Basile

Photography is all about getting the light right - or rather hoping it's right when you take a photograph. I was walking up from the port of Monaco today - towards Casino Square - when I saw this little dog. I asked the owners if I could photograph her and wham, the light was right and I knew I only needed one shot.

Basile is a wire-haired dachshund on holiday in Monte Carlo from Belgium. She's 8 years old and isn't she gorgeous!

The Obama Dog

There's a little bit of a cheat here because this dog isn't a Riviera Dog - but he could well be. Blue, a nine-month old Old English Sheepdog puppy, lives with his owner, my best buddy Candy, in Ohio. Candy visits Menton often - so let's imagine she's put Blue on the plane with her!

I just couldn't resist showing you Blue's new collar - photo taken by Candy, of course, and no prizes for guessing her politics. This gorgeous collar (click to enlarge smaller photograph) was designed by Candy's oh-so-talented, artist friend, Laura R. Joseph. You can see more of Laura's beautiful work by clicking on her website.

Belle, the gentle old lady

Belle is a cross between a Pyrenean Shepherd Dog and an English Setter. She certainly has the English Setter colours. In all three photos I took of her, she screws up her eyes, puts her head back and woofs. Yes, she's somewhat overweight but she's an old lady after all - 12 years old. Neverthelss, Belle lives in Menton in the Old Town so she must still be in pretty good form to walk up the steep hill each time she's going home from a walk.

Maximus

Maximus - big name for a little dog! We met in the pedestrian area of Menton. He's a smooth-coat chihuahua, 2 years old and comes from Vicenza in Italy.

Many of the dogs I've been showing lately come from Italy. Menton is on the Italian border.

You'll find a dog in the sand on Menton Daily Photo today.

Didi

A chair for the owner and a chair for the lady dog too. Meet Didi, the 3 year old dachshund. Didi and her charming owner live at Lake Garda in Italy.

Vodka

Sitting at her owner's feet in a bar at the Place du Cap in Menton - this is Vokda, a three year old Labrador. She lives with her owner in Marseille.

Smigle

Smigle, as you see, has long worked out how to look cute. Head on one side - 'hey, look at me!' I met two year old Smigle and his own owners in the pedestrian area of Menton. They live in Modena - famous for Ferrari and also where they make the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Smigle is an interesting mix - perhaps a bit of Miniature Pinscher? Some Papillon perhaps?

The Wet Dogs

The little Jack Russell so wants to play with the big dog but, no chance, he's on a lead. Two wet dogs having a day on the beach in Menton.

Asleep in the shade

I know nothing about this dog - name, where he's from - nothing. He was asleep in the shade on a Menton beach (one of the dog beaches). His owner was asleep too. I didn't like to disturb. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Giorgio

This is Giorgio - 4 years old and on holiday in Menton from Milan. I snapped this photo just a second before the one shown yesterday on Menton Daily Photo. Click on the link to see him try and catch a stone.

To the left, he's with his friend of the day, Astuss, who you saw yesterday. Dogs sure know how to make instant friendships, don't they? And having dogs - well that enables us to make friendships too. Is there a better way to meet someone than through your dog?

Astuss

This beautiful dog is Astuss, a Golden Retriever/Pyrenean Mountain Dog mix. Three years old and on holiday in Menton.

He had the best time playing with a Labrador he'd met on the beach (there are two dog beaches in Menton) - click on the link to see his friend, Giorgio and to see Astuss swimming with him in the sea.

Tomorrow Giorgio will feature on this blog.

Bach

Meet Bach - a beautiful but rather hot English setter. He's 8 years old and was abandoned so he's one lucky dog to be with his caring owner, a lovely young lady from Bergamo, which is near to Milan in Italy. They were on holiday in Menton.

Summertime Fun

Another beach dog. I don't have a name, nor that of the little Jack Russell in the smaller photo. Just dogs having fun on one of the Menton dog beaches.

Ciska

This Jack Russell was tiny. I thought she was about 4 months but apparently she is 10 months old. She was in the pedestrian street of Menton - licking the pavement at one point (something must have smelled good!) - Ciska lives Paris.

Chou-chou

There's are two or three beaches in Menton that allow dogs - so it's a great place to go and find them. Over the next few days we'll meet some of the beach dogs to be seen on one of the beaches yesterday.

This is Chou-chou - he's 5 years old and lives in Menton. He's a cross between a bichon and a poodle, which you can see in the amount of coat he has. He's probably due for a haircut.

Waiting for her owner...

This dog has been tied up outside a very small supermarket in the pedestrian street of Menton. She was only left a short time, so, whilst she doesn't look happy - she was fine. She wagged her tail when I talked to her but being tied up, she probably felt rather vulnerable. I didn't bother her for long. I don't know what breed she is. If anyone knows, please let me know. Meanwhile I've marked her down as a mix.

Gill, the Guide Dog

Many of us think of a Guide Dog for the Blind as being a labrador, and indeed they are the most common breed used, but other breeds are Guide Dogs too. Meet a beautiful long-haired German Shepherd Dog called Gill. She is the Guide Dog for her handsome young owner who you see in the smaller photograph. They are from Holland and are sitting here under the olive tree in the Place des Deux Frères, in Roquebrune village.

