Where Everybody Knows Your (Dog’s) Name

I wish I could say people know me around my neighborhood because of my sparkling personality and winning smile, but even I’m not that delusional. Cities are known to be packed full of people passing each other without making eye contact, but everywhere I go I find myself making new friends. For reasons I know all too well myself, dogs are an emotional passport that fast track you past many people’s sizing-up-a-stranger-checklist. Eko’s sweeping, happy tail certainly sticks in people’s minds. It wasn’t long before I became accustomed to hearing, “Hey, it’s Eko! And…and..what’s your name again?” Now with Penny on the team, there’s no mistaking us when we’re out. I can pretend everyone is excited to see me, but let’s be serious.

I never earned any “oohs!” and “ahhs!” from Emily’s mom, but again, I’m nowhere near as fun as these two!

These days my name is, “You’re the guy with the Ridgebacks,” “You’re the guy with the big and little dogs,” and for short – “You’re the guy!”

Or when Emily heads out it’s “You are with Penny, Eko and that guy, right?”

But I have to say, I’m quite happy with my title of “that guy!”

I’m not immune to this phenomenon either. I could rattle off the names of all the puppies in Penny’s class. All the people? Eh, not so much. It’s tough to focus on people when there are such cute pups around! And so I’ve proudly embraced my that-guy status.

Anyone else out there known around town because of your pups?

Side note: big World Cup day today, go USA!

Too subtle?