Working Dogs who help disabled people -

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These dogs called A.W.A.R.E Dogs and were out raising awareness and collecting money for the Aware Dogs of Australia.

These are dogs that assist people with a handicap. We all know about seeing eye dogs for the blind but these dogs are not so well known. They assist in so many ways; they can pick up items that are dropped and bring the telephone when it rings. The different ways they help depends on the special needs of the person they are trained to assist. You can learn more about them at the A.W.A.R.E. web site.

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.

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.

Border Collie with three legs enjoys the street vibes.

This cheerful dog ( I believe he is a Border Collie X) was enjoying his wait. He was eagerly looking at people and wagging his tail – just enjoying the vibes of the street. It took me a moment to realize that he was missing his front leg.

His hair has grown back so well there isn’t a break in the sweep of black and white. He is having no problem being an amputee.

I imagine that the advantage in being a dog amputee is that you have no physiological problems. You’re not concerned with your difference. You’re just happy to be loved and out and about on a sunny day.

A German Shepherd shows love and loyalty to his Labrador companion

This is a story I saw on the BBC and it warmed my heart

At 6.30am on a busy New York expressway, a Labrador is hit by a car and lies on the tarmac while her companion, a German Shepherd, leaps into the traffic to protect her.

Police officers who tried to rescue the injured dog had to do so while the other dog was in full protection mode which made their job harder. They managed to lift the injured Labrador with a sheet into the police vehicle to take her to the animal hospital. Then they had trouble catching the other dog who wanted to follow the police car.

All ended happily with the police “ arresting” the German Shepherd without injury to either the police or the dog and the two dogs were re-united. The injured dog has a broken leg and bruising and is expected to make a full recovery.

When you think of the speed on a motorway or expressway it is hard to imagine how all this could happen with so little injury to either dog or the people helping. Perhaps that was due to the courage of the German Shepherd. His determination to protect his friend brought the right vibes for a successful outcome.




This picture was taken at the RSPCA’s Million Paw Walk. See my next post.


German Shepherds are great dogs. They were originally bred to protect and herd sheep so protection is not new to them. Their intelligence makes them great pets. They respond well to training and are often used as guide dogs and police dogs.

They can show great self discipline when trained as this popular picture shows. I have always wondered at the confidence of the cat in this picture.

A fully grown German Shepherd is physically very strong and needs lots of exercise