"Border collie Zoe & AMAZING dog tricks!"

At the Dreaming Dog Café...

... sigh.

At the Underfoot Café...

... everything's comfy-cozy.

At the Black-and-White Café...

... opposites attract.

Purchase of the day.

From the February 15, 2013 Amazon Associates Earnings Report:

"Dog in Charge" [Hardcover] K. L. Going (Author), Dan Santat (Illustrator) (Earnings to the Althouse blog = $1.02)

... and 79 other items purchased — at no additional cost to the buyers. Commerce!

At the A-to-Z Café...

... we've got Abby and Zeus.

(Abby is a St. Bernard puppy, and Zeus is a 6-year-old Lab. They belong to different neighbors, and we were taking care of them as they got together for the first time.)

At the Flipped Ear Café...

... there's disarray, but only so very slight.

Okay, I'm over here now.

Say what you will.

At the Big Paw Café...

... there's a warm corner where you can stretch out.

At the Big Puppy Café...

... you can talk all night.

The morning ice walk.

Are we really doing this?



Rest time for one, snow-eating time for the other.


And... time for another rest. For a St. Bernard, a snow bank is a comfy sofa-back.



More progress:



And... rest time!

At the Tired Dog Café...

... you've earned your sleep.

"Labradors are the Chicago Cubs of show dogs."

Loveable losers. 

For the past 22 years, the Labrador Retriever has been the most popular dog breed in the U.S.... In 136 years of the [Westminster Dog Show], no Labrador has ever won Best in Show....

Their fans point to the bite of the Sporting group, which has produced 19 Best in Show winners, including the Sussex Spaniel in 2009, English Springer Spaniel in 2007 and German Shorthaired Pointer in 2005. Those dogs are what buffs call "flashy" breeds.... Unlike their peers, Labradors lack the extravagance of a long coat or the grace of a fast gait, making it trickier to catch a judge's eye....

Labradors also go home empty for the same reason they are such reliable companions: their good temperament. Some dogs are divas. Labradors like to share the spotlight with their handlers. "Labs aren't selfish enough," [said David Frei, the Westminster Kennel Club's communications director].

At the Watchful Dog Café...

... I will be here, intent, intense, absolutely as long as there is... oh! Was it anything more profound than bacon?

"Faithful is not love. Faithful is a subservient position..."

"... in which insecure people can not accept that, despite their tremendous talents, they might be wrong. That's why I like cats and independent dogs."

So says Dante in at 3:01 a.m. in The Faithful Dog Café.

Faithful is not love? That made me think Love is faithful and kind... But it's "Love is patient and kind..."

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. 

Does that sound like a cat or a dog?

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful....

Cat?

... it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 

Cat?!

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Cat?!!

Love never ends. 

That sounds like what we mean when we say faithful. (I know Paul goes on to put "love" in a category with "faith" and "hope" and says "love" is the greatest, but the love he describes includes complete faithfulness to the loved one.)

At the Faithful Dog Café...

... share the love.

On the death of Barney the dog, George Bush reveals a portrait he painted of his "faithful friend."

"Barney was by my side during our eight years in the White House... He never discussed politics and was always a faithful friend. Laura and I will miss our pal."



I like the "43" signature. Did you know the Bush had taken up oil painting? I'd missed the snarky notes about it last summer, like this from ArtFagCity:

This is all the information we have: at a hospital fundraiser in Memphis Monday night, former President George W. Bush mentioned his new hobby, oil painting. He told the crowd he’s “kinda stuck” to painting dogs. Tragically, there are no pictures. [The Daily Beast] Relatedly, we’ll totally pay you if you find pictures of George W. Bush’s dog paintings.

I guess Bush knew his dog was dying — it was 12 years old and had lymphoma — and he intended to show his first artwork when the time came to announce the dog's death.

And then there was this, last October: "George W. Bush Painting Dogs All Day, Becoming ‘Agoraphobic,’ Is Skeptical Of Romney’s Chances, New Profile Of Bush Fam Reveals."

The mag describes a Bush that is hiding away from the public eye, with one unnamed person observing: “He’s become increasingly agoraphobic… he doesn’t like people, he never did, he doesn’t now.”

The profile also says: “The most unpopular president in recent political history, W. left a record of big-government spending and intractable wars that remains difficult even for allies to defend … W. remains convinced history will vindicate him...."

He doesn’t like people, he never did, he doesn’t now.... So says an unnamed person.



A hug for President Bush today. And I think the painting is very good. Of course, there will always be Bush haters. Can't stop the Bush haters from hating their Chimpy McHitler.

You know, Hitler painted.

At the Dog Fight Café...

... get scrappy.

At the Black-and-White Café...

... let's get together.

Welcome to Bonehouse.

(This morning.)