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August 2009
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I don't know how your Christmas turned out, but mine was awesome. We ate too much and did a whole lot of sitting around with family and just generally had a nice, easy-going Christmas. And it snowed, which made all that Snowpocalypse worth it for me. I can't remember having a white Christmas, ever. The snow was great. It lasted forever (by Portland standards), and one of those days while I was washing the dishes I could see out of the window the neighbor boy behind us-- eyeballing the vast expanse of snow that was our backyard. It looked like he was possibly trying to reach over the fence for something. Our new puppy Harley just sort of watched him indifferently. Well, I think I have a clear idea of what may have happened now. The husband called me a little bit ago to tell me that he heard a knock on our back door. It was the neighbor behind us who wanted us to know there was "a very large, mean-looking pit bull" in her backyard. The husband told her that didn't sound like our dog, who is only 45 pounds and a shar pei mix.. so, he asked her if the dog was brown-ish and cute to which she said, "NO. This dog looks mean and is NOT cute." The husband hollered for Harley, figuring she was behind the garage or in these huge bushes she likes to patrol. She's an indoor dog who would really rather be left outside, but I'm just not having it. So, until we get a dog door installed, she goes out for half-hour stretches where she can scout for squirrels. Only, when the husband called for Harley-- she came sprinting up to him and the neighbor said, "That's the dog!" Poor Harley. No one thinks she's cute but us, I guess. You do recall that she sat in the Oregon Humane Society for 6 weeks. I suspect that's because because she does have a certain intensity to her gaze-- which is actually nothing like her true goofball personality. Here's a pic of that "stare" that she gives: Well, everyone got to meet each other and it turns out we have a gate we didn't know existed between our yard and that neighbor's place. We have a big backyard that's fully fenced-- but this gate was a surprise to all of us. It's stuck in between some bushes behind our shed. I suspect that boy I spotted might have been goofing off and unlatched it during the snow storm but no one noticed it was open until it all melted, including the dog. The husband has now wired it permanently shut. And I'm just glad the neighbor's backyard was fenced, too. But I still can't help but to smile.. poor, poor Harley. The most-affectionate, wrumply mutt I've ever had just can't get past her tough-looking exterior. 14 CommentsLeave a comment |
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Go see "Marley and Me". You'll love it.Take the hubby :)
I think she's adorable.
I thought Shar-pei was a little dog that does the eyebrow thing on the commercials?? harley looks like a pitbull mix. She is cute but I think I would be scared too if I saw her in my back yard.
Wait, Debi.. why would you be scared of a dog you think is cute?
It's totally okay to think she's mean-looking. I even said that was why I think no one adopted her from the Oregon Humane Society for so long. But mean-looking and mean are two very different things. And is not mean, at all.
Not sure which commercial you mean, but she is definitely a shar pei. There are a few traits that make for a tell-tale shar pei: blue tongue (also in chows), fatty muzzle and those wrinkles. She has those boxes checked. She's not a pure-breed. She has a silky coat that isn't greasy, she's brindle (which shar pei's can be, but it's uncommon and considered a defect) and her back legs are muscly.. more so than the typical conformation I'm used to seeing in purebreed shar peis.
That said, if you know your breeds AND you saw her in person (as opposed to a cell phone photo)-- you'd guess shar pei. I still think she's cute, but-- like I said in that blog from a few weeks ago-- she just looks... intense. As part of her PR campaign she needs to wear her pink collar or a bandana. She was wearing her tough-looking black one at the time, which has since been boxed.
PS. She is not a fan of that gate being closed. The husband is worried the neighbor kid will undo the wire so he going back out there to re-secure it again today. Wish us luck.
:)
Noooooooooo! No bandana! And definately no pink! How's about a nice soothing light blue or a green collar.
She is adorable. Our lab Oliver has that same intense stare. He's very playful and gives that intense star when he wants to romp a little. Does Harley like to play?
It is amazing how different the same dog can look so different in separate photographs. When you post of your dog wearing the coat outside she didn't look the least bit threatening.
Happy New Year.
Stephanie you got a nice looking dog. You have a great tv personality and I cannot imagine you having a mean dog!
Stephanie I think you have a cool looking dog. You have a great personality on tv so I cannot imagine you having a mean dog!
Steph,
problem solved...it's the photographer's fault that Harley looks "mean" in the cell phone pic. LOL.
I don't think he looks mean in the pic though. Looks like he has his "WTH" (what-the-hell?) face on in the pic you posted.
Good Luck Harley
I think she's cute. Not at cute as my own second hand dog (adopted 12 years ago from a shelter) but cute all the same.
I think she's cute. Not as cute as my own second hand dog (adopted 12 years ago from a shelter) but cute all the same.
You're the second person to give me a GREAT way to refer to my Harley.. the first blog commenter called her "wrumply" which I now say a lot.. and you called your 12 year old puppy "second-hand' which I LOVE!!!
Steph:
Harley doesn't look mean in that picture - she looks like she wants something that you have, out of sight; like, food! Our Min-Pin, Boomer (who no one EVER accused of being mean) uses that same exact look if we're eating and not sharing with him. Oh, and congrats again on the impending wee'un. I have two daughters (they're about your age) and they've been way more fun than pain!
Hi,
I have a dog who is a Black Lab/Sharpei mix (at least, I'm almost sure!) Zoe has a completely purple/black tongue, a curved tail, and excess skin on her neck--all characteristics of a Sharpei. She's also a great guard dog. Zoe, and also your dog, Harley, both have the little ears that fold over, which is definitely Sharpei. So I think you're correct that Harley has Sharpei in her. I think Harley is cute, and I would not be afraid of her if I saw her!! (But I'm rarely afraid of big dogs; I go up to any strays to try to get them back to their home.) Dogs can now have their DNA tested for around $100, and it will tell what percentages of what breeds they are! Really neat. I haven't done it with any of my dogs because they're all kind of older, but I will do it with future dogs.