He's dumb. He smells bad. He has fleas, and his medical care is driving you into the poor house. Talk about why you love him anyway.

(This can also apply to cats, children, or significant others. We're flexible.)

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

Answers

Well, Howard is obnoxiously retarded around other dogs. He want to wrestle everyone. But I love that, because that means he's a doggy dog. And that he doesn't know that he's middle-aged--over six years old now.

I love him because he'll check the front door for me. Because he's amazing on long car trips. Because I get to hug him whenever I want. Because watching him run fastfastfast makes this sense of freedom swell inside me.

Howard eases things between me and G, in part, because I'm not alone when G is working. In part because G doesn't have to worry about me being alone.

Howard gave me a focus outside myself when I lived alone. I ended up meeting and socializing with a lot of people because my beast.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

Awww, man. Your entry today really hit home. I got my first "real" pet for christmas when I was twelve. She was a miniature schnauzer named Schnucky. She was a total wimp. She was afraid of thunder and vacuum cleaners and fly swatters and Frappacino bottles. In the last couple of years, she was really bad about puking or crapping on the carpet almost daily.

When I went to college, she stayed home with my parents, whose dog she really was after a couple of years. But she always tried to go to my room in the morning, even years and years later, and she always came unglued wagging her tail and barking when I came home to visit.

She had bladder and kidney problems, and her heart was enlarged. My parents and the doctor finally decided a couple of weeks ago that it was time.

Damn it, now I'm all weepy at work. Anyway, I'm so sorry Doc's hurt, but I'm glad you aren't at that point with him. He sounds like he's really happy. I'll be drinking coffee out of his head in a week or so, and hoping he gets awesome toys.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

First of all, thanks for the Kong link. I've had a Kong for Syd since I brought her home from the pound (2 years ago April 1), but never realized -- layering!! I look forward to occupying her with that.

Second -- Syd is a smart dog. Like so smart I'd be in trouble if I didn't keep her trained. But it's the simple stuff -- like bringing me her bone and licking my face whenever I cried this past year, mourning the death of my mother. She makes me laugh, mostly with her insistent "smile" and her constant hope that I'd throw something because she could fetch it "really, really well Honest. Try it. Throw something."

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

This hit home with me today also. I haven't read Xeney in a while and was catching up. (The last time I was here you were on a break and it was just a weblog. Glad to see the journal is back)

But anyway. I have a cat. He's 14. He had some troubles. They did surgery a few weeks ago. He had a cancer. They took it out. Now he's on steroids for the rest of his life to retard any future cancer growth.

I know he's old, and his time is limited now. This cat is my first real adult pet, and I love him in a crazy way. I was a blubbering mess the few days I thought he would dry up and die of cancer. I've got a reprieve now, but hopefully he will hang around for a few more years. I love him because he is great company. He loves to cuddle and is always in my lap.

Here's to you, Punkin.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

I love Dolly because I waited 24 years to find her. She's my first dog. Ever. And two years later, I think I still love her more every day. I love the way she has to rest her chin on some part of my body whether she's awake or asleep. I love the way she shakes her head in disbelief after she sneezes and how every time she leaves her crate, she goes back for the same damn rawhide bone she hasn't ever eaten, just so she can spit it out at my feet or bury under the couch cushions and retrieve it and bury it again every five minutes. I love how she looks like she's performing yoga when she stretches and how she scratches her back by writhing on the carpet like she's having a seizure. I love how she loves popsicle sticks and microwave popcorn. I even love how she wakes me up by sitting calmly on my bladder until I have to pee so badly that I'm forced to get out of bed. Basically, I feel she's the perfect dog, even though she retrieves feminine hygiene products from the wastebasket, and no one can convince me otherwise. I'm pretty obnoxious about her. (As you can probably tell.)

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

Thanks for the Kong link. I bought the biggest one they sell for my puppy. I just wanted him to have a toy that he couldn't destroy in under 5 minutes. The pamplet that came with it didn't mention anything about putting food inside it.

I love my dog because he is always so happy. He's so happy to see me when I come home from work that his whole ass shakes because he is wagging his tail so furiously. He's big and sweet and loves to play and he makes it impossible for me to be in a bad mood when I'm around him.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

Aw, Beth. Man. That Doc is a trooper, and I love him probably as much as I love Zubie, or at least as much as I can love a dog I've never met.

Why do I love Zubie? Well, he's incredibly adorable as you can see here. He protects me from things like squirrels, the wind and gigantic Texas bugs. He thinks that he can fit in my lap even though he weighs 109 pounds. He's happy to see me when I get home, and he likes to lean on me. I can't really think of one specific reason, other than he's my dog, and he picked me. I had him and his brother to choose from. Zubie came over to me, sat on my feet and kissed my hand. He's my guy.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

I love Paddy the Whippet because he dances when we walk outside, his little butt springing up and down. He also howls at the neighbors who think he's a riot. He sits next to me on the couch and curls up with me in bed, keeping me warm in winter. All of this makes me forgive his occasional peeing in the house.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

I love Blake even though he's not a dog. Considering that I've sacrificed my hypothetical black mostly-Lab dog named Phoebe for him, that's quite a bit of love. I love him even though he snaps pellets all over the house, because he's so adorable when he eats with one foot in his dish. I love him even though he screams when he's alone in a room, because his attachment disorder means I never have to be alone. I love him even though he uses his reservoir colon (tm Shelleyness) to indicate that he'd rather be with Rich rather than with me, because when he does crap where he's supposed to, he holds his wings out and puffs out his breast feathers so you can see the seam that runs down his keel bone and announces, "Good boy buddy!" I love his maniacal fear of airborne objects (everything but clouds) because he wants to protect me from them too.

