Top Dogs of 2019
(note: all images link out to their sources. be sure to click *display images*)
Hi. Sup. 2019 has been demolished. Officially cancelled. In these glorious initial moments when a new year dawns and you may be off in your own little world, I invite you to give in to one more flight of fancy and enjoy reflecting on the year's top dogs.
(No, we're not here to talk about top cats—though it's this one—or top humans—though this kind soul who made a Stick Library is pretty cool.)
Dogs in 2019 saw things we didn't. They rode the subway. They were round. They had chance meetings with a new crush. The had partners in crime and pranced the joyous prance of theft. They sometimes bit off more than they could chew, sure, but we respect the hustle. They were drama queens and sheep guards and good bystanders. And whether the floor was lava, water was lava, or security was a farce, doggos could be relied on to supply a perfect image.
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First a few important dogvelopments.
We missed reporting on this last year, but belated congratulations are in order to Bounce, our good friend/patron saint, who got promoted from to Spokesdog (from just "Dog").
H/t Rituparna Chatterjee to for pointing this out.
Stay sharp.
Oh.
Meanwhile, in nightmares.
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Now: the Top Dogs!
17. Finley, this Norrbottenspets I had a connection with at Meet The Breeds last February.
This was the best day of my life, and a great excuse to revisit this masterpiece.
(I wasn't even looking for a mate.)
16. The subjects of photographer Winnie Au's Cone of Shame project
The series aims to "highlight and help raise money for rescue dogs who need surgeries." <3
15. Land dolphins
14. Dodger in a sweater (*sweater*)
13. Captain, inexplicable chicken-pointer
Those chickens know what they did.
12. This dog who is probably an NPR sustaining member
11. King, a wire fox terrier who won the Westminster Dog Show and then went on the news.
The entire interview is wild!!!
10. The dog who thought this box contained a rude surprise
9. The dogs (and their human baby pal) who like to carry things
8. ASMR Bear
(click through, *SOUND ON*)
7. Doggy Parton, as featured in "9 To 5"
(click through, *SOUND ON*)
6. Egg boi
5. This dog who forgot how to dig a hole
4. Dog who definitely does not know what happened to the cookies
3. Rose: chaos reigns
(click through, *SOUND ON*)
You absolutely need to watch until the very end.
You absolutely need to watch until the very end.
2. This dog who absolutely refused to participate in a late night TV gag that required it to wear a fake beard
(click through, *SOUND ON*)
1. KRATU
(click through, *SOUND ON*)
Kratu, man. No dog has made me cry more tears of laughter this year than ol' Kratu.
He's a Romanian rescue who ran the agility display in Crufts, a British dog show.
Maybe "ran" is too strong. He basically did whatever the hell he wanted.
Crowd work.
Fake outs.
Tube hangs.
“There is actually a proper route that they are supposed to take. And Kratu is not taking it.”
“They did some training to show what one of these rescue dogs can do. And this can do all sorts. Except it can’t follow instructions.”
This was actually Kratu's second time in the agility display, the first time was in 2018. I'm so glad 2019 was no different! Kratu please never learn!
I LOVE YOU KRATU
He's a Romanian rescue who ran the agility display in Crufts, a British dog show.
Maybe "ran" is too strong. He basically did whatever the hell he wanted.
Crowd work.
Fake outs.
Tube hangs.
“There is actually a proper route that they are supposed to take. And Kratu is not taking it.”
“They did some training to show what one of these rescue dogs can do. And this can do all sorts. Except it can’t follow instructions.”
This was actually Kratu's second time in the agility display, the first time was in 2018. I'm so glad 2019 was no different! Kratu please never learn!
I LOVE YOU KRATU
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That's it! I tend to pick internet dogs that I don't know personally for this list (so as not to play favorites), but I want to shout out to the dogs I know IRL or almost-IRL, including but not limited to Valerie Valentine, Rosey, Ava, Smokey, Blue, Taco, Olive, Sake, Doctor Waffles, Oggie, Saturn, Astro, Moro, Reba, Caly, Peggy, Steve, Mabel, Ma$e, Chance, Lucy, Puddy, Smudge, Winston, Stella, Riku the 3-month old Akita I met yesterday on the beach, and a special dedication to a late, great, beautiful friend, #StellaCatfish.Thank you to all the sources of good dog this year, including TikTok, @darth, Bertie Bert the Pom, Fame Poodles, Katie Notopoulos, Sansa (of the human Nicole Cliffe), Luna (of the human Jia Tolentino), Blair Braverman, @CanYouPetThisDog, @IvePetThatDog, /r/WhatsWrongWithYourDog, and Bim Adewunmi's great This American Life story about a human baby that left me with a side effect where every time I see a dog in a movie now, I'm compelled to whisper to my viewing companion, "That dog doesn't know it's in a movie."
Ready for 2020? Drink some water. Hug a pal. Take breaks as needed. And if you're lucky, maybe you'll catch your tail.
I would die for you (and Kratu),
Eleanor
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