December 6, 2006

"To some people in the office I could be considered borderline tragic."

"I figure life is short, so why not enjoy the frivolous, ridiculous side of it."

Hmmm.... maybe I need a lap dog.
I could sneak it into cafés, stow it under my desk in the office, prop it up on the lectern during class... don't we want doggies everywhere? As long as they're tiny.

13 comments:

James said...

And quiet. Quiet is good.

Kurt said...

I wish I could take my dog everywhere with me. But, alas, she is big--a retriever mix. But she is sweet and mostly quiet, and she's much more of a dog's dog then those little things that the women profiled in this article like to carry around everywhere with them in bags.

Beth said...

Two high-ranking faculty I'm acquainted with bring their little dachshunds to school frequently. Mostly, they keep to the office, but the little guys have made an appearance in class occasionally. Oh well. I brought my little weinie dog to office hours during his first few months; he'd sleep on my desk. I still bring my larger dog with me when I come in on weekends. It's lonely in the office and computer labs, and I appreciate the security.

They come with me wherever they're allowed; some restaurants with outdoor tables are accomodating, right down to bringing out a little dish of water. Pet shops are always welcoming. There are a few bars where they're welcome, too. Not the kinds of places to get a fancy martini, though.

I'm just not sure the people in this article really like dogs for being dogs. I'm not into my dog as an accessory, but if were allowed, I'd be one of those people who take their dogs everywhere, tiny and big.

Meade said...

Lap squirrels are even tinier.

tjl said...

"I'm just not sure the people in this article really like dogs for being dogs."

If the women profiled in the NYT article really loved their dogs as dogs, they wouldn't treat them like some inert decorative appendage. A dog has its own instinctive needs and drives, which can't be satisfied while being carried in a bag.

That said, my Westie, Blanche, is the ideal travel size -- small enough to fit under the seat for in-cabin airline travel, big enough to have her own presence.

LoafingOaf said...

*sigh* A dog is not an "it," even though this article is about people who treat them that way: “I think of them as a handbag with a heartbeat,” said Robin Bowden, a vice president of Prudential Douglas Elliman, a real estate company in Manhattan.

Ugh.

Anonymous said...

There was an English course when I was in college about "Man's best friend", and the professor had a warning on the course description that his furry friend would be a 'co-lecturer'.

So a law course on canines and the constitution would be the perfect excuse . . .

But if you get a dog, get a dawg, no dog under 50 lbs. full grown should be considered.

LoafingOaf said...

But if you get a dog, get a dawg, no dog under 50 lbs. full grown should be considered.

My fave small dog is the miniature schnauzer, which was my childhood dog. They're small but they think they're big! Don't think they'd take to being a fashion accessory. Next I had a large standard poodle (without the silly hairstyle). I choose dogs - big or small - that are brainy and don't shed.

Badger Down Under said...

I take my dog -- a golden retriever standard poodle mix -- into class once or twice a year. The students go crazy over her, and the funny thing is that it's common for some to get teary, especially freshmen. They miss mom and dad, usually, but they really miss their dogs.

Bruce Hayden said...

You just need some sort of ADA type justification for having the dog around. Shouldn't be that hard, just have some of those law students who are into this sort of law figure out some way that will work, and then get a willing doctor to sign off on it.

tjl said...

"You just need some sort of ADA type justification for having the dog around."

Bruce, you must have missed the unforgettable thread on doctor-certified Emotional Support Animals.

howzerdo said...

My sister has a teacup poodle that she takes (almost) everywhere. She doesn't consider it a fashion accessory, she just loves little poodles. I would take my 50 pound hounds with me everywhere if I could, and I don't mind at all when other people do. Big, medium or small, dogs rule. (And I am not completely dogcentric; I like cats and other animals just fine. It's some people who need improvement.)

Beth said...

As much as I enjoy having my pups with me, I can't say I ever want to repeat our Katrina evacuation. We spent months away from home, and far too many miles on the road in a PT Cruiser with thre rear seats removed. Half the back was taken up by a dog crate serving as a kittie condo, the other half by the two dogs. One cat liked swatting the dogs through the bars of the crate. I love them, but they were ever with us, with no break.