Charl the Shih tsu at his favorite place in the world: the Oregon Coast!
I don’t think I have made my little buddy the subject of a post yet. I don’t even include him in many pictures, though he is never far from where I am. Unless I am going international, flying somewhere, he goes with me. He’s my road-trip partner.
A shih tsu takes on a concerned expression, worried no doubt that more treats aren’t in the cards.
And what a partner! He never complains or whines, even about my driving. He always seems happy to go wherever I want to go, and never makes me feel guilty about buying snacks and spilling crumbs when I munch while driving. In fact, he LOVES when we get snacks.
A little known fact about the old west that has been lost to history: shih tsu scouts!
He’s my little dog, named Charl, who I’ve had since he was a puppy. It wasn’t my idea to get a shih tsu. He belonged to my girlfriend at the time, and he latched on to me when I took him along on a trip to the Canadian Rockies with my other dog (a samoyed mix). He learned how to lift his leg when he pees on that trip.
Charl usually takes over my sleeping bag when I go out for those cold dawn photo shoots.
I didn’t even know what a shih tsu was. To me, it was just one more poor excuse for a dog: a yapper, an ankle biter. I’ve always had big dogs, dogs that could go skiing & hiking with me. You know, real dogs. But when the girlfriend and I split he came with me.
Charl checks out a slot canyon in Utah.
Now I’m a big shih tsu fan. They are without doubt the best small dog in my opinion. Perhaps it is his personality, which is uniquely mellow and quiet. When he was young he barked some and ran around the house like an idiot with his sister.
Charl is struggling in the snow because his fur picks up snowballs. La Sal Mtns, Utah.
Okay this is much better. Snow is too hard!
But in general shih tsus do not bark as much as other small dogs. All they really want is to cuddle, so never be scared of a getting bitten by this dog. I really feel it is ideal to have two dogs; an inside lap dog and an outside bigger dog.
Motorcycles are Scary. What a trooper!
When Charl was young, he went on many hikes with me and my uncle. He even climbed a few mountains. He could do 15 mile, 3000-foot vertical hikes. And that’s impressive considering how short his legs are. He’s always loved snow but it clings to his fur and forms giant snowballs so he has trouble walking. Also, he’s always loved the beach.
Charl the shih tsu, in the meadows along the Merced River in Yosemite N.P., stalks the completely unworried deer.
On on this last trip I even got him to run down the beach. He rarely runs now. He’s old (14) and sleeps most of the time. He gets irritated when puppies try to play with him. In other words, he’s retired. I’ll be a sad man when my little buddy dies. He’s enriched the lives of everyone he’s met.
Charl looking handsome after a haircut.
Looks like a character! The photo on the motorcycle is hilarious.
Thanks, yes he certainly is!
What a great little traveling companion Charl makes, so small and cuddly. And, I hope to travel his favorite place in the world, the Oregon Coast. perhaps later this year. My daughter lives in Bellevue, Washington which is nearby.
Thanks Mary. Don’t miss Sunset Bay!