Aug 13, 2007
Dog Spotting
I grew up with dogs: a white German Shepherd named Gabby, a Norfolk Terrier named Jake, and, later on, another German Shepherd named Woody (the latter two were named for Jake and Elwood of The Blues Brothers). These days, my parents have Harry, the Yellow Lab, and Oliver, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel-but I'm practically the only one among my group of friends who doesn't have a dog; my hardly-at-home schedule just doesn't allow it.
The Singles, the Marrieds-they've all got dogs; their dogs even have play dates with one another. Emmie, a black Newfoundland puppy, and George, an auburn-colored Goldendoodle, were born on the same day and embarked on a torrid love affair the minute they met. Tibby, a Wheaton Terrier, is practically human. I can have meaningful (if one-sided) conversations with him, and he really seems to understand what I'm saying. Then there's Dude, a Bernese Mountain Dog who's the life of the party and the object of a cult-like following in Bucktown. They're all very sweet dogs whose personalities tend to resemble those of their owners.
This weekend's West Fest in West Town didn't do much to help my dog envy. Lots of four-legged fest-goers showed up for Pet Fest, a chunk of West Fest reserved just for pooches, located outside of the bar High Dive (1938 W. Chicago Ave.). A few of my favorites:
 George, Jesse (who stood up in his owners' wedding about a month ago), and Bailey mug for the camera. |  Banchi, a 14-month-old American pitbull, is up for adoption from the Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue. |
 Dude gets a much-needed bath from SpaBark!, a mobile grooming company. |  Dixie chills out at High Dive. |
Posted at 05:06 PM in Nightlife | Permalink
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Comments to this blog are moderated. We review them in an effort to remove foul language, commercial messages, and irrelevancies.
Reader Comments:
Holy cow. the dumbest thing i've ever read on this blog. and i've read a lot of dumb things on this blog.
What is the point of this blog entry? Does ANYONE find this interesting?
err... been waiting all day to read about a nightclub or bar. thanks for pictures of dogs.
I was at the fest with my full-bred lab; there were so many awesome dogs there, but what's with all the mixed breeds these days? Everything's a doodle.
all guys know this one, want a date? Show up with a dog.
Maybe not the most appropriate topic for this column, but I have to admit I did notice great deal more dogs at West Fest than other festivals this summer. Left there disappointed with the sound quality for The Ponys and with dog envy.
Dogs make great wingmen. I have a puggle and the chicks love him!
To the first comment: If you think this blog is "dumb", why do you keep reading it? I am sure there are plenty of other ways to spend your time online. Why don't you move on and let the rest of us enjoy it without your negativity.
LOL i swear we've read the same exact thread before. i think this post was just kind of random for this blog. but i guess if i went to bars/clubs as often as SP did, i'd want to go see some puppies from time to time, too.
Looks like this blog has finally jumped the shark and redefines the definition of crap writing. To call Ms. Preston a "journalist" is like calling Lindsay Lohan a "singer."
To the people who get irritated at negative responses to this blog, UNDERSTAND that this what a blog is. Should we just post heartfelt and fluffy responses???
Thanks for all the comments. And here I thought Lindsay Lohan was a fairly decent singer...