Dog Days of Summer Dog Tag

In celebration of The Dog Days of Summer, Jo's Book Blog and La La in the Library created a new tag and so kindly tagged me.  You know I'll use any excuse to talk about pups so I couldn't resist participating.

1.  WHAT WAS THE NAME OF YOUR FIRST DOG?

When a was a child, the first dog I really remember was a little terrier mix named Hobo.  We got him from a shelter and I loved that little dog so much.  He sort of looked liked Toto from The Wizard of Oz.  We always had dogs growing up.  After Hobo died, I was devastated so my parents promised me another dog.  We ended up getting Poodle named Pepe.  I didn't want a poodle, Mom did and I was mad because it was supposed to be my dog.  I often thought Mom loved that dog more than she loved me :)

2. DO YOU HAVE A DOG NOW?

As most of you know, yes, we have two.  Booker T is a 7 year old Boxer (and probably Bulldog mix) and Cassius is a 3 year old Brindle Boxer (our first Brindle).  We've had 5 boxers since getting married with the other three being Cicero, Barkley and Cooper.

Cassius the day we brought him home.

Booker T in Dad's Walking Dead cap.

3.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DOG BREED?

I guess it's kind of obvious that we love boxers and they are my fave. However, I love all dogs even though I tend to gravitate toward the medium and larger breeds.  We donate quite regularly to our local shelters though so I'm sure we'll have a shelter pup one day.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANINE-THEMED BOOK?

Garth Stein's "The Art of Racing in the Rain."  I ADORE that book and even have two copies - one was a gift from my husband and the other I bought because I feel in love with the cover.  I remember devouring it when it came out and I plan a re-read eventually.  Poor little Enzo made me laugh and cry and because of the racing theme and my dad racing cars, it made it an extra special read.

5. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FICTIONAL DOG?

 I love Scooby Doo and Mr. Peabody.  In fact, I have stuffed versions of both in my work office.

6. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE CHOICE WITH A FEATURED CANINE?
I can't help but like Marley and Me.  I saw it over the holidays when it was first released and had already read the book so I was prepared for the sad ending.  Also, I loved the movie Benji when I was a young kid.  I remember my Grandmother taking me to the next town over to see it on a visit once.  After that, it has always been animals for me.  I rarely even consider watching Disney films unless they are about animals.

7. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A DOG OR CAT PERSON? WHY?
Definitely dog.  I like the interaction they provide and that they seem to need people more than cats do.  They like human contact where cats seem to be able to take it or leave it.  In fact, you'll often hear me say I like dogs much better than most humans I encounter.


BONUS:  TELL US ABOUT A PERSONAL DOG RELATED MEMORY
I have so many to choose from.  My father passed 4 years ago and I remember my husband and I coming home from the viewing, knowing we had the funeral the next day.  I was a daddy's girl and an only child and I was super upset and super exhausted.  Mr. Barb suggested we rent a movie and have a drink so we could prepare for the next day and get our minds off things.  However, it wasn't really cutting it.  Booker T tried everything in his power to cheer me up. Finally, he had been playing some and was eating ice cubes and he walked right over to Mr. Barb's shoe which was setting beside him and immediately threw up inside it.  Then he looked as us like "I dare you to say something."  We both burst out laughing and to this day, we credit Booker T with being able to cheer us up that evening - by puking!


I tag anyone who wants to "play" along and complete this wonderful set of questions!