Welcome to the Wednesday Dogs of Dogster! Every month, we ask our Dogsters to weigh in on a new topic. This week, we asked them: What’s Your Favorite Thing About Your Dog(s)? Here’s what they had to say:
Amanda & Subi
Subi has an arsenal of quirks, habits, and behaviors that I adore. If I had to choose a few favorites, though, I think one might be her inept attempts to ward off the mailman as he passes by. I am in two minds about how the mail carrier feels about it, but for me, it is pure entertainment. Before anyone says anything about allowing this behavior, she’s a dog so I let her do dog things. Subi has prime visuals with floor-length windows and almost levitates with the excitement coursing through her body. Arrhythmic tap dancing compounded with rapid-fire barks light up my house like a Christmas tree. Occasionally, I see her spook the carrier at the first window. Hilarious and the cherry on top. I’ve dubbed her the neighborhood watch because she alerts me of any and all movement. Passersby, birds, cars, leaves in the wind. Anything at all, Subi will tell you about it.
Despite being extremely food motivated, Subi is incredibly patient when getting treated to human food, and surprisingly, she is not much of a beggar. She’ll be in proximity but far enough away that her puppy dog eyes are almost undetectable. No whining or crying, either. She’ll wait in her space until you invite her into yours. However, she’ll snatch that food from your hands and swallow it whole like it is her job. Balance, I suppose.
Funny oddities aside, my favorite thing about this round little Chi is that she’s one of the most wholesome dogs I have ever met. Chihuahuas have a bit of a reputation, but Subi is certainly the exception to the rule. Although a bit wary initially, she gets along with everyone. Dogs, humans (adults and children), and even cats. Subi is easily excitable with the happiest feet, springing between still moments of her playful downward dog pose. Because she’s a rescue, it’s taken a few years to gain her trust fully (I am chalking it up to the baby voice that’s exclusively hers), but I am so proud of the dog she is now. She and I have the best girl time filled with belly rubs and trolling the neighbors.
Kate & Gizmo
My favorite thing about Gizmo? That’s easy: the pure joy he seems to experience while doing about 90-95% of his daily activities. Breakfast? Amazing, even better than yesterday. Running around the backyard? Fabulous, spotted a squirrel, sniffed every blade of grass. Morning nap, excellent. Mid-morning nap, also excellent. Pre-lunch zoomies around the house, always good to stretch the bod. And so on – whether or not we’re doing something new and exciting, he’s always there, looking up at me with a broad grin (yes, I’m anthropomorphizing, but I swear, he’s also thrilled).
My second favorite thing about Gizmo is how determined and creative he is in the pursuit of a good snuggle. When entering any room, he does a quick scan of the humans to plot his lap-and-nap plans. If you’re already sitting down, fabulous: he’ll take a flying leap and trust that your legs will be there when he lands. If you’re lying on the couch, same thing, but with the added joy of tiny sharp feet suddenly stabbing your soft bits. If you’ve made the mistake of standing in his presence, he will jump onto the nearest soft thing and lure you in with his siren eyes. I’ve very rarely seen anyone resist.
When first sitting on a lap, Gizmo will sit upright, with Downton Abbey-esque posture, and his little dangling chicken leg swinging down to the side. But when he decides that the room doesn’t need surveillance and it’s time for a full-blown cuddle, he’ll stand, take a couple of spins, and always end the rotation with his head nestled next to my stomach, neck and back held in the curve of my arm.
I love when he does this; it’s so sweet and one of his calmest states. But holding him there is also a workout for all of the tiniest muscles in my legs, arms, and back, on top of which, I do actually need to type with my left hand. So when I stop holding him at a perfectly comfortable angle, a lesser cuddler might give up and move to the comfy couch three feet away. But Gizmo is a master cuddler, so he’ll shift a bit to hold himself there, even clamping his legs around one of mine. When it’s time to stand up (usually 30-40 minutes after I first intended to), I say “Okay!” and he leaps off my lap, ready for the next adventure.
Meagan, Draper & Rue
My favorite thing about Draper is probably the fact that he has been with us through so many of life’s big, adult milestones. Draper came into our lives right at the beginning of the pandemic, and I think he was really what got us through the long, uncertain days. Instead of being annoyed that our days were spent stuck inside our little apartment, we were thrilled to be training our little boy and doting on his every move. Somedays I swear we didn’t even realize we were in lockdown!
Those long days (that turned to years) spent stuck inside together created a very special bond between Draper and me, which is actually my second favorite thing about him – his love and loyalty for his humans. Draper is our loyal snuggle buddy, cuddling up beside us on the couch or letting out gentle whines at the foot of the bed each morning so I can move over to let him curl up beside me (he doesn’t need to do this, by the way; he’s already on the bed with us. He is just a scaredy cat who won’t walk too close to the edge, so he needs me to shuffle).
