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.