The time has finally come. We have made it. The top dog. I am extremely excited to share my opinion on this dog.

#1 The Mutt

You may be surprised reading this, but don’t worry, I can back it up. The mutt is a mix of everything. They have the absolute best of every breed and by far the biggest heart of any dog you will meet. A mutt likely has no single ancestor or family tree you can trace. Sometimes referred to as “pound puppies”, mutts are one of a kind. No mutt is exactly the same, even if they are from the same litter. Mutts come from all over, each one living his own individual life, drawing from numerous gene pools and temperaments. Growing up, my family owned a mutt. My parents adopted a dog about a year before I was born. My mom wanted to save a dog, rather than adopt one so she and my dad went to a local shelter. They fell in love with a mutt who was about 2 years old at the time and took him home a few days later. My dog’s vet predicted he was a mix of mainly a German Shepherd and a Collie but could not be completely sure. My mom named her dog Murphy, as his name in the shelter was Alfalfa. When I was born, my mom’s dog became my dog. He was my protector and my best friend. Throughout the night my dog always came with my parents to check on me when I cried as a baby and began sleeping in my room as I got older. We grew up together and were separated at the hip it seemed. My dog was sweet, gentle, so easy going, and my personal favorite model to photograph.

Me after winning an award for photography with a picture I took of my dog

As no mutt is ever the same, it is just about impossible to determine their average height, weight, life expectancy, coat type, or illness they may suffer from. One thing about all mutts is the same though, the deserve lots and lots of love.

Murphy wearing the medal I won for taking his picture

Though I am a firm believer no dog could ever replace the love I had and have for my childhood dog in my heart, there are a few Dogwood dogs who come rather close. A dog named Kona is a regular lodging and daycare dog. I have absolutely no clue what type of dog she is but she is however, she is a super sweet ball of constant energy. Another Dogwood dog that owns a piece of my heart is Lily Dugan. Lily is a dog that comes to Dogwood every single day. Her dad drops her off at 7am sharp and picks her up at 7pm everyday, like clockwork. She is a mix of a Pit Bull and something else nobody can seem to decipher. Every time she sees a new staff member, a tour go by, or someone she doesn’t quite remember she knocks over her food bowl and water bowl, causing a scene for absolutely no reason. Though she does cause quite a commotion and always makes a mess, she is very sweet and an excellent at cuddling. The last Dogwood dog that is extremely special to me is Bentley. Bentley is my favorite dog to bathe. His look is completely different than any dog I have ever seen. He has very short hair on his entire body, but very long, soft, curly hair on his ears. He is more on the reserved side, but can still have fun when he wants to. He too, is very good at cuddling.

Murphy & I in the snow

I would highly recommend adopting your best friend from a local shelter. Millions of dogs are unfortunately stuck in kill shelters and are put down when they are not adopted. About 30 million American families add a new pet to their families each year, a vast majority of these families adopting purebred animals, rather than rescuing. Even if a family or individual is not able to adopt a pet from a shelter, donations, volunteering, and fostering animals makes a huge difference for a shelter and the life of an animal. I was thankfully awarded the luxury of growing up with a rescued pet and would not trade the experience for the world. My dog was truly my best friend. Though I would love to own all 1o dogs I discussed in this blog, more than anything I want to rescue a dog and have my future children experience the same amazing things I did with my dog Murphy.

Thank you for coming with me on this journey. I hope it was a dog-gone good time & I hope I influenced your decision making when choosing to adopt a future pet.