What's in a Name?


Sophie was born on a farm near Didsbury, Alberta where her chocolate Lab mother unexpectedly gave birth to a blonde baby with sparkling green eyes. Her Chesapeake Bay father immediately knew she was special and cast her off to make her way in the world
... and make her way she did.

Sophie Brador is, in fact, the über-famous
Sophina La Brador,
star of the foreign stage and screen,
where all the films are subtitled and sublime.

Her youth was spent nibbling the ears of some of the most dashing and daring canines of her generation -- tall, dark and handsome beasts who were also subtitled and sublime.
Frankly, without the subtitles, it is still difficult to understand precisely what she is saying.
Thankfully, her sultry expression says it all.
She is a star!

_____

But alas, tragedy struck.
Just as she was rehearsing for the role that was sure to bring her a Doscar, she tore her cruciate ligament and had to have major surgery to repair her leg.
She would never dance again!

Did I forget to mention that she was also
the principal dancer in the
Imperial Russian Ballet?

______

She moved to Montreal and considered a position as
Artistic Director for Cirque de Soleil.
But it would only break her heart to watch the others trapezing and contorting, knowing all the while that she had once been the best in the world.

Did I forget to mention that too?

_______

Alas, she has given up her true identity as Sophina La Brador.
She spends her days in Parc Laurier, subtitled and sublime,
as Sophie Brador.

All are drawn to her -- none know why.
They simply fall at her feet as she walks past,
showing their bellies and wiggling their bums.
Some have even tried to mount her.
Although she is a foreign film star,
that's going a bit too far for Ms. Brador.

Watch for an upcoming episode in which Cha Cha's true identity will be revealed.

The Revolution will be Blogged!
The squirrels in our park are taking over.

Being the quiet, philosophical type,

Sophie has been contemplating how best to
manage the menace.

_______



For a time, she considered the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" option
and thought a picnic might be nice.

_______

She also considered enslaving them ....

_______




or recruiting them for bank heists.

_____

OR, given their demonstrated speed and agility,
she thought of coercing them into athletic competition
(hey, curling is now an Olympic sport)


___________

In the end, Sophie has decided to stuff them and
pose them in dioramas as an artistic statement
and educational service.
The Museum of Natural History and MOMA have not stopped calling.

We expect you will be reading about this in the next issue of
Great North American Dogs
or Salon

______________________

Here is a preview of the controversial reviews the show is expected to generate; perhaps the most controversial being that the media and the show's curators will mistake the squirrel for a gopher. Sophie will remain undeterred, quit her job as a dog philosopher, change her last name, open a factory in NY, finance a band and a couple of films ..... well, you know the rest.


"So funny I nearly peed myself"


Awful or awesome? Disturbing or delightful?


"A must see for anyone who ever wondered
what a gopher would look like if it were dressed as a preacher"

NO THING!

Sophie is the happiest dog on earth today.

Charlie is an Awesome Dog!

He nominated Ms. Sophie Brador
for Awesome Blog of the Month.

WOO HOO!
We just found out and we are thrilled.

Charlie is totally awesome!

So, Sophie is going on the campaign trail,
peeing on every lamp post, tree stump,
and lap top computer to rustle up votes for
Her Highness, Ms. Dogginess herself,
Sophina La Brador
(see photo to your right for more information).

She also promises that, not only will she think
you are the coolest canine who ever lived,
she will also buy you a car
(filled with bunny rabbits, cuz toys, and marrow bones)

Sophie Rules the World
for Awesome Blog of the Month!
Cast your vote today!

In all fairness to the Thing

Sophie is being a little over dramatic.
Although Thais is a bit on the belligerent side,
she's not all that bad and even kind of cute.
Sophie is acting the toughy, but really, I think she's just
sad and confused that Thais won't play with her like
the poms at her favourite dog spa in Ontario.

I, on the other hand, have had it!
It would appear that Thing is hive-inducing.
That's right!

I've never had an allergic reaction to a dog in my life,
but this little Pomeranian is blowing her coat
and I'm up to my eyeballs in antihistamines.

She goes home on Sunday.

How horrifying is this?

The Thing does not leave the couch.
Man!
Even I don't go on the couch.
I can, but I don't.

I have no use for such furnishings.
I have my amazing bed, which you've seen,
and my box and my other almost as amazing bed,
and I don't have to put up with anyone hugging or kissing me.
If I go on the couch, suddenly I'm getting snuggled and
slobbered on by those annoying people.

But check out the Thing!

And it hates my dog walker.
Imagine!

How could anyone hate my dogwalker?
She is the single greatest human being who ever lived.
The Thing tried to bite her.
Imagine!

I should have taken it out right then.
Who would blame me?
I could have claimed self-defense.
After all, if she bites my dog walker,
I may never get walked again,
and that would just kill me.

My dog walker is going to be here any second.
Maybe that's my chance.

Dreaming

about how great it will be when the Thing goes home.

While Sophie contemplates how to deal with the Thing
(see previous post),
she asks you to please contemplate this picture of a cow.

Photographed somewhere in North Dakota.

Thing again!

Remember the Thing?
I can't believe she let the thing come back.

Sophie here, asserting my rights. It's bad enough that I have to share my park with every tall, dark, and furry. Now I have to share my house too? I let it know right off the bat that I wasn't taking any of its shit, and then I knocked it off its stupid little paws right in the middle of one. Ha! You should have seen the look on its face!

Well, okay, I didn't exactly knock it over. We were on our leashes and she was pooping and I crossed to the other side and my leash kind of knocked her over. But it was almost like I did it on purpose.

Rummaging through the archives
for adorable photos of the beast...

