Project 52 - Week 52: Favorite Things

Well, we've come to the end of another year.  The theme this week had me looking back through old blog post photos and doggy photos in my files.  I thought I would share some of my favorites, taken of our dogs who do happen to be some of my most favorite things .

First there is Lilah.  She is the puppy we've had since she was eight weeks old.  Lilah is an old soul who worries.  When she is not worrying, she is whining.  When she is not whining, she is racing around the yard like an inflated balloon that someone let go.  We love her.  She has the best eyes.

Next is Billie.  She is hard to photograph due to the nuances and color variances of her coat, but when you get it right, she presents a striking image.  Billie is my personal go-everywhere-do-everything dog.  I have been neglecting this lately, and I promised her that in the New Year, we would get back to our walking schedule, providing the weather cooperated.

Our little Bethy is one of the best dogs we've ever had.  She is a rescue from Another Chance for English Setters and came to us at the age of between 3-4 months old.  She was the fattest little puppy, but has grown in to a svelte dog.  Bethy is very smart, and as she has gotten older, she is much more excited about life in general, and a bit more noisier.

Burton is the perpetual puppy in our group.  Even though he is nine years old, you wouldn't know it.  He is also one of our two deaf dogs.  You wouldn't know that either, because he listens to hand signals better than our hearing dogs listen to voice commands.

Our dog Danny came to us in January of 2011, a very fearful foster dog.  He has his own facebook page, and the notes there discuss how we progressed through the stages of building trust.  Danny's page can be located HERE.  He has certainly come a very long way, but still has some issues that just cannot be overcome.  We decided to adopt him in September of 2011, when we realized that moving him might undo all of the work we had accomplished to that point.  It has actually taken a number of years for Danny to feel totally comfortable with just about everything that goes on in our home.

Piper is our other deaf boy.  He is a Border Collie that we adopted from Glen Highland Farm when he was six months old.  He has been very easy to train, and his job is to supervise the kitties, which he does constantly and very well.  It's often hard to get him, and his ears, in the same photo.

Moe (or as his friends know him--M.O.E.) is quite the character.  He will wear anything, do anything, go anywhere.  Everyone who meets him loves him.  He is easy to wash, groom, great for the vet, etc.  Moe also came to us when he was between 3-4 months old and we made a decision to adopt him in a 24 hour period because we immediately recognized his disposition was something you don't often see.

Last, but certainly never least, is little Luke.  Luke came to us from Jacks Galore Russell Rescue.  He is part whippet and part JRT.  He is as fast as a speeding bullet without a superman cape.  He is also quite goofy, a snuggler and has the best, most expressive ears.

And that's our crew. Through thick and thin, highs and lows, happiness and sadness, they walk the path with us. They make us laugh, give us comfort, and sometimes they even listen.

We love our kitties too (Harry, Gus, Matty and Barney), even though they are less cooperative when it comes to photos.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!  I hope 2018 brings you good health, happiness, success and whatever you want it to bring!

To see more FAVORITE THINGS, read through the blog circle, starting with Susannah Maynard of Pet Love Photography, serving Greater Cincinnati and the San Francisco Bay Area.