Bao is having his portrait painted.

I've wanted to do this for years, but I wanted it to be a proper portrait, an oil painting worthy of someday hanging in the AKC Museum of the Dog. Not just a likeness from a photograph, but a real portrait, something that captured the soul and quintessence of Bao. The trick was to find the right artist. I talked to a lot of people, but nothing "clicked". Then last spring I met Russell Recchion, a portrait painter who is endlessly fascinated -- as I am -- with light and texture.

We spent some time talking about the project. Russell has never done dogs, although he's done lots of horses. But he liked the idea, and Bao approved.

So here we are at our first sitting, for which Russell has procured a dark red velvet pillow, with tassles. The trick was getting Bao to actually sit on it. People sit for their portraits. Dogs don't. Russell took over 200 photographs, as Bao wriggled, sniffed, scratched and did doggy things for the camera.

It took over an hour, but we finally got a pose we liked. I think it's perfect. Now, Russell is working on the undersketching. I can hardly wait.