.... I found Sophie's first day with her Bowser Bed

She barely leaves it, even for breakfast,
and has actually been making some fairly convincing arguments
for why she should be catered to hand, foot and paw.
I never should have let her sleep next to the Aristotle.

Sophie is still on a brief hiatus,
which basically means that I can't find the camera.
In the meantime, please enjoy this picture of Sophie's sister Sydney,
also known as the Squid.



She was a super cool foster dog, who we ceased to foster when we adopted her.
She was of unknown houndy origins and was the cuddliest of cuddlers.
It's hard to tell in this photo, but her legs were way too short for her body

(I think Wally would have been proud).

I still have a hard time looking at photos of her without getting a bit weepy.
I don't think Sophie misses her at all. She's a heartless beast sometimes.

Sophie is on a brief hiatus,
while I attend to less important things.
During this brief intermission, please enjoy a photo of
two of Sophie's most favourite boyfriends,
Byron and Dakota.

She loves Byron, the little one in the coat.
She really, reeeeeeeally loves Dakota,
the Akita Husky.
He's a nudist like Sophie,
and I'm pretty sure he reeeeeeeally loves her too.
Sometimes, you can just tell.

P.S. That snow .... it's gone .... finally.

Are you my Mama?

Sophie's best friend Cha Cha

is many things,
including a great cook.
But what we don't know is
what ingredients were
used to make her.

Anyone know the recipe for Cha Cha?

Sophie au naturel

We agree with 100% of respondents who all say,
leave well enough alone.

BUT
while cosmetic surgery for dogs might seem absurd,
google it sometime.
Sadly, it's been happening for ages.
Ever heard of tail docking, ear cropping, or debarking?
Yup. Cosmetic surgery, all.

Confidential Message for Wally: We are investigating the logistics and marketing potential of bottling drool and are wondering if you prefer to be paid in cash or wallymelon for your brilliant idea.

Sophie's Big Dilemma

Botox or Nip & Tuck?

This was on the cover of yesterday's Globe & Mail,




and I can't help but draw the comparison.

Speaking of which,
guess whose coming to stay for a week,
in a week?

On guard, Sophie!

You Can Dance if you Want To ....

Here, Sophie dances with her friend Amiga, while her dog walker looks on in amusement.
Sophie put on her red contacts, just for the ocassion,
and she may have gotten into the Grey Goose too.

*****

This is where you can begin humming The Safety Dance by that fabulous 80's Montreal band
Men Without Hats
because I don't know how to link music to a blog.
(lyrics below for those who need them)

We can dance if we want to

We can leave your friends behind

'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance

Well they're no friends of mine

I say, we can go where we want to

A place where they will never find

And we can act like we come from out of this world

Leave the real one far behind

And we can dance

Woo Hoo

Every dog out of control

MENU FOODS


!! YET ANOTHER RECALL !!


http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/04/05/gluten-china.html


Does anyone remember just a scant few days ago
when these guys swore that
none of their other products were tainted?

Why doesn't this company just recall
EVERYTHING
they have ever produced, close their doors,
and quietly go out of business.

JUST CUZ

Cha Cha went home and Sophie can barely drag herself from her dog bed to survey the park across the street. Perhaps because it reminds her of the great times the two of them shared over the past few days.

These photos have been skillfully edited to suggest that perhaps Sophie had the advantage with the stick. But in the end, Cha Cha's skillful and acrobatic maneouvering won out.

Sophie's 2-cents: Friends let friends win.
Another 2-cents: I just didn't care about the stick that much.
Another 2-cents: Had we been in the off-leash part of the park, I would have kicked her skinny ass with one paw tied behind my butt.

Total sense: 6

Un Autre Chien Extraordinaire

Now this one is a bit of an April Fool's Joke. I couldn't resist.

Cha Cha is staying with us for a few days while her owner galivants around Paris, drinking French wine and strolling along des Champs-Elysées. We do hope there is no miming activity going on ... Cha Cha would be so embarrassed.



Despite her fun-loving appearance, Cha Cha can be very serious at times. Here, she is trying to reason with me about removing the groceries from the back of the car. She just doesn't think it's a good idea. Certainly not while she can watch over them for me.

As you peruse this image of Cha Cha in full "I implore you" mode, keep in mind that she is standing on Sophie, who is lying down on the back seat of the car.
For those of you considering a Subaru Hatchback, I strongly suggest the handy dandy thingy that you pull across the back of the hatch to keep Cha Cha's like this from guarding the groceries too intently. Dogs tend to take these duties very seriously and the stress can often be too much for them.



Although the darling Sophie is quite dismayed by both Cha Cha's youth and her furry leavings on the front seat, she loves Cha Cha and has decided to keep her. I'm not sure she cares that Cha Cha's owner may want her back. She expressed this to me through mime only a few minutes ago. Sorry, no photos.

Un Chien Extraordinaire!

Disclaimer: this post is NOT an April Fool's joke. We love Tadpole!

Dog Friendly New England?

Can anyone recommend a Sophie-friendly get-away in New England or upstate New York? We would love nothing more than a cottage in the woods, on the ocean or the side of a mountain. A spa next door would be even better, but just a relaxing get-away is all we really need.

Sophie seems to need it too. She's been looking a little stressed after a long winter of recovering from surgery, organizing toys, and monitoring election results.

AND THE WINNER IS....

Variously described as "a weirdo", "a clown", and "just plain scary", Guy #2 reigns victorious. Despite the fact that his "hair is kinda funny," Quebecers voted him in for a second term, with Guy #3 trailing closely behind.

Guy #1, most popular amongst bloggers, described as "hot" by at least one, and considered most likely to hand out cookies, crashed, burned, and will soon be looking for a job.

Hmmmmm. I'm not sure what this all means. Sophie will be analyzing the results over the next four years and will get back to you.