her and let her know I want to play. Who wants to look at a big book and write things when you could be playing with me?! She says its "homework" or she is "studying" or something, but I know that she'd rather be playing with me. So I make sure she gets up and we go do something fun." Salty's human laughs quietly to herself, she knows he is right. Their bond is irrefutable. Its heartwarming to see such a great pair. 

The air filled with the smell of bacon and eggs and in an instant, Salty was gone. I wasn't able to hear much more from him, but after spending a morning together, I'll never forget how much he adored his human. I watched them play together, Salty running as fast as possible, making sure everyone saw how fast he was. I couldn't help but smile; his name suits him perfectly. It was a morning well spent. We said our goodbyes, Salty's in the form of a quick head nod before immediately returning to his bone. I felt it was the most fitting "goodbye" he could have given me.  

A big thanks to Cheryl for letting me interview
her Salty and Anthony C. for editing the article.
If you'd like your pup to be on the next cover of DOGUE
please email me! I'd love to hear from all of you! 

"A lot has changed in the last year," Chase stated tenderly, "...though I'm not sure how fond I am of the changes." My afternoon with fourteen year old Chase was spent leisurely at his home. We walked slowly together from room to room as he recounted stories from his past. He spoke of his old pal Tommy, who raised him as a pup. "I used to curl up beside his stomach to fall asleep. Even as I grew older and larger, Tommy still let me sleep between his legs, no matter how uncomfortable he got." Chase had a hard exterior, interrupting our conversations to bark at trespassers and patrol his yard. He would try to show the new member of his pack the proper way to check the perimeters of the property, but would quickly get fed up with their puppy antics and just handle it himself. He only tolerates snuggles from his humans for very short periods of time. You can tell he is very proud of his pack and his powerful role among them, but as I spent more time with him, I began to see a softer side as well.

"I was the only dog in this house for quite some time. Most of my life, really. I loved it. I grew up with the kids and learned a lot about my pack. I've kept them safe from raccoons and various other rodents. Recently, though, many other dogs have started to roam about the property. I've got two new pack members, they're both silly. I've tried to teach them the proper ways to protect the house... they just don't listen. Pups, these days." He paused for a while, lapping his water slowly. "But it hasn't been all bad with these guys around." He spoke of small things that he learned since his new pack members arrived, like how stretching feels really good and he should do it more often. He has also learned new ways to ask the humans for food that are much more successful than his old techniques. And best of all, he's learned that if he relaxes and sits for photos for his smallest human, he gets the yummiest treats in the house.

Chase is a noble and proud dog, He stands straight with his head held high, but something inside him melts when a puppy or any young pup enters his abode. He is warm and welcoming to his little friends, yet still a strong leader for them to follow. I was lucky enough to witness him interact with a few pups and couldn't believe my eyes. The puppies followed him around, obeying all the rules each step of the way. Chase was thoroughly enjoying himself; it was a wonderful sight to see. Anyone who meets this lovely being knows how lucky they are to be in his presence, and he only gets more lovely with age.

Even though October is still warm here in California, fall has arrived and we'll take any excuse to wear a knitted scarf. Ender is the epitome of "Fall Dog Fashion" in his homemade scarf and newsboy hat. Some people believe that behind all the cameras and lights, dogs have different personalities; that they put a show on for the camera and revert back to their normal selves behind the scenes. But not this guy. What you see is what you get from this classy canine. He is a calm, cool, and collected fellow. that enjoys his slow mornings and afternoon walks. "My favorite part of the day is after my human has fed me breakfast and we snuggle for about an hour before she leaves for work," he says. 

We enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood chatting about the things that interest him the most. "I'll pee on anything that needs a good marking but my fav--SQUIRREL--my favorite things to pee on are piles of... anything, really." He had a lot of insight about his favorite hiking spots and where to catch a good snooze; for instance, while his human is enjoying coffee at the place they walk to once a week. But I really wanted to know about his journey from behind bars to the fashion forward pup he has become. I waited until we got back home from our stroll to ask the serious questions.

We sat in his room, he offered me a mug of tea, and we curled up on an ash grey Mexican blanket, his personal favorite. Without hesitation, he began to speak as if he already knew the question. "I've been with my human for over a year now and its hard to recall what I was even doing before we became companions. I made some mistakes in the past, and that's how I ended up at the shelter. I was raised with some cats that didn't know how to play. They constantly hissed and batted at my head. The humans there said I couldn't be tamed and dropped me off at the local shelter. Then I got picked up by some pleasant folks , sat in a car for a couple hours, and ended up in another cell. It was a nicer cell...but it was still a cell." He paused as he listened to some squirrels scurrying on the redwood trees behind his house, but didn't bark or show any interest in them. "A lot of humans came by my cell, sticking their fingers through the bars to try and touch me. I couldn't care less. Occasionally I'd feel up for a pat, but I mostly slept until I got to walk or play with the other inmates."

"Months went by in my cell, I started to get real down on myself. Why doesn't anyone want me? Whats wrong with me? I became more and more unsure of myself. Then a zealous woman approached me, and I was so excited to get out of my cell! I played and played with her, and she brought me to her house that day! I met her two tiny humans and went about my business, sniffing the new terrain and looking for things to chew. What I didn't know was that she'd soon drop me back off at the shelter. I still don't know what I did wrong to this day. My mom says that the kids didn't like me, that they thought I was boring. I don't know what "boring" means, but mom says its a silly word and its not true anyways so I shouldn't worry about it. But the night that lady dropped me off I got so angry and confused I chewed up my whole bed and tore apart my blanket. It was a dark time for me."

"Its hard to look to the future, especially as a dog. You know, because we can't rationalize or plan anything. We can really only focus on one thing at a time. But this proved useful when I met my new and forever human. The second we met, I forgot about the previous humans and only could focus on her. She came to my rescue in an all black ensemble, ready to lead me to a new life. I knew she was the one. We played and played for hours. She even brought friends along to meet me, but all I could focus on was her. She didn't bring me home that day but somehow I knew she was going to be mine. When she showed up the next morning with more friends, I couldn't wait to scamper off into our future. Fast forward to now... I'll do anything for one of those meat cubes she treats me with. I love this time of year because mom always makes sure I'm warm enough. Being a Pitbull/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, I'm built for the sun. Crisp mornings are lovely, but I need a jacket or scarf. Before I even have a chance to shiver, mom puts one of my pieces on and we are set for our walk. I never thought I'd get so lucky."

 Ender likes colors that compliment his reddish/brown coat, trying to look as natural as possible for fall. "I love this time of year because I match EVERYTHING. I look like the leaves that crunch under my feet." He sticks to leather collars and earthy colored accessories. He's had a light blue leash for as long as he can remember, but may be in the market for something new. Perhaps a European lead?

I took my final sip of tea and thanked him for his story. Ender was so much more down-to-earth than expected. It was a refreshing afternoon with a lovely pup, breaking many stereotypes.

Want to be our next month's "Dogue"? Everyone is welcome!                                                         Email or comment on this post and I will definitely get into contact with you! Thanks for stopping by :)

Hannah&Ender xx