Do you like this story?
Gratuitous puppy blogging: beach day edition
By Kim Campbell Thornton
January 26, 2009
We took Harper to Laguna Beach again yesterday. She watched me carefully and didn’t even try to run up to or in front of other people. No clicker necessary. There’s still interest in checking out other dogs, but she returns immediately to me when I call her. Good girl!
At lunch (Pomodoro again), the people at the table next to us were speculating about what kind of dog she was. A King James, the man pronounced authoritatively. The woman across from him was astonished.
“There’s a breed with King in the name?!”
At that point I broke in with a smile.
“It’s King Charles. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.”
The other woman turned to the man. “A lot you know.”
I laughed. “Oh, they get called everything. King Albert, Saint James…”
On the way back, Harper and I ignored Jerry’s objections that she would get dirty and went down to the beach. I took off the leash, but she stayed right by my side. Good girl! When we got far enough away, I turned around and Jerry called her. We played a few rounds of “send the puppy back and forth,” then headed home. I’m so glad Bella has never told her about the joys of chasing seagulls right into the waves…
Share & Enjoy
|
Facebook
|
Twitter
|
Google Buzz
|
Digg
|
|
Technorati
|
StumbleUpon
|
Delicious
|
Email
|
Home
Thank you, thank you!
First, for making me smile thinking of dogs on the beach.
Second, because I was sitting here with “I’m too tired to think of anything to write” because I couldn’t sleep for some reason last night.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — January 26, 2009 @ 9:22 am
Oh, and you sure hear some funny things with regards to breed names. Especially when you start with a funny breed name.
“Flat-coated retriever” refers to the kind of coat (straight, as opposed to curly). But I hear:
Flat-footed
Flat-headed
Flat-backed
Fat-coated
and more …
Comment by Gina Spadafori — January 26, 2009 @ 9:39 am
I too, have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Also referred to on the street as:
Cocker Spaniel
King Charles Cavalier Spaniel
Cavalier King Spaniel
Prince Charles Spaniel
St. Charles Spaniel
King James Spaniel
Toy Spaniel
English Spaniel
English Cavalier Spaniel
King Springer Spaniel
My guy is a black and tan - so I also get:
Baby Rottweiler
Dachshund
Finally, the ‘What Kind of Dog is That’ daily dialogue….
Stranger: “What kind of dog is that?”
Me: “A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel”
Stranger: “A WHAT?”
Me: “Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.”
Stranger: “I have never heard of that, are you sure he isn’t a mutt?”
Me: “Absolutely certain. Its quite a popular breed!”
Stranger: “Hmph, well with a name like that….”
Comment by Hilary — January 26, 2009 @ 9:56 am
I’ve SEEN some fat-coated retrievers, though, generally of the Labrador variety. That’s for sure. I’m not sure what it is about Labs that make people over feed them.
Comment by Lori — January 26, 2009 @ 9:58 am
LOL! Love the fat-coated retriever. My girls have been called all those variations of Cavalier names. At one point, I used to just tell people that they were a type of toy spaniel. And I was once asked if Bella was a Pekingese mix. When I explained that she was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, I was given a pitying look, as if I were making up a fancy name for my mutt.
Comment by Kim Thornton — January 26, 2009 @ 10:23 am