It has been said that “no life is complete without a dog.”  If you have a favorite dog companion, then you are surely a lucky human being.

For an artist, dogs come in a bewildering number of shapes, sizes and colors.  The one thing they have in common, though, is that incredible canine personality.  While no two dogs have the same personality, their love of human beings makes them a joy to portray.

Dogs give us friendship and companionship when we need it the most.  The unconditional love from a dog is incredibly important to everyone who cares for them.  Many dogs have very important working lives:  there are police dog crime fighters, search and rescue dogs and personal aid dogs that do very important jobs.  And then, there are those whose sole purpose in life is to love us and make us happy.

An ancient legend says that in the beginning all animals lived peacefully with humans.  Then, because humans began behaving badly, they were separated from the animals.  But, there came a day when the dog made a huge leap over to the side of the humans.  Thus began one of the greatest friendships of all time.  The love between people and dogs is profound and deep.  Time and again, dogs have risked everything for their humans.

It is important to only adopt from a registered kennel and especially not from backyard dog breeders or puppy mills.  The pain and misery those unscrupulous people inflict on dogs in incalculable.  There are many fabulous mutts and purebred dogs waiting in shelters hoping you will invite them to become beloved members of your family.  If you adopt a dog from a shelter, you will enjoy a loyal companion like no other.  You are key in reducing the number of homeless dogs by having your dog spayed or neutered.  We have a responsibility to take care of our dog companions.  After all, they would give their lives for us.

Sherry Dole prefers to portray dogs in leisure pursuits from cottage to castle.  The wit and wisdom portrayed by the dogs in her Giclee‘ prints lets us see into the world of dogs most humans cannot even imagine.

“A dog is the only thing on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” — Josh Billings

“The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too.” — Samuel Butler