SIGHTINGS: Saturday dogs

Tags

australian cattle dog, basenji, dog play, italian greyhound, mutts, shiba inu, sighthounds, silken windhound, terrier mixes

To offset the downer of the previous dog park entry, here’s some nice shots of relaxed, cool, nonchalant, well-mannered dogs just hanging out.

The owner of these sighthounds says she checks the blog from time to time and wonders why I never post the pictures I take of her dogs. They’re a hard group to get in focus! The majority of my shots on any given day end up being deleted. I’m usually too spellbound to catch them just standing around, looking gorgeous.

These guys weren’t interested in standing still.

This ACD was A-OK with chilling.

This one had a totally irresistible belly, and such an indignant, expectant look when I stopped scritching. You can tell even though the shot isn’t focused on his face.

Bowdu met another Shiba named Kuma. They casually established their terms right at the outset, and got along just fine.

And Bowpi met another Basenji named Dior — a rare female B who wasn’t intent on eating her for lunch!

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Some days, it’s all a blur…

Tags

basenji, dog photography, italian greyhounds, scottish deerhound, sighthounds, silken windhound, sloughi, whippets

Bowpi always seems to know “her kind” …

From the way she gravitates towards other sighthounds, I can start to understand why so many sighthound packs spotted at the park come in multiples — you can’t just have one. It’s captivating to watch all their lithe forms, simultaneously sinuous and angular. When sighthounds congregate and play, every movement expresses an artistry akin to dance, with a deeper physical vocabulary beyond the comprehension of other dogs.

We’ve met some really nice packs at the park, like the Iggy+Iggy+Whippet in the early afternoon crew and the Deerhound+Iggy+Iggy trio that Bowpi has flirted with in the past. One of the most exciting, and difficult groups to photograph (to me) is the Whippet+Whippet+(+Whippet?)+Iggy+Iggy+Iggy+Silken Windhound pack that I have tried so often to capture, all in vain.

Okay, there’s an extra Sloughi up there, but — my goodness. I can’t even count them properly, let alone photograph them. I think anytime the number of dogs you’re trying to capture within a frame increases beyond three, the difficulty of getting a good shot increases exponentially. These guys in particular move with such delicacy and speed, they really expose me for the amateur dog photographer that I am.

They must have magical powers. Even when they’re standing relatively still, taking a drink of water, I can’t get them in focus.

I had the camera on a small aperture with a low ISO because I had been trying to snap a panorama of them all playing in the open, sunny field. Unfortunately this setting didn’t work for either distance or proximity shots.

With a larger aperture and fast shutter speed, I can strike at least one dog with clarity, but it’s a pity to lose the rest to a shallow depth of field. This inevitably happens when dogs are in action and I can’t predict which way they’re moving.

In general, I count on sheer luck to get good action shots. I’m still getting a sense of the results that I like. The motion blur on the shot below, for example, is perfectly fine with me.

Yet there’s something I see in my mind’s eye that is unmatched by the photos, and I’m still not sure what it is. So I’ll keep trying, keep practicing… As long as the dogs are having fun, it’s all good.

Fashion hound: new coat and collar for Bowpi from Wild Hare

Tags

basenji, dog clothes, dog clothing, dog coats, dog collars, sighthounds

It wasn’t too long ago that I was balking at the price of fleece jackets for dogs. Now, I’ve become one of those dog people who purchases hand-made, custom-designed coats for her Basenji…

7 February 2012, sporting her ‘old’ Montana Dogware fleece

I’ve struck out too many times now with store-bought and factory-made duds. Target, for example, has a number of cute designs at reasonable prices, but many offer very little in chest or undercarriage cover, let alone neck warmth. In other words, they skimp on fabric to offer something that looks cute at first glance, but is actually cheaply constructed. I purchased one before, but returned it as soon as I saw the poor fit.

Then there was the “Basenji-approved” coats that we bought on mega-sale at Fetchdog.com (featuring a Basenji model). We got two back in September for a very low price. Though they were the right length, they were way too tight in the chest for Bowpi, which made her immobile and unhappy.

6 October 2011. Can’t… breathe… chest… constricted.

Craftier Basenji people suggested affixing an additional strip of velcro to the back, which is how the jacket holds together. I was too lazy to go to a craft store, and frankly, I didn’t much like the obtrusive ridge. So the coats ended up being donated to our local shelter. I hope some little guys can make good use of them!

