CANINE CHRONICLES
MY DOG IS MY
CO-PILOT
As a female Episcopal priest who wears a clerical collar , I often get asked the question , “ What are you ?” A question to which most people feel the need to answer for themselves before I can even open my mouth . So , it doesn ’ t surprise me when people look at my furry companion and ask , “ What is he ?” Why is it that people always assume that a dog is a he and a cat is a she ? But that is a question for another day . The one thing I know for sure about my dog is that “ he ” is a “ she .”
“ What is she ?” The answer I give —“ Winnie Lew is 100 % dog ”— never seems to satisfy the inquiring mind that wants to know . But that ’ s what she is — 100 % dog and 100 % good girl . Winnie Lew , however , is much more than that . She is a walking , shedding , cuddling embodiment of “ wag more , bark less .” She is a smallish dog , about 20 pounds . And while all the regular dog features are there , Winnie Lew looks a bit like a dog that was created by committee . She ’ s longer than she is tall , and she sports just about every type of dog fur that a canine can have . Short in some places , long in some places , curly in some places , and straight in others . Her tail and backside sport a brilliant plume of long fluffiness that doesn ’ t remotely resemble any other part of her . People often comment she is about the softest dog they have ever petted . Winnie Lew is certain that her coat , when furminated and clean , is her best feature , and she proudly prances around post-bath to show it off and will plop in anyone ’ s lap to be appropriately adored for it .
But back to what she is . The official answer would be mutt or mixed breed . Winnie Lew was my COVID rescue pup who was described as a Pekingese / Pug mixture by the shelter . As a former owner of a Pug , I knew with all certainty the first time I laid on eyes on her there was 0 % Pug in her . Not sure how they decided on that description . When people meet her , in true Family Feud fashion , they want to give their top five answers as to what she is . And the answers are all over the board . “ She reminds me of my Shih Tzu .” “ I once had a Pomeranian with a tail like that .” “ She some kind of terrier . Definitely , a terrier .”
Eventually , not being able to accurately answer was driving me nuts . So , I downloaded a dog breed identifier app for my phone . The Dog Identifier told me to varying degrees that she was a Cocker Spaniel , Chihuahua , and German Shepherd , depending on what photo I uploaded . Winnie Lew and I both decided that having an app that appeared to also be answering in Family Feud fashion was not helpful .
Finally , in a worn-down state , I ordered a doggie DNA test , not that I had a great deal faith in the reliability of it either . But I knew that companies were always updating their databases , so I figured it was my best shot to find out “ What is she ?”
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