Here’s another item on it Golden retrievers gather in Scottish highlands
I’ve often wondered how dogs recognise other dogs of the same breed. For instance, our little caniche is always super enthusiastic if she meets another, large or small, or even a labradoodle. OTOH our previous pooch, a white pedigree Maltese from Pretoria would be friendly with other white dogs of any size or breed. I guess you can take the dog out of Pretoria, but. …
Wonderful video from The Post. I just love all those wagging tails in Scotland!
16 years ago today our lovely Greyhound, Lira, died in my arms. We were holidaying in the Vendee and I drove overnight to bury her in the garden before driving back to join the family.
This is a photo of her and our other 2 taken at an earlier holiday in the Vendee that year, in June 2007
From left to right. Match the Breton Spaniel (Fran’s favourite, she has never felt that way about any dog since), Lurch the Greyhound/Saluki X Lurcher (described as ‘a perfect gentleman’ by all who knew him when he died), and Lira (dominant but gentle with it, all done with the eyes).
All sadly missed and all together in 3 in line graves in the garden. 
This was my lovely gentle Rottweiler, Boss, the day I collected him from the refuge near Paris and brought him home to live with us, 5 years ago today.
Already 11 years old, and after a terrible past for which he totally forgave the human race, he had nearly 2 years more to catch up on a comfy, happy home life before he left us.
What a glorious smile. That’s a dog that knows he’s finally fallen on his feet. 
That’s what I fell in love with, at first sight. I went to see him at the refuge and they brought him to me. I dropped to my knees to be on his level arms apart, couldn’t resist, and he rewarded me by coming straight into them with his head on my shoulder pressed to my cheek.
We had a night out at L’Escale, the large routier with acres of room near Chateauroux. We had a long walk on the open space and he readily climbed back into the cage when I asked him to. Back at home he was gentle in meeting our rather haughty female Setter, Tosca, and all was well
But the hoops we both had to jump through to get all the legal certificates and other requirements were daunting and plainly stupid. If ever there was a case of getting rid of dangerous dog lables based purely on breed this 48 kilos of muscle was the finest example.
Less than one and half years later he left us, calmly and without fuss. 
In March 2015 I brought a Dobermann boy from Versailles to a foster family in Perigueux.
Only one month later he was adopted and I took him to his new owners in St. Chamond, near Lyons.
He was a full grown Dobie but smaller than normal, so was called Little Man, his new owners though changed that swiftly to Tao.
Sometime later a Dalmation puppy was added to the family and the two became best friends immediately. We have had several photos over the years but this one is the most charming I think, showing their separate developement and enduring friendship.
I have 2 special reasons to remember him. On handing him over at Perigueux I took several photos with my brand new tablette. Only problem was they were all selfies, I had it on the wrong setting.
After leaving St. Chamond and heading east for another collection the following morning, my gear linkage fell apart and I caused a partial closure of the autoroute for several hours. 
Sweet good helpful Bull Terrier 
Back on the road tomorrow, Ultra is a 9 month old German Shepherd and I have to collect him from his breeder (don’t really approve of puppies from a breeder without sight of it and the mother but I had agreed before knowing the full facts) near Niort and take him to a rdv with his new owner (who is driving from north of Lyon) at Limoges.
6 hour round trip for me and everybody who needs to know regarding Fran is organised, including Christine who is covering for several hours in between.
Anyway here is the lad himself, must say that, as I am unaccostomed to puppies, I expected something a little bit smaller.
Our Airedales were full size in terms of build (but not yet weight) by 9 months but still very puppyish. 9 month-old large dogs are joyous but quite a handful unless very well trained. Ours weren’t. You don’t train terriers. They train you!
Beautuful GSD! My favourites
Obviously the favourite of the adopter too, to whom I delivered their first Ally back in 2012 and who died this summer.
Sorry no more photos of Ultra , who is a girl btw 
, because the schedule was too tight and she did not take well to Jules’ attempt to be friendly. I think she was frightened of him, it sometimes happens because he tends to rush at potential playmates while howling.
Any way she had at least one saving grace, she shut him up for the whole of their journey together. He is normally very vocal in the car, wants to be friends with everyone he sees outside the car, but after her rebuff he settled down quietly while she shouted at him from time time just for being there. 
Came across this old post but wanted to share a photo of my babies, both no longer with me.
Both rescued.
Oona the frightened of everything lurcher died May 2012 and Pepe the boss of everything died Aug 2019 …They both shared a great - free - life - in France and are still very much missed.
Oh my goodness, I thought for a moment that you had picked up an old post of mine, till I saw the cat. Your Oona is a precise copy of my Greyhound, Lira, even down to the colour of her Levrier collar. (still keep it, in case another Levrier wanders into my life 
)
Wow, they could have been twins…lol
Yes I also still have her collar too.
I think if he hadn’t been in the same household, she would have eaten him alive, but they were best buddies and groomed each other regularly. Although she acted aloof and never let us see her doing any grooming. hahaha… Pepe I’m sure was showing off just how long his legs were in that photo of them together, he acted more like a dog, although was an indoor cat, they even went for a pee at the same time. He would come sit obediently to get a treat too, both, side by side. It was comical - great memories.
Animals are just amazing and I intend on having more when my situation changes…“Happy Days”…
This is Drako (on the right), surprisingly in view of what some lousy sod did to him in his native Greece, he has been adopted by someone I know in Caen. He is only a year old and does not have a good attitude to other males, so Jules will be staying the day with Sharon where I will collect him on Friday morning.
Still it will give us an opportunity to see how Urika, a female Dobie/Beaucie X like Jules, gets on with him during the day, and also perhaps with Shanna who I mentioned to @blade46 a while ago.
This is Urika:
I can only take Drako as far as Poitiers, I have asked the aides soignante to make their visit to Fran as late as possible in the morning so that she will be alone no more than 2 hours till I get home again at 12.30. They might let me know by text when they leave so that I can delay my return a bit to save the urgency of re-collecting Jules. And perhaps a friend. 
Only half joking. 
Last year as a bit of fun, entered a photo of GIgi, our French miniature poodle (and descendent of several national champions) for a dog photo contest in a red neck southern states gardening and hunting(!?) magazine’s annual dog photo contest. Wasn’t wholly surprised when she didn’t get the most votes, but have just received a link to this year’s winners and thought I’d pass it on to SFers
