The Kate Keeper: The D Club (and Welcome Back!)

I like dogs as much as Ron Swanson likes bacon, maybe more. So naturally I like taking pictures of dogs, to savor the excitement and revisit them later. And don't even get me started on dog parks. Best invention ever. I'd like to thank Leslie Knope for that idea. Who else could it be?

So as an intro to my revamped blog, I wanted to introduce you to my favorite dogs. I will tell you ahead of time that I do indeed know of some these dogs in real life. (Collective inhale.) With some, I'm on nickname basis. Others are dogs I have socialized with, near or around. No matter my relation, however, I hope you enjoy what I'm calling...

The D Club

Bella Lucinda/Louis Speilberg

I start with the pup dearest to my heart, Bella Lu (Louis Speilberg, Belly, Lucinda, Lulu). Bella is sassy and cuddly and quite laid back for being a Little Dog, all of which makes up for the fact that her face is squished and her eyes look like they might pop out of her skull if she sneezes too hard. My favorite thing Bella does is the way she greets you when you walk in the door. When she sees you, she starts to charge your way in an excited gait, and then, right before she gets to you, she flips over onto her back mid-stride, sliding beneath you in perfect belly rub position, as if saying "You're home! And, I know you've been waiting all day to pet my belly."

Bella in proper belly rub form.

Coco & Woofy Komaiko

Coco and Woofy Komaiko are sisters by association, not by biology, and man what a ruckus these two make. The Komaiko family (Jordan's sister, her husband and two darling kiddos) rescued Coco last year and brought her home to Woofy, the mini Schnauzer. Like something out of a rom-com, these two were best dog friends since first sight. Together they've eaten bags of Halloween candy (and subsequently gotten their stomaches pumped), and made a habit out of snuggling on the couch. But the best thing these two have contributed to our weekly Wednesday night dinners is entertainment in the form of what we call Wrestlemania. Woofy and Coco rarely tire of wrestling with each other, and when they're wrestling, it's hard to tell tail from head. Like a blonde and gray yin and yang tumbleweed, they make their way around the house growling and biting each other (with love).

Coco & Woofy Komaiko

Working dogs

An outstanding job perk for a dogless girl like me is a dog-friendly office like the one I work in. In the interest of savoring my professional relationships by not going into detail about how much satisfaction I get when other people bring their dogs to work, I will let this photo of Noe the Labradoodle and Riley the Lab mix speak for itself.

Chewbacca the (Crazy/Happy) Golden Retriever

This smiley golden ball of love came into my life last weekend. I won't say we know each other well, but we did snuggle on the couch (read: Chewbacca jumped on my lap, attempted to lick my chapstick off my lips and then hastily made his way to his owner) at a birthday party last weekend. I didn't say he was a gentlemen, but I had to include him on the list, because look at his face! And because Golden Retrievers are my favorite.

Neighbor dogs

These three King Charles Cavaliers live a few houses down from me and they can be admired laying out on their driveway sunbathing while their retired parents garden and enjoy their yard. I had the pleasure of meeting them one morning when Bella was in town. I only remember that one of them is named Pollyanna.

Bella meeting the Canon Drive King Charles Cavalier posse.

Pippa Kimball

My mom will kill me if I don't include a blurb on her other dog, Pippa (Bella's roommate.) I say roommate, because unlike Woofy and Coco Komaiko, Bella and Pippa do not have a happily ever after-themed friendship story. In short, they're not friends. And while Pippa has a mind of her own, she can be quite snuggly and cute when she wants to be, so we love her all the same.

Pippa Kimball at work.

Dogs I Don't Know But Have Seen (or Pictures of Dogs Sent to Me Electronically)

I'm fortunate to have two dog-crazy sisters and a sweet boyfriend, all of whom send me pictures of dogs on the reg. Here's a collage of my favorite ones from the last week.