Holly

This is Holly, a beautiful Japanese Chin, the first of this breed to appear on Riviera Dogs. Pretty Holly may have Japanese origins but she lives in Denmark with her very nice owner, who kindly allowed me to photograph her here sitting near to the beach, in Menton.

Lody

Lody's most helpful owner posed him for me several times but the sun was bright and the shadows were difficult. I hope, tho, you can see what a very smart Labrit he is. Yes, that's what they call a Berger de Pyrénées in France and Monaco. You see him here crossing Boulevard Albert 1 in Monaco below.

Honey

I met this Shiba Inu at Cap 3000, the big shopping centre just outside Nice - beyond the airport. They are originally from Japan, although her owner told me that Honey was bred in the United States. Inu is Japanese for dog. The Shiba Inu is the smallest of the Japanese native breeds of dog and was originally developed for hunting by sight and scent in dense undergrowth. There are more Shiba Inus in Japan than any other breed and it was in 7000 BC that the ancestors of today's Shiba may have accompanied the earliest immigrants to Japan.

Bichon or bichon?

We at the Saturday market in Menton today. This market is held outside the main covered market. This little dog is a Bichon Maltais, I believe - what is called in other countries, a Maltese Terrier. It's hard to tell - perhaps it's a Bichon Frisé but with rather a straight coat. Anyway she's cute.

Market dog - 2

This black cocker spaniel is often sitting here outside the main market in Menton and near one of the outside stalls whilst his owner works. He looks resigned - 'Okay, I'm here for the morning and I'd better make the best of it.' Dogs are great, aren't they? So long as they are with us, they are happy.

Jumbo

I nearly called this dog The Metropole Dog because I met him in the Metropole shopping centre in Monaco, asked his owner his name and then promptly forgot it. Fortunately I bumped into her again at the cash desk in FNAC, asked her again and then wrote it down! When I first met Jumbo he was being made a great fuss of - and thoroughly enjoying it too. Isn't he a handsome chap?

Benny

This old Spitz-type dog suffers badly from arthritis so his Italian owners have made this trolley for him - and look how happy he is being pushed along the seafront in Menton. Sometimes the extremes to which people will go for their dogs astounds me - but that's love of a dog, of course and provided the dog is not in pain, why not?

Street dogs

These dogs are tied up, waiting for their owner, outside a supermarket in Menton. You can see another photo and read more about these street dogs at THIS LINK.

Décontracté

This Hungarian Vizla didn't move a muscle when I photographed him. He was tied up to a bench in the shopping centre of Fontvieille, Monaco - outside the Carrefour supermarket - patiently waiting for his owner to finish shopping. And as I inched closed to take the shot below, this laid-back dog simply closed his eyes!

Buddha the Boxer

Meet Buddha, the 4 month old Boxer puppy, playing here with a piece of string. He was attached to one of the market stalls in Menton (not the main market, but the one under the bridge on the way to the autoroute). His young owners proudly told me his father is a French champion and his grandfather is a World champion. I chopped the top of his head off in the photo below but I love it anyway. So forgive me. Scroll down and you'll see Buddha's French bulldog friend - 'don't take my bone' you can hear him say! Isn't he too adorable?!