A while back I started a series of posts about learning the ropes of outdoor art and craft shows. I planned to, but never did the final post about my favorite part of the summer shows. One of my favorite things about the outdoor fairs of the summer was the good bois, that is, the dogs! What a comforting break, to catch a Great Dane walking by and get to pet him! The Labs and pitties are also sweet, but the Danes are my favorite!
One particularly memorable sweetheart was a chunky senior dog, who had already braved crossing a drawbridge (a little scary for me, let alone for a dog), and she struggled for a bit to brave the crowds (being an introvert, I totally understood). As dad wandered through, she found an open patch of grass between my booth and the next and she decided to just lay
down. It turns out she was tired, shy, and just plopped.... leaving her with back to the sidewalk and she refused to go any further. She rested a while, and then the lady in the booth next to me offered to dog-sit and let her dad walk through the fair. Christina (the dog) laid patiently the whole time, ignoring everyone other than a couple small dogs who stopped to visit her. She was happy to see her dad when he came back, but still didn’t really want to get up. So the neighbor and I sent him to bring his car closer so that with a little help, she was then ready to go back home to her 8 siblings. (Apparently, her Christina’s mom showed up under this guy’s porch and shared a litter with him, of which he couldn’t bear to give a single one of them away – a definite dog lover.)
Another pair of dogs I saw were beautiful but oh so intimidating, a pair of cane corsos! I asked and was allowed to pet the good girl as she went by. Although, the mom is a good mom – when a guy knelt down and asked to pet her, the mom barked, “STAND UP.” Then she explained, “Don’t kneel down. If you kneel she will think she should dominate you. Stand up to pet her.” Scared a little, the guy obeyed. All was well, the good girl got lots of pets that day. But some breeds you really do need to respect for their sheer power and protective instinct.
One of the best good bois I saw was a really cute poodley* mix (I am not well-versed in the small dogs). He was the happiest little guy, riding in his stroller, with his front feet on the lap bar, lifting his smiling face into the crowd. His tail was on cruise control at about 80 miles per hour, smiling at everyone and gladly accepting pats and kisses from any
direction. I think that what was so sweet about him was his joy in any little bit of attention or affection that he received. I was a little disappointed because he did not get nearly as many pats as he deserved. I’m not usually a poodle person, but this guy was an irresistible blessing.
So the pups of summer were really the best part of the summer learning experience. The only bad thing about the dogs at the outdoor events, (other than the little ones that kept peeing on the neighbor booth’s tablecloths) is that I didn’t get to pet them ALL (and if I wasn’t working I might have tried!) So many good bois and girls!