This girl can turn heads.

Dogs. They’re good for us homo sapiens in so so many ways. I’m sure 99.9% of you already know that, but in case you’ve forgotten – look it up. Whether it’s for your mind, body or soul, canines have all bases covered.

Saturday afternoons post-brunch in Williamsburg are best spent soaking up vitamin D at the N 6th Piers – you know – in front of those fancy hi-rise Edge condos (yes, they have indoor pools…). A great place to lounge on benches, catch (or miss by 2 seconds) the East River Ferry, or  people-watch. The N 6th Piers are also a great place to partake in my newest leisurely activity: dog-watching.

I mean, who doesn’t love cooing and awe-ing and coveting all those well-manicured mutts and purebreds of Willysburg? Step aside babies in your mini fedoras and Chucks!

Case in point: I was helping a friend dog-sit this past weekend and Holy Moly is her dog gorgeous. Maddie, the 2-year-old Burmese Mountain Dog heart-breaker literally turned heads everywhere we walked (see photo). Maybe it’s the breed, or maybe it’s my new hat that had everyone going bonkers (I think Maddie can take credit here). Complete strangers would go OUT of their way to approach Maddie (after of course me giving them permission & telling them that she was the friendliest dog in the world) and would do the whole, “OMG! I NEED THAT DOG IN MY LIFE!!”

What was it about Maddie that turned heads? Her mushy demeanor, her perfectly symmetrical markings, or her downright cute face? I’d like to say it’s a combination.

Here’s my theory: We are all drawn toward the things that make us feel loved, safe, and happy. Dogs satisfy each of these basic needs, and we are thus drawn to them. When people crossed paths with Maddie, they experienced her energy: a healthy mixture of calmness, goofiness, trust, and loyalty. That’s what drew in the love.

Maddie, the irrestable

This reminds me of something that I’ve been feeling for a while and perhaps you have too. For several months, I’ve felt an overwhelming urge to adopt a dog. I wanted one so badly, that I didn’t realize my want stemmed from an absence of love, happiness, and safety within myself. Once I addressed each of my these needs through some much-needed soul searching (so easy to lose it every once in a while in NYC), I finally made peace with the fact that simply adopting a dog would not fill the void and that I had to do so myself. So to all you potential dog-adopters out there, make sure you’re bringing a new member of the family home for the right reasons. If you’re lonely, perhaps get to know yourself all over again and enjoy being with just you.

A Happy Home makes for a Happy Dweller, which makes for an even happier Canine…. We’re all working on the former, and as soon as I can manage to cut my commuting time back, I’ll work on the latter : ) Until then, Volunteer! (more on that later…)