9 Things You Can Give Away That Aren't Smiles

Give Away: Fawning Over an Ordinary Dog

Personally, I don't believe there is any such thing as an ordinary dog. Some dogs have long silky hair; some are young and wriggly and criminally cute. These get the oohs and aahs at the park. Even the squirrels like them. But what about the other canines? I'm talking about the dogs with the gray muzzle or the dull coat, the dogs with a little extra padding and no fancy papers. Stopping a Frisbee game to admire a dog such as this, to remark on its regal baring or its tender eyes, is an homage to—forgive me—underdogs everywhere. Further, it tends to infuse the owner with the same qualities. Watch as the two of them walk off—freshly recognized, with more regal bounce in their step, a little more tenderness in their regard for the world.