On Sunday, I went to the Howard County Pet Expo, to help out my friend Theresa. She’s a very talented photographer who wants to focus on pet portraits. She did Winston and the Pair-a-Tweeters – they turned out wonderfully.

For some reason, I was afflicted by some kind of allergy before I got there, and my eyes were just streaming the entire time. It didn’t help that it was a little windy, though that kept it cool. We were worried that it was going to be one of those no-shade-bake-a-thons. Rob and Theresa already had the tent set up by the time I got there, and all they wanted me to do was talk to people about the service and hand out cards for the drawing. Of course, many people had their pets with them and we met some great dogs. Heck, even most of the people were okay.

I even met another mastiff, and his people. Believe it or not, their mastiff was even bigger than Winston – 250 pounds! He was taller and longer than Winston too, without an ounce of fat on him. But, of course, he was just as sweet as he could be, and he even did the obedience demonstration. “It took him 500 times to learn what a Labrador would learn on the first try, but he was so much fun to work with, we just kept right on going.” His “Mom” said. I bent down, just a little, and the big guy gave me a kiss!

I don’t think that means that labs are smarter than mastiffs. I just think that mastiffs are a little choosier about what they want to do. A lab will do something just because you ask it to. A mastiff, I think, has to see the point.

Sure enough, the big guy lumbered through the obedience demonstration. There were also a whole bunch of Rottweiler's there with a breed rescue group, and many of those dogs also participated in the obedience ring. I thought that was a really good idea to show case the fact that those dogs really are quite willing to be trained.

Naturally, the greyhounds were there too. Every time I see them, I miss Patrick, the greyhound I had before we got Winston, so much! They all have such hopeful expressions, they’re so graceful and gentle.

There were some rescued spaniels there. Theresa thought that it was unfortunate that so many of them were so overweight. She laughingly theorized that it’s hard to drum up support for a “poor neglected dog” when the ones at the event were as wide as they were tall!

But my favorite dogs at the whole event were a pair of bulldogs who came charging at Theresa wanting to get petted. Everything basically charges at Theresa and wants to get petted – she’s used to it (and it’s one of the things that makes her such a great pet photographer. Dogs especially just get this glazed, hypnotized expression and follow her around and do whatever she asks them to) These things were like bowling balls on feet, and one of them had a preppy little collar with pink and green ribbon and a matching leash. They just had such a positive attitude! I wonder if Winston would like a bulldog baby brother or sister?