puppy love | MyAdultLand

Jan 19 2011

Days and Nights of Picard!

On July 25, 2010, I went to a Rocket Dog Rescue adoption event to foster a pit bull (see “The Saga of Gray & Nameless” to see what led me down this road of pit bull love). They didn’t have one. So I took this funny looking pug mix, Picard, for 2 days, until they would have a pittie. How was I to know we would fall in love?

(udates: for some reason the photo uploader on this site has become a pain in the ass of late. For more recent posts on Days and Nights of Picard!, please see his Facebook Page. And if you like it, then, please “Like” it!)

: Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Picard.

: What mornings now look like.

: Picard discovers the Pacific!

: Picard: Knowing what he wants and getting it.

: The sweetest thing.

: Picard takes the title “Lapdog” very seriously.

: Dances with goats.

: Left alone a little longer than he cared for one evening, Picard retaliated by letting his true feelings about “those other pups” be known.

: My weapon of choice in achieving world peace? Behold. If you were to lock all oppressors, bullies, and sadistic motherfuckers in a room with Picard, I know for a fact he could disarm them all.

: Picard is always finding new ways to make himself useful around the flat. Here, he had the idea to act as a counterweight during my core series.

: Thinking about all the days to come… at the dog park.

: This isn’t the first time I’ve walked in on Picard trying on my things.

: Week Ten: Picard is finding increasingly original — and dusturbing — ways of expressing his disdain for being left alone for (what he believes are) unacceptably long periods of time.

: Enjoying his morning stretch.

: This pup is: A) just a little late in putting together his “Little Red Riding Hood” Halloween costume; B) modeling his first raincoat, a thoughtful gift from a friend; C) auditioning for the part of “Sparky” (cherished childhood pet of Anton LaVey) in the upcoming musical about LaVey’s life.

: Best. Thanksgiving. Ever. Also our four month anniversary!

: Hope you enjoyed the baklava (just the top layer!) that I spent the afternoon baking and that you helped yourself to while I was working my ass off, Picard!

: The trifecta of misery: in the wet raincoat, in his crate, in a cab — and on Christmas!

: The trifecta of joy: Nature, Art, Picard.

: Young Master Picard’s preferred use of the pillow.

: I’m relieved to see that Picard doesn’t appear to be missing me too terribly much during my belated birthday getaway.

: Picard ain’t too keen on MUNI’s muzzle policy.

: Picard’s rare breed was briefly popularized by the “Picaninny” art movement of the late nineteenth century.

: Nailing the “Teen Heartthrob” pose.

: Picard does the darndest things when I’m away! Here, he mistook a most cherished possession — the 40 year old Greek doll (in traditional costume) that overlooked my dad’s bar when I was a little girl — for a chew toy.

: Picard has even influenced the interior decor of my flat. Here, runners in a giraffe pattern (in a flattering darker palette) were chosen to provide traction and comfort during his indoor cardio sessions.

: Even when I’m not with him, Picard brings happiness to my life. Here, a note I came home to after a long night at work, left by his walker.

: Another perfect Sunday morning at Ft. Funston.

: What a lovely surprise to come home to! Tonight while I was at work, Picard sorted through my wardrobe and accessories, letting me know which items were too “last season.”

: Sunday last, Picard discovered the joy of frolicking in the ocean. Moments later, he discovered — much to his apparent shock — that sandbars disappear as quickly as they appear. Thus was Young Master Picard’s first swim lesson.

: It was bound to happen: Picard gets a little competition for the title of “Cutest Pup On Earth.” Here he checks out 11-week-old Ziggy.

: No one likes a good practical joke more than Picard! Tonight he gave me quite a scare (with the help of my new travel pillow) when I got home.

: Preparing for our first anniversary official portrait. Getting Picard to simultaneously say “Cheese!” and look at the camera is proving to be more challenging than I’d anticipated.

: Concerned that I was sleeping in uncharacteristically late (and unaware that it was due to the Tylenol PM I took last night), Picard literally licked my eyelids open this morning.

: The bad news: Picard finally ripped open my travel pillow, with which he’s been obsessed since May. The good news: he didn’t actually rip it open; he managed to unzip it. The bad news: this means he’s mastering tools.

: How I choose to remember 9/11.

: No clever caption, just HOW CUTE IS HE!!!

: Thanksgiving this year ended on a particularly memorable note: a midnight run to the emergency room to have Picard’s stomach pumped.

: Picard truly is a Rescue Dog in every way. A friend I met during our evening dog walks had to put her beloved pup of 10 years down. With my dog walker away for the holidays, she asked if she could walk Picard. She also left for us a huge bag of high-quality dog food. Probably the most bittersweet gift I’ve ever received.

: Grateful for some badly needed rain… And an opportunity to rock the trench.

: Practicing his look for an upcoming hillbilly theme party we’ve been invited to.

: Valentine’s Day special offer on “The Ultimate Stud Finder”! Only 11 days left until that most romantic of holidays. Will you spend it alone… again? Not if you take advantage of this special offer: I am renting Picard out on an hourly basis. He is “The Ultimate Stud Finder.” Say goodbye to those lonely Valentine’s Days! With his impossibly adorable and irresistible animal magnetism, Picard will attract to you that special someone. I promise you, ladies (and gentlemen), you’ll have your pick of bad boys and good men! Book now, slots are going fast. Rates negotiable. Some restrictions apply.

: Picard pays his respects to the organization that rescued him at a wonderful event featuring animals from all SF rescue groups. One hour to go — come on down if you’re looking to adopt or just need to play with a pup!

: Picard gave me the sweetest Valentine EVER this morning! But it’s somewhat of a mystery as to who helped him with his spelling (not to mention getting it into a mailbox)…

: The man Picard is pulling toward in this photo is Jose. A minute or so before this photo was taken, Jose and I were talking. He was walking through the dogpark, singing joyfully in Portugese at the top of his lungs. Prior to chatting with Jose, I was blue. Missing-someone-blue. Upon seeing Picard, Jose asked what breed? Where is he from? I told him how Picard was a rescue, but I’m the lucky one, as it’s hard to be sad when you live with Picard (yet there I was, feeling sad just moments before). Jose & Picard had a stare down. Finally, Jose said “Rescue? Maybe he find you. How do you say… [pardon my lame attempt to write in his deeply accented English] he was in your life before.” Which reminded me… I told him how countless people have said Picard looks like a person. Jose nodded, and said “Unconditional love.” I nodded. And with that, we wished each other a nice day, and he went back to his singing. Much as I wanted to take his picture up close, I didn’t want to alter the encounter we’d just had. It was so perfect as-is. I don’t know about reincarnation. It’s a nice thought, but who knows. I know that usually Picard alone does a pretty good job at keeping my blues away. But sometimes, even he needs an assist, a Jose, to help remind me to cherish what what I have in my life (including the precious chance encounter with a singing stranger) and not pine for what I no longer have.

: Porterhouse Dreamin’.

: Christos Anesti from myself, Picard, & our bloomin’ jasmine!

: It’s the little things Picard does that make me happy. Like coming home to find he’s dragged my slipper out of the closet to cuddle with while I was away.

: Picard has his own taste in street art.

: Picard was thrilled that my whale watching trip this morning was cancelled due to high winds. Because it meant a trip to the beach for him — and our first LIVE starfish sighting!