Big Dog Blogging

Earlier today, The Minstrel Boy and I were discussing our dogs--big ol' dogs, most of them--and I mentioned that we ought to start a Big Dog Blogging tradition.

Not because we have anything against cats, you understand. We both love all versions of Feed Us Domesticus: the feline, the canine, and the equine alike. This summer, I posted about Maisy, the lovely little unwed teenage mother kitty who decided our house (my closet, specifically) was the spot to be when she brought her babies into the world.

But big dogs? They aren't exactly the stars of the Blogosphere, certainly not the way cats are. Well, Parity for Pooches, I say. Here is one of our gang, who arrived at the nursery property via his knocked-up Mama (yes, '05 was that sort of year). His name is Carmine, and he and his siblings Vito, Daxter, and Shnookums were born on Valentine's Day. Carmine and Vito are (mostly) a mix of Shepherd and Lab, and they're gigantic. At eighteen months, their respective weights are into the triple digits, as is that of black lab/pitbull Dax. Their lone sister, Shnookie, is (a bit) more compact.

Carmine says: Lead, follow, or get outta my way.
Be nice or he will come and lean on you.