Animal Companions (esp. dogs) of Metafilter

May 18, 2024 10:34 PM

It's time. And I think we would all benefit from a post of animal pics, specifically our own animal friends, especially dogs. (I apologize to the cat people who didn't post first so they could say "especially cats". I also like cats.) I suggest we limit the number of photos to.... just kidding. Post them all!

I will post in the comments but here's Toki to get things started. Details to follow.

Kindly include name(s) and vital statistics or key details (but not required).

So sorry for anyone grieving the loss of an animal friend. It sucks a lot.
Post pics if you want to.

posted by Glinn to MetaFilter-Related at 10:34 PM (53 comments total)

Dearly departed Bella (an Australian Terrier), first as a fuzzy sausage link in the mid-00s and then getting a sink bath at her mom's in the mid-10s

Mattcat, watching his stories

Bratcat, covering his shame
posted by Rhaomi at 11:33 PM on May 18 [12 favorites]

Hooray!

Here's the Kcat ignoring a relative on screen. Looking reproachful. Nesting - she likes a good paper crunch. Advising on work. Sleeping in the sun. And these two I think I have posted here before - paw of outstretchment and quilt. And friend's cat - objectively the best of our surviving cats - in Christmas hat (there were several blurred pictures before she resigned herself). Kcat is 15 or 16 (had to look back at MetaFilter to find out when she came to me. Outsourcing memory).
posted by paduasoy at 1:14 AM on May 19 [4 favorites]

And adding my sister's dog. She is an adult bichon but rescued from a puppy farm and therefore small for her age. Looking dim at home. Perhaps slightly less dim on holiday. With mini-her. Sleepy or disgruntled (could be both).
posted by paduasoy at 2:12 AM on May 19 [4 favorites]

This is Joe, named after the various mob characters actor Joe Pesci would play. He was smart (the cat, not actor, though the actor probably is also) street cat and learned when to show up for food and would stick around and wait for the next feeding.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 3:44 AM on May 19 [4 favorites]

We're a cat household but my younger daughter is friends with a neighborhood dog named Buddy and she gets a hug from him most mornings on the way to school.
posted by saladin at 4:43 AM on May 19 [9 favorites]

Here's my cat Lola playing with a subway train. She turns 14 in a month!
posted by soundofsuburbia at 4:44 AM on May 19 [9 favorites]

Here are the warriorqueenfamily pets. Lennon, our Bernese Mountain Dog/St. Bernard puppy rescue who celebrated his first birthday last week, including a shot when the cherry blossoms were out. Baby cat my MIL’s Siamese, and Hue our rescue tabby.
posted by warriorqueen at 4:47 AM on May 19 [8 favorites]

This is Bramble, a five year old English Springer Spaniel, who lives with my parents, and we will be reunited on Thursday!
posted by ellieBOA at 5:19 AM on May 19 [7 favorites]

Toki Wartooth and Stella Belle. Approx 10 and 3 yrs, , approx 17 and 12 lbs, Havanese puppers (Stella maybe cross with Bichon).
Toki before haircut.
Stella before haircut.
Stella after haircut.
(Blog post for this purpose, including vitals)

I told myself no more dogs who need haircuts before Stella. But then I got one anyway.
posted by Glinn at 6:12 AM on May 19 [6 favorites]

Here's my girl, Shakedown:

Hypnotizing squirrels

As Ms. August for the Humane Society Calendar

right before the Zombie Apocalypse

as Jeremiah Johnson

in her seal costume

as a Casper bed model

atop her favorite mattress

Cosplaying as Ernest Shackleton, aka Shakelton

And some of my clients' dogs: Rolo (Beverly Glen), Henry (Mar Vista), Judd (Venice, CA), Bailey (Beverly Glen), Artemis (Toronto), Pico (Santa Monica), Buster (Studio City), Cookie (Oliva, Spain), Coco (Paradise Cove, Vanuatu).

