The Doggie Diaries - We're a Year Old!

Oct 11th 2010

Each week, Ben Westhoff shares the ups and downs of owning Pippi, the dalmatian mix he and his wife Anna adopted as a puppy in late 2009.

Can you believe it? "The Doggie Diaries" is a year old. This column kicked off last October, just a couple of weeks before Anna and I got married. Back then we lived in a tiny apartment in Hoboken, and Anna wanted a dog with all her heart. I was on board with the plan, though a bit nervous that it would chew up our possessions, poop all over the place, and require a lot of walking.

Most of that came to pass. But guess what? These days I count myself as a dog lover, and if Anna is to be believed, Pippi has taken quite a shine to me. (She's taken a shine to Anna as well, though it may be harder for her to see. She's the medicine administrator, after all.)

Let's take a brief look back at some of our most popular (and controversial) posts of the past year.

What Breed Is Pippi? Shortly after adopting her, we delved into determining Pippi's heritage. To this day, folks insist that she's a German shorthaired pointer, but we have two DNA tests proving that she is almost purely dalmatian.