DOGZ in da HOOD (for Pet Pride)

This week for the Pet Pride meme, I thought I’d give my resident cats a break, and introduce you to some of my neighbor’s pets—all dogs. For each one, I asked my neighbors their dog’s breed, age, and to fill in the blank, “My dog is all about________” So here we go, starting with right next door.


Next door to me is Bentley. He’s a very handsome boy—a chocolate lab, 5 years old last December. When asked what Bentley is all about, my neighbor laughed (as Bentley barked and romped in total joyous abandon at something only he, with his superior doggy gifts, could see or hear or smell) and said, “I’m not sure.” Me, I think if Bentley were a piece of furniture, he’d probably be a big comfy couch that you can just sink into and relax. One with lots of toss cushions. That gives big slobbery affectionate kisses.

Living right next door to Bentley are Teva and Morgan, two more labs. And if Bentley is chocolate, these two are definitely licorice. Morgan, age 14, is “the ball player” of the pair. She’s getting a bit grizzled (hey, aren’t we all…) but she still loves to nibble grass. Her BFF Teva, at 7 years, is the “noisemaker” according to her Master (remember…dogs have masters, cats have staff). I can attest to that; she always barks an enthusiastic "Yo" to me when I go outside. Also, I found out that I’ve been mistakenly calling her Kiva (like the Hopi chamber) for the last four years, but she’s actually Teva (like the shoe). So, Teva, my bad.

Across the street we have little dog Max and big dog Ted. Max is a curly two-year-old MinPinPoo. He's also a “high energy jumper” who loves his family with a heart many times the size of his cute little self. Not quite a Heinz (57 varieties), Ted gets his good looks from four breeds: shepherd, lab, akita and chow (note the blue tongue). He’s is more laid back than Max, loves walks and hangin’ with his peeps, and is always up for a good time. Despite their size and other differences, Ted and Max play well with each other and get along with everybody. Gangbangers of the world, take note!




Now to my neighbors a little further down the road, where me meet the corgwyn (that’s plural, I’m told, of corgi). Here is Lizzie and her sister Katie. Just last Tues they had their bark-day (which is the dog equivalent of a human birthday), so now they are six. Katie is the “cuddly, cozy one” and Lizzie’s nickname is “Sporty Spice”—she’s the one who will fetch the bally ‘til your arm falls off and her tongue is dragging on the ground. There are few things cuter in this world than corgi ears standing at full attention.


And last but not leash—oops, I mean least—we have Angie. She lives a little further away than my immediate neighborhood, but she’s so cotton-pickin’ cute, I just had to include her here. Angie is a little Bichon Frisé with a temperament to match her sweet little face. She’s 9 years old, and was quite active (swimming, beachcombing, running up and down the stairs) until she lost her sight last year. But she’s learned to get around the house by feel and smell, and is happy she didn’t have to give up her one true passion in life (see photo). When asked to describe Angie, my friend told me she’s a faithful companion and a real “motorcycle mama.”

So there you are, some of the many dogs that live here on the Lake Erie shore. For more charming pets around the world, you can visit the PET PRIDE site, graciously hosted by Bozo (woof) and magiceye (shutter click) – our blog buddies in Mumbai.