Illustrator's Best Friend

So I'm sitting in my studio drawing up book covers, seacats, and hundreds of other cute little things. And all of a sudden, I find that I am distracted, because a 130-pound dog's rib cage just jumped in my lap!

My Newfie (that's a Newfoundland dog for those of you unfamiliar with the term) is a bit of an odd ball, and he tends to be rather attached to my heels. First off, he plays very, very rough! Second, he can't for the life of him control his own strength! Third, he literally sounds like he laughs in his sleep! And now, all of a sudden, just this past month, he's under the impression he's a lap dog! Which is quite overwhelming, because he's so heavy that if he so much as steps on my foot, I'm in major pain; now, he wants to sit in my lap!

I thought I'd show you some puppy pictures. We got him when he was only 9 weeks old and 20 pounds:
And then, he started to grow. And grow, and grow. Here he is at 5 months:
Notice the guilty expression! He's so huge and constantly clumsy, it's funny! But he's loyal, so we all completely adore him!

He's about 16 months now, and I don't have any recent pictures, but I'm sure you get the point! He's got big floppy feet, a BIG personality, an even bigger appetite, and he tends to give me lots of company! Which is tough when I'm trying to work ... but how often do most of us get to draw with a 100+ pound lap dog?

And, believe it or not, I don't mind that he's got another 7 months of growth!

Just thought I'd share!