And some cat clients: Lucky (Cabarete), Outside and Oh No (the Dominican), Blanche (Valencia, Spain), Nina (Oliva, Spain), Spooky (Woodland Hills), Lucy (Studio City), Muffin (Beverly Glen).
posted by dobbs at 7:10 AM on May 19 [10 favorites]

This is Bird, our two year old chocolab.
Here’s a more recent little movie of Bird swimming, which she will absolutely do all day long.
This is Face, 12 weeks old, who we just got 6 days ago!
posted by chococat at 9:52 AM on May 19 [6 favorites]

we had to say goodbye to Herbert in January. he was almost 14 and I miss him so much. he was 1000% Love Bug and loved to be my little spoon.

this is Bellatrix who is a very beautiful baby and sweet but also insanely demanding. she loves to scream the song of her people.
posted by supermedusa at 10:35 AM on May 19 [7 favorites]

My dog-in-law (the dog of my partner's parents) has been spending most of his time with us lately; they find him delightful but hard to consistently care for.

His name is Henry and this week he was fresh from the groomer.
posted by fruitslinger at 10:55 AM on May 19 [6 favorites]

Cordelia the Adventure Cat either has a cloud or a butt drawn on her face, depending on what kind of mood she's in.

I guess we accidentally introduced her to workout videos.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:14 PM on May 19 [5 favorites]

Say hello to Luna, who joined our family just over a year ago. She's a Kelpie crossed with something or other and she's absolutely the best dog ever. We got her from a shelter after she was found roaming the streets and the shelter couldn't contact the owner as listed on her microchip.

Luna replaced Soxie. Soxie was an excellent cat who owned the whole neighbourhood when she was healthy, but she deteriorated to the point where she was miserable and in pain all the time, so we had to send her over the bridge.
posted by dg at 4:57 PM on May 19 [8 favorites]

I have no pets of my own, but I'm basically my friends' designated pet-sitter. That's such love and trust and I appreciate it. So a couple of their pets:

This is Monkey. He's a floofy, aloof boy. I've known him for years and he's almost at the point where he'll be affectionate with me. I love him, though, and I will always respect his space.

This is Olive, one of my favorite dogs (note: all dogs are my favorite). She's a sweetie and a goofball and just turned 15 this year. Last year I was her buddy for three weeks and on one of our first walks, she insisted on teaching me where all the neighborhood treat boxes were, even though it was a long walk for an old girl like her. We also had to patrol the backyard once a day because she needed to make sure everything was OK.
posted by edencosmic at 7:16 PM on May 19 [6 favorites]

Here’s Ozzy, a rescue dog of unknown age (vet guessed around 8 years) and origin (somewhere in Texas?) who seems to be a random mix of every kind of terrier. He loves people, hates squirrels and rats, and doesn’t understand how to behave with other dogs. He’s lived with me for a year and a half and he is the best dog (all dogs are best dog).

Ozzy is my first dog that I got to name myself - the previous rescues all came with names that fit them well, but this guy didn’t look like a Casey and didn’t really respond to that name. It’s short, of course, for Ozymandias.
posted by moonmilk at 9:34 PM on May 19 [8 favorites]

Here is Harvey, looking noble on the beach. And here he is in action. He’s all over my instagram and he had his own for a while but I kind of let that slide. He is the best dog ever and he came to me from the clatsop county animal shelter in August of 2019. We think he’s probably around 7 or 8 now, settling into a calm middle age nicely.
posted by mygothlaundry at 10:12 PM on May 19 [8 favorites]

Hildy is a 5-year-old calico, acquired from the Marshalltown Animal Rescue League in January 2020. She loves chicken and hates thunderstorms and is absurdly cuddly. She almost knows how to do a high-five. She is the best cat.
posted by Jeanne at 8:10 AM on May 20 [7 favorites]

This is Rango, a boxer/pit/lab mix, wearing a watermelon helmet.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:16 AM on May 20 [7 favorites]

Naturally, all of my pets have a social media presence -

Pepper, a 1yo mixed breed (subject of this question)

Finn & Flotus, 7yo brother/sister pair
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:24 AM on May 20 [4 favorites]

