Plano Profile March 2010 : Page 50
Doggone—you did it again! And we’re glad you did. You impressed all of us here at Plano Profile with your adorable dog photos. With multiple dogs in some photos, we received a total of 253 entries, and every one of them elicited ooohs and aaahs from our staff. Dogs are called man’s best friend for a reason. They’re fun and playful, personable and non- judgmental, smart and protective, and well, they’ve got it pretty easy. (We assume you spoil your pups as much as we spoil ours.) Selecting only six finalists was a challenge but these top dogs’ charming characteristics and expressions melted our hearts. We hope you smile, like we did, as you read about our winners. Thank rooo for participating in our 2010 Cutest Canine Cover Contest! e—you did it again! And we’re glad you did. You impressed all of us here at Plano Profile with your adorable dog photos. With multiple dogs in some photos, we received a total of 253 entries, and every one of them elicited ooohs and aaahs from our staff. Dogs are called man’s best friend for a reason. They’re fun and playful, personable and non- judgmental, smart and protective, and well, they’ve got it pretty easy. (We assume you spoil your pups as much as we spoil ours.) Selecting only six finalists was a challenge but these top dogs’ charming characteristics and expressions melted our hearts. We hope you smile, like we did, as you read about our winners. Thank rooo for participating in our 2010 Cutest Canine Cover Contest! CUTEST CUTEST CANINE PLANO PROFILE’S COVER CONTEST \UE
Cutest Canine Cover Contest
Brit Mott And Cindy Boykin
Oh buddy, is our cover dog a cutie or what? Buddy here is Texas’ finest: The Blue Lacy is the official state dog breed of Texas and the only dog breed that has originated in Texas.
Recognized in 2001 by the Texas Senate as a “true Texas breed,” the Lacy was developed in the Texas Hill Country by the four Lacy brothers—Frank, George, Ewin, and Harry—who emigrated from Kentucky to Burnet County in 1858. Family history holds that this breed is a cross of the greyhound/ scent hound and coyote.
Like Buddy, a Lacy’s eyes are sharp and alert, but it is their shiny smooth coat that is most eyecatching.
Buddy’s gun-metal gray coat is striking and certainly cover-worthy.
Because Lacys are born to be both hunting and herding dogs, they are intense and intelligent.
Owner Kyle Probst is a bowhunter and plans to use Buddy as a blood-tracking dog on his hunting trips in West Texas. Together, Kyle and Buddy will hunt deer, hog, turkey, dove…“all of it,” said Kyle.
Kyle described Buddy as having “high energy” and displaying great drive, which makes him an ideal pet for a hunter. At 12 weeks old, Buddy is almost 20 pounds and will grow to be 45 pounds—45 pounds of adorable.
By the way, March is Texas History Month, so how appropriate to have a beautiful Texas-bred Blue Lacy grace our cover!
BJ BJ, which stands for “Baylor Junior,” is a 6-year-old Australian Cattle Dog who boasts two championship titles: the AKCMACh (American Kennel Club– Master Agility Champion) and the USDAA-ADCh (United States Dog Agility Association–Agility Dog Champion).
BJ is a rescue dog that owner Edie Atwel found through petfinder.com. At only 10 weeks old, he was enrolled in obedience school where he mastered agility, and ever since has been actively competing.
Edie and BJ hope to win titles from the NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council) and the ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America).
“Agility creates a strong bond between the dog and owner,” said Edie, explaining that in competition, the handler directs the dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy, and the handler is not allowed to use treats or toys as incentives.
Edie also has another rescue cattle dog named Dessa, and BJ’s ears perk up when Edie asks, “Where’s Dessa?” Ears lookin’ at you, BJ!
How can you go wrong with a handsome Bichon Frise whose registered name is Ch. Spellbound’s PawMark Autograph?
Owner Barbara Barton explains that Spellbound is her kennel name and Autograph comes from her favorite song from a John Denver album. Looks like we’ve figured out where “Johnny” comes from.
Johnny caught our attention with his dark round eyes and cheerful expression. He has earned five championship titles, including an AKC title and an international title that he won when he was only 6 months old.
Johnny’s retired now and enjoys relaxing in his owner’s lap, which is fitting because Bichon Frise is French for “curly lap dog.” When Johnny crawled up onto Barbara’s lap for their Plano Profile photo shoot, Barbara said, “There’s your comfort zone.” Bichons are popular in our area because they are bred to be hypoallergenic. Plus, the frequent grooming required to keep their coat snowy white controls allergens. Barbara has 27 years’ experience grooming dogs, so she knows how to keep Johnny looking his best.
Barbara has lived in Plano since 1974 and sold real-estate for 16 years before she “went to the dogs.” She owns four Bichons, and we can see why.
