DENVER -- July 27, 2009

At last, the recognition I deserve. The Puparazzi came to my house on Saturday and it was wonderful!

Haley Poulos and her colleague Greg are professional photographers. They showed up at our house early Saturday morning with many cameras, lenses and even a giant reflector to bring out my cheekbones. Bet you didn't know Labs had cheekbones, did you?

They took about a million photos of me. Really, it was all about me. I know they took a few of Meryl and Dash and Mina and Dewey and even Marianne, but I was the focal point. I mean, all you have to do is click on Galleries on Haley's web site to know that Labs are her favorite creatures on Earth. Yeah, OK, there are a few photos of other kinds of dogs and even a few horses and chickens, but clearly she loves Labs best.

I asked Meryl to play with me in the back yard so they could get lots of great action shots of ears and tails and flying feet. I showed Meryl how to pose by pretending to be interested in the leaf Greg was holding up. "Look at the leaf, yummy leaf, beautiful leaf!" he exclaimed. Really Greg, you didn't think I was actually fooled by that, did you?

Mina got brave enough to venture outside for a few photos but every time Greg would stand up she'd bark her fool head off and slink around the yard like some kind of wild African dog. She's a little shy with new people, even when all they want to do is take her picture. I tired to tell her The Camera is Our Friend, but I'm not sure she believed me.

After an hour or so of outdoor photos we went inside. Meryl and I gulped down a bowl of water and cooled off while Dash the cat monopolized Haley and Greg. Truthfully, I was a little embarrassed for Dash. I think he has secretly been watching "America's Next Top Model" because he was "working it" as they say. (Not that I've ever watched that show. Nope, not me.) Draping himself on the coffee table, posing on the piano, opening his eyes, closing his eyes, smiling mysteriously, turning his head this way and that. Shameless.

Dewey, on the other hand, mostly sat in the rocking chair and watched, allowing his photo to be taken but not posing as flagrantly as Dash. When Meryl wandered over and prodded him with her nose he leaped to his feet and turned into Ninja Kitty. "HI-YA!" he growled and whacked Meryl on her nose. Meryl blinked and took a step back.

"Hey now," said Greg anxiously.

"It's OK," I told him. "They do this all the time. It's a game called Grouchy Kitty, Laughing Great Dane."

"That's right, big chicken dog," Dewey snarled. "Back off or I'll turn you into Great Dane on Toast." He hissed ferociously. Meryl yawned and wandered off for a nap.

After Haley and Greg left I asked Marianne when we could see the photos. "I think we'll see them on Monday," she promised.

Sure enough, Marianne called me over to the computer this morning to look at Haley's blog. "Look, Ross! Our photos are up. Aren't they great?" she exclaimed.

I studied the photos as she scrolled through them. "That's odd," I said. "There seem to be more of Meryl and Mina and the cats than me."

Marianne nodded. "Well, yeah, they took lots of photos of all of us. This was a present for John after all, and he wanted photos of everyone."

I frowned. "But I thought.....well, I assumed....um.....," I hesitated.

"Oh poor baby, you thought they were here to just take photos of you, didn't you?" Marianne sighed. "I swear, you CCI dogs think the world revolves around you and you alone."

"I don't think I take your meaning," I said. "We are SPECIAL dogs, after all. I thought these photos were for the CCI calendar or a newsletter or public relations brochures."

"Perhaps that will happen some day," Marianne said, rubbing my ears just the way I like. "But for now, these photos are for John."

I leaned into her for more ear-rubbing and sighed blissfully. "Fine, but let's get lots of prints for my CCI baby book, OK?"

Chow for now!

Ross

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