If he's Just A Dog then I want to be a dog too.

Before having a dog I never understood what the whole "man's best friend" thing was all about. Then Megan brought home Apollo, our English Mastiff. It was so new to me to have a dog and I wasn't exactly sure how they operated. My main experience was with cats and if you are a cat lover, you know how they can be. Everything with them is on their terms and conditions. One wrong move and they turn into an instant cactus.

So back to the story... Megan brought this new puppy home and he was just so happy to see everyone. I was skeptical at first as I wasn't really sure how to handle a new puppy. Since he was a puppy and I was a new dog owner, we had a lot of things to learn. He needed to learn how to go through the dog door and to poop outside, and I needed to learn how to discipline him and clean the poop. After some time and with Megan's guidance, I was learning how this whole dog thing worked.

In the first year we literally took him everywhere. The dog beach, the mountains, even to Rodeo drive in Hollywood. One of the Cartier store managers ran outside and insisted that we bring the dog in for a closer look. They were completely okay with the drool and hair while his tail battered the display cases. After a while we were inseparable and  something happened to me. I started to feel as if he was an equal family member. This is something that my cats could never achieve. There is something about Mastiffs that have this human-like expression and a need to be with the ones they love. From that point on he has been my best friend and someone whom I look forward to seeing every day. He does not judge you and there is nothing that brings more joy to him than us calling his name.... Apollo.

This is Apollo on the day she brought him home. He started off in the back seat but made sure he got up front right away.

Me forcing my face into his during our house remodel.

This is Apollo today at 5 years old. He is the greatest dog and is truly a gentle giant. The clip below is what prompted this blog post. Apollo is more than Just A Dog. He is a friend, a companion, and my family. 

With all this being said, our dog Apollo has been entered in the Orange County Register's " My Dogs Face" Contest. The top 100 dogs will get published in the October 3rd edition of The Register.