"Look. I haven't got a ton of time to talk, lady. In fact, you've already interrupted a big chunk of my napping and/or bone chewing time." Salty was far more interested in the different smells on the ground and his human than he was in a photo shoot, but this sprightly 13 year old puppy was an intriguing interview. Trying to get his attention was quite the challenge but as soon as I asked him to describe his perfect day, his ears perked and he was happy to tell me all about it.

"I sleep with one of my humans. I always sleep with one of my humans, usually the youngest one. They are warm and have the best beds." He sprinted to his human for a couple pats and a treat, then laid in her lap. "She always wakes up before me but if she isn't planning on walking me right that second I wont get out of bed. I mean, why would I leave the cozy sheets if she is going to do her own thing? I'll wait there until she grabs my leash and then we are on!" It seemed he forgot I was asking about his hypothetical perfect day and just started telling me about a normal one instead, but I couldn't interrupt him. "It's so cold these days, I've got to wear my jacket. If my mom doesn't put it on for our walk I shiver like crazy so she knows just how cold I am. Then when we get home I sit in front of this hole in the ground that shoots out hot air. It is the BEST thing. I'd sit there all day if I could, but it shuts off after a while and I have to find a new place to lay down and nap."

"My days are mainly spent napping and groggily chewing on my bone or raw hide. Those things are so good. So yummy. When I start chewing on one of them I forget everything. I get lost in the tastiness and before I know it...the sun has gone down. My human will have these big books out and she pays way too much attention to them. So I jump up on her and let her know I want to play. Who wants to look at a big book and write things when you could be playing with me?! She says its "homework" or she is "studying" or something, but I know that she'd rather be playing with me. So I make sure she gets up and we go do something fun." Salty's human laughs quietly to herself, she knows he is right. Their bond is irrefutable. Its heartwarming to see such a great pair. 

The air filled with the smell of bacon and eggs and in an instant, Salty was gone. I wasn't able to hear much more from him, but after spending a morning together, I'll never forget how much he adored his human. I watched them play together, Salty running as fast as possible, making sure everyone saw how fast he was. I couldn't help but smile; his name suits him perfectly. It was a morning well spent. We said our goodbyes, Salty's in the form of a quick head nod before immediately returning to his bone. I felt it was the most fitting "goodbye" he could have given me.  

A big thanks to Cheryl for letting me interview
her Salty and Anthony C. for editing the article.
If you'd like your pup to be on the next cover of DOGUE
please email me! I'd love to hear from all of you! 

Simple afternoons in the gardens, hanging out with friends, snacking, and a few brews. Thats what I miss the most. I can't compare my Australia life to my California life at all. I have no worries while I'm there... but a girl can dream right? 

These are my favorite kind of days. Slow mornings, coffees in the afternoon, and walks in the gardens. Angus lives in the sweetest spot, just outside of the CBD and across the street from Carlton Gardens. Its gorgeous and I've loved spending time here for the past couple of weeks. This particular day was spent reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, which I finished in a week, and shopping for undies at Bonds.

Angus and I are pretty much masters at relaxing and taking our days slowly. I really appreciate not having to feel like I've got to be somewhere constantly. I'm happy just hanging out at a coffee shop all afternoon and watching all the people go by. Sometimes I worry that I may be wasting my time here, I mean I have had 1 month in Melbourne and I haven't done anything too different. But I'm realizing that I'm just as happy (if not more) laying in bed until 10:30 as I would be trekking around the city. I love that all of my friends here make me exuberantly happy and just being around them is whats made this trip worth while.  (Ender tangent, Get Ready.)
 

The only thing missing from this otherwise perfect trip, are daily pats and walks with my dog/buddy. Its strange realizing how attached Ender & I are. I've always joked about it because, at home, I'm rarely seen without my dog. But after this trip I'm realizing just how much his presence effects me. Walking places alone is no longer comforting, instead I feel something is missing. It is strange being in a park without my pup walking along side me. It is strange working on the computer without my pup lying underneath my feet. It is strange being invited places and not having to ask, "Can Ender come too?" Ender really has changed my life in such a positive way, its odd not having my security blanket with me constantly. 

That being said, people (Angus) have told me that this trip is probably healthy for us. More me than Ender. (Dogs love consistency and I feel terrible about leaving him for so long.) However, for me, its probably good not having to rely on my dog for everything. Probably takes some pressure off of him as well! As hard as it has been to be away from him for so long I'm grateful for what this trip has given me. I also am extremely grateful for the wonderful people in my life that are taking care of my mutt. I'm so lucky to have such lovely human beings surrounding me. If it weren't for all of you I wouldn't be the slightly sane person that I am today. So Thank You!