Bowpi’s coat count is now up to three — a red Outward Hound Foul Weather Coat which is quite thin but rain-resistant (and works nicely as an outside layer), her dark, hand-sewn Montana Dogware fleece, and now, this one that we just got from Wild Hare Creations.

31 January 2012

It’s currently her thickest and plushiest coat, double-layered and reversible. The wrap-around belt also makes for an adjustable, snug fit. I’m very pleased with the tailorship!

Wild Hare’s motto is “run fast — stand pretty — keep warm — look fabulous.” I think Bowpi fulfills their mission quite admirably.

running fast

standing pretty

keeping warm

looking fabulous!

Recently, we’d been hearing too many horror stories about Basenjis who backed out of their buckle collars, so we also bought a limited slip collar for Bowpi (Bowdu already has one). RJ was particularly insistent that she needed this, since he’s usually walking them on lead at night while I walk them off-lead during the day. According to him, she’s become increasingly bratty about refusing to follow, and has threatened to shake loose more than once.

Wild Hare had a nice selection of ribbons, many of which we’d not seen elsewhere. After some deliberation, we went with the rabbit design because it seems to suit Bowpi’s mad sprints.

They don’t have a shopping cart system, so you do have to contact them directly to place an order. The process is a little slower than Etsy or other, more automated stores specializing in sighthound gear and custom collars, but their prices are very fair for custom work. I am happy to recommend them to anyone who might be interested!

Final Grade: A

Western dog netsuke

Tags

deerhound, japanese art, netsuke, sighthounds, wolfhound

Netsuke: takumi and share 根付：たくみとしゃれ, Ed. ARAKAWA Hirokazu 荒川浩和 (Kyoto: Tankyōsha 淡交社, 1995) p. 91

Of interest to this blog is the netsuke (Japanese ornamental toggle) and sagemono (dangling box) in the upper left-hand corner. Embossed in gold on the abalone-shaped box is a “Western dog” 洋犬 floating amidst decorative cherry blossoms, with a matching toggle carved out of ivory featuring a dog in a stylized “foo dog” or guardian lion stance. Date and artist unknown.

I’m intrigued by the sighthoundly figure of the dog, more clearly seen on the box than the carving. With its wired fur, would this perhaps represent a Wolfhound or a Deerhound? And who is trying to draw attention to the foreignness of the dog — the now-anonymous artist, or the cataloguer who labeled and titled this museum piece after the fact?

I remember a couple similar pieces from my visit to the Asian Art Museum. It seems that the curious, whimsical association between canines and humans, or at least foreigners and their dogs, was enough to inspire a few pieces. I am struck by the jovial faces of these two figures below.

People who know Nihon ken would be hard-pressed to call something like this long-bodied beast an indigenous Japanese breed.

I suppose it’s more likely that this artist was also trying to represent a “Western” dog, rather than an endearing local mongrel that happened to have dropped ears. But I think it’s just as likely that this was a simple, idealized image that drew on everything that the artist knew about dogs, without necessarily corresponding to any concrete model or even personal experience. I almost want to read these objects as some kind of inverted Japonisme, where the foreign is appropriated and rendered into a beautiful object for domestic consumption, blurring any strict distinction between East and West. Which is not to say that such notions don’t matter, but that, perhaps in certain private, personalized realms, they mattered less than our labels presume.

The Italian Casanova strikes again

Tags

basenji, canine body language, canine play, italian greyhounds, sighthounds

We’ve run into Louie, an Italian Greyhound, a few times with similar results: Louie comes skipping towards Bowpi, jabs his pointy snout into her crotch, and causes her to yelp and scamper away. Absolutely aghast that any bella donna could reject him, Louie will follow Bowpi until she starts nipping at him. Eventually we’ll fall away from Louie’s pack, allowing Bowpi to recompose herself.

25 October 2011

Apparently, that’s how the routine goes on the other side of the bridge. But when Louie and Bowpi met on the grassy half of the dog park, she responded a bit differently. Though she put up some initial resistance …

… she finally succumbed to his wiles.

Bowpi and Louie sittin’ in a tree…

BIG Deerhound brother intervention: Oh c’mon kids, have you no decency? We’re in public!

