Dog Days of Summer

It's been hotter than the proverbial scorched bat from hell the last couple days.

My parents used to tell me not to trouble the animals in August. "Dog days," they called them, days when it was so hot and miserable that a dog just wanted to lie in the dirt in the shade and be left alone. But these two dogs have an air-conditioned house, so I didn't mind pestering them for a photoshoot.

Before swimming season is over, I want to get a picture of Sebastian in the pool. He swims like a chicken in an agitator-washer, splashing madly and getting nowhere, but unlike a chicken, he loves it. But it was actually too hot (106+ degrees) the last couple days to let the dogs expend that much energy. Sebastian splashes while he treads water and bites at the droplets in the air, but Howie swims with speed and determination -- to chase a tennis ball, and then run around the pool for victory laps afterwards. Too crazy, boys, you gotta wait until it's only 95 or so.

This young man is 10 months old now, and has a riveting stare. Sebastian has discovered that People DO things. Interesting things, like throw tennis balls or feed goodies, or go for walks, or tickle his puppy sides, or play bite-fight.

He chases swallows at the park as they swoop for insects (ignoring the gallumphing pup, of course) and feels compelled to try to herd Howie, who gets fed up and comes to sit by my heel.

When Sebastian gets excited, his ears mostly stand up straight -- kind of like you'd expect a drunken fruit bat to look. And if you return after a trip outside the house without him, or in the morning to greet you, he emits (involuntarily, it seems) a deep, loud "Bow-wooooooo-0h-oohhh!"

He's bigger than Howie now. You can really feel the substance of him if you push him. But his build is still puppyish, and when Howie gives him his morning beating, he can still knock Sebastian onto the floor, the better to pretend bite Seb's ears and throat and legs. However, Sebastian has all the energy of a puppy to bring to the tussle, so he wants to keep playing long after Howie has had enough. Again, Howie retreats to my heels, knowing I'll deal with it, and tell Sebastian to settle down and behave.


A veteran of many photos, Howie knows that I can give the order "OKAY!" and he will be released from holding still. In this shot, you can really tell he was begging me to be allowed to leave the side of that insolent pup and the face of the mysterious clicking machine.

While I write this, Howie is sprawled on my bed. He opens his eyes now and then to make sure I'm still here, then dozes off again.

And now and then, I turn from my desk to look at him, to make sure he's still there. Best dog I ever had.