a title she deserves
We meet a lot of people on our walks together.
About a week and a half ago the dogs and I amble along the harbour on our walk before dinner. It is calm. It is dark. The water is like glass.
We walk past the man who is always there with his metal stool and his red and yellow umbrellas and his standing lights and his ink sketches. Dali-meets-Escher-like sketches that are plasticized to protect against rainy days. He is proud of his work. He offers various prices for different sizes of black and white sketches of chess boards on stairs balancing on upside down trees. He always says hello and asks “what kind of dogs?” and “I remembered a biscuit today.”
On this evening an acquaintence with a green knitted cap stands in front of the ink sketch presentation. He eyes Kayloo. He makes no move to touch her:
Man with Knit Cap: What is the breed of this dog?
Me: Oh, she’s a rescue dog, we’re not quite sure.
Man with Knit Cap: [mumbles something indiscernible] … interesting… [mumbles something indiscernible]… breed…
Me: We think she is a Pitbull cross of some kind…
Man with Knit Cap: Those ears… breeders cross dogs for generations trying to get ears like hers…
Me: … Australian cattle dog… we’ve also heard she looks like a Kelpie…
Man with Knit Cap: A mix you say? With ears like that? It’s a pure bred trait. Not usual for mixed breeds…
Me: Well, she is definitely a mutt.
He makes eye contact with me for the first time. He is not very tall, but he seems tall right now. He does not like the title “mutt” and cannot hear the tenderness in my voice when I say it.
Man with Knit Cap: Oh, no. No. She is not a mutt. She is not a mutt. Those ears… it is the genes you know.
I try to reassure him that I am kind so I smile. And I pat her head.
Me: No matter what she is, we think she’s beautiful.
Man with Knit Cap: [mumbles something indiscernible]… it’s a trait, her genes. She is more like royalty…it is her genes.
Me: They stand on end like that even when she sleeps.
Man with Knit Cap: What is her name?
Me: Kayloo.
Man with Knit Cap: Kayloo.
He is the first one to ever get her name right on the first try.
Man with Knit Cap: Kayloo. Hmmm. Kayloo is a good name.
And then, just as we step away to continue our promenade around the harbour and wander back home where it’s warm:
Man with Knit Cap: Princess Kayloo. That is a good name.
I couldn’t agree more.
So it’s probably just my raging hormones thanks to my monthly reminder that I’m a woman (cuz I need it sometimes), but for some reason, I found that conversation very touching. I like when random interactions with strangers ends nicely like this. Also, I love dogs. So that’s probably a big factor.
Thats a great story
We call Baily, Princess Baily.
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/
How perfect!!
Awwwwww such a sweet post. Your little princess.
@Kim- I wasn’t sure how it would end at the time! He was so curious… I meet so many fascinating people on our walks
I am very glad you enjoyed it 
@Kari- Thank you! We call Kayloo “Princess Kayloo” all the time too! Also “Princess Puppy Pants.” I dunno.
@JessieDae- I thought so too
@Ashley- She most certainly is a princess. Who farts.
She really is such a princess!
What a sweet story!
Oh yes, the people one meets
Daisy gets called Miss Daisy. It suits her.
Kayloo has a gorgeous profile. The ears tipping forward give her such a look of intensity & concentration.
On a side note – have you seen the absolutely insane tortures GSD owners inflict on their dogs when they fear the ears won’t stand up? Taping, popsicle stics etc, all because a floppy ear is a CALAMITY….. & lets not even talk about the crop on dobes etc…. Sigh.
@Pup- You have no idea
@Scoop- Thanks!
@horn- Thank you! We think so too! German Shepherds, Pitbulls, Boxers… I thnk it is really pointless. I read someone saying docking/cropping tails/ears so they don’t get injured (although most of the time I thnk they do it for aesthetic reasons, which I don’t get) is like cutting your toes off so they don’t get stubbed. Doesn’t make sense.
Princess Kayloo with her “royal” ears – I like it
What a wonderful person to meet, someone who may recognise in lovely Kayloo even half as much as you do. I didn’t know her ears stayed pricked even in sleep. Unique and beautiful indeed. Princess Kayloo.
The breed really doesn’t matter at all. That’s the best thing about mutts. They are absolutely one of a kind.
Awww! How sweet! Princess Kayloo definitely looks like royalty in that adorable pic!
I love how you laid out the whole conversation. It’s so funny how people react to dogs while on a walk. He seemed way interested.
@Karen- Fortunately I don’t think it’ll go to her head
@Kristine- I think mutts are fab too! People are always asking Mickey & Kayloo’s breeds… I spoke with some guy who was convinced I was an idiot because he was SURE Kayloo was a pure bred Russian Somethingorother. Really makes no difference to me
@Maggie- She can focus on things with laser-like intensity sometimes
@Two- He really was very interested! It kind of surprised me that he was so taken aback when I called her a mutt!
That’s a beautiful photo of Kayloo and of course she deserves the title “Princess.” Hmm, maybe you were meant to meet this man solely for the purpose of finally crowning Kayloo officially
I love it when you set out to do something you’ve done before and it turns into an adventure. I’ll bet the man with the knit cap would have loved to have his photo taken with Princess Kayloo – maybe if you run into him again (hint).