The Cute : Daily Puppy & Favorite Dogs

The Daily Puppy can cure my sorrows almost any day of the week, if only for a moment. It's no secret that I really (no, REALLY) love dogs. If you walk your dog past me on the street, I am going to tell you that they're cute, guaranteed. I was super lucky to have a crazy pile of fur - named Quincy - to keep me company through high school. (I was a Quincy Jones fan at the time.) A tri-color Australian Shepherd, he had boundless energy and a constant smiling little face. He was awesome, and I miss him terribly. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of him, but he looked a lot like this cheeky guy.

Source: Just Dog

He taught me a lot about dogs. I took him home from our local humane society, and though we had originally stopped by to look at another dog, his happy face stole my heart. Young as I was, I just knew that I wanted a dog, what did it matter what kind it was? Boy, was I in for a surprise. The second he entered our yard, he took off and started doing laps around the house... and didn't stop for an hour. Welcome to the endless energy of Aussies. They are crazy. Crazy awesome.

Later, when I joined an amazing team of dog washers in Chicago, I learned even more. For instance: look at the first five ingredients on the label of your pet's food. If there's corn, it's no bueno. By law, the ingredients in dog/cat foods must be listed according to weight, so those first five tell you exactly what the main make up of the food is. Watch out for by-product meal and glutens. What's Really in Pet Food.

Financial straits and an effort to build a solid foundation for my life are really the only things keeping me from running out the door, right now, to a rescue. Whenever I manage to find my future slobbering furball, puppy or adult, that dog is going to be cherished. And that means having money, time, and training so he can be the happiest little dog ever.

Here's a few of my favorite dogs, and the ones I'm leaning toward bringing home with me in the future. Many are, ahem, wolf like in some aspect. Who doesn't want a direwolf?

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Souce: The Corgi Site

That's right, my love of cardigans isn't just limited to sweaters- dogs too! As adorable as Pembroke Corgis are (especially if they're name Ein), I really love the slightly bigger build, temperment and varied colors of the Cardigan. After Quincy, I know that I need to keep my eye on smaller type dogs if I want to keep living in an apartment, otherwise I'll need to get a lot of agility course training in. Which brings me to...

The Australian Shepherd

Source: JustDog

Probably the greatest dogs ever. They're incredibly smart, super loyal, beautiful, and constantly smiling. Also, they very much want to please you, and lack some of the stubbornness of other breeds. That said, they take a lot of work. They can easily become velcro dogs (following you around, all the time) out of love and boredom. All that energy needs to be used for something, and a walk a day isn't going to cut it. They also excel at agility training. But if you have the space, the time (or the sheep), and the effort, they're absolutely fabulous dogs.

The Keeshond

Source: Wiki Keeshond

Look at his little face! I'm convinced these dogs are made of half fluff, half adorable. You know what all that fur means though, you'll constantly be chasing little tumbleweeds of gray through the house. Be prepared.  I am a huge fan of most Spitz type pups, something about that curly tail, pointy face and rounded eyes. The Keeshond is one of two favorites. The other one is...

The Japanese Spitz

Source: Wiki Japanese Spitz

They look almost fake, with perfect snowy white coats and happy, beady black eyes and noses. Similar to The Samoyed, The American Eskimo, and White Pomeranians, they're my number two favorite Spitz.

The Alaskan Klee Kai

Source: piperbasenji

Basically a tiny wolf. {It's too much, their adorableness cannot be stopped!}

 Started back in the '70's by Linda S. Spurlin, the Alaskan Klee Kai came about during a search for a way to breed smaller huskies without resorting to dwarfism. These awesome little guys are epic mutts; Husky mixed with Schipperke, American Eskimo, and a few others that remain a mystery. It's the only dog out of all the ones I've posted that I haven't actually encountered in life... but the internet has been fueling my far away adoration for these puppies for a few years.

The Bullmastiff

Source: Wiki Bullmastiff

If I hadn't met a truly awesome brindle bullmastiff while in Chicago, I probably wouldn't even think to love this dog as much I do. This dog walked into the store with his owner, reared back and plopped his two giant paws on top of the counter as if to say "Hello, I'm here for my appointment. Can I have one of those biscuits?" He was adorable, huge, and wonderfully sweet tempered. Other than his entrance, (which his owner kindly apologized for, but I loved) he was a shining example of obedience, and gave many kisses freely. 

So there you have it! Some of my favorite Canis lupus familiaris.