My sister’s family debated getting a dog for almost four months. Her husband wanted something intimidating. Her seven-year-old wanted something fluffy. Her five-year-old wanted whatever the family next door had. They landed on a Beagle named Pretzel, who has since destroyed two remote controls, one passport, and a full stick of butter he pulled off … Read more
Last summer, my neighbor’s kid stopped a complete stranger on our street to ask if he could pet her dog. The dog was a Samoyed — white, massive, moving like a small weather system. The woman said yes. The kid sat down on the sidewalk and didn’t move for ten minutes. His mom had to … Read more
My neighbor James spent fourteen months on a breeder’s waitlist for a Samoyed puppy. When the call finally came, the price was $5,500. He wired the money the same afternoon, drove six hours to pick up the dog, and posted approximately forty photos to Instagram before he got home. No one who knows James was … Read more
When my uncle brought home a Rottweiler named Biscuit, half the family staged what I can only describe as an informal intervention. He listened politely, enrolled Biscuit in obedience classes before the dog had been home a week, and proceeded to raise one of the most even-tempered animals I’ve ever met. The neighbors never quite … Read more
A friend of mine spent the better part of three months researching dog breeds before landing on a Shiba Inu. She had a spreadsheet. Color-coded. Twelve breeds ranked by apartment suitability, grooming demands, energy level, and what she called “vibes.” The Shiba won on vibes. About six months in, she described owning one as “adopting … Read more
My neighbor Tom has a Bloodhound named Clive. Last spring, Clive tracked a dropped granola bar across three backyards, through two fence gaps, and under a garden shed. Tom found him forty-five minutes later in a compost pile, nose-deep, with the expression of a dog who had done exactly what he was born to do. … Read more
My coworker Rachel had wanted a dog for years. She also had the kind of dog allergy that announced itself within minutes — watery eyes, sneezing, the whole thing. She finally got a Miniature Poodle named Otto, ran an air purifier, and vacuumed more than she used to. Two years in, she’s mostly fine. She’s … Read more
A few years ago, a colleague adopted a dog the shelter had listed as a “medium mixed breed.” She wanted calm and apartment-friendly. She got a dog that herded her cats, organised her shoes by some criteria only he understood, and needed two solid hours outside before he was willing to consider lying down. Nobody … Read more