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

A recently shampooed Labradoodle is watched by a friend

A couple of weeks ago I visited the Prahran Market and featured some of the dogs at Pets Indulgence.

That’s the pet shop and groomers at the edge of the market. This Saturday it was drying off time for this Labradoodle.

The Labradoodle is a very popular designer dog. It is a cross between a Labrador retriever and a Poodle.

These patient dogs were waiting in Chapel Street, near the Prahran Market, for coffees to be drunk and the papers read before they could head off again.

R.I.P.

My cat S. died since I wrote my last post which accounts for the gap. She was 18 and I want to say goodbye here amongst all the dogs. She once lived with a dog that she sometimes liked and always tolerated.

She was gentle and loving and sheathed her claws when she played. In her youth she was a good mouser and occasionally caught a rat that she would show off. In latter years she knew the warmest place to sleep and loved the sun. She purred a lot. I miss going to sleep to the sound of a soft purr. She has left a large gap.

Splodge 2008

The Dog Wash- Saturday Morning.

Pets Indulgence Dog Wash is behind the Prahan Market. Saturday morning is a busy day but Colin Andrews, the owner, tells me that as it is school holidays some of his regulars are out of town.


You can walk down the side alleyway to get there or pop in from the market as it flows through from the market.



The beautifully groomed pale cream Golden Retriever, Indiana, belongs to Colin. He walks quietly around and overseas everything. The other dogs are waiting for their owners.

Mollie the poodle (she’s the black sleeping one) and Charlie in their stylish dog fashions have been dropped off by their owners while they shop in the market. Mollie sleeps but Charlie dosen’t look too happy about it.

I plan to go back in a couple of weeks, when the school term has begun, to do an up-date on the Pets Indulgence Dog Wash.

Toy Poodles in St Kilda

Muffin and Rosie, two beautiful and very lively miniature poodles, were out early to beat the rising summer heat in St Kilda.

At this time of day the sun casts long shadows. So long they nearly stretched all the way to Acland Street where the dogs were headed.

Best friends now, they came from two different poodle breeders. Members of Rosie’s family were all named after Elvis Presley and his family. Her father was Elvis and the breeder named Rosie, Priscilla. Her new owners wanted Rosie and Rosie suites her.

Muffin came from a family where everyone is named after cakes. Her parents are Jam Roll and Strawberry Cake and her real name is Strawberry Muffin.

Muffin and Rosie watch the action

Dogs out and about - Kevin

I met Kevin at a café in Carlton North. It was a lovely clear sparkling morning and strangely he was the only dog I saw out and about. His owner drank coffee and read the paper and Kev watched the passing legs.

Kev was bought from a Pet shop when he was an eleven weeks old. That was about five months ago so this fluffy little fellow should be fully grown by now.

His owner told me he named him Kevin as a sort joke – campaigning for the elections had just got under way and this new dog owner, a charming man, carried the joke further by displaying 'I love Kev’ across the front of his T-shirt. There is no doubt he loves his Kev and with his namesake ruling the country I think this little fellow has some control on his home front, too. And if charisma counts he is well in there.

He loves toys. The one with him is a $1 special from Savers in Footscray. He chose it himself. He is allowed to put his face into the bin and pull out the one he wants. His toys are loved ‘hard’ and no time need to be replace. You may catch him when he’s back a Savers making another choice.

2007 was a good year for Kevins. This Shiatsu Poodle X struck the jackpot with his new home and to add to his endearing charm he loves having his photo taken.

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