I'd Rather Be At The Dog Beach

I can't remember a more dreadfully hot summer in Chicago since I moved here over 8 years ago.  Last summer, I barely turned on the air conditioner until August.  This summer I'm paying for that.  It hasn't been good dog beach weather, or rather good dog-watching at the dog beach weather.  Its been too hot to sit out there and most of the dogs are smart enough to hit the water and stay there.  A couple of weeks ago, it was a nice cool 80 degrees, which is about right for dog beach watching. 

Below are my first dogs of interest.  Very obedient black lab, calmly waits for human to throw frisbee, which guarantees that he never gets it. 

The hotshot muttly dog is much more take charge and from watching her/him (I'll go with 'her'), a bit of a showoff.  She was after that frisbee so fast, black lab didn't even bother to run for it.  "Oh, she's after it again I see.  Well, I'll just stay here with you.  Maybe next time."

This Muttly Hotshot was actually pretty good at catching it, but when she missed it, it was clear she wasn't happy.  Probably not happy with the human...or the frisbee.  She didn't seem the type to blame herself.  Every single time Ms. Muttly ran back with her prize, she stopped about ten feet before the human (and poor neglected lab), pranced around in a circle three times and then dropped the frisbee.  Ten feet away.  She'd look at the human with a "Get over here, and pick it up," attitude.  Heaven forbid she'd bring it right to him.  Occasionally, the frisbee would land in the dirt before she could catch it.  In her exuberance, Ms. Muttly drove into the sand and got a load of it in her mouth.  She'd gag a bit, and I thought there was some justice.  Later, Ms. Muttly pranced with the frisbee into the water, which was a bad choice because it made her less mobile when the human intentionally threw the frisbee in the lab's direction.  Wouldn't ya know that lab brought the frisbee directly to the human's hands every single time.  Without a shred of attitude.

About an hour of watching had passed and I thought to myself, "I never see a basset hound here.  That would just make the day perfect if one showed up."  Well, perfect it is then!  Maybe I'm acquiring some serious powers!  Yeah, me!  Its about time!

"I'm awesome, I know."

Who can ignore a basset?  Especially a young, peppy one who still has a reason to live.  Every single person this dog passed had to stop for a pet, and the basset took her due.  As she should.  The woman in the foreground is her human, and she was a bit of a drip.  She's one of those people who just hit the beach and plant themselves, which is fine if you're at the regular beach, but the dog beach just requires a bit more.  Some interaction, particularly with your pet.  She kept calling her basset over.

Notice white Frenchie by the water.  I LOVE!

Do you see her dog next to her?  You see how well, that turned out.  "Come here, sweetins'.  Oh, you'd rather wander over there?  Oh. Okay."  How long has she had this dog?  Did she really think that woudl work?  I mean, obviously she did, but why did she think that?  That is some downright mysterious decision-making.  Here's the deal with bassets.  They do what they want, and they have a short window before they become old, woe-is me, creatures.  So, this little lady had some living to do, and her momma could just stuff it with the sitting nicely on the towel business.  I mean, this dog didn't even look her mom's way.  At all.  Perhaps this woman should have invested in the neurotic mess that is a chihuahua. Those creatures usually bond to their humans to an extreme degree.  

I can remember one other basset at the beach before, but that one went nowhere near the water.  Sassafrass here, thought it was just fine.

As I was leaving, I noticed this odd couple:

This pug and black lab wading in the shallow end.  The lab seemed mindful of his friend's height and didn't go in any deeper.  That pug stuck to that dog like glue.  If the lab turned right, the pug turned right with him.  Every single direction the lab moved in, the pug immediately followed.  The pug would put his face near his friend's face too.  It was very odd and interesting.  I wish I could have stayed to figure out that puzzle.  Maybe I'll see them again.