This is Millie, a 9 year old labrador, with a world of soulfulness about her. Maybe that is shared with all labradors – I haven’t met enough of them to be sure – but I rather think it is something peculiar to her. I shall have to look into the subject some more ….

Well, after a dash of superficial research – to think, people used to take years to become expert in a subject – I learn that labradors are jolly good at many things, carting amongst them. This apparently means pulling carts loaded with supplies, farm goods, or people. I think it is considered a sport, though I’m not sure the dogs are consulted on that definition. Labradors are also said to have an excellent work ethic – this is presumably judged by those wishing their farm goods to be carted from one side of the field to the other, but are their ethics excellent in any other sense I wonder?

Looking at those eyes I suspect every single one of Millie’s ethics are. I think she would give her all for her owner – and that why her soul shines through those dusky eyes.

Or, like a dog of my close acquaintance, she might just be after some food. Here she is eyeing up some cake – it might explain those eyes. It often explains mine:

Off I set, with a strong background to balance a close focus on her face.

I had stopped here – thinking myself pretty much done, if not entirely sure. And of course, I was nowhere near done. Those eyes, if decent enough for most labs, couldn’t hold a candle to the real thing.

Back to the sewing machine, and …

Here she is with my own Jeffy.

If your pet has a work ethic so excellent they have earned themselves an embroidered portrait, do head over to the Commissions page and drop me a line.