Missy has her own way of travelling

Chapel Street, Prahran is one of the places to be seen in Melbourne. Missy loves being out and about along the strip. There is a bit of a swing about travelling in a carry bag.

You are away from everyone's feet but this means you are looking at everyone's knees. And not all knees are worth looking at.
At this height it is possible to look down on other small dogs who are out shopping.

But I think it could be a bit disconcerting to come nose to nose with bigger dogs, the dogs that Missy winds her lead around as she walks underneath them.

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.

2009 Million Paws Walk – RSPCA

Were there a million paws? There was a sea of people and dogs in Melbourne walking around Albert Park Lake. There were certainly thousands. I was moved and a little choked up when I saw the stream of legs and feet making their way around the Park.

At the same time, throughout the country, dogs and people were doing similar walks. It is an awe inspiring vision to get your head around





















A million paws is 250,000 dogs and that is a lot of dog. I would say it was unlikely there were 250,000 dogs in the Melbourne event. But standing watching them go past it looked like a 250,000 . There were dogs upon dogs as far as the eye could see moving around the lake.

What makes the event so moving is the relaxed and easy way people interact with each other and, chat and team up and perhaps make lasting friends.
















Melbourne dogs must be the most socialized dogs in the world. They interact and sniff and eye-ball each other. They never seem to feel the need to have a little snap or a growl. They trot along wagging their tails and I am sure they are passing pleasant friendly comments to their canine companions.

They are cosmopolitan dogs who live in a sophisticated and cultural city. They rise to the occasion













There was every breed of dog, tiny dogs to enormous dogs, slim delicate dogs to hefty muscular dogs all walking together and not irritating one another. They knew, I bet they knew that it was all for a cause - the RSPCA.

Meet Sunshine the Chihuahua, Pomeranian Cross

This delightful little dog was found wandering the streets in a bad state and was taken in and cared for.

Her charming owner, who said she was in her early 80s, didn’t want to be photographed. She told me all about how she came by Sunshine and explained how they both go round collecting signatures for petitions to help lobby against cruelty to animals. They have recently been campaigning to save the whales in the Southern Ocean

Sunshine sometimes walks but she tires easily so needs to spend time in the comfort of the shopping cart.

Sunshine the Chihuahua / Pomeranian

Why the name Sunshine? Her owner says it is because she has brought sunshine into her life.

Dede - the travelling dog - Poodle X Maltese

Deliah, her Mum and I joined many other dogs at Gasworks Park last weekend. Melbourne is a dog friendly city and Gasworks Park is an ideal place to see just how dog-friendly it is.

At 11am Sunday morning large dogs race around while their owners stand and talk.
There are smaller dogs at that time, too, but the big dogs bound over most of the open space while the smaller dogs potter around the edges.

It never ceases to surprise me how so many dogs can enjoy each other’s company without any agro. If there is any agro it usually between dogs that are still on their lease. Do those dogs need to prove something? A sort of “I know I’m tethered but I can still beat you!” I can only guess but it does appear to change their attitude to their doggy mates.

Waiting to be served.


The indoor/outdoor cafe

Gas works Park is a park of sculptures for other statues check HERE

There are many off-leash parks and reserves and Melbourne. To find one near you and let your dog enjoy the freedom of these wonderful spaces - check with your local council or on the Internet.

Dede the beautiful Maltese/Poodle on the move

Gasworks Park is a 'doggie park' in Port Melbourne so it was the right place to meet up with Dede again. Her full name is Delilah and she looks just like a glamerous Delilah especfially with her hair white and fuffly and her ears combed. We meet her a month or so ago. VIEW HERE.

This time I was able to catch her on the move with her ‘Mum’ before she stopped for peppermint tea.



It was a clear cold winter morning and Dede was well rugged up for the bike ride.





More on Gas Works Park and Dede relaxing with the other 'cafe' dogs in my next posting.


My thanks to Dede's Mum for allowing the photos.

Delilah - a Maltese/Poodle cross

Dede, as she is known to her family, is 12 and a half years old and lives in Port Melbourne. She rides around Melbourne as a pillion passenger and obviously loves sitting behind her ‘Mum’ with the wind blowing her ears and hair.

Her ‘Mum’ says she weighs 7 to 8 kilos so she gets a good workout with Dede on the back. When I met them they had stopped at the Peanut Farm in St Kilda for a run around on the grass.

Dede

Dogs in cars

When I first spotted this little dog his Dad was about to back into a park in Carlisle Street. He pulled up and I managed to get the photo. Later I saw them driving in an easterly direction with those beautiful floppy ears flying back in the breeze. It was a hot day and I'm sure the breeze felt good.

I was reminded of one of my favourite dog pictures. These two dogs gave me a lot amusement as I travelled behind them on Hoddle Street.

We were eye-ball to eye-ball for some time and I'm sure they spent time looking at me and possibly making judgements.