You made your way here to iHeartDogs, so odds are high you’re already a member of the Dogspotting Society Facebook group. If you’re not, I’m so honored to be the one to fill you in! Members of this group are encouraged to share any and all things dog with each other. As the group description says, there “you can make friends, talk about dogs and Dogspotting.”
Photos of adorable pups are circulated all the time. Last month Stephen Shkuratoff, a member of the group, posted a request for written descriptions of people’s dogs.
“I love being a member of this group! I am blind and was [hoping] to ask for [more] dog descriptions. Personality [traits] are more helpful than colors. Like how soft the dog is for example. [Bonus] as always for dogs full of kisses and snuggles. Thanks for making me feel included. [Hope] no one minds me asking for descriptions a lot recently.”
Absolutely no one minded. There is nothing a dog person loves more than an opportunity to go off describing their dog. Over 2,000 fellow dogspotters responded to Shkuratoff’s request with odes to their beloved furry pals.
All of the replies are touching. One commenter Jess Murszewski described her Boston Terrier’s little quirks.
“I have one dog. She is a Boston terrier named Mae West. Her fur feels prickly, wiry, and bristly. She is 9 years old and is so loving. She’s about 22 pounds which is on the bigger side of a Boston Terrier size. Ever since she was a puppy she would take a bit of blanket in her mouth and suck on it while kneading her paws till she’d fall asleep. She’s terrified of thunderstorms and will hide in the bathroom. She loves to cuddle. Every single night she will hop into bed and if you are already sleeping, she’ll gently tap your shoulder for you to lift the covers and let her under. She has never figured out how to get under the blankets on her own. She snores. She loves to climb into your lap and snooze even if she’s a little too big.”
With these stories and details, you start to feel like you know these pups even if you can’t see them. Some descriptions, like Karen Steffens-Trimblett’s, are extremely vivid.
“Duke is my first dog and was a rescue from the humane society when he was 9 months old. Now he’s 9 yr old, a pit bull-boxer mix. When I say I love you, he winks at me. His tail is long and it’s like a whip, you need to step aside or you get bruised. He has smooth short hair and floppy ears. From tip of his nose, to the end of his tail- he takes up 3 couch cushions and I’ve been sitting on a folding chair.”
It’s clear how much our dogs mean to us. We could draft pages and pages just about their petting preferences. Commenter Jen Fehr lovingly described her Rottweiller/Lab mix’s habits.
“I have a year and half old Rottweiler Labrador mix named Jax. He is really just a rotti coloured lab. His fur is soft and silky, it feels smooth and soft to pet. His fur is a little more thicker around his neck, which is where he likes to get scritchesand scratches the most. His forehead and cheeks have a bit more muscle than the rest of his face and it feels spongy which is fun to poke and kiss. I call him my meathead for this reason. When you scratch his armpit, he shakes one of his back legs. He absolutely loves cuddles and pets and shows his gratitude by hugging the arm of whoever is petting him with both front legs. Because he’s so big and strong, sometimes he pulls people’s arms down doing this.”
Overwhelmed Shkuratoff wrote that he was grateful to learn about so many good pups.
And the best part is there are thousands of stories and descriptions like these to read. I think all of these love letters should be compiled into a book!
H/T: People
Featured Image: @Stephen William Dale Shkuratoff/Facebook
Toledo, United States.