Grace is in my profile picture. She is also in my Facebook profile. The sweetest cat I have ever known. I miss her still.
posted by y2karl at 11:13 AM on May 20 [5 favorites]

Murphy, a Birman cat, is now sixteen: a distinguished elderly gentleman who likes nothing better than to wake me very early in the morning.
posted by misteraitch at 11:24 AM on May 20 [6 favorites]

there are some FINE furry friends in this thread. I love them all.
posted by supermedusa at 12:23 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]

Here is Bento, rapidly approaching his 8th birthday and still giving me sass; and Sneakers, Crown Princess of Tabbyland and picker of fights with Blue Jays (no animals were harmed during this incident).
posted by janepanic at 12:23 PM on May 20 [7 favorites]

I'm a dog person, so I'm gonna favorite all of the dogs, but I will also salute all of the happiness the cats bring their people as well.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:47 PM on May 20 [3 favorites]

oooh Bento's got TUDE!!!
posted by supermedusa at 12:57 PM on May 20 [4 favorites]

Evan

Arthur

Philip

Jonathan Cat (he's a foster - available for adoption!)


Evan's story
posted by amtho at 1:22 PM on May 20 [8 favorites]

This is Leopold Regulus Potter who has migrated his Instagram to the Fediverse. He is a very good boy, Brant.
posted by terrapin at 2:34 PM on May 20 [2 favorites]

This is Emmy, our rescued lab mix. We got her when she was seven months old. She's now 4 1/2.

I'll tell you, I never really had a pet growing up. There were some dogs around, and we fed them, but they were outdoor dogs only, and I don't really remember ever interacting with them. I certainly didn't bond with them. They were just...there. So I never had the pet experience and didn't really understand the human-dog bond until my kids lobbied hard for a puppy and we found Emmy at our local shelter. I was 48 years old when we got her. The first few months were rough, honestly, and for a time I didn't think it was going to work out. She was an energetic youngster who didn't know what she was allowed to chew on and what she wasn't. We had no experience at all in training dogs. Once or twice I came close to taking her back and admitting that we weren't the right home for her. But then we did some puppy training, and all of us--dog and family--started to figure out how to make this work (and Emmy, I think, started to accept this as her permanent home and settle in a bit). At some point the magic happened, and I swear no one has ever loved me as purely and consistently as this dog does. And I love her. I did not expect that to happen, but it did. She's by my side most of the time when I'm home, and she's a big-time hugger and cuddler. That's something I didn't realize was missing in my life, but if I had really understood what having a pet was like, I would have gotten a dog the first afternoon I had my own home. I know that millions of other people have this same experience with their pets, but it's really remarkable to me that we're here, the two of us, from completely different species, sharing this house and this life together with a connection so intense now I can't put it into words. I didn't think I'd love an animal, and yet....Of course, the kids love her, too. (Well, two of them do. The boy is indifferent.) But she's picked me to be her primary human, and that's okay. I like it that way. If my daughters want their own dog, they are welcome to get one--when they have their own homes.

The last eight months or so have been pretty rough--various family members having surgeries and hospitalizations and mental health crises, plus some interpersonal drama and friendships lost. My least favorite year since 2010, which was a record nadir. Having at least one sweet, guileless creature always delighted to see me makes all of it easier to endure, though. People have called dogs "man's best friend" for more than a century, and I used to think that was hyperbole, but, dammit, this charming weirdo really is my best friend. Look at that smile! How can you not love her?
posted by Pater Aletheias at 2:46 PM on May 20 [20 favorites]

Emmy is adorable! Give her snuggles from me!
posted by edencosmic at 4:23 PM on May 20 [3 favorites]

Lovely post, Glinn, thank you. My furry little buds: Thea (up-eared) and Foggy (lop-eared), two years ago. Here is Thea in SATURDAY HATTERDAY mode. They are both Very Good Dogs, 11/10, but extremely threatening if you happen to be a banana.
posted by cupcakeninja at 5:59 PM on May 20 [6 favorites]

I would like to see the hat photo, please, but the link goes to the same photo as the first link...
posted by amtho at 6:15 PM on May 20 [4 favorites]

Oof! Thank you for saying, amtho, I swear I checked. This should do it.
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:26 PM on May 20 [4 favorites]

That’s a beautiful story Pater Aletheias. I have had dogs in my life before but it had been 20 years since I’d had one and Lennon opened up a part of my heart I’d kept shut since my dog Cicero died(we put him down…prematurely despite some health issues) just before my daughter did.

