September 3, 2007

The dog.

What is this amazing creature?

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Spotted underneath the Manhattan Bridge today.

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ADDED: I'm told this is a Great Dane. Unusual color, isn't it? Amba tells me it's called "blue merle." Who's Merle? The dictionary says it may come from the word "merle," meaning "blackbird." Are we supposed to see the spots as birds? And for those who noticed -- of all things -- that the woman is using a laptop, let me point this out:

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20 comments:

Jennifer said...

A Great Dane? He looks like my friend's Bruce. Don't know for sure, though. Beautiful dog. I love the white!

Richard Fagin said...

Yep it's a Dane. Just like the big dummy I have here. I grab her jowls and shake her head by them, saying, "I'm not a crook!"

Ann Althouse said...

Thanks. It was a huge dog, with interesting colors. I was envious of the woman, because she had such a staunch protector. Me, I have nothing. I felt so exposed, so vulnerable.

Anonymous said...

"I grab her jowls"

That skull had a tongue in it, and could sing once: how the knave jowls it to the ground, as if it were Cain's jaw-bone, that did the first murder! It might be the pate of a politician, which this ass now o'er-reaches; one that would circumvent God, might it not?

Hamlet 5.1 (The Great Dane)

Anonymous said...

The "amazing creature" has her back to the dog.

Anonymous said...

Heh.

The Prof should consider getting a dog, esp. in New Yawk. On my next move to a new place I'd like a couple of dogs for companionship and protection. Would love a Catahoula Cur with different colored eyes, but think I’ll get two hard-to-adopt-out sweeties from the pound, instead.

Randy said...

Somewhere around here, I have some pictures from last year of nine adorable (and rambunctious) Great Dane puppies born to one of the dogs some friends own. They had this massive pen to hold them (at least 20x20). It was great fun playing with all of them.

Simon said...

jane said...
"The Prof should consider getting a dog, esp. in New Yawk."

Quite - would you reccomend a 9mm "dog," or a .45 "dog"? ;)

(I'm thinking of a Simpsons episode.)

LarsPorsena said...
"The 'amazing creature' has her back to the dog."

A little too tanned if you want my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Simon, good point- they require less walking, too. But both are nice. Since I'm a wimp, have only a .22 target, 9mm bad man stopper, 20 ga. Benelli for criminal clay and quail and two watchcats. Dogs would be fun.

The Prof might not want to carry a gun around town or be able to have a pet at her place. Maybe she should take a fierce tripod with her on walks---

Ruth Anne Adams said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bruce Hayden said...

Given our discussion a day or two ago, my answer to your question "What is this amazing creature?" is a Chinese dinner.

To look at cats as food, but not dogs is the ultimate in speciesism, esp. given how much more meat there is on the average dog as compared to the average domestic cat.

amba said...

It is a Great Dane, and his color is called "blue merle."

Revenant said...

Nice looking dog. Alert, too.

al said...

Thats a beautiful dog. His/her person can focus on her laptop knowing that no one is getting close.

As for Althouse - I doubt she has enough 'pull' to get a carry permit in NYC. Given her habit of walking around a 9mm or .45 on her hip would be a good idea.

Richard Fagin said...

Prof. Althouse, I'm still laughing about the "staunch protector" thing!

Ours is a big coward and when she gets yelled at for something, she tries to hide under a bed, but she doesn't fit. You can see a dog body sticking out from under the bed with only the head under the dust ruffle.

I can't believe no one got the Nixon reference.

Ann Althouse said...

Re the laptop: the Brooklyn Bridge Park has free WiFi!

Bob said...

Many older Americans (I count myself among these) remember when all Great Danes had their ears "shaped" into an erect point, rather than the natural droop often seen these days. If you associate "Great Dane" with pointed ears, any other way can seem like a different breed of dog.

Roger J. said...

As the owner of two great danes--protectors they are not. but they are great dogs to have and love.

Anonymous said...

Richard,

Didn’t you see “It might be the pate of a politician, which this ass now o'er-reaches; one that would circumvent God, might it not" in the Hamlet quotation?

Will got it before we did.

Jennifer said...

Bruce - Don't assume we all feel that way. I love dogs but I have no issue with cultures and people that choose to eat them. That would be the height of hypocrisy, IMO. I'm perfectly happy eating animals that other cultures consider sacred.