Beautifully clipped Maltese Terrier at Cafe Racer

I photographed this darling Maltese in the doorway of Cafe Racer in St Kilda on Sunday morning. She is beautifully clipped and coated for the winter weather but she appears to be wondering why she is there. And no wonder. In the weekend Cafe Racer is the hang-out of all the Lycra clad cyclists who ride the beach road.

She didn't arrive on a bike and she is being stepped over by many of the people who did.
She may be a regular visitor although I haven't seen her before.

Her presence would seem unremarkable during the week when the clientele becomes more varied and it is quieter. The locals wander in and sit for hours often with their laptops or reading the papers.

Kelpie/ Greyhound cross waiting at the St Kilda Sea Baths

Charlie is a Greyhound /Kelpie cross. This is what his owner was told when he found him at the Lort Smith Animal Hospital. His new owner believes that this must be the case, but he finds it an odd combination.

Charlie's eyes are unusual. Are they Greyhound or Kelpie eyes? I don't know either of the breeds well enough to know but I find them a little disconcerting.

Charlie likes to engage with other dogs and is keen on a good bark when he is in their company. He was being extremely well behave at the St Kilda Sea Baths.

His owner said that he fell on his feet when they found him. They love him and are trying to teach him not bark every time he feels the urge.

I wonder if the look in his eye is one of anxiety? Perhaps it is just the way he views the world - from piercing eyes.

The Ugliest Dog Competition - the winner

This darling is NOT the ugliest dog in the Word

I have just viewed the video of the dog that won the Most Ugliest Dog in the World competition that was held in Californis USA. To my surprise I found that people considered a Chinese Crested dog the most ugly.

I have had a couple of posts about Chinese Crested dogs recently and I have found myself drawn to the dogs. View the BBC video here. What do you think? Perhaps it is just the tongue?

Melbourne Chinese Crested

The First Chinese Crested I saw was in the window of a shop in Victoria Street Richmond, Melbourne.

I was fascinated and I wasn't to only one. The dog drew a crowd. Why? They are rare here in Melbourne so we are not used to seeing a dog that is almost hairless.

To us, dogs should be covered in some sort of dense, short, long , wiry, curly or silky hair. The only time most of us see our dog's skin is when they are shaved for an operation. This makes the Chinese Crested unique - almost a freak of nature.


The Crested in the Video appears to have a jaw problem - the tongue is hanging out. The dog in the Victoria Street window manages to keep his tongue where it should be and I think he is sweet.

Dogs take a trip to the library

The Port Philip Public Library in St Kilda is a great place to hang out.

These two dog ride to the library in style. The boring part is waiting. They are both cross breeds and very lively. They use their waiting time to snooze and re-new their energy base.

It is only half snoozing. As soon as they think their 'Person' is coming they wake up and get ready to welcome her back and then get excited about the ride home.

Rescue Dogs Melbourne, San Francisco

I have had a lovely e-mail from Linda in San Francisco regarding their Rescue Dog Scheme. This is what she says,

‘Two of our GREAT friends and WONDERFUL volunteers, Mat and Anna, are
moving to Australia next year...... our loss will be YOUR gain....
they are amazing dog people who do So very much for rescue!

Best wishes to you and ALL the dogs of Melbourne!

linda beenau
wonder dog rescue
http://www.wonderdogrescue.org

Check out their web site - they are doing wonderful work. This is what Linda told me.

'Wonder Dog Rescue is a group of volunteers committed to rescue, rehabilitate
and re-home dogs at risk of euthanasia because of shelter overcrowding, age,
and special needs. We are always looking for volunteers to foster
dogs, transport,
or help at our adoption fairs. We encourage you to join us and becomepart of the solution.'

After getting this e-mail I thought I would visit the rescue dog, Cody, who I first featured on this blog in December 2007.

Read his story here.
As you can see from the photos he is still looking good although he is now a few years older.

He came from the Melbourne Save-a-dog-scheme http://www.saveadog.org.au/

You may like to share a rescue dog story with us. It is always heart warming to read good-outcome stories.

Rescue Dogs – Chinese Crested

The Wonder Dog Rescue in San Francisco says they have rescued several Chinese Crested.This is a photo of one that they have re-housed. He is so sweet and looks so cute in his hat I had show him to all of you.

The Wonder Dog Rescue says they are very loving dogs and make great pets. They tell me they do get cold easily. If you’re in Melbourne with your Chinese Crested remember to cozy your darling up in the freezing winter weather we are having at the moment.

English Bull Dog, Buzooka, skateboards in Japan

My last posting showed an English Bull taking it easy in Albert Park.

This Bull dog never seems to take it easy. He is Japan’s best known skateboarding Bull Dog.

Check out this link. It is amazing.

More amazing because skateboarding is an unlikely sport for Bull Dogs who have short stubby legs but Bazooka manages to use his powerful legs to push his board along. Then he jumps on to ride and uses his stubby little legs to balance and steer around the corners - amazing!

His owner, Ishikawa, says´ "When he was 5-months old, he saw someone skateboarding in the street, and that must have switched him on,". He also likes to chew his board so they have to be especially made for him with non-toxic paint. To date it is reported that he has chewed 15 boards.

Bazooka makes skateboarding an expensive hobby.