Doesn't she have a beautiful face and such an intelligent expression? I have so much admiration for Guide Dogs. I used to own a labrador, Flavia, who was a Guide Dog for the Blind until she was six when sadly her owner died. She had several homes after that, until I adopted her at 9 and a half and then she lived with me till she died aged 15. A lovely dog, she was.

Glinka

Glinka is an eleven year old Siberian Husky who lives in Menton with Ramses, the Shih-tzu we met yesterday. Here you see her sitting on the sea wall. Don't you love that blue eye against the blue sky?

Ramses

Meet Ramses, sitting on the sea wall in Menton. His nice owners reminded me that I'd photographed 3 year old Ramses before but that he'd never appeared on the blog. I simply couldn't remember what happened but, of course, I remembered the name and the dog. When I got home I realised that he was in the first batch I'd taken with my new camera (this camera) and after I uploaded them, I wiped the card before they'd been copied to the hard drive. Duh! So apologies to Ramses' owners but here he is at last! They commented last night that he needs grooming - well I think he's just gorgeous and rather dignified, don't you think, 'King of the Seawall.'

Tomorrow, meet Ramses' friend, Glinka.

The Island of Réunion dog

This little bundle of love is called Noella - just a pup. She was born in the French Island of Réunion, where tragically live and dead dogs are used as shark bait. A wonderful lady in Villeneuve-Loubet brings dogs and puppies into France to rehome them. Noella was never in danger of being used as shark bait, but she came along anyway, via the lady, and now lives happily in Menton. Her wonderful 87-year old owner told me she is a Royal Bourbon Papillon. I can't find any reference to this breed, as such, except that the Papillon is featured in many old masters. A papillon is supposed to have been carried by Marie-Antoinette as she walked to the gallows and the older Papillons perhaps resemble Noella more than the modern ones.

Diego

Blame the failing light, blame a pup who only kept still for one second - no, blame the photographer for chopping off the top of his ears! This gorgeous 4 month old German Shepherd Dog was irresistible. Walking along the promenade of Menton - squashed can in his mouth - he's called Diego and lives in Menton.

Dad

Meet Dad, a beautiful Tibetan Terrier I met along the seafront in Menton. He is immaculate, the white so white, the black so black - he's 3 years old and is visiting Menton from Turin.

Bobby - me and my shadow

The sun is low, a walk along the beachfront of Menton. Bobby poses for a photograph but the sun is too bright, so what would any self-respecting poodle mix do, but squint. Bobby is 12 years old and is on holiday from Brussels.

Boogie

Meet Boogie, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He lives in the medieval village of Gorbio, which is near to Menton. My village, in fact. His young owner picked him up for the photo. He looks awkward, doesn't he, but he is a much-loved dog who follows his owner everywhere. Isn't that a beautiful Cavalier head?

I think he's saying 'put me down' or 'who is that lady photographing me?'

Yappa

This is Yappa - on a wall near to the beach at Roquebrune-cap-Martin. Yappa was a nervous little dog - very wary of strangers so you see her here, tail down, not too happy at having her photograph taken. Her owner, one of the characters of Roquebrune, can be seen on Menton Daily Photo today - and you'll find her there too, much happier alongside her owner.

Apologies for lack of posts recently. I've been in America for three weeks. Was very tempted to post some of the lovely dogs I found in Ohio and Utah but decided, however beautiful, they weren't Riviera Dogs. Normal service has now been resumed. Woof-woof.

Old boy

This old Miniature Schnauzer looked up at me in the market area of Carnoles - this is part of Roquebrune and adjoins Menton. His owner told me he's 15 and doesn't see too well. Like all Miniature Schnauzers tho, he has plenty of spirit.

Teeny

A little Min Pin in Menton. With his little willy sticking out! His harness looks almost too heavy for him, doesn't it? I'm sure tho it's hard to get just the right size collars or harnesses for such a little dog.

The Menton Yorkie

This gorgeous little Yorkie has been featured on Menton Daily Photo before but always with his elegant owner. You see the owner in the small photo which was taken at the display of antique cars in Menton a few months ago. The lady normally dresses completely in white so it was unusual to see her in colours on this day. She walks with a stick, always with her Yorkie, of course, and always so friendly and happy.

On the day I took these photographs, I asked the name of the little dog but I'm in America at the moment and the note of his name is in Menton. Duh!

Coco - Dachshunds Rule!

Photographed in Menton, Coco lives in Monte Carlo. She knows she's beautiful, doesn't she?

Bouba

Bouba, most Yorkie as you can see, is three years old. Photographed here in the walking street of Menton, just outside the Maison du Patrimoine.

Raymond

Outside Le Balico in Menton, a beautiful French bulldog: Raymond, aged 9. He lives in Sospel, which is a beautiful village 20 ks above Menton in the mountains.

Clara

This is Clara, one year old and bright as a button. She is sitting at a restaurant in Rue Princesse Caroline, the walking street - in Monaco. Water provided by the management. Cotons are lovely little dogs - originally from Madagascar.