I spend a lot of time thinking about puppies.
James won’t let us get one (ok, so really he is just backing up our landlady on this one… but whatever.) but that doesn’t stop us from chilling out in dog parks and trying to surreptitiously whistle other people’s dogs to come over and slobber on our hands. Saturday I was walking back from the bank and a sweet pudgy puppy got loose from it’s 5-year old owner and into a fight with another dog. People, I SPRINTED across that park to sweep up that baby pup and cuddled him for longer than was necessary before delivering him back to his owner.
I like to imagine what our life will be like, someday, with shaggy Grover Cleveland the Golden-doodle by our side and fat dour-faced Marcel Proust the Basset hound drooling all over the floor at home. Long before deciding to get married, James and I made a pact to name our dogs after presidents and authors. Truly Pivotal Relationship Moment, obviously.
In the absence of my actual dog, I have turned lately to cyber pets, and yes — I am aware that I sound like a modern cat lady. But don’t we all have a pinboard of fluffy friends for NO REASON other than to look through it on rough days? Studies do show that looking at baby animals is an actual de-stresser. People, this is science.
Currently, I am obsessed with Maddie the Coonhound. You might have seen Maddie around the internet, but if not…. where have you been? Maddie was a rescue dog whose owner, photographer Theron Humphrey, quickly noticed her amazing ability to balance on anything or hold humanlike poses with impossible patience. On his blog, you can see hundreds of pictures with great captions like “Here’s my number, call me, Maddie.” Here are a just couple of my favorites, because I did take a two hour break from writing/studying this week to look at ALL OF THEM. Take a break this Friday to go over and do likewise.
(All photos from the website, Maddie on Things.)
Are you an animal lover? Do you have pets? Or do you just creep on internet animals?
The Art in Life 
Hannah, I don’t read many blogs, but I love yours! It reminds me of the witty remarks you always made when we ran cross country together. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Abby — glad to have you reading! : )
Oh those happy cross country days!!! How I loved them… and how little I actually ran in them…
I am in love with the photo of Maddie yawning. Be still my heart.
I am pretty positive that Lexie could become the next internet dog sensation if you would just start taking photos of her in interesting situations.
tell me you’ve seen this… http://foodonmydog.tumblr.com/
While Tiger lacks the artistic presentation of Maddie on Things…. I still love me a patient animal overly photographed in any form.
I was never a dog person, but I am maybe becoming one for the sake of Dan. Plus, CORGIS!
So we have a deal that the size of the dog we can have is proportional to the size of the yard we have. Apartment, no yard, no dog. We’ll get to where he can have a gigantic dog named Ambrose eventually.
I think that makes total sense. We too live in a small yardless apartment and I want a big shaggy dog… but then I think about concentrated shaggy dog smell in our small space and I find reason to pause.
i wish my puppy would pose long enough to take cute pictures like maddie too!
Isn’t her patience unreal????
i have no idea how they do it! if i put a party hat on my puppy… she’d go around in circles until she’s destroyed it. so jealous!
I am slowly becoming a crazy dog lady walking around the city without being able to have a little fluffball of my own! I’m obsessed with my Shiba Inu pup back at home, so I totally feel your pain about having to use local parks and the Internet to get my fix 😦
Glad we are all crazies!
I am even considering trying to become a dog walker so that I can have more dog time. : )