Gentle-mannered and affectionate, Johnny is a nice representative of the breed.Double coat, and his distinctive white marking on his nose. Look deeper though, into those soulful eyes, and you’ll fall in love, too When owner Scarlette Dale saw Jasper, she fell in love. She made her fiancé Shawn drive from Royse City to Plano to acquire the funds to buy him. They got Jasper on the Fourth of July almost two years ago, and not once have they regretted their decision.
Shelties are outstanding companion dogs. Scarlette describes Jasper as “loyal” and “super friendly.” When she and Shawn brought him home, instantly, Jasper and his new sister, Casey (who also entered our contest), were taking naps together.
When Jasper’s not hanging out with his friends at Doggie Zen Den in Plano, he loves playing with his soccer ball.
Right away, we noticed Jasper’s sable and white, thick Owner: Pam and Mika Abdalla Zeke was an immediate favorite among staff when owner Pam Abdalla submitted a picture of him peeking over the couch with his flopped-over ears and mischievous eyes. It’s no wonder too! Zeke’s white “socks” and white markings on his shiny coat are called “flash.” So, at 5 months old, Zeke is our “flashy” star.
According to Pam’s daughter, 9-year-old Mika, Zeke “bounces instead of runs.” He likes to play chase and taunt his pink pig, too.
Zeke was adopted from Legacy Boxer Rescue and he is Mika’s one and only. Mika shared that she wanted a dog To go swimming with and that her parents intentionally got her a king-size bed so that Zeke can sleep with her.
We also learned that Mika wanted a boxer because her agent had a boxer that was “awesome.” Yes, Mika has an agent because she is an actress and model. Lucky for us, we got two stars out of this deal! Barkley certainly knows how to impress a roomful of strangers. At only 1-and-a-half years old, this Australian Shepherd/ Cavalier King Charles mix happily performs tricks like “Rollover”; “High-Five”; “Bang!” where he plays dead; and “Sneak,” where he crawls real low. Balance a treat on Barkley’s nose and at his owner’s command, it’s gone in a snap. “His bark is much worse than his bite,” owner Kerry Burt assures.
We can’t imagine Barkley even having a “bite,” but Australian Shepherds are known to be protective and good guard dogs.
King Charles Cavaliers are extremely patient and eager to please. So, Barkley (and his owner) have the best of both worlds.
Kerry and his wife Blythe have lived in Plano for 10 years. They also own a cat, and Kerry said that the cat and Barkley get along just fine…as long as Barkley does what she wants. Oh, if only Barkley could learn how to make cats disappear
How can anyone say no to this charmer? Susan Shannon said she and her mom rescued Danica from the pound when she was 3 months old.
“She was a bundle of fun then, and has grown into the smartest, most loyal dog anyone could ever wish for! She loves life and wants to go everywhere with me…and usually does!” What more could Danica ask for? Is this a painting or a photograph?
Owner Tamara Starkey assures us it is a photograph of her reluctant subject, Jetter. “He was a little shy at first, but he is pretty laid-back; once he sat down I could shoot all I wanted.” Tamara is apparently becoming a master-photographer Labrador Retriever Apparently Bella does not adhere to a strict AKC-approved diet. In fact, owner Kimberly Everett said Bella enjoys raw veggies as much as meat or dog food.
She even picks red and yellow peppers right off the plant. Says Kimberly, “This photo represents her goofy, tryanything- at-least-once disposition!” “CHEESE!” Or more accurately, “Peanut Butter!” According to owner Debi Alston, Scooter has a great personality and is very funny. “He loves to chase bunnies and squirrels, and loves anything that squeaks. He’s my cuddle buddy!” Scooter does seem to have a good sense of humor. He certainly made us smile. [ Westie If there is a mystery to be solved, Chardonnay will get to the bottom of it.
“Ah-hah! The case of the missing tennis ball is solved.” Owner Cindy Robinson said Chardonnay loves chasing tennis balls into the leaves and then being covered up. Underneath it all, she is just a bundle of joy. Chihuahua “All clear! No pesky squirrels in here!” Actually, Colby is not as interested in catching a squirrel as he is catching his big break into the modeling world.
Owner May Vongchanh has been preparing Colby for this work since he was a few months old. He has modeled for Juicy Couture, Foxy Paws, and the charity event Four-Legged Fashion. Shih Tzu Koko defies anyone to challenge his love for a cat! Owner Mary Johnson said Koko would groom Xena then cuddle with her in front of the fireplace.
Unfortunately, Xena recently passed away, but sister Sheeba has befriended him. Koko has found that purr-fect love. Great Pyrenees Summering on the eastern coast of Canada’s Georgian Bay, this mother and daughter trio enjoy barking at bears and sunning themselves.
Owner Susan Spaethe jokes, “They lazily sit around looking like channel markers—those white stones painted as pillars to assist boaters navigate through channels.” These girls are rather statuesque.
Publication List
