ohmidog!

Kudzu dog No. 6 is obviously squatting, for what we’d have to guess is a quick No 2.

(Tomorrow: Our last kudzu dog, maybe, a kudzu Newfoundland)

This July 7 surveillance video just released by L.A. County sheriff shows a 10-pound Chihuahua named Paco chasing off a pair of robbers at Ace Smoke Shop in Altadena, Calif.

Two masked men entered the store with an empty backpack and demanded money, pointing the gun at the cashier.

From out of nowhere comes Paco, barking furiously and biting at their legs. For a second, it appears the two robbers were so frightened they were going to leave without the money. But one, after initially retreating, grabs it before they flee, Paco chasing at their heels.

No one was injured — not even Paco — during the incident.

Paco, according to Time.com, was a rescue dog and has been with shop owner Eric Knight for five years.

Knight wasn’t at the shop during the robbery, but was proud of how bravely his dog behaved.

“I’m going to put a cape on him, I think,” he said.

Another good reason to bring your dog to the beach: They can chase the sharks away. At least these two in Australia did, with one going so far as to plunge under the water to give one of the lurking sharks a few nips.

The video, which has gone viral, was taken by this blogger.

Michael Vick appeared at a news conference in Washington today to announce his support for federal legislation that would make it a federal crime to organize and attend animal fighting events.

“I deeply regret my previous involvement in dogfighting, I’m sorry for what I did to the animals,” Vick, who served 20 months for dogfighting, told today’s news conference. “During my time in prison, I told myself I wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem.”

Vick was accompanied by Wayne Pacelle, the head of the Humane Society of the United States. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has teamed up with the organization in an anti-dogfighting campaign.

The House bill, introduced last week, would establish federal misdemeanor penalties against convicted spectators, and make it a felony for adults to bring children to such events.

At the Capitol Hill news conference, organizers played some local television news coverage showing illicit cockfights, according to CNN.

“This is what our kids are being taught, and it’s inhumane and it’s pointless, Vick said after the video was shown.

The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act (H.R. 2492) was introduced by Reps. Tom Marino, R-Pennsylvania, and Betty Sutton, D-Ohio. Sutton was at the news conference, along with Rep. Jim Moran, D-Virginia, who is among the co-sponsors.

Police in Jackson, Mississippi, say a woman took aim at a pit bull puppy she says was threatening her children, but killed her husband instead.

According to an Associated Press story, some witnesses told police that the pit bull, named Cocaine, had lunged at a group of children on Friday. Others said the dog was not attacking. In any event, Betty Walker got her gun and fired twice, hitting the dog once in the leg and her husband once in the chest.

Robert Walker, 53, was killed. The pit bull, 8 months old, survived and was taken in by animal control officials.

Jackson police spokeswoman Colendula Green says the death of Walker appears to have been accidental, but that a Hinds County grand jury will decide whether Mrs. Walker should face any charges.

The owners of the dog could face charges as well, police said.

Our fifth kudzu dog looks to me like a playful St. Bernard.

The trick to spotting kudzu dogs is to find a good patch and be willing to stare a long time, keeping an open mind until one pops out.

In addition to the growth pattern itself, other factors can affect whether you see a dog in the kudzu or not, including the angle you’re viewing from, the lighting, and how many beers you’ve had. It’s entirely possible to pass through an area at one time of day and see nothing in the kudzu, then return at another time, when the light has changed, to see many.

(Tomorrow: Pooping kudzu dog)

We interrupt these kudzu dogs to bring you a sad announcement from the beach: It’s time for Ace and me leave it.

I’ve always had difficulty leaving the beach — any beach. But this one, near Wilmington, N.C., is especially hard to tear myself away from.

The sunsets and moonrises, the refreshing breezes, the soothing sound of the surf are like a chorus singing “Stay, John, stay, this is where you and Ace belong.”

While I have renewed my offer to our hosts, Steve and Louise Coggins, to be their live in gardener, while I’ve again contemplated being an island stowaway, bouncing from one unvacated house to the next, while the beach still beckons, tugs and all but wraps its arms around me, it’s time to go.

But I’m sitting here for a few more minutes in Steve and Louise’s all but empty oceanfront house — they both having gone to work on Monday morning. I’ll just have one more cup of coffee while my camera, computer, and cell phone enjoy the same kind of recharging my stay here has provided me.

Then I’ll go. I promise.

I should also whip out a quick thank you note. That might take a while. Then maybe one more walk on the beach. Then I’ll go. Really.

As I can’t find a pen, this will have to suffice, and maybe they will happen upon it.

Dear Steve and Louise and Earl (that’s their dog, pictured at the bottom of this post),

Love, John and Ace.

Is he preparing to offer his paw for a handshake, or planning to jump up? This one seem poised for something.

I found him on the grounds of The Children’s Home in Winston Salem, which sports some impressive kudzu formations. This one was right behind the swimming pool.

So I chose the color of pool paint to make an outline around him.

(Tomorrow: Kudzu St. Bernard?)

This guy — even in his unadulterated form — seemed to be lurking, waiting for unsuspecting hikers to pass by.

But several of them did and he just stood there.

Perhaps, in my attempt to make him more visible, I made him appear more ominous than he really was.

(Tomorrow: A kudzu dog offering his paw)

I found this fellow resting not too far from the kudzu dog we featured yesterday, along the Silas Creek Trail.

He had the look of an Airedale to me — or at least he did until I trimmed him up.

(Tomorrow: A lurking kudzu dog, poised to pounce.)