Moshe

Moshe is a Beagle/Chihuahua mix and belongs to my friend and upstairs neighbor. Someone we met at Clearwater Beach dubbed him a Cheagle. We're still trying to figure out which dog was the mother.

At 14 lbs., he has more Beagle traits than Chihuahua. He has a tiny bit of white on his rear paws and when he "hunts" for lizards and cats, he runs from side to side the way a Beagle does. He also has his nose to the ground when he's looking/scenting for anything.

We got Moshe at a shelter in Bradenton, FL. Jim, my friend, picked him over the other dogs because he was the only quiet one. He didn't want to bring a "barker" into our apartment building. It was 4 days before we heard this little dog bark.

The shelter told us that he had been abused by a larger dog in the home and that was why he was left at the shelter. However, a few days with him told us the real story. This poor little dog would cower if anyone tried to touch or pet him. He seemed to trust women at first, and it took a while to get him to let any men near him. So, we assumed that he was abused by the man of the house where he was previously owned.

It's been a few months, and Moshe has made a quick turn-around. He "allows" anyone who lives in our building to pet him and some can even play with him without him cowering or hiding behind Jim or I. He's still a bit leery of strangers, but with a little bit of coaching, he'll come out and give the new stranger a sniff.

He's got some quirky habits that make him more endearing to me and some of the residents in our building. One of them is so funny. I'll pet him and love him up, which he loves, but after a minute he feels the need to reassure Jimmy that he still loves his "Daddy". He'll go up to him and rub on Jimmy as if to say, "I like her petting me, but I still love you more, Daddy." He is just too cute.

Casper

Meet Casper, my daughter's Bichon Frise. He is 12 years old and I'll bet he's licked his nose over 5 million times. He is constantly licking his nose. He likes to lick people as well. My daughter says that's a trait of this breed. I wonder if that's because he's French--it's the romance in him.

Bichon Frise are similar in appearance than the Maltese, but larger. They are generally happy, playful, gentle mannered and affectionate. Bichon Frise's are non-shedding, but must be kept clean with brushing and bathing. They should be brushed daily and groomed every 3 months to prevent matting of their fur, which can lead to hematomas. They are also considered good pets for allergic people because they are hypo-allergenic to all but the extremely sensitive.

The Bichon Frise's life expectancy is 12 years, but some have been known to live to 16 years.

Sharefest Event

Last week, I had the pleasure of participating in the Largo Sharefest Event at the Northeast Paw Playground.

I photographed dogs with Santa. I had a lot of fun after I realized that these dogs were all obedience trained. It was a first time for me. I worried that the dogs would be unruly and possibly bite Santa. The worry was all for nothing. The shoot went well, and all the dogs behaved.

This is my favorite photo from the shoot. The pooches name is Auggie Doggie, and he didn't seem to mind being on Santa's lap at all.

Let me know what you think!

If you'd like to see more of my photos, visit my site at http://LoyceHoodPhoto.com.