I recently saw a quote on a friend’s Facebook wall that read: I’d rather be known as the “crazy dog lady” than a “people person.” Because I may have lost my mind, but I found my soul.
I wondered how many of my other Facebook friends felt that way? I say “Facebook friends” because my Facebook life is very different from my “real” life. In “real” life I don’t have that many close friends who are “crazy dog ladies.” But on Facebook I have a ton of them – and I include myself in that lucky group.
Then I started thinking... what makes someone a “crazy dog lady” or a “crazy dog guy?” When is that particular line crossed? Is it so crazy to care for your dogs like they are members of your family? Is it crazy to think that sometimes (or most of the time) dogs are superior to people in a lot of ways?
Here are some of the lines that I’ve crossed that perhaps put me into the realm of “crazy dog person.” See how many of these apply to you.
You might be a "crazy dog person" if:
I say hello to every dog on the street as if we are old friends. I often ignore the human at the other end of the leash unless I want to know the dog’s name, gender, or other details. I could pick the dog out of a line-up, but not the person.
| Yes
| No
|
I know all of the dogs’ names in my neighborhood, but only one of the owners’ names (and only because he’s a cute guy).
| Yes
| No
|
If I’m driving a car and I see a dog trotting down the side of the road or loose in a parking lot, I always stop, open the door, and try to coax him into the car to see if I can find his family or help him in some way. Always.
| Yes | No |
I plan all of my vacations (and business trips) around my dogs and am unlikely to go anywhere unless I can bring at least one with me.
| Yes | No |
I won’t date a guy who doesn’t love dogs. Is this crazy or just practical?
| Yes | No |
I don’t particularly want friends who don’t like dogs. Not that you can’t be my friend if you don’t like dogs, but I will be suspect of you. I actually don’t think that I have any friends who actively dislike dogs. Can you imagine what those people would be like?
| Yes | No
|
Instead of using “LOL” for “laughing out loud,” I have found myself using “BOL” for “barking out loud.” I try to use this sparingly.
| Yes | No
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I know exactly what steps to take immediately if your dog goes missing. If a human goes missing, I assume they left on purpose.
| Yes | No
|
It’s hard to find a photo of me without a dog in it.
| Yes | No |
I’m allergic to dogs. I have three.
| Yes | No
|
I can’t ever think of a dog as a “bad dog,” but I can think of many humans as bad people.
| Yes | No
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Sometimes I call myself “mom” to my dogs. I try not to do this because I do think of them more as friends, but I often can’t help it.
| Yes | No
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When I think of disaster plans, the first thing I think about is how to get the dogs to safety. Then the neighbors.
| Yes | No
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When people say, “I can’t have a dog now, it’s too much responsibility,” I silently hope that they never have kids.
| Yes | No
|
I would choose going to the shelter to rescue dogs and driving them hundreds of miles to safety over a relaxing day at the beach.
| Yes
| No
|
Assuming a chance of a positive result, I would risk my life for my dogs. I know they would do it for me.
| Yes
| No
|
So, I guess I have lost my mind, but I definitely found my soul – and it’s made of three furry creatures named Pepper, Pearl and Zoey. There were others before them and I’m sure there will be others in the future.
How many did you say yes to? Have you crossed the line into “crazy dog person” mode? How so? I’d love to hear from you! At least it will make me feel like I have company.