You may have noticed that there has been a lot of hubub about Roxy in the blog over the past few weeks. This, of course, was due to her impending 10th birthday which we’ve since celebrated. One of the things I did to commemorate our time together was to compose a top 10 list of my favourite Roxy things, something that came quickly and easily to mind and that served as a reminder of why my first dog is the best dog ever. But this admission got me thinking that there’s another cherished hound in my life that is just as wonderful – my big, sweet, grumbly boy Cash! So here it is friends, the top 10 things I love most about Cash (or Cash-isms, if you will).

1. His jowls.

2. How patient he is. My nieces have stuffed scrambled eggs up his nose and attempted to ride him like a horse, yet he’s never growled or snapped at them. He is a true ambassador for the bully breeds. 

3. His enthusiasm for play. I’ve never seen an animal take such delight from removing the fluffy innards of a giant stuffed triceratops. Watching him play like a puppy reminds me to just relax and have fun sometimes.

4. His new-found love for swimming. This was a huge triumph for both of us.

5. His kind brown eyes.

6. How loyal he is. Wherever we go, whether it be at home, on walks or out camping, Cash sticks very closely to Jer and I. We are his whole world and he takes his job of keeping us safe very, very seriously.

7. His burps. They cause his jowly cheeks to puff out and it’s hilarious.

8. His soft white chest. This is the softest thing that ever existed in the whole world and is my favourite spot to pet him. I suspect that he secretly conditions it.

9. His sneakiness. Back before he was allowed in our bed, Cash would wait until Jer walked out the front door, got into the car, and pulled out of the driveway before crawling into bed with me. We were caught red-handed several times, but it was worth the risk.

10. When he rests his giant head right next to my laptop while I’m trying to work. That’s the perfect indicator that I’ve done enough.