1395-1455. Extraordinary Pisanello, among the most distinguished of the Italian renaissance painters. Employed by courtly families, The Vatican & royalty, he is of course known for his paintings & medals (an artform he invented). His sketches though are really quite otherworldly. I find them owning an aethyreal & translucent light. Agleam with emotional acuity, he accomplishes far more with far less. His sketches are luminous, kinetic & vivid with anatomic accuracy which is at once finite & alive. His dogs seem as if they might nuzzle the viewer's hand or leap after a rabbit at any moment!

He clearly understood the human need for dogs & the cardinal balance their mere presence conveys within the context of our lives. The elusive grey area between two polarities-that of domestic restraint & that of the wild. They are creatures of duality, dogs.
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Visit Pisanello's work at the National Gallery of Art by clicking here...
​Visit his work at the Louvre by clicking here...

Collars. They're really quite a societal barometer are they not? Today, we have patterns, charms, lights & other accessories...but, these 18th-early 20th century beauties are soooo cool. 
Prongs, studs, spikes and metal overlay for defense against bites...width for neck protection, secure attachments for tethering. Visit the Leeds Castle Dog Collar Museum by clicking here...or sniff out the museum video I have on my site!

It of course, is a daily reality. Humans have fragile, transient lives, relationships, health, finances, etc.. In the midst of such things, dogs often need a new situation (permanent &/or otherwise). I have always felt it imperative to help a dog-in-need out. Particularly the large LGDs...they're my special interest & they are often in need of such a specialised containment system & management that they fall prey to disaster quite easily.

Here are some of the legal/moral realities of private assistance...
If there is a registration document associated with the dog, it must be signed, dated & handed over to the assisting party at time of transfer. This gives he/she/them/they the authority to make decisions on behalf of the dog. It holds-harmless the former "owner" & transfers responsibility to the new people involved...as such, they are responsible for the care, custody & control of Fifi. The title of Fifi is key...as it allows them to decide for the dog, on behalf of the dog, potential new homes/owners/situations. Without the title, the dog & the well-intended caretaker sit in purgatory-on-earth. Accordingly, without the title, the new caretaker is responsible for maintaining the dog & caring for the dog in a manner consistent with the caretaker's other dog/s. However, they cannot legally place the dog anywhere , because they do not legally own the dog & therefore lack the authority of transfer.

If the dog has no registration papers, then the dog should be scanned with a universal scanner for a microchip &/or assessed for a tattoo (usually on inner ear or inner thigh). In this manner, a bill-of-transfer can be written relating to the dog & identifying the dog by means of her microchip or tattoo. Again, this sets the precedent of ownership & responsibility relating to the dog & as such, protects both the former dog-parent & the new dog-parent from surprise liens, vet bills, lawsuits, infamy etc..

In the event the dog has no registration & no ID, a foto will suffice (along with a transfer statement signed/dated by former owner directly to new caretaker). Copies to be retained by both parties.

In worst-case scenarios, the new caretaker has an onslaught of new challenges during week 1, these include: a massive dog needing grooming; flea & other parasite problems; the psychological damages of change which affect sensitive LGDs; aggression issues; training needs; & dietetic disturbance issues. These are all little issues & medium-sized issues that can alchemise into leviathonesque mega-issues.

In best-case scenarios the former owner/s of the dog-in-need have greatly assisted me by doing the following:

1) They bathed and flea treated the dog 24 hours prior to bringing her to me.
2) They brought me a supply of her food, so that I could slowly transfer her to my feeding program.
3) They provided me with a fully executed registration document or a statement from their veterinarian regarding a microchip/tattoo assessment. Consequently, they wrote me a bill of transfer relating to said dog.
4) They delivered their dog with her collar & leash...a collar & leash she is familiar with. She will use this as a beacon of comfort & "self" in the ensuing days.
5) They will promptly answer their phone &/or reply to any texts I may send regarding their dog as she settles in with me.

All of the above allows me to swiftly get health-testing done & associate it with the registration number of the dog (or the microchip or tattoo) & additionally, I'll layer careful management on, so that an idyll can be found under which the dog will flourish. This realm of logic has not failed me yet...yet, I am never surprised at the expectations which prevail when a good deed goes done!

Gorgeous, living antiquity...OEW & the sub-strains...these are not at all the illicitly-bred mongrels you see on the news savagely attacking humans & animals alike; the hipster accessory;...no...these are an impeccably-bred, intensely-protected race of exceeding rarity. With roots going back to earliest recorded history here...I hope you'll visit the preservation society (link above) & enjoy the countless hours one can invest there.

Click right here to visit the Wyeth Family at Brandywine museum.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT ARTCYCLOPEDIA....& enjoy the thrill of seeing more dreamy work by the master.

I love this Spitz/Laika breed. Classic Bering-Strait features of curled tail, prick ears & profuse coat adorn this incredibly kind breed. I thought you'd love this antique footage. Note the breadth of muzzle...

1864-1943
Born in London to a family of lauded painters...she certainly established her own persona. Firstly, she shirked Victorian mores & enjoyed a profoundly successful career. Secondly, she mastered her art. Thirdly, she received her status at a time when there were countless, storied sporting painters.
In terms of expression & character...her work is peerless. She obviously knew dogs & was not merely painting a thing. The result is that she in fact, captured the soul of her subjects...however briefly! By 1916, she had emigrated to New York, where she enjoyed well-deserved renown. She passed away in 1943 & is buried at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, NY.
I'm thrilled to say that I have a signed Whippet lithograph of hers...

He has the characteristics of the Bering Strait dogs( erect ears/curled tail/pointed muzzle-a Spitz)......& isn't he grand? What say you? Send me a message with your valuable input.