Doggie DaVinci's

Sammy, Major and Kayne are not your typical artists. They're not starving; in fact, their paintings have sold for as much as $1,700. They don't go around bragging about their success. They're also more than willing to demonstrate their talent in public.

...Sammy, Major and Kayne use their mouths to drag their paintbrushes across a canvas in random and abrupt motions. They shake their heads and walk quickly alongside the piece, drawing abstract images with their muscular jaws. All the while, their tails wag.

The "Doggie Da Vincis," as they are known, have gained worldwide attention since their first exhibition at Salisbury University's Atrium Art Gallery in Salisbury, Md., last year. While these dogs' fame is unusual, a growing number of owners are encouraging their pups to make similar creations by walking through paint and across canvases. The resulting "paw paintings," as they are known, have been sold at fundraisers, hung on refrigerator doors, or stored away as memory keepsakes. The divide between humans and their four-legged friends, it seems, keeps getting narrower.

Some owners believe art helps dogs lose fears and liberate emotions. "They are curious about the paint, the feel on their paws, and the freedom to be as silly as they want," said Ellyn Boone, a California artist who has painted with shelter dogs for more than 10 years. "Of course, some of them would like to eat the paint!"

Boone first discovered the art potential within her dogs after they ran across a canvas she was working on. Their colorful footprints sparked Boone's idea for a creative fundraiser. Her annual Paws for Love art show raises money for animal shelters by auctioning artwork she creates with the dogs.