little dude

my boy…he’s my comedian, my snuggler, my adventurer, my little dog, my little devil…my little dude.

he found me when he was 7 months old in the fall of 2007.

one afternoon tichka and i were at the monarch park dog park, when this super-fast little fox-like dog whizzed past us. he immediately reminded me of tichka and so i was instantly smitten (and so was the tichers). i quickly struck up a conversation with his momma and she told me his story.

originally rescued from diana’s grove dog rescue in bunker, missouri (USA), she had found him online and drove all the way from toronto to bunker to pick him up when he was only 3 months old. he is apparently a shiba inu and whippet mix (one day i might do the doggy dna test to find out for sure). we joke that he might be part fox or coyote.

now, i had been thinking of getting a doggy sibling for tichka for the last year or so. i wasn’t actively seeking, but i knew the right dog would find us…and so he did.

since the dogs got along famously, we met at the park for play-dates a few times before his momma mentioned to me that she may not be able to keep him. she had just started working longer hours and he suffered from separation anxiety. a more pressing matter was the fact her older dog had become aggressively protective over the new pup. she loved this little dog so much, and it was a tough decision, but she wanted the best life for him.

we ended up taking him on a trial basis, but i knew that first day that he was home. we was a perfect fit between tichka and cameron, who both absolutely adore him.

he is a hilarious little guy…full of piss and vinegar! he’s always up to no good. even when he’s bad, he always manages to make me laugh at him in no time. it’s difficult to stay mad at him…come on…look at that face! he knows how to work it.

everyone that meets him falls in love with him too…i think his beautiful big ears play a big part in that. he also has this soft and steady eye-blink down that is quite hypnotizing (i call it his ‘bedroom eyes’). not to mention he is the master snugglebug. just try to refuse his cuddles…he won’t let you, believe me!

i mostly call him L.D., but he has a slew of nicknames – my favourite and most appropriate being ‘mister ridiculous’. he truly is just that!

the noises he makes when he yawns make me laugh every morning…usually right in my face.

he took over the cat’s basket in the bay window. i laughed for hours the very first time i caught him on the ledge.

he also does the ‘shiba shake’ about 20 times a day.

i have only captured it once (see below) but he gives tichka hugs when they play. he runs at her full force and put his front paws around her neck…gosh it’s cute. he loves her soooo much! sometimes he ends up hurdling over her (i must capture that one…it’s hysterical). gotta put that boy in agility classes.

like his big sister, he is a very fast runner! weighing only 23 lbs soaking wet, he sounds like a pack of racehorses when he is blasting through the park on a mission (usually after a squirrel). and he runs until his tongue is about to fall out. he is just a wee little thing, but his proportions are similar to a big dog.  everyone thinks he’s the size of a husky in photographs, and are shocked when they meet him.

in true boy fashion he loves to get dirty and he rolls in everything! the muddier, stinkier he gets, the happier he is. luckily he also loves the water and will go swimming on his own…nothing to chase required.

gosh darn i love this boy…my little dude.

such a big yawn for such a little boy.

sometimes he plays shy.i love how his left ear flops when he runs. medium tongue length in this one.

my “big dog”

he is often on official neighborhood watch duty.he loves attention…LOVES IT! LOVES IT! LOVES IT!i am smitten with his widow’s peak and whiskers. hugs for tichka!

he loves to bury his face when he sleeps.

those bedroom eyes and those ears i want to bite.

yep, that’s my filthy boy!

love that smile!i love my boy!

25 comments on “little dude”

  1. Jeanette says:

    I really enjoyed my visit here what a wonderful story & fabulous photos to go along with it. I loved learning about your fur babies what a gorgeous bunch you have.

  2. charlie says:

    He is the perfect model! What a handsome boy!

  3. Cec says:

    His smiling photo with the cocked ear is my absolute favourite of L.D. – it totally captures his spirit!

  4. l.d. the first-ever doggie supermodel… He needs an agent STAT!

  5. Vickie says:

    It’s never a dull moment when LD is at the park!!!

  6. Janet says:

    As usual, you have fantastic pictures and a wonderful way with words. You should do a book….

    He sounds hysterical. He and Bonnie should meet.

  7. Cherlynn says:

    I just love him Marce! He really is little! I love the one of him in the basket, what a little kitty! lol Great pictures as always xo

  8. Josee says:

    Adored every single word and every single shot of this post!!

  9. Judy says:

    Gorgeous photos and beautiful pets!

  10. foreverdogz says:

    Lovely pictures!!! Great story as well. I have a “Dude” as well. Such a great name for a dog with all that personality!

    In looking at the pictures, I know you said possibly a Shiba Innu, but have you considered a Basenji???

  11. Anne Devlin says:

    I want him!

  12. Diana's Grove Dog Rescue says:

    Marcia, Thank you so much! We sometimes never know what our puppies grow into and this is a beautiful and rewarding experience. Your photography is marvelous! We are so delighted to have united you with LD. Patricia & Cynthea – Diana’s Grove Dog Rescue (now in Cabool, MO).

  13. Becky McCorquodale says:

    Love these pictures! Found your site through looking for pictures of an adult shiba/whippet cross, as we have a shiba/whippet pup and were curious to see what she might look like when she’s fully grown (and how big she’ll get!). Cancel the DNA test-can confirm LD must be that mix as he looks almost identical to our girl, Loca!

  14. Rei'Monique Greenstreet says:

    Oh my gosh you have a beautiful dog!

  15. Matthew D Cromley says:

    I found my dog when he was 2 months old in a jungle in Guam. The vets don’t know what he is but he looks almost exactly like your dog!

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