I am sorry about Doc, Beth. I hope he keeps being a happy dog.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

Allie Gator is my rock. She's my best friend. She's my little girl.

I love her with every fiber of my being.

I've been with her through ringworm, a car accident, a pit bull attack, arthritis and various tummy aches. She's been with me through absolutely everything.

I'm so sorry about Doc, Beth. He knows how much he is loved, though, and that is the most important thing. And it's obvious you know how much he loves you. My prayers and thoughts are with all of you.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2001

I fell in love with my dog Rumples the minute I saw her at the pound. There is nothing like a giant Basset Hound to tug at your heart. She has been with me thru college, bad breakups, and horrible days. She just turned ten, and today I found out they I may have to put her to sleep. She has problems with her back, and can barely walk. The vet doesn't know if he can do anything. I don't know what I would do without her. All I know is that she has given me unconditional love that I will never forget. What a great dog I have.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2001

I love my dog because he makes me laugh. He knows when I'm sick and stays quiet and becomes extra protective, always staying near and alert. My favorite thing in the whole world is our Sunday afternoon nap on the couch. He lays on top of me, all 60 pounds of him, his nose tucked under my chin. My back is so stiff I can hardly move when we get up, but there's nothing like cuddling with my dog. I often wonder if I would be where I am today without him.

Hope Doc will be OK. Keep strong for him.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2001

The dog in question: Roxy, six years old or thereabouts, a rat terrier/chihuahua mutt. She has a pointy little chihuahua face, but mainly she looks like a generic dog, only small. Brown fur, white socks, roughly 12 pounds or so.

We had Roxy fixed when she was still pretty young, and this has preserved her puppy-ish demeanor. Her overriding trait is that she's very happy: happy to get up, to go to bed, to go outside, to come inside, to eat, to sleep...they all make her wag her tail and jump around. Whatever you want to do, Roxy wants to do.

Specific endearing acts: lying on the back of the couch, watching the whole house. Sitting up on her ass the entire time you eat, her tail laid out behind her for balance. Chasing her tail for minutes at a time, growling all the while until she has to sit down, swaying, dizzy and frustrated. The way she loves children and small dogs but will bark at adults and big dogs all day long.

I love my dog.

- Harold wonderland 2 http://www.fukushu.com/wonderland2/

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2001

Beth, I am so sorry to hear about Doc. He is such a wonderful dog... my thoughts are with you all.

I love my dog, Wally, more than is probably normal. He is my best friend, my protector, my bed mate, my play mate. He sleeps with me at night, and keeps the bedbugs and beasties away. He makes me feel safe when we're the only ones home late at night. He lays outside the shower to protect me in the morning when I'm getting ready for work. He sings for me.

Given the choice of going out, or staying home with my dog, I almost always chose staying home.

I love my dog because I can't imagine my life without him.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2001

I've only had my dog for seven months, but it has taken even less time for her to stake a claim in my life. Here, it was my daughter who had trouble walking. She had an auto-immune response to the common cold which made her brain swell and caused her an unbelievable amount of pain. When she finally came home from the hospital, it was Kaiya that got her off the couch for the first time. She started crawling, so she could see the dog, and Kaiya protected her and nursed her like a puppy. Elle was far too stubborn and sick of medical professionals to let the physical therapist even look at her or talk to her, but it turns out, that dog was all she needed. She was up and walking long before any of the doctors expected her to be. If it wasn't enough that Kaiya is a fantastic dog in the first place, dog as healer and nurse made her even more special.

I wish I could send her to help Doc, and I wish that was all he needed.

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2001

Hi i think this is such a cute website, I have a dog named Ralphie and he is a pain in my butt, but i love him with all my heart, I love when he sits in front of the tv and watches the animal planet for about a half hour, I love when i hide and he goes out of his mind trying to find me and when he cant find me he howels, i love when he gets so exited that he runs through the whole house like a mad dog. I love when he chases my poor cat around the house, I love him when my husband leaves to go to work he jumps on the bed to be by my side, There are to many things about this dog that i love, even though he does bad things once in a while he is my purfect dog, this dog means alot to me because my husband bought it for me on my birthday which is also my dog's birthday and my husband saved this dog from an abusive situation, I love my dog because, there is no reason not to love him.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

It's that look they give you when you pat them on the head, or say their name, or give them a treat. It just melts your heart, and all the vet bills in the world wouldn't make you give them away. It's kinda like marriage in our house...til death us do part.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001