Cool stuff with your dogs portrait

Hi all
I have used a company called Zazzle.com for awhile as an easy way to offer merchandise with my artwork on it. The website allows me to apply any image to a large variety of products including T shirts, sweatshirts, iphone and ipad cases, coffee mugs, shoes, cards, postcards, stickers, skateboards and yes, even doggie shirts. I like this setup because it saves me a ton of time and energy that would be spent getting these things made. Also they can be made one at a time, so I don't have to have any inventory at all, Zazzle handles everything but the design and I get a check once a month. I make very little from the products, a couple dollars each, but I love it because it gets my art out in the world in a practical way. The products are great too, I have sampled most of them. Very good stuff.  You can even add text if you want, customize it. The only products I wont do are the prints they offer. The prints are good quality but I like to sign the ones I sell.
So if you would like any of these products with your dogs portrait on it please let me know.  I would upload all 150 images but that would take days. Please email me (wil@rasedesigns.com) if you would like me to add your pup to a product. I just ordered an iphone case with my painting of Shaka on it, Ill post pics when it arrives.

Tri Color Basenji Iphone4 Case

Benji the Tri-Color Basenji

Dena the Basenji

Indy the Belgian Sheepdog

Bella the Havanese (puppy)

New paintings coming right up, but I wanted to share this first. My sister recommended a book called "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Froer. I am enjoying so far and today I read a passage that really stood out to me. I am always talking about the frustration of not being able to effectively communicate with our dogs. Our girl dog Shaka in particular. She often is very obviously trying to tell me something. She will stand right in front of me looking me in the eyes, wrinkle her face into a worried look and whine. Short whines that sound like words. She does it so much I recorded a video and thats what I used to pitch the Canine Portrait Project. Observe...

Shes trying to communicate right? I also am always saying I would give anything for just five minutes of english conversation with her. Or with any dog. Five minutes would allow me to tell her I love her, organize a system of communication, (bark for this, hand signals mean this, etc) and tell her to try and spread the word to other dogs.
In his book Froer talks about this communication barrier better than I can articulate...

"Our various struggles — to communicate, to recognize and accommodate each other’s desires, simply to coexist — force me to interact with something, or rather someone, entirely “other.” George can respond to a handful of words, but our relationship takes place almost entirely outside of language. She seems to have thoughts and emotions, desires and fears. Sometimes I think I understand them; often I don’t. She is a like a photograph to me. She cannot speak what she shows.  And I must be one to her."

The collection thus far...

Jasper the German Shorthaired Pointer

Jack the Jack Russell Terrier

Kojak the Alaskan Malamute

Diesel the Beagle

Jables the Rat Terrier

Boxers, Breifly

So a couple of people emailed me to politely let me know that the AKC standard for boxers calls for as little white as possible on the dog. I was unaware and obviously the boxers I have included in my project are mostly white in color. I just wanted to acknowledge this for all the boxer lovers/breeders out there. I will do a fawn colored one as well, and I admit my ignorance not only of this breed but all of these breeds. I love dogs but I havent done a ton of research. :)

I sincerely appreciate all emails and comments, your participation means the world to me!!

Kemper the White German Shepard Dog, who I am happy to say is the 50th painting completed in the Canine Portrait Project!!

Tiki the Cocker Spaniel

Stella the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Tilly the Whippet

Bailey the English Setter

Brussels Griffon

River the Shepard mix