Hector

Weirmaraners are SO expressive. Just love this breed. So of course it was great to welcome Hector and his slaves for a stroll around Gorbio village.  In the main photo, Hector is tucked into a niche at the super Restaurant Beausejour in the village.

Hector's owners are good friends who live in Marseille - a city I hope to visit one day.

The Perch

A Jack Russell's perch - the best place, in his owner's arms!

'Ours' after two months

Some of you have kindly asked how 'Ours' = Bear (pronounced Orse) my newly adopted dog is coming along. Well here he is after two months here - he loves the garden, he plays BUT he is still terrified of any visitor and lives in fear of the someone coming through the front gate. But there is progress - and of course I'm in love!

Fluffing up a Peke

Pekinese 'brush up'  at the Monaco dog show. 

A pat on the head

A pat on the head by a stranger for this little Cavalier who has been tied up, in the shade.  He is more interested though in watching his owner, who came back for him almost immediately.

Sheltie X 4

Gorbio village has four new residents ... well, five if you count the owner! These four beautifully behaved Shelties seem at home already on the old cobbled streets.

Iris

This is Iris, the lovely golden retriever belonging to my friend and neighbour, Agnès.  It is Agnès who corrects the French on my Menton Daily Photo blog each day. No mean feat!

Lascar, Bassett des Alpes,

This is Lascar, the new puppy belonging to Romain, the young hunter in Gorbio. He's a Bassett des Alpes (also called a Alpine Dachsbracke) The breed originates from Austria and is used to hunt wild boar and also to find wounded animals. He will be used as a hunting dog alongside Romain's other dog, Tina who you can see HERE. She's also in the third photo alongside Lascar.


Voici Lascar, le nouveau chiot appartenant à Romain, un jeune chasseur de Gorbio. C'est un Basset des Alpes (appelé aussi Alpine Daschsbracke). La race est originaire d'Autriche , elle sert à chasser le sanglier et également à retrouver les animaux blessés. Il servira  de chien de chasse aux  côtés de l'autre chien de Romain, Tina que vous pouvez voir ICI. Elle se trouve également dans la troiseme photo à côté de Lascar.

Ours

Wish she'd clean the windows! (My newly adopted amour, Ours - 'Bear' in French)

Monaco Dog Show - Chinese Crested

They say dogs look like their owners! Well in this case I think it's true.  Pretty lady, pretty dog at the Monaco Dog Show. This is a Chinese Crested dog, which is hairless, except for head, lower legs and tail. (There is a variety called the 'powderpuff' that has hair on the body as well).

Strutting his Stuff

A gorgeous American cocker spaniel strutting his stuff at the recent Monaco Dog Show. 

Nicky and Mojo

This is my lovely friend Nicky Fraser with her French bulldog Mojo. (we met him the other day) He's doing his best to do what he wants to do and not what Nicky wants him to do!

Nicky, who lives in Monaco, is a very talented lady.  She's an Aromatherapist, a Feng Shui consultant and a Chinese Astrologer. You can find Nicky on her FACEBOOK page.

Beauty in a Box

A poodle at the recent Monaco Dog Show.

Dog drool

Dog drool!  ... at Monaco Dog Show.  If you are not a 'doggy' person and wonder how dog drool gets onto a dog's face, let me tell you.  He drools from his mouth and then shakes his head et voila!  It also gets on walls and ceilings.  Drooly dogs are not for everyone!

No matter, isn't he a beautiful chocolate labrador!

Billie-Jean

This is Billie.  She lives in Gorbio and she always has her tongue sticking out!  Billie is named after the tennis player, Billie-Jean King.

Wet Dog!

Fog and light rain in Sainte Agnes yesterday evening and a very wet Landseer, the black and white version of the Newfoundland.

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Brouillard et pluie fine sur Sainte Agnès hier soir et Landseer tout mouillé, la version noire et blanche du Terre-Neuve.

Mojo

Meet Mojo, an absolutely adorable 15 months old French bulldog who lives in Monaco.  He was adopted by my lovely friend Nicky when he was 6 months old and of course he's stolen her heart.

Frenchie

A French Bulldog being carried through Menton's indoor market.

'Ours' - my new dog!

Meet my new dog! He's called Ours, which means Bear in French and he's a mix of a Grand Griffon Vendeen and probably some other large hunting dog. He's five and a half years old. I'll never forget Beau and Mia and Milou and Peggotty and Mistletoe and Scramble and all the wonderful dogs who have lived with me in the past but there is always enough love for a needy dog and goodness, there are enough poor dogs in shelters in this area alone.

The hunter who owned Ours wanted to shoot him - apparently he wasn't any good as a hunting dog! - but fortunately someone rescued him but couldn't keep him as he lived in a studio, so delivered him to the refuge where he has lived for the past two years. He arrived with injuries to a leg and terribly thin.

He's terrified of men in particular but meeting anyone new is a trauma for him. He's never lived in a house so all the sounds of a house scare him and outside sounds he doesn't know, like cars on the autoroute worry him greatly.

Having said all that he is a total love and in only 48 hours has found the places in the house where he feels safe: at my feet when I'm at the computer and by my bed!

I found his photo on the website of the SDA of Nice which is in Tourettes-Levens. Most impressive refuge, spotlessly clean and all the dogs well cared for and lovely people working there who cried when Ours left with me. 

Isn't he gorgeous!

(Thanks so much to my friend, Sheila, who came to the refuge with me and stroked Ours in the back of the car on the way home. It made all the difference. Sheila has been with me when I've adopted several dogs in the past. She has a wonderful calm manner. And she has a great dog herself - Gucci, a Welsh terrier).

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Voici mon nouveau chien! Il s'appelle Ours, c'est un mélange de Grand Griffon Vendéen et probablement d'un autre grand chien de chasse. Il a cinq ans et demi. Je n'oublierai jamais Beau, Mia, Milou, Peggotty,  Mistletoe et Scramble et tous les merveilleux chiens qui ont vécu avec moi dans le passé,  mais il y a toujours assez d'amour pour un chien en manque d'un foyer et malheureusement il y en a beaucoup dans des abris de la région PACA.

Le chasseur à qui il appartenait a voulu le tuer - apparemment il n'était pas assez bon comme chien de chasse! - et heureusement quelqu'un l'a sauvé.  Mais ne pouvant  pas le garder dans le studio où il  vivait, cette personne l'a laissé  au refuge où il a vécu les deux dernières années. Il y est arrivé avec des blessures à une jambe et très maigre.

Il est terrifié par les hommes en particulier et  la rencontre avec quelqu'un de nouveau est un trauma pour lui. Il n'a jamais vécu dans une maison donc tous les sons de celle-ci l'effrayent ainsi que ceux de l'extérieur qu'il ne connaît pas, tels les voitures sur l'autoroute qui l'inquiètent grandement.

Ceci dit, c' est un amour et en seulement 48 heures,  il a trouvé les endroits dans la maison où il se sent en sûreté: à mes pieds quand je suis à l'ordinateur et à côté de mon lit!

J'ai trouvé sa photo sur le site Web de la SDA de Nice, qui se trouve à Tourettes-Levens. Un refuge  impressionnant, extrêmement propre où tous les chiens sont bien soignés par les gens charmants qui y travaillent et qui ont pleuré quand Ours est parti avec moi.

N'est pas il magnifique!

Give a dog a bone ... Ragnar

This adorable three month old bull terrier pup wasn't about to give up his bone and look at the camera.

He's called Ragnar (a Viking name) and lives in Menton.  Sadly he was born deaf but his owner is teaching him hand signals.