National Mutt Day

Today is National Mutt Day. We started the celebrations first thing this morning with our typical morning activity, running! This was followed by breakfast, tossing and breaking ice cubes apart, a good belly rub and post-workout cuddles. There isn't a much better way to start the day, really.

To celebrate my mutt, here is a list of things I love about Henri's muttiness:

His one floppy ear! I'm so glad that it didn't pop up. He would have been pretty cute with both down, but the one and one thing is just adorable.

He's soft. When he didn't get as long of a coat as we thought he might get, I was worried his coat would be coarse. It's not. He's perfect for cuddling.

His size. Like Goldilocks, he's not too small, not too big. He's just right. He's the perfect size for cuddling. He's not a lap dog, but you can lay your head on him and not have to worry about crushing him. He's very good at keeping your feet warm when he's curled up next to you. He's also not a BIG dog, so he doesn't take up a lot of room. 

His brown nose. I love that thing! I want to 'boop' it all day!

His tail. It's got fluffiness. It's got a curl. It can hang down. And it wags like crazy. His emotion is in his tail before it reaches his face.

Those big brown/amber eyes that change color from day to day. He knows how to use him to his advantage, too. I don't fall for it as much as he'd like, but it still softens my heart when he tries.

He's smart. He's high energy. He loves his toys. He loves to destroy his toys. He loves to open presents. He rolls onto his back when he wants attention. He brings you a toy when you come home. He has a whine that drives me crazy, but it's totally his. He knows how to communicate what he wants and doesn't get deterred easily. He convinces you to get up in the morning so he can take your spot. His favorite thing is food. And "Keep Away". He loves cold weather. He hates the heat. He likes to have his picture taken, which is good because I love to take pictures of him. He wants to be near you if you might be doing something fun, especially if you don't want him right there, in your face. He rubs against you like a cat when he's wet, which leaves tons of hair behind. He likes cheese, and peanut butter, and chicken, even though he's got an aversion to chicken. He likes banana treats, but not banana. He also doesn't like popcorn. What dog doesn't like popcorn? He likes to run fast, which he does at the dog park. He likes to be chased, but he has forgotten to take turns and dogs eventually give up and move on. He likes fetch, with balls, toys, frisbees or sticks...or really whatever you might have laying around that you grab and throw for him. 

He got me running, which I love. I wouldn't get up early in the morning to go for a run if it wasn't for him. I don't think I'd like running by myself, repeatedly. I might do it every once in awhile, but I want him with me, as much as possible. I love when he looks up at me while we're running. Again, he communicates, and he does it well. There are lots of things that you can do with with your dog. Running is our thing. He has inspired a new love, a new hope, inside of me.