Wait, hold on, I’m winded. Time out!!

Threetwoone-TIME-IN!

Yup, Louie’s a real ladykiller. Sweeps ’em off their feet, toys with ’em for a bit, then leaves ’em swooning in the grass.

Eyeshadow

Tags

basenji, bouvier des flandres, deerhound, dog photography, golden retriever, irish terrier, italian greyhound, shiba inu, sighthounds

Photo taken 7 June 2011

Speaking of eyes…

I think one of the most difficult things about photographing dogs in action is lighting their eyes. Unless they’re looking up at me with full sun on their face, I find it hard to keep shadows from obscuring facial details. Or perhaps it’s something about the time of day when I happen to take many of my dog photos. I’ve noticed that dark Nosferatu-esque eye sockets seem to haunt many of my outdoor dog pictures, and because I’m an amateur, I have no idea how to go about correcting that.

30 March 2011. Are deerhounds supposed to have raccoon masks? I didn’t think so. For starters, I need to figure out how to work with backlighting.

29 May 2011. Serious Dannii from the Troublemaker pack.

10 May 2011. May we walk together? If only I could read your expression…

29 May 2011. Two Irish Terriers go wagwagwag. Okay, this one has focus issues in addition to lighting, but I like the composition.

And then there are some examples where I just have to admit defeat, like this Bouvier des Flandres.

5 May 2011

Outfitting skinny dogs with curly tails: Montana Dogware

Tags

basenji, dog clothes, dog clothing, greyhounds, montana dogware, sighthounds

If I can’t shop local, I at least try to shop indie.

Of course I don’t buy everything from local retailers. Even I sometimes find it more expedient to go online and have stuff shipped to me. That’s just the reality of commerce these days.

So once I figured out how doggy coats are supposed to fit, and realized what Bowpi needed to protect her from the local elements, I went in search of something more appropriate to her sighthound frame. For specialized canine apparel, I think it made sense to go online.

Photo taken 3 December 2010

After some thought, I ordered a simple “Cozy Fleece” from Montana Dogware. Their coats are primarily designed for greyhounds. For other breeds, they offer some design features that I like, namely the turtleneck for long, thin necks, and this…

That’s a tail notch made specifically with curly-tailed Basenjis in mind. YES, I’M A SUCKER. But it really does work out perfectly, and I like that I didn’t have to provide my own measurements for a nice hand-sewn coat since I’m not sure exactly where to measure anyway. I just ordered an XXXS Tail Notch Basenji-sized fleece, requested a color, and a week later, Bowpi had a lovely new coat to show off.

So even though the temperatures don’t get as cold here as they do in Montana, I’m sure Bowpi appreciates her coat nonetheless!

Sighthounds by Cori Solomon

Tags

art, basenji, greyhounds, salukis, sighthounds, stationery, stola, whippets

The Mighty Hunter by Cori Solomon, available here

Cori Solomon draws lovely sighthounds, mostly with pastels. While I am, of course, drawn to her Basenji portraits, like The Mighty Hunter depicted above, I think some of her most arresting portraits are of Salukis, such as this majestic creature here:

Feathered Scrutiny, available here

Attitude, available here

She lives with Salukis, and has obviously studied them well to be able to render them with elegance and personality. Salukis were on my personal list of breeds to consider when we were searching for our second dog. However, STOLA (the Saluki Tree of Life Alliance) never had any listings in our area, and they weren’t really popping up elsewhere. Sadly, I’ve yet to meet one in person. I was also looking at rescue greyhounds and whippets, but in the end, I think it’s fitting that we start our sighthound experiences with the Basenji — what Cori calls “Small and Mighty.” When we’re ready, there’s a whole lifetime to work our way up to bigger, or rather, taller dogs… Shiba Inu and Basenji compensate for their relatively small stature with “big” personalities, you know.

Howling for Joy, monotype print listed here

Please check out Cori’s Pawtraits at either her art blog or her website. Note that The Mighty Hunter (the Basenji portrait pictured at the top of this entry) is still available for sale, and part of the proceeds go to STOLA. Cori also offers notecards and envelopes in packages of 6, including a set that includes both “The Mighty Hunter” and “Small and Mighty”. Contact her via her website to find out more.