Fred, originally uploaded by Phil Youngholm.

Chester, Kai, and I were at Point Isabel a couple of days ago when a woman stopped to ask if Chester was a Leonberger. We have no idea, of course, what he is, though we’ve always assumed he was part German Shepherd and part retriever. She pointed out Fred, the dog she was walking (who was in the water at the time, so only his head was visible). When he came out, he turned out to be about the size of Bear, and strikingly close to a grown-up version of Chester. He’s a two-year old Leonberger/Anatolian Shepherd mix. His coat is thicker than Chester’s, but he has the same build, muzzle, ears, coat coloration (tan with black tips), and feathering on his rump and tail. I went home and looked up both breeds. Leonbergers and Anatolian Shepherds can grow to be 150 pounds, so I’m hoping that size is one area in which Chester won’t take after Fred.