My apartment building prides itself on being very dog-friendly.
Which is good, because dogs are friendly, so it makes sense to reciprocate.
My roommate and I do not own a dog. This is a shortcoming of ours.
Still, our neighbors (the dogs) are frequently out in the hallways, stairwells, grassy areas, etc. We get to know them in passing, often better than we get to know their people, because I’m a millennial and I’m sure as hell not making eye contact with a human being if I don’t have to.
Anyway, here are the best dogs:
10. The dog with the sloth face.
This dog is a doodle of some sort, but its face makes it look like it’s a sloth who has infiltrated the canine ranks.
It likes to swim in the pool. It is unclear if dogs are allowed to swim in the pool.
9. The dog who paces.
Our building is a rectangle, and our apartment’s on the inside ring, so while I blog, I can look out the window at everybody else’s windows and balconies. Across the way, there’s a balcony upon which a black lab-like dog often paces, as though he is contemplating something very consequential. His door is left open, so he also disappears behind the curtains for stretches, adding to the intrigue.
I hope he isn’t sad.
8. The dog next-door to me who used to bark every time someone passed their door.
A few months ago, we got a new neighbor, and this neighbor—from the sound of it—is a little dog. She’s calmed down, but for about a month she would bark every time someone passed her front door. This was awesome in its own right (it got all the other dogs in the hallway barking, which was always fun), but was especially great because it means she was sitting on the inside of that door, guarding it, all day and night.
Perimeter secured.
7. The husky.
We all know one, and this one is as beautiful as the rest. Large, even for a husky, and majestic, this regal creature can often be found sitting patiently, tongue out because it’s hot as blazes, smiling that dog smile. I believe this dog lives with the sloth face dog.
6. The black lab puppy with a white chest and paws like he’s wearing a tuxedo.
There are few things that soften a heart more than a black lab puppy—especially one with the little splash of white on the chest and the white sock pattern on his feet. But one of the things that does soften the heart more is seeing that same puppy carried across the alley to the grass because the alley is too hot for his little paws.
5. The well-harnessed dog.
I do not know if this dog wants to be my best friend or kill me, but whenever I pass it (usually on my way to the elevator, from which it’s returning), its owner holds onto the leash like a climber trying not to fall down the sides of Mount Everest. And at the end of the leash is a harness that was probably engineered by the Swiss for the purpose of holding back werewolves. It’s an impressive harness.
Dog seems friendly, though.
4. The three-legged dog.
I think she’s got a little pit bull in her (the dog, not the superstar), but whatever her breed and whatever her story, this tricycle of a pooch likes to roll in the grass with admirable tenacity. She is having the best day—a great day—every day.
3. The big ol’ labradoodle who headbutted me in the crotch as I was rounding a corner Tuesday.
This was a funny joke by the dog. Just ran around the corner and clobbered me. Anyway, it was a good greeting, and I believe this dog and I are now friends.
2. The dog without a tail that sprints up or down each flight of stairs ahead of her person on the way to/from the outdoors, then hits the deck until her person catches up, before repeating the process for every flight.
She is the mutt of all mutts, and is also the most excited dog in the world to be doing whatever she is doing in that moment. Which is very impressive considering how generally excited dogs are. She’s also disciplined enough to not let her person more than one flight of stairs or corner out of her sight. Really striking the perfect balance on all counts.
1. Franklin.
The greatest of all the dogs.
The king.
If I ever get a dog I will still like Franklin more.
Franklin is my next-door neighbor’s corgi (opposite side of the dog that guards her front door). He’s got the waggle. He’s got the smile. And he’s mostly black and white, with brown cheeks, giving him the not-your-everyday-corgi look the people love.
Franklin growls at strangers, but only until they pet him. He is very good at playing with a tennis ball. One time I saw his person outside grilling, and when he went inside for a minute, Franklin (who had been running happy laps around the pool with his little corgi legs) raced to the door, not leaving until his person returned thirty seconds later.
Franklin’s person does not know of my obsession with Franklin. I don’t think. Who knows, really. Would he be creeped out? Would he be worried about me kidnapping Franklin? (I would never.) The answer is unclear. But for the time being, I will continue to cross my fingers every time I leave my home, hoping on an encounter with Franklin in the hallway. It always might be just moments away.
