Chiens de la Rues a Paris ( Street Dogs of Paris )

True French Companionship

Some dear friends of mine of the West Village took a recent trip to Paris, France. They took in the sights, ate and drank all that Paris had to offer. Among their daily excursions through the streets of Paris, they came across the darker side of this "City of Lights". From pictures I received, it was not any different then the streets of New York City we see each and every day.

Friends, Michael & Elizabeth Corday too, had loving dogs, that they cherished, took great care of, and pampered to the ends of the earth. Knowing that I am caring for my now nine month old Boxer Maisy, they took pictures of urban dwellers and their canine family members. The Parisians shared their lives with their dogs, probably because it was the only family members they had left. All over Paris, it was a heartache to see these loveable dogs in such squaller, asking for Euros, so they can get a bite to eat.

An Excerpt from Elizabeth Corday: " Interestingly, the dogs were blissed out. They got to live out their dreams of being held by their owners for a good part of the day. They were all fed. So who knows ? They also offered their owners companionship in what could be a dismal experience ".

From a store in Paris.

No different then what you see in NYC.

Not sure if these puppies were for sale, but as you can see, they are not pure-breds. So Sad.

A woman holding her dog along the banks of the Seine river in Paris. She too looking for a hand out.

It just goes to show, that all around the world, dogs and people alike need companionship. However, this is also how dogs become strays and the pet population explodes with new unidentifianble breeds.

Au Revoir!

Dogs of The Week ~ The Twin Ibizan Hounds ~ Deimos & Phobos

Dogs of The Week - Meet Deimos & Phobos

Several weeks ago, while my puppy Maisy and I visited the Main St. Dog Run, we came across these gorgeous dogs who are twin brothers.  I have never seen this breed before in my entire existence on this earth. You will be astounded by their good looks and boyish charm. You could say that Deimos & Phobos are identical twins, though their personalities differ somewhat, as you will learn later on at the bottom of their pictures. Danny, the twins owner was kind enough to share the twins photos and their upbringing in all their splendid glory.

So, without further a do, may I present Deimos & Phobos

The twins at 8 weeks old, just hanging out, getting used to their new home. These guys can't stand be apart from each other.

Deimos had fallen asleep before he was about to go for a walk. Puppies lives are tough!

Phobos at 4 month asleep in the "cockroach" position.

These guys had their ears down as puppies, but slowly, the cartlidge firms up and their ears

stand up on their own.

Stretching before we go for a run? I have no idea why they are posing so well in this photo.

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I can't walk from D.U.M.B.O. to Hillside Park without beng asked 10 times about Phobos & Deimos, my two Ibizan Hounds. These two brothers named for the moons of Mars, joined our family in early 2010, eight weeks after they were born in Delaware. Their breed is historically from the island of Ibiza in Spain, and not very common in the United States. They are SightHounds, so they are related to the Greyhounds, Whippits, Pharoah Hounds, Borzois, etc... They can run pretty fast, but they are bred to jump extremely high. They can often be seen racing around and jumping over picnic tables at The Hillside Park, situated between Brooklyn Heights and D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn.

Having the two of them as puppies was a complete nightmare. Although we were warned by everyone, we just thought they were exaggerating. Our Lives became puppy-only for many months, and our social lives were dead during that time period. Training two dogs at the same time was much harder then we expected as well, but in the end, with a ton of work, it all came together nicely.

They are smart, sweet, playful and extremely loving dogs. They require a lot of excercise ( 2-3 hours/day ) and tons of attention. They are complete goofballs, and love to impress people. Although Deimos is far more athletic, he is also neutered. His brother Phobos however is going to get bred later this year, due to his non-needy and easy going temperament., perfect for bringing this breed from Ibiza to American Homes.

So, if you see them around D.U.M.B.O., they will surely want to play with your dogs and they love showing off their good manners in trade for a petting.

"Signs" Of The Times

What Is Really Posted On The Streets Of D.U.M.B.O. Brooklyn

We are all used to seeing the signs in and around Brooklyn, but do we really stop and read them? There are hundreds of "No Parking" and "No Standing" signs, mainly due to the "Watch Tower" Group, since they occupy most of our neighborhood buildings. On a recent walk with Maisy in D.U.M.B.O., we happened to come across Street Signs we are not accustomed too. These signs originated from one individual in Manhattan, the group calls themselves the "Metropolitan Etiquette Authority",which demonstrates the common courtesy of how NY'ers should act in their daily lives.  It was televised on a local news broadcast, where one sign illustrates the courtesy of pulling your pants up for those from Urban backgrounds.  Some say it's a fashion trend, but who really wants to see the backside of your underwear?

Here are the signs from our recent walk:

With the new smoking ban in NYC Parks, more and more cigarette butts are littering the curbs just outside park entrances. In the olden days, the reason why men's pants were cuffed on the bottom, was to old on to all of your cigarette butts from littering on the sidewalks. I learned that from "Slim" Curtis, a former Co-Director of a summer camp I attended in Vermont.  He had noticed the counselors were ashing out their butts on the grounds of the camp and asked that they be placed in the receptacles around the campus. The picture was taken at the end on Main St., adjacent corner of Bubby's restaurant.

I assume, this is intended for those thumbing away on their "Crackberries".  Walking and typing away can be hazardous to your well-being, by not paying attention to your surroundings, you may get hit by another "crackberry" owner or livery cab, because they're not paying attention either. This picture was taken on Water St. between Adams and Washington Sts.

Ok, how many times have you seen a horse being ridden in DUMBO? Unless of course it is from New York's Finest, Mounted Police.

No need for any explanation on this one.  Please carry a baggy or two with you when walking your beloved pet, none of us like to walk into landmines.