12 Things About My Dog

It’s Wesley’s 12th birthday today, give or take a month or two, with more than 11 of those years spent with me. So with that in mind, here’s twelve reasons why I love my dog…

1. I love that he doesn’t bark or throw ridiculous yippy fits for no good reason.
2. I love that he’s big enough to either wrestle or lie my head on.
3. I love that he’s the most well-traveled dog on the planet.
4. I love that he gets excited by every new hotel room he stays in.
5. I love that he took it upon himself to dive 8 feet off a long sea wall into the Atlantic Ocean to catch a lobster trap. And even though he was cold and tired and the buoy wasn’t moving, he didn’t want to give up.
6. I love that he made a B-line sprint hundreds of yards down East Beach in San Francisco just to go say “Hi” to the family having a lovely picnic. Sure, they got incredibly angry about all the sand and food and drinks and blankets tossed about in a fit of loving enthusiasm, but that didn’t dampen his spirits.
7. I love that he tirelessly swims after ducks, eliciting cheers from the people on shore.
8. I love that he totally freezes up and starts shaking madly in the presence of a cat, as if he got a short circuit and is at a complete loss for what to do. (Update: he seems to be getting over this a bit in his old age)
9. I love that he sometimes sleeps on his back, stretched out like a person.
10. I love that he doesn’t judge me when I’m being completely disgusting. And even if he does, he has the courtesy to keep it to himself.
11. I love that he’s totally unflappable. He’s happy to be or sleep in the strangest or tightest of places, just as long as I’m there too.
12. And I love that he brings a big smile to the face of everyone he meets.