2009 mr340: onward rare west Tibetan mountain dog

The ashes of Trex, reknowned river dog, adventurist, mr340 racer, and Rare West Tibetan Mountain dog nonpareil, entombed in a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur were a stowaway in the 4th edition of the mr340. At sunrise Sunday they were released back into the river for a seaward journey of reincarnation.

new puppy names

It can be confusing to name your new puppy. I suppose there are rules, or more aptly put, guidelines. Shouldn't rhyme with sit, or stay - which might rule out Twit or Gay. Shouldn't be easily confused with common household items or drinks. That rules out Rake, Shovel, and Broom as well as IPA, Latte, and Soda.

One should be able to call the dog in public and not be embarrassed. If you're older than 7 you might want to stay away from Fluffy, Cuddles, Winnie, or Bubbles.

If you fancy yourself a macho dude and show up at the dog park with a Chinese Crested Hairless (flags should be raising already!) yelling, "Here, POWDER PUFF, here!" well, you only have yourself to blame. Opt for a strong, yet sensitive name, perhaps with an air of mystery. "WAR", although strong sounding, is still brittle around the edges. Some might get your subtle reference to the funk bank, but others might just see you as a jarhead.

Do not call your dog ROCKY as they are more prone to biting (Julie Chao, 1997 San Francisco Examiner); probably because they can't box.

Or TINKLE BELL. Unless you like dogs who wee on the carpet.

Or TOAD. Do you really want a toady dog? A better name might be THOR.

SAL is a name rarely used and could fit either a stud or a bitch.

If your puppy is feisty, then you might be tempted to go with SPARKY or SPARKS. If you're an indie music fan then perhaps just FEIST.

My new dog's name? PAPER TIGER.

r.i.p. mountain dog

Trex, the inimitable and indefatigable Rare West Tibetan Mountain Dog, has made his final summit. His demise, by a condition known as gastric dilatation volvulus, was sudden and unexpected. The happy-go-lucky canine confederate will be missed.

Born on M.L. King Day in 2003, Trex led a storied life that few can imagine. Brought to this country by Tibetan monks traveling abroad on a sand mandala tour, Trex escaped his kennel and sought asylum in the US. Then known as Banjo, he briefly lived an itinerant life, sleeping under the stars and hustling for treats and the affections of passersby until a band of late-nite lesbians found the furry plaything making snow angels in the middle of the street during a Midwest blizzard. Always the ladies man, when the girls invited him into their home, he blindly followed. Banjo soon found the vegan lifestyle perplexing and when opportunity arose, he readily agreed to being traded to an omnivore for a double espresso, a latte 'skinny', and a half pound of freshly roasted Ethopian Yirgacheffe beans. It was then that he changed his name to Trex - rhymes with Rex and short for T-Rex.

Never one to settle for 'house-pet' status, Trex interned for a mascot position with the Department of Interior. Although universally liked by the staff, he was summarily dismissed after 6 weeks by a cat-loving supervisor for being "too much like a dog". Like most everything, Trex took the news in quick stride and left without a whimper but not before leaving a robust shit in The Man's office.

Soon thereafter, Trex settled into his role as guardian of Warrior Ant Press Worldwide Headquarters, a fortuitous position perfectly suited to his demeanor since it had few, if any, responsibilities beyond hanging out and keeping a watchful eye on the nutty owner.


Although he never caught a rabbit, he was a friend of mine. Trex was always ready for anything; the first volunteer for any adventure. When friends and family said to me, "have you lost your freakin' mind?" Trex was there with the take-me, take-me, oh pretty please take-me tail wag. He never said no. Sleep under a bridge? No problem. Crash on a wing dike? OK. Sample a flash flood at midnight? Scramble up this scree deposit? Clean trash from the river. Alright. Impersonate the homeless or a seeing-eye dog? Why not, nothing else goin' on. Crash the Gala Gateway Arch 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark's return with a band of merry pranksters? Cool. Hike in 100 degree heat and 90 percent humidity? Walk in a blizzard? Do a 340-mile canoe race across Missouri in the middle of August. Go looking for the long lost Ivory-billed Woodpecker in an Arkansas swamp? Dude! He was in.

All he asked for in return was clean water, two squares a day, and the occasional biscuit. Pet his soft head and you were a friend for life.

Trex's mellow and good-hearted nature diffused more than one situation involving law enforcement officials, rednecks, and belligerent drunks. Had he not been there, the outcome for m.o.i. would certainly have been less pleasant.

Trex was a proud puppy with panache. Seemingly without effort he spent the bulk of his life doing the things that most of wish we could do more of: relaxing, playing, ruminating on the larger world, and keeping a watchful eye over those we love, trust, and admire.

Trex was by no means a perfect animal though he certainly had far fewer faults than his principal caretaker. Despite the tone of this remembrance, Trex was, and will continue to be, for me an animal. And in that role, as a trusted and dear friend and companion, this dog, like other animals, frequently reminded of several things that humans oft forget. There is more to life than work. Work is fun, but play is important. And whenever the little, inconsequential things in life would send me into a mindless cussing rant, Trex would come, lie at my feet, and give me a gentle look as if to say, "dude, I don't know what your problem is but you'd be much better off just taking a chill pill. Now. About that walk you promised me an hour ago. Let's go!"

