For some, informing Facebook friends that they’re eating PB&J, watching True Blood, and scratching themselves isn’t mundane enough—they want the world to know their dog is eating peanut butter, watching Cesar Millan, and scratching himself, too.
Some of our burg’s best-loved pooches have (with help from their owners) taken to the social mediasphere to share their opinions on the day’s events (“I’m sitting on Allen’s lap”), and hidden emotional landscapes (“I’m scared of thunder!”).
“Baxter Bubba,” a Boston terrier owned by Valerie Iriarte Rader, has a page on Dogbook, a popular Facebook application for people who dote on their pets. Rader likes to “post pictures when Bubba does something funny”—but what does Facebook do for Bubba? “It gives him a fame that he probably really can’t comprehend,” says Rader with a laugh. Sadie the boxer is also a successful online networker, explains owner Melissa Kay LaBelle. “We get updates from the dog-treat bakery, and we network with other boxer owners” says LaBelle.
But really, isn’t this all about the cuteness? Dogbook allows people to virtually “pet” the dogs and buy them nonexistent chew toys. Adoring Spot is fine…but isn’t this a bit precious?
Occasionally, Sadie the boxer weighs in on her status update: “Sadie could not care less about Dogbook,” admits LaBelle, “but she does lay her face down on the keyboard when I’m typing if she wants attention.”