I never end up shooting as much as I'd like when I am on vacation. I have mixed feelings of wanting to capture every moment but also wanting to be in the moment. So I end up with days that are completely captured and days not captured at all. But I felt this quick trip to the beach was a must.
Its nice to be back here in Aus. For those of you who don't know, I lived in the Melbourne area a couple years back for about 8 months. I made a lot of great friends and stayed with a wonderful family that I grew very close to. I've finally returned to visit them all and was expecting to feel super nostalgic when I got back. Instead it felt like I hadn't even left. I love being back with all of these lovely humans. More posts to come!

1. From left to right: George, Hamish, & Angus
2. Hamish or Hamo. My little brother.
3. George, in a horribly lit photo
4. Claudia, being the gorgeous clementine she is.

The main reason I got a blog was to document my life and daily activities. I wanted a place I could write that wasn't just my journal. I also wanted a place to feel organized and in control. I enjoy my life and want to share that with the world. As I scoured the internet for inspiration through other blogs, magazines, and small shops, I felt less and less like my life was worth documenting. I'm a 21 year old kid who spends her entire days with dogs. My life is not eclectic nor cute. Its not white sheets and crisp autumn mornings, drinking coffee and reading. I don't DIY or even keep my room clean. I'm messy, disheveled, and confused. I don't have enough space for all of my clothing, my dog takes up most of my bed, and I live with my parents. Nothing my life is aesthetically pleasing. Why would anyone want to subscribe to my life updates? What have I got to offer?

As I yearn for my perfect young adult life (living in a small house with my boyfriend and my 2 dogs, going to the farmers market on weekends and spending evenings making curry and watching movies) I sulk about, wishing I was more like the people that I follow online. For a long time I thought that if I pretended my life was this perfectly balanced meal of entertaining and chic, it would somehow turn into that. But thats not really how life works. I can't fake it until I make it. I've got to love what my life is and grow with it. (ha! get it?!)

 So no, unfortunately my life is not all homemade bread and walks through grassy fields at golden hour. My life is muddy paw prints and slobbery pants. My life is burnt toast and burnt lips on hot tea. My life is working all day to afford bills and dog food. My life is a bedroom with clothing all over the floor and a dirty clothing pile thats now a dog bed. My life has a sort-of boyfriend that lives 7,873 miles away and a dog who makes every day worth getting out of bed. My life is tough. My life is easy. My life is intense and my life is dull. But no more pretending its something its not. No more editing my life in blog posts so it gets a few more hits online. I'm going to be real, good times and bad! Because its okay that my blog isn't as "hip" and "trendy" as other blogs. It's my life, its not perfect but its mine and I love it.

"A lot has changed in the last year," Chase stated tenderly, "...though I'm not sure how fond I am of the changes." My afternoon with fourteen year old Chase was spent leisurely at his home. We walked slowly together from room to room as he recounted stories from his past. He spoke of his old pal Tommy, who raised him as a pup. "I used to curl up beside his stomach to fall asleep. Even as I grew older and larger, Tommy still let me sleep between his legs, no matter how uncomfortable he got." Chase had a hard exterior, interrupting our conversations to bark at trespassers and patrol his yard. He would try to show the new member of his pack the proper way to check the perimeters of the property, but would quickly get fed up with their puppy antics and just handle it himself. He only tolerates snuggles from his humans for very short periods of time. You can tell he is very proud of his pack and his powerful role among them, but as I spent more time with him, I began to see a softer side as well.

"I was the only dog in this house for quite some time. Most of my life, really. I loved it. I grew up with the kids and learned a lot about my pack. I've kept them safe from raccoons and various other rodents. Recently, though, many other dogs have started to roam about the property. I've got two new pack members, they're both silly. I've tried to teach them the proper ways to protect the house... they just don't listen. Pups, these days." He paused for a while, lapping his water slowly. "But it hasn't been all bad with these guys around." He spoke of small things that he learned since his new pack members arrived, like how stretching feels really good and he should do it more often. He has also learned new ways to ask the humans for food that are much more successful than his old techniques. And best of all, he's learned that if he relaxes and sits for photos for his smallest human, he gets the yummiest treats in the house.

Chase is a noble and proud dog, He stands straight with his head held high, but something inside him melts when a puppy or any young pup enters his abode. He is warm and welcoming to his little friends, yet still a strong leader for them to follow. I was lucky enough to witness him interact with a few pups and couldn't believe my eyes. The puppies followed him around, obeying all the rules each step of the way. Chase was thoroughly enjoying himself; it was a wonderful sight to see. Anyone who meets this lovely being knows how lucky they are to be in his presence, and he only gets more lovely with age.