Images, top to bottom.
*Type breed of the Rare West Tibetan Mountain Dog, 2007
*Interning with the Department of Interior, 2003.
*Trex looking somewhat apprehensive, late on day three of the inaugural mr340, 2006.

trex reviews: modern dog

Trex, the initable Rare West Tibetan Mountain, picked up a copy of moderndog:the lifestyle magazine for modern dogs, during a visit to the vet. He spares no bark in this review.

The mag had me howling for the moon. I mean come'on, Ellen? with her favorite bitch at her side. Who doesn't love that?

Although I did find the article "When Good Dogs Go Bad" a little over-the-top. Sure genes are part of it, but education is the key. I'm not talking the dog's either. Some of the people that call themselves pet-owners, don't have the sense to own a cat, much less a dog. And the article about reducing your dog's eco-footprint! Jeez, sell the SUV you dolt, and quit worrying about tracking my carbon footprint into the house. As my pal Triumph likes to say, "I poop on you."

sarah starr vs. the age of unreason

Your children often ask you to do things that you don't want to do. And you do them anyway. Because you love them. And because they ask. Things could be worse. They could not ask for your help.

My Darling Daughter Dora nee Sarah Starr, who as child I did my best to instill a love for dinosaurs, dinosaur fossils, and twenty foot prairie dogs wanted a tattoo. Of a dinosaur. On her arm.

It's not her first tattoo, which didn't come until she turned the legal age of 18, because as a parent, I had to draw lines SOMEWHERE. I had my reasons for the "not until you're 18", but don't recall them. They might have been reasonable, or they may not have been, but they were certainly parental. That first butterfly was later crushed by a robot and now the 'bot is set to battle the Age of Unreason.

I'm drawing different lines these days. Starr wanted a tattoo of a Tyrannosaurus rex on her arm, and since I have a Rare West Tibetan Mountain named Trex, rhymes with Tricks, short for T-Rex, and since I kept her up past her bedtime to watch Jurassic Park and Godzilla vs Mothra on late-nite tv, and since I'm the one who insisted we raid the dinosaur graveyard in the 110 degree South Dakota sun, the one who took her to see Cretaceous-shark's-teeth folk art interpretations of the Bible, the one who insisted she stare down the saber-tooth tiger... we'll she tapped me for the tat design.

And how could I say no? So I didn't.

Ink by Jason Strait @ Mercy Seat Tattoo.
Elsewhere:
mercy seat

hillary clinton and the cute tibetan puppy

Despite a growing of number of Democratic Party officials calling for her to concede the race, "for the betterment of the party", Hillary Rodham Clinton has vowed to fight on and even plans on releasing a new ad in the highly contested state of Pennsylvania that features a a rare,cute puppy from Tibet.

"Everyone loves a puppy" a Clinton campaign official was heard to say. "And by using a Rare West Tibetan Mountain Dog puppy in the ad, Clinton underscores her worldly experience. This could be just what the undecided voter needs to make up their mind."

no friend of mine

We note that those stodgy fellows at Westminster allowed the stately but smug Tibetan Mastiffs into the ring for the first time this year but still have yet to allow its smaller, more spirited cousin -the Rare West Tibetan Mountain Dog to compete. Maybe next year.

We also note that Uno, the beagle hound that won Best in Show, never caught a rabbit.

snowy day, mountain dog

It's true. Rare West Tibetan Mountain Dogs love the snow. Why? They're from the mountains of West Tibet! It snows there. A lot. And they love packing around on snowy mountain trails.

This spirited Rare West Tibetan Mountain Dog goes crazy when it snows! He's like a 10-year from Florida, rolling around in it, making snow angels, licking it. The only thing I haven't yet seen this dog do with snow is make a snowman. He can definitely catch a snowball. And he can pull a sled. And all he asks in return? A biscuit shaped like Frosty. Sit boy. Sit. Yumm. Yumm.

see also:
m.o.i.: rare west tibetan mountain dog

elsewhere:
the not-a-rare-west-tibetan mountain-dog web site

dinosaur among pampered breeds

Today we celebrate a very rare show animal, the Rare West Tibetan Mountain Dog. Like the more common Eastern Tibetan Mountain Dog, they are a tribe of Chow. The breed is distinguished by its wheaten color, gentle tail curl, and lack of black tongue. Working dogs with incredible stamina, strength, and spunk they are said to have originated among Yangtze River clans where they served as guards on fishing boats until political turmoil in China forced many to flee into the mountainous regions of Tibet. The remaining population of Rare West Tibetan Mountain Dogs is believed to be less than 500 worldwide (fewer than 50 have been identified in the United States). Due to these restrictions, they are not a registered American Kennel Club breed, but have been known, in spite of the Rules Applying to Dog Shows to sometimes appear at Best-of-Show conformational events.

We illustrate the breed with two examples. The first, sire Man O' Spondy Lus Gigas (lower photo), ring name Trex, (rhymes with tricks and short for T-Rex). The 4-year old Trex was born on M.L. King Day 2003 and exhibits the classic features and soundness of his tribe.

Boy-named-Sue (upper photo), the largest example of this breed known to exist, still displays the playful nature and working man's mentality of the breed. Sue, was discovered and subsequently rescued by a pair of observant amatuer anthropologists who were roaming the streets of Kansas City during a late winter snowstorm in search of hot coffee and a donut. Repetitive Polymerase Chain Reaction (rep-PCR) genomic tests were used to confirm that this was indeed a rare breed.

Future posts will explore this clan in more depth and detail.

m.o.i.: rare west tibetan mountain dog
elsewhere:
m.o.i.: hat's off
m.o.i.: 99 dollar brain surgery