Maybe you would like to tell Emmy the little story I tell Lennon some nights (it’s fireworks here for Victoria Day so I’m actually hanging with him now.) I tell him how his ancestors and mine shared meat by the fire, Vikings sailed with their dogs, ancient Celts were buried with dogs. His people and my people go way back. And here we are together this lifetime.

He hears no words like food, walkers, or treats so you know, it’s just noise but hey. :)
posted by warriorqueen at 6:28 PM on May 20 [7 favorites]

Thanks cupcakeninja. Adorable! I have heard about the popularity of the stacking cup toy with bunnies, and got a set as a present for a friend's rabbit. I feel validated :>
posted by amtho at 6:39 PM on May 20 [2 favorites]

Here's Mica the border collie. She likes to play with sticks. And any kind of ball or toy you can throw. She also loves it when you flick leaves or pieces of bark for her to try to catch. I taught her to hold still and be calm during tick checks and removal by rewarding her with flicked leaves. Food was not a sufficient reward, but leaves were.
posted by Redstart at 8:32 PM on May 20 [8 favorites]

Mod note: Hello, woof, meow, chirp, and [indistinct turtle noises]! This is just to say this post has been added to the sidebar and the Best Of blog!
posted by taz (staff) at 2:37 AM on May 21 [5 favorites]

My open-box dog, Cooper.

His left eye doesn't work. He has a list of "hates" (trucks, dogs, strangers) and a shorter list of things & people that he likes (my kids, food, also food, my son's girlfriend, and our neighbor Sharon). The only toys that stand up to him are from Zippy Paws, or else his beloved large-size Hide-A-Squirrel toy from Outward Hound, which he holds in his mouth, whining very quietly, when life becomes overwhelming.

He was a rescue from Animal Rescue Kingdom in Texas; the Animal Control paperwork they included had a mug shot that looked like the infamous picture of Nick Nolte. The first night he came home, my wife cried -- but now they are devoted to each other.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:44 AM on May 21 [7 favorites]

This is my cat Phoebe. I picked her from the shelter because when I went up to her cage she immediately started to cry, unlike every other cat in the room that just looked at me indifferently and went back to sleep. I was just excited that someone had such a strong opinion of me. I got to hang out with her in a separate room and I just talked quietly to her for a few minutes until she came and sat right next to me, up against my leg, and we have loved each other ever since.

This is Phoebe outside. Here she is on vacation with me. And here she is helping me make the bed. She likes to help me around the house by standing exactly where I need to stand, laying down on top of what I'm working on, and crying until I stop working and give her a kiss.
posted by birthday cake at 9:04 AM on May 21 [8 favorites]

Birthday cake, that dark brown fur is very pretty (which is saying a lot, as I really don't like the company of cats). A lovely beast!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:35 PM on May 21 [1 favorite]

Pater Aletheias, I really want to play with that dog of yours -- she looks like a great companion!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:37 PM on May 21 [2 favorites]

This is Dr Buzzard hanging out on the perches I attached to the rafters of my bedroom ceiling. He's been slowly chewing on the rafters and in about 100 years, he's going to bring the whole house down. He also likes spending time on the windowsill, where he enjoys yelling at cats and attempting to dismantle the windowframes. I've had him for 22 years! He likes millet, oat groats, nutriberries, bread and any vegetables I am eating. He will try fruit, but then spit it out while giving me a look of deep betrayal. I am sometimes allowed to administer headscritches as atonement. He can say "hello" but only does so about 3 times a year. Lately he's been saying "whoop whoop" when he's happy about something and now I'm doing it too.
whoop whoop!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 5:18 PM on May 21 [14 favorites]

whoop whoop!
posted by praemunire at 9:50 PM on May 21 [6 favorites]

Here's my recently deceased Great Pyrenees Neska (it means 'little girl' in Basque) as I remember her best, begging me with her soulful eyes to take her out for a walk. I miss her greatly. She loved hugging and she was just one big fluffball.

