"Meet" all 161 AKC recognized breeds.

Or an English Bull Dog…I’ll have to look it up! I’ve admired her from afar, a delightful little girl at a neighbor’s. Sje’s inside most of the time, but was out, and a gate open, one morning when we went for a walk…she never would’ve gotten out, but she really wanted to come with us!

Bella (?) has no training, it seems, but I won’t hold that against the breed. She has a lovely personality and just about turned herself inside out for a treat!

18) Met a Miniature Schnauzer hanging out of the car window…wouldn’t shut up unless he was the center of attention. Owner was overly friendly, and shared that he is a true vermin dog: rodents, birds, only lost a mole because it outsmarted him and played dead.

Kinda love the texture of the shaved coat, but I get the impression this is a high prey drive dog – and high maintenance.

17) Met a Giant Schnauzer – he was way more interested in the puppies in the next crate, but he gave me a sniff and I got to check him out. Wiry hair, cropped ears, a bit aloof.

11) Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Spent a lot of the holiday week at work with my Rottie…and there was one day when she was totally spastic. Went out for the 8th potty break and figured out why – guy who runs the adjacent business had his son’s Chessie there with him! Had an excuse to to a bunch of research – they’re descended from shipwrecked Newfoundlands that crossed with the local retriever types. Pretty neat looking dog, but a little aloof (might’ve been age + Java’s excitement) and he was shedding like stink. Oh, and BIG.

12) Great Pyrenees

I had Dino in a reactive dog class, and the instructor’s dogs were Great Pyrenees. And yes, plural – she had two. In a tiny townhouse. And one was reactive! These are big fluffy teddy bear dogs, until you piss one off, and then they’re big scary polar bear dogs. Since they were originally bred to protect sheep (not herd, but protect) without the presence of a shepherd, they need a conscientious owner to socialize them and teach them manners – they don’t naturally warm to people and have a very strong protective instinct – which can be a recipe for disaster! In general, pretty lovely and lovable, but very drooly, very fuzzy and really, really huge.

13) Great Dane

There are a lot of these guys in the area – and met at least one intact male on my walks with Java this summer. She…wasn’t too keen. I’d consider a “gentle giant” if they didn’t have so many health issues and didn’t die so young…but they’re so damn goofy!

14) Boston Terrier

Ok, not a recent one, but I forgot one from my childhood – best friend in middle and high school had a rotten little Boston Terrier. Pretty damn cute – bulging eyes and the bark of a much, much bigger dog.

15) Rhodesian Ridgeback

Met one or two of these this summer at the dog park with Java. She got into it with one of them – had him by the very tip of the tail! But there’s not much to say – athletic, active, a bit defensive, and that impossible fur to pet.

16) Parson Russell Terrier

AKA Jack Russell. My parents’ neighbor has a geriatric JR who still has some springs. He’s prey driven, loves to play, a little bit of a trouble maker, but mostly because he has a lot of energy and never enough entertainment.

And, just discovered there are more than 161 breeds on the list now. I had an outdated one. I think there are 163, but it could be more by the time I’m trying to wrap this up… :p

Dunno why this seems like a fun thing to do…I know plenty of wonderful mutts. But people spent an awful lot of time, energy and money into creating, preserving and glorifying breeds…and there is something different about every one I meet.

I grew up with

1) Collies

My first dog was a

2) Doberman pinscher

Now I have a

3) Rottweiler

There have been a number of

4) Golden retriever

s at friends, neighbors or while babysitting over the years, and an equal number of

5) Labrador retriever

s. I used to dog sit for an adorable little

6) Papillon

who thought she was really a big dog and didn’t deserve the thoughts aimed her way.

Growing up my piano teacher had a

7) Chow chow

that was the only dog that ever bit me…but he didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Russian, so I’ve forgiven him.

There was a woman in our town who bred

8) Weimaraner

and gosh were those puppies the most fun ever.

A neighbor in town had rescued a racing

9) Greyhound

that chilled all day with him at the general store and needed a coat to stay warm.

The staff member at college who lived in the dorm had a

10) Pug

And gosh could that dog go go go go go! Pretty damn cute, too.