The Art of
the Arf
May 2025
This month’s issue is supported in part by SF Animal Medical Center and dog lovers like you.
Welcome to Bay Woof, May 2025
The Art of the Arf
To dog lovers, few pictures are more beguiling than those of our favorite pups. Whether they’re captured begging prettily for a treat, chasing that #@**% squirrel, or just hanging out on the couch, these are images we turn to time and again. So it’s no surprise that dogs have also served as muses and models for generations of artists across the globe.
This month, Bay Woof celebrates the beauty of The Dog in Art. Our lead feature by art expert Galina Zhitomirsky offers a fascinating take on the evolution of canine portraiture, including a surprising boost from a royal source. Artist/veterinarian Dr. Ken Gorczyca introduces us to the growing number of visual creatives in the veterinary field. And trainer Sara Scott looks at the art of interpreting canine behavior through a new lens (is your pup more like a jazz improvisation or a living sculpture?).
Elsewhere in the issue, trainer Ren Volpe helps you make sense of your dog’s reactivity, while Napa Humane is feeling extra positive (find out why).
As always, Nose for News artfully wraps up the month of canine headlines. And of course, Mr. Smarty Pants and Red and Howling continue to anchor us, with clever tidbits and comic antics celebrating the everyday dog.
Yoda and the Eclipse;
Robbin Robertson Polter
Whether your pup is the canine equivalent of the Mona Lisa or more like a slash-and-burn abstract expressionist, their beauty is undeniable. Each one is its own unique work of art - and there’s room in our hearts for all of them.
Happy May!
M Rocket
Publisher, Bay Woof
cover: Foxhounds in a Kennel; John Emms (British, 1843-1912), Oil on canvas, 16 x 24 inches; photo: The Dog in Art Gallery, New York
This Month’s Bones to Chew
May Feature Stories
Columns from the May Pack
SF Bay Area Dog Park Map
