Our Bulldog, Harry

Bulldogs are good pals and good friends. We have had two, first Jack and now Harry as seen in the photo nearby. In a previous life I also had another, Agnes May. None of them was particularly quick or bright, maybe the female was a bit smarter but not to the extent that she could compete with a terrier, a boxer, a poodle, even a French Bulldog. Our Harry, now a fully mature four and a half years and 65 pounds of not quite muscle is particularly slow. His body is flaccid. Eat (37 seconds, twice a day), sleep (alot, and on our bed at nights, various places during the day), play (rarely), walk (as little as possible and less in the summer), swim (cannot and would drown if not held with both arms in a pool), run (never), bark (when there is a variable such as a window cleaner), snore (almost always when sleeping which is almost always)...these are the things he does, the things we appreciate he does and, of course, the things we love in him. Our neighbors from across the street have a bulldog named Monty. Monty can roll-over. Monty is a year older than Harry so perhaps Harry will learn this trick in the next twelve months. But right now Harry cannot roll-over although he can sort of beat Monty at their sumo-like wrestling engagements. This unusual achievement makes me proud. Harry likes to be petted so we all indulge him and this includes my mother-in-law whom he appears to make very happy. Harry has a leash that is inscribed with the New York Yankees logo. This alone helps to make him the prince and envy of our block. He also gets his photo in the frame store on the corner of our block and this makes other dog owners jealous. Except Monty's owners because Monty can roll-over. But then again Harry has a year to catch up to Monty.