Bear comes from behind!

[intheflow]

More photos from Bear's Most Awesome Thanksgiving Evah! coming soon. :hi:

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Bear's a good dog...

...and I don't even like dogs. :)

[ConsAreLiars]

2. Well, if you're going to start a "my dog is an awesome dog" thread

Here's Lucy. Not mine exactly, but the sweetest and most charismatic animal I've ever known. A street foundling pitbull, she worked for a while as a therapy dog with mentally fucked up homeless people who had been moved into a transitional housing program. A few tried to kick her, she evaded the kicks, and many got real satisfaction from slipping her treats (she too). Some began talking to (and about) her, when they would not talk otherwise. One, at least, after Lucy (and her human) left, decided to make the necessary changes in her life in order to live independently in housing where she could have her own dog, because she wanted to be able to again have the kind of connectedness that Lucy had given her.

[JeffR]

4. Wow, the Discovery Channel should use this shot

nice. And a great story.

[intheflow]

5. Bear's credentials cannot compare.

Lucy is a dog par excellance! As s this photo.

However, I didn't say Bear was an awesome dog, but that he had an awesome Thanksgiving. (Not hard when it's only his second Thanksgiving.) So while he would proably totally suck as a service dog, he can run wicked fast, which is pretty awesome to behold. :hi:

[Cobalt Violet]

10. He looks like he's running really fast.

He's moving. What a bunch of fun photos to look at.

[ConsAreLiars]

12. All dogs just being their-natural-self dogs are awesome.

Bear's joy in running is apparent in those photos. Some German Gestalt psychologist (Kohler?) coined the term "Functionlust" or similar, to argue that simply doing the things one has the skill/talent to do is its own reward (as a counter to the behaviorist model of external rewards - the political implications of those two approaches are obvious). In the Lucy pic she is engaging in the instinctual behavior that wild dogs evolved as a means to catch voles and such, but not because she was hungry. It's just that the context inspired that activity, like throwing a stick initiates a retrieval, and doing the activity is enjoyable in it's own right.

That photo was the closest I've come to successfully panning the camera to capture action. (ASA 50 films under overcast conditions are not the best choice for action shots.) Here are a couple more from the same hike.

[intheflow]

13. Wow!

That second shot is REALLY stunning! What a beautiful place for a hike. And the stop-action of Lucy's leap is superb. Bear was doing that same vole-pouncing action on our hike, but I couldn't get a shot of it. He was in really high grass, so I couldn't read his body language to see shen he was going to jump. All of a sudden he'd just leap straight up above the grass, and then disappear again, too quickly for me to get the shot. So I resolved myself to a kind of Functionlust where my viewing Bear's instinctual behavior was enjoyed in its own right; my enjoyment did not have to be codified by my documentation of the event. Still... I sure would have loved to get a shot of it. :)

[ConsAreLiars]

17. Fortunately (for me as as photgrapher) Lucy

was in continuous flight for a long time. More time in the air than on the ground. Lots of chances (and misses). I do favor that second shot also, sort of "dog being dog in dog heaven." With a bit of "in my next life this would be nice" tinge to it.

[JeffR]

3. Great series!

I've been impatiently waiting for Bear shots!

[intheflow]

8. I was thinking of you as I posted this.

You've been "hounding" me for Bear shots. :rofl:

I have a few series from this outing and another romp at the same place a few days later. I would post them all, but I don't want to get the Photo Group rep as that woman who can't shut up about her kid. :)

[JeffR]

9. Good to have some canines representin'

what with all the cats around here.;-)

[TahitiNut]

6. I love Labs. (It's almost a sickness.)

I regard them as "perfect dogs" ... like my Bo ("LaMist Bojangles" - 1977-1989).

[superconnected]

7. I'm not a dog person but I'm enjoying the dogs on this thread!

Every one of them looks so happy, even Lucy.

[liberalEd]

11. Excellent series

And I'm glad I finally opened the thread. I thought it was a picture of a bear, not a really cool dog named Bear!

[intheflow]

14. You'll get to know Bear.

My favorite photography subject! I really enjoyed your dog shot post--was it last week? Must have been. I had limited access to email so only did a drive-by viewing, but your photography was great, but the dogs themselves totally rocked. :hi:

[Duppers]

15. I LOVE THIS THREAD!

Some great pics, great humans here!

:grouphug:

[CC]

16. They look like they are having

so much fun. Love the hunter safety orange bandannas too. Good idea during hunting season. Great shots. I wish I could let Zaiden run like that, but something small runs he is off to chase the prey. The prey doesn't survive it so have to keep him leashed.

[intheflow]

18. How does Zaiden live in a house full of ferrets?

If I was a dob, I'm sure nothing would say "prey" like a ferret running by me. But then, maybe not knowing the prey outdoors is a sort of Freaudian dog thing, like subconscience retribution or relase of suppressed frustration from living with them.
:shrug:

[CC]

19. Well first off, the dogs are

kept on the first floor, gives the cats and ferrets a safe and relaxing place on the second floor. Second, ferrets have no fear so don't run.:crazy: Third, no prey in the house and Zaiden has learned that much with a lot of working with him on it. He is good in the yard too, except the stupid groundhog that wouldn't leave him alone and I got so upset he was sorry about that one. He was so proud of himself when he dropped it on my feet. But in an open field or woods he ok for the first few small running things but just can't handle so many without chasing. There are squirrels, pheasant, wild turkeys, rabbits, snakes and once he went after a deer. And that is just around the yard/ neighborhood. The deer was the last straw. They would all be fine if they just wouldn't run.

Certain times of the day driving down the road is like weaving through orange cones only it is live animals running in front of your car.

Edited to add, he doesn't mind the leash, and gets so happy when he sees it come out because he knows it is time for a walk.