Iโve never been jealous of a poodle. Or a dog for that matter. To be honest, I tended to not like poodles because of the way they looked: most often prim, proper, and pretty. โNot likeโ is maybe too strong of a phrase, but if I had to choose between a cute poodle and a smiley lab, Iโd choose the lab.
When I first met Valentino (Val for short), I was intimidated. Not because of his size or demeanor, but how he wields them both. He is tall, and he is friendly. He has beautifully groomed gray hair, from his paws to his man-bun.
Yes.
He has a man-bun, and it looks great.
When I first walked in the door, I was greeted with kisses and a hug from Val. He was happy to see me, even though we had never met before. He pressed his long snout against my head, and licked my ear.
Quite the first impression. Val is striking from the moment you meet him.
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When on the sidewalks, Val walks with importance. He stands quite tall, and his long hair on his head billows as he charges forward.
I noticed a strange sensation as soon as we had stepped outside. It took me a while to figure out what it was but, I realized: everyone was looking at us.
Elderly couples out for a walk, dog owners and their pooches, mothers walking with strollers, construction workers, people driving past. Anyone who could see Val was looking at Val for as long as they could.
Val would strut, right by my side. He was always walking with purpose, and always well-behaved. He must know that eyes are on him at all times.
At first, this was confusing to me. I didnโt know how to react to all the attention. People would come up to us and just give Val compliments.
โHe is so beautiful.โ
โIโve never seen such a handsome dog.โ
โWow. What a stunning animal.โ
Val would smile and look up at me and the passerby. I wouldnโt know what to say next half of the time.
โThank youโฆโ
I wasnโt sure how to take a compliment on a dogโs behalf. I took it either way, though.
After a few walks, I realized that this was Valโs life. He was always a stunning dog and he would always be complimented. There was this unspoken, unanimous agreement that Val was the most handsome dog around. And no matter who was walking with Val, theyโd never be as interesting as he is.
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On one walk, a mother and her two children saw Val from a distance. I could hear โDoggie!โ being screamed by the kids. The mother approached me and immediately complimented Val.
โHe is absolutely gorgeous. He, right?โ
โYes, he.โ
The kids stared at Val as he sat nextย to me. Val had a huge smile on his face. The youngest boy looked up his mother.
โMommy. I want to pet!โ
โNo, no. Donโt touch. Just look, okay?โ
My jealousy melted away. Just for a moment. I realized that people on the streets could only see Val, but they wouldnโt know that he was a sweet, happy, loving pup. He was just something to ogle at as he walked on the sidewalk.
I turned to the mother.
โVal is a sweetheart. He loves to play and is always smiling.โ
The mother considered this.
โYou know what? I see it.โ
The mother and kids thanked us for the momentย and went on their way.
I bent down and scratched Val behind the ears. Val nuzzled his nose behind my ear and gave a lick.
I will admit: I am still jealous of Val. Heโs got a gravity to him, that you canโt help but just be pulled towards this striking, silver poodle. But I realized that with all public eyes on him, they never get to know much about him. For the few fleeting moments they see him walk by, Val is a spectacle. I was lucky enough to know that Valโs more than a fluffy sight. Heโs an amazingly great dog, with an even better personality.
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