Faces of Dog

Bloodhounds on the Trail

This past Saturday I had another extraordinary exposure to the wonder of dogs. I observed and photographed a police Bloodhound training exercise northwest of Temecula.The dogs were seasoned working dogs, one each from the LAPD Bloodhound Unit (didn’t know they had one!), the Riverside County Sheriff’s unit, and the Salt Lake City PD.

In the first exercise the Bloodhound had to pick up a trail made by someone the day before and track down that person (now hiding in the pinewoods), after being given a sniff of an article with the “lost” person’s scent. In the second, the dog was taken to a vehicle on the side of a road, asked to smell the driver’s seat — which had been vacated minutes earlier — and then track down that person. I was allowed to trail behind to take photographs. “Trailing” is the operative word, since these dogs moved so fast I was practically running to keep up them. With astonishing precision the dogs zig-zagged through high grass, bushes, thickets, pine woods right to the end of the trail, where they proceeded to lunge at the discovered person planting them with wet slobbery kisses. The dogs move silently — baying is a Hollywood myth — noses to the ground, tails held in a high C. As a handler pointed out to me, the dogs’ tails lower and wag furiously as they believe they are close to their scent person, and they point their noses up into the air for the first time — trying to pinpoint the origin of the “cloud scent” surrounding the person for whom they are searching. You will see this in the photographs.

What work do these Bloodhounds do in real life? Representative is LAPD’s Sage  — the beautiful big red Bloodhound — who in 2009 undertook 60 missions searching for lost children, Alzheimer’s patients, criminal suspects.

Street Dogs

Actually, these are dogs who are companions to the homeless, living on the streets or in vehicles. All the dogs I have photographed seemed content and strongly bonded to their human companions. The humans appeared to care very much for their dogs; and I sensed that the dogs provided not just companionship, but an emotional grounding for people living on the edge.

Unfortunately, this is a series in progress, the numbers of homeless — certainly in Venice, where I live — grows daily.

One of the Greatest (dog) Shows on Earth

A dog lover’s treat: the finest specimens from over two hundred breeds on show at the by- invitation-only AKC/Eukanuba annual championship at Long Beach December 12th and 13th. A canine bonanza extravaganza. Showing were dozens of the more popular dogs —  Bassetts, Beagles, Australian Shepherds, Dobermans, American Staffordshire (pit bulls), Spaniels (twelve varieties), Retrievers (six varieties) — as well as exotic breeds such as the Black Russian Terrier (a giant dog whose only “quarry” would surely be the bad guys); Spinoni Italiani (large, elegant, casually soignee gun dogs); Swedish Vallhunds (an ancient herding breed who travelled with the Vikings — herding?); Tree Walking Coonhounds (graceful hunters definitely not trailer trash); the enormous lion-like Tibetan Mastiff (don’t even think apartment); and the amazing Xoloitzcuital (a Boxer size Mexican hairless). Entries included dogs from forty-three different counties and six continents. (Tip for Westminister watchers: Sadie, the gorgeous Scottie bitch who won Best in Show.)

As you can see from the images I chose as my favorites, there were three principal areas of interest for me: the grooming areas, filled with the appurtenances and sounds of dog beautification for human gratification; the spectator areas filled with dogs and owners off-duty; and the show rings, filled with a breathtaking demonstration of the variety of dogs.

Note the last image of GoGo, the number two Bull Terrier in the country, who had just won her second Eukanuba Best of breed (which could take her to the top).

A day at the races: Lure coursing at Prado Park

Lure coursing involves sight hounds competitively chasing an electronic lure (white plastic bags) around a gigantic field. The dogs compete by breed in trios: e.g three Salukis, three Whippets etc. They are judged on: following (no short cuts on the winding chase), agility (turning sharp corners), speed, endurance, and enthusiasm. I think every dog scored 100% in the last category. These dogs howled and strained to be let loose for the chase. I have grouped the dogs in the order of their competing: Whippets (Whippets rule lure coursing — the fastest and the most entries), Salukis, Basenjis, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Irish Wolfhounds, Russian Wolfhounds (Borzois), Ibizan Hounds, and Pharoah Hounds. (Alas, no Afghans or Greyhounds at this trial.

Of particular note is the Saluki, Reya (a lure coursing queen), who is a rescued dog now a champion. She is the black and white Saluki.

Also, see the high speed collision between two Pharoah Hounds pink and turquoise vests) and their immediate rebound. Note that the Pharoah Hounds run with mouths wide open because they bark all the way through the course — the only sight hounds to do so.

Athletic Dogs

At Agility Trials in Van Nuys over a hundred dogs joyfully, gleefully leaped over hurdles, tunnelled through tubes, balanced on teeter totters, jumped through hoops, weaved through poles, negotiated a-frames. Flights (!) were organized by weight and skill level. But it was abundantly clear, every dog had a great time. If there was any stress, it was the handlers who felt it, having to guide the dog at a fast pace around a complex course. Breeds varied from featherweight Chinese Crested to Labs and Goldens, King Charles Spaniels to Bearded Collies. Lots of Aussies and Border Collies, who excel at canine athletics.

The last image is of Lucy, who gained her Championship in Agility, after being rescued from a pound and serving as a service dog.

Herding at Bel Canto

Following Saturday’s Cattle, Sheep, and Duck Herding at Pomona, I headed north on Sunday to the Bel Canto Ranch on the high desert near Lancaster. Here premium dogs showed their stuff, including renowned Border Collies, Nell and Lass, handled by Robin Elliot, herself an internationally famous breeder, trainer, handler of Border Collies (she’s the herder in the plum blouse). Dogs moving the sheep including Belgian Sheep Dogs, Tervurens, and Corgis. I was captivated by the Corgis — who, although outclassed by the Border Collies — valiantly went after the sheep. Elliot, the black and white Cardigan Corgi, was a delight to watch.

Images 9 through 11 show the intrepid Lass at work. The last five images feature the incredible Nell, working soon after giving birth to a litter of puppies.

Herding (Cattle, Sheep, and Ducks)

This gallery has photographs taken on Saturday at the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) herding trials in Pomona. Open to all herding breeds, the dogs must herd cattle, sheep, and ducks. For each species the dog must herd the animals out of a small holding pen, through “gates,” through a narrow passage, and into an enclosed pen. The very large Black Angus cattle pose a robust challenge through their feistiness and size. The sheep, elegant, goatlike Barbadans, challenge with their skittishness and speed; the ducks, because they obviously believe the dog wants to hunt, not herd them, require the dog to move with patience, subtlety.

One of the most charming aspects of herding trials is the intense interest the dogs take in watching the dog in the arena — sometimes a counterpoint to their owners.