He welcomed his human brother into our little family with open paws. From protecting my bump when I was pregnant to curling up beside the baby when we brought him home, he has proven his loyalty extends beyond just my husband and myself to include our baby. As our little nugget becomes busier and busier, Draper has mastered the art of dodgeball, keeping a safe distance to avoid having his glorious golden locks yanked by grubby little fingers. But he’s always on watch, ready to spring into action for some puppy kisses or crumbs. They say first borns are dependable, cautious and controlling, and I can confirm, Draper is the true first born child in our family. We often refer to him as “Deputy Draper” — a job he takes very seriously, barking orders at his siblings or us if we dare to step out of place. And despite his loud opinions (aka his barking, which happens to be my least favorite thing about him), Draper is our gentle, sensitive soul and my favorite 4-legged creature on the planet—right alongside his little sister and partner in crime, Rue.
My favorite thing about Rue is not just one thing but her entire personality! This little spitfire is fearless and loves to bully Draper, yet somehow manages to be adorable while doing it. She’s a master lap-sitter and loves to curl up into the tiniest ball behind your knees and hide under the covers. Each morning, Rue bolts to our faces, showering us with kisses as if to say, “Wake up, Mom and Dad! I love you, I love you, I love you!” She then jumps out of bed ready to rumble, attacking Draper’s ears and pulling all of her toys out of her toy basket, which often results in a game of tug of war with her human brother. After breakfast she will usually settle on one of our laps for the day until a neighbour walks or drives by and then it’s go-time, baby! She quickly pounces to the window to let the passerby know this is her house and they dare not come any closer!
When one of us is away from her, whether we are taking a nap with the baby or relaxing in the tub, she will make sure she keeps a close eye on us, running into the room every so often to bombard us with kisses! Every night, she eagerly waits for us to remove our socks so she can snag them and use them as her pillow, growling at Draper if he gets near, protective of her beloved stinky sock stash. Once she’s secure with her precious belongings, she finds her favorite spot to retire for the evening until we do it all again tomorrow!
Nicole, Rosa & Machado
It’s hard to list just one favorite thing about each of my dogs because there are so many, and they are ever-changing as we continue to grow together. For example, when we got Rosa, my favorite thing about her was her resilience and bravery. She had been through so much in her short life but she was still kind and gentle and trusting. She didn’t know how to play, so most of our early interactions included us reminding her that she was safe with us and showering her with love. When she started feeling more comfortable, she would give us more love than she was happy to receive herself, and that’s still true today.
My favorite things about her evolved to her silly side. Once Rosa knew the ball was for her to have fun with, we started experimenting with training commands. She learned ‘sit’ very quickly because she already loves to sit very regally whenever her name is called. We moved to ‘high five’ and this was hilarious and difficult for Rosa. When we would lift her paw, she would lose balance and fall over onto her back immediately. But, after 10 weeks of persistence, she got it, and I cried the moment she did. I have never seen a dog happier or more proud, she knew exactly what she had done, she persisted and learned something new, and from that moment on, we saw a new dog. We got to see the playful, goofy side, and I can’t get enough of that. While I still admire her resilience and bravery and know that without those traits we wouldn’t have our goofy girl, I truly love seeing my silly pup shine.
The over-arching favorite thing about Rosa, though, is her kind and gentle spirit. Whether she’s in one of her ‘cannot compute’ modes because she hears thunder, or her ‘let’s start a rumpus’ goofy modes because the sun has come out again, through it all, she has the sweetest demeanor and I cannot help but melt for her.
With Machado, because of his laid-back surfer dude mentality, we often forget that he is just as brave and resilient as Rosa. We don’t know much about where he came from, but we know that he instantly bonded with us and trusted us and Rosa and our cat Baby Cat.
Mac is the best little brother to Rosa we could have ever dreamed of. He instantly became a support beam for her to branch out and push herself out of her comfort zone, but he doesn’t give in to her all the time either. He pushes her buttons and runs away with a goofy grin when she gets grumpy with him when they play, takes a lap, and heads back and all is well again. The two together are perfect little peas in a pod.
I love the way Machado loves. His big heart is open to making friends with everyone and every animal, big or small. From the moment he met our cat, he was obsessed, always wanting to sleep beside him and keep Baby Cat involved in everything. Mac will sit outside and watch the wild rabbits and quails play, not wanting to chase them, he just sits calmly and watches. And when we welcomed our daughter to the mix, he became her instant best friend and protector. He must have known that she would drop human food (or hand deliver it directly) eventually. He played the long game and it paid off.
I also love that Mac loves to sing and talk, and it is hilarious. When he first moved in, he was terrified of the guitar. Now, we can harmonize together. He tells us when he feels hard done by (food is taking too long, food is not frequent enough, someone said the W-A-L-K word and isn’t acting fast enough, etc.). Now Rosa also loves to join in, but she cannot howl to save her life. She barks. Loudly. This is another one of my favorite things about her, while the harmonizing doesn’t happen, boy does she try!
I could write about my favorite things about my two hooligans all day! They are so loving and sweet and have taught me so much about myself and I feel so blessed and grateful to have them in our lives.
