Edouard, the Market Dog

Meet Edouard, a year old French bulldog. He was with his owners, a young couple from Nice who have a stall in the small market that's near to the bus station in Menton. Don't be put off by his being on a chain. He is well wrapped up against the cold and fast asleep until I bothered him!

Learning to be a French Dog...

Who can resist a 3 month old French bulldog puppy? Meet Chica who is learning to be a real French dog as French dogs are allowed in restaurants - or nearly all of them. Vive la France!

Chica is seen here at Le Balico in Menton on Bastille Day. She lives in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

Elios, the Brocante Dog

Last Sunday - a very dull day but happily no rain - there was a brocante in Menton - this happens on the first Sunday in May every year with hundreds of stalls spread out through the town and along the promenade. People rummage through their attics and sell what they don't want - but also there are antique dealers selling their wares.

Little Elios, who is six months old and lives in Menton - well, he thought it the best fun to rummage in his owner's bag of toys.

Eddy

There's not a lot in the world more adorable than a French bulldog puppy! Eddy is 8 months old and lives in Menton.

Monaco Dog Show - a gaggle of dogs

Whilst at the dog show I had the good fortune to meet such a nice Italian young lady, Aurora. How pretty is that name! She's a professional handler from Italy, spoke perfect English, and she kept bringing more and more dogs into an empty ring for me to photograph - rare breeds such as a Pumi and a Kooikerhundje - you'll meet these dogs over the next days. In this photograph, whilst walking to the carpark I saw her with these five dogs - two Pugs, a French bulldog, A Griffon Bruxellois (that's the little furry one - front left) and a Petit Brabancon (also a type of Griffon - front right).

Do click on the link to see a photograph of Aurora on Monte Carlo Daily Photo today. And for Aurora's own website, please click on the link in the next paragraph.

As I wrote on Monte Carlo Daily Photo, Aurora is the best sort of dog handler, enthusiastic, loves the dogs yet handles them in a calm and professional manner. Hardly surprising as she's won an enormous amount of Junior Handling Awards. She also speaks perfect English.

At the circus - 3

As you can see in the photo below, this little girl was standing nicely with her owner until I came along and disturbed her. The humans, of course, are watching the circus. I think she's called Jane - don't you?!

Jumbo

I nearly called this dog The Metropole Dog because I met him in the Metropole shopping centre in Monaco, asked his owner his name and then promptly forgot it. Fortunately I bumped into her again at the cash desk in FNAC, asked her again and then wrote it down! When I first met Jumbo he was being made a great fuss of - and thoroughly enjoying it too. Isn't he a handsome chap?

Black and white

These two adorable French bulldogs were waiting to see the vet. Don't you love that they are looking in exactly the same direction and with the same expression in their eyes?

Athos

When I've the time I like to shop in Latte, which is just across the Italian border from Menton. There's a big and very good supermarket there called Conad and outside is a bar/restaurant. A good place to have a cup of real Italian coffee. The other day I bumped into this gentleman - it was a warm day (read hot) and he was a Hot Dog, even tho he and his owner sat under a shady umbrella. Some breeds, particularly bulldogs and pugs, find the heat difficult. French bulldogs do a little better but they can still have problems if they are not kept sufficiently cool and only exercised in the early morning and evening.