This is also her on Wikimedia in a photo submitted by a photographer friend. You can see he had to hold on to the leash because she was a bolter!
posted by vacapinta at 1:05 AM on May 22 [12 favorites]

Bunny hates phone.
posted by y2karl at 11:37 AM on May 22 [1 favorite]

I've posted the occasional photo of mr bordercollie, here's one from his bday last year, where he got a cheap kid's play ball from the store, which was destined to be popped--and indeed it was.

We had a great walk earlier today, which hit all the puppy high points:

* New place to leave his gift for the world due to county mowing the scrub on roadside
* One of his few human friends joined us (mr dog makes friends grudgingly and not often)
* We met a few months-old steer named Blaze who was very curious about the creature on a string (Blaze was staked out and therefore was also on a string, so solidarity!)
* Because friend was along, dog human was even more generous with dog snacks (to cover the bit of extra distance to friend's house)
* Got to hang out for a few minutes in friend's garage, full of things to sniff
* Did you see that ILLEGAL deer? That's what I'm shouting about, did you SEE it??
* A bunny could not decide which way to flee as we approached and led us around for a bit
* We did not get rained on, an improvement over yesterday for sure

Mr dog has been a great, if occasionally trying, addition here since I "rescued" him about four and a half years ago. He'll be six in July, hopefully the store will get in the cheap balls again. Or maybe I can find a cheap beach ball.
posted by maxwelton at 5:13 PM on May 22 [6 favorites]

One funny thing about Mr Bordercollie is that the rare occasions when he is on my bed when I go to bed, he is very grumpy about being moved (out of human's spot) and especially if the human moves AT ALL once light goes out. He'll let out a long groan and get up to go find another place to sleep if, say, I move my leg an inch. Rolling onto my side? Right out!

BUT:

He often comes in in the "morning" (for us) and jumps on the bed and throws himself against me with a big dog sigh and snoozes, and is perfectly fine with me moving around at that point. I obviously don't understand the dog rules and regs.

(I sleep like a baby when he joins me in the morning--any thoughts of getting up are shelved. It's very sweet and often best part of the day.)
posted by maxwelton at 3:11 AM on May 23 [7 favorites]

This is Zara, aka, Zozer the Destroyer. She has needed So. Much. Training. but she is sweet-tempered and an excellent companion. Once she learned that snuggling is welcome, she has achieved expert level. I've had her for 2 years now, we're bonded. She had trust issues, and when she finally realized she could trust me, it was quite the big deal. In the morning, just as I realize I'm going to get moving, she jumps off the bed to wait for me. Dogs read human body language so well.

This is Previous Dog, Ben, who is greatly missed since he died during Covid. He traveled the country with me on some road trips. Low key fellow who stole my heart when I wasn't looking.

excellent post, such good bois and girlz.
posted by theora55 at 12:27 PM on May 23 [5 favorites]

Zara pic is restricted despite my wish to admire her.
Ben pic is not restricted and so sorry about Ben.
posted by Glinn at 1:20 PM on May 23 [1 favorite]

Thanks, Glinn. I updated the link to Zara's picture. She's traveled with me to see both the total eclipse and the Northern Lights, and behaved really well, as in did not run off, walk into traffic or any other of her habits. She did just eat the parmesan that was supposed to go on my salad, but, that's not a capital offense.
posted by theora55 at 7:37 PM on May 23 [3 favorites]

Antigone was a feisty fluff and definitely knew she was all that.Scout and Buddy were best friends. They are all sorely missed by their human.
posted by Scout405 at 7:46 PM on June 1 [3 favorites]

Such wonderful friends - thank you all for sharing.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 8:01 PM on June 5 [2 favorites]