The Essence of Tail Thumping

Here’s Eddie!!

Personable… silly, sad, wild, playful, tail thumping, jumping, anxious, hungry, tired, sleeping, …. What else can you say? Dogs have personalities that reveal so many attributes- they’re downright human!… Except, maybe, for the tail thumping part... maybe. Their ears perk up and flatten back, the eyes sparkle and plead for attention, they roll over and give you that touch me, rub me, scratch me look that is most impossible to ignore. They can’t wait to be fed- gobbling up their food in seconds flat and don’t even realize that they’re full as they wag their tails for more!

Walking these days is an act of pure humbleness… we know that they need a lot of exercise to stay fit and in shape, (don’t we all?), so we walk for several miles, we pick up their poop so as not to offend our neighbors, and we keep them leashed so that they stay out of gardens. Now, I don't mind the walking part - it's the poop handling part that has added a new dimension to a walk- but no one - I repeat, no one- enjoys stepping in poop... so well, there you have it.

I tried to capture the essence of man's best friend in my portrait of Eddie- an American Bulldog/Pit Bull for the Camano Animal Shelter Association's Annual Auction(http://www.camanoanimalshelter.org/), being held on Saturday October 6th. I give homage to Norman Rockwell for his charming portrayal of dogs in his Saturday Evening Post covers. And I hope that anyone who gets a chance to see it will remember that dogs- or any animals- that are treated with respect and love will truly return it ten-fold.