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Hank came to stay with me in 2012.  He was a Craigslist dog who was a bit too rowdy and energetic for his previous owner’s lifestyle. “He needs a job,” the ad said. I gave him about twenty. I picked him up in a Wal Mart parking lot with his favorite blanket, a tire toy and a crate from a kind girl who didn’t have the time she’d expected to have for him. She didn’t want to have to do it, but knew it would be better for Hank.

And so began his adventure with me. That pink nose got him the unfortunate nickname of “pig nose” as a pup, and his two different colored eyes always made him center of attention while out on walks. He met his first herd of cattle and wasn’t at all afraid of the bulls. He learned to hike, go on horseback rides and run alongside my bicycle. He learned tricks, tricks and more tricks, picking up each one quicker than the last!

I started taking him to work with me at Poudre Pet & Feed Supply in Fort Collins, Colorado where he met llamas and pigs and babysat the new puppies. He met Great Danes and Leonbergers and Greyhounds, Tibetan Mastiffs,  Russian Terriers and hairless dogs. He learned about naughty kids who pulled his ears when their mother’s weren’t looking. He learned about cats.  He learned all there is to know about different kinds of dog food, and certainly found his favorite treats. That’s when we realized that grains and chicken gave him ear infections and make him itch. But given a choice… he eats them anyway.

Hank and I both moved to Arizona.  Hank met his first cactus in 2013. He got his first rattlesnake vaccine and first pair of Ruffwear hiking boots for the hot ground and rocks.  He went on his first desert hikes. You can see his first adventure in boots on Youtube:

In August of 2013 Hank was featured along with the Media Management pugs on Tech Cocktail’s blog about “Start-up Dogs”

Hank has been known to create birthday cards for a few special people in his life.

Hank’s favorite things in the world are a close tie between his raw bones (great for doggie teeth flossing!), Barkboxes (yes, in March Hank and this picture were featured on Barkbox’s front page, clicking his link will get your 10% off your first box!) , and me.

Hank, the faithful farm dog he is, is attached to my hip at all times. He prefers to react like a cat to most other people’s commands, oohing or petting attempts. Don’t be offended, he just has a rather one-track mind.

Over the years, Hank’s nose has become progressively more black. “What kind of dog is Hank?” You might ask. I was told he is Catahoula Leopard Dog / Australian Shepherd mix. Many people ask if he is mixed with Border Collie instead but the older he gets, the more Catahoula I see. Both Catahoulas and Aussies are known to have spotted noses and two different colored eyes.

Hank’s stoic, deadpan reaction to most things bears a great resemblance to the famous silent film actor, Buster Keaton. Buster almost became his name, but it didn’t fit, and Hank stuck. In the midst of great destruction and chaos, Hank’s face looks a lot like this:

He also once recreated a scene from Buster Keaton’s famous silent film “The General.”

Hank got me through grad school. With his subtle reminders (a solid nudge to the leg) to go outside, to walk, to run, to ride my bike, he snuggled up with me on cold nights in Colorado while I wrote my thesis. He reminds me each day to the be just the person he thinks I am. You know the look, that adoring stare as if nothing else in the world matters. Our dogs love us as if we are the basis of their entire being. Be that person, be the person your dog thinks you are, every day.

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