The BACS Blog Interview: Joey

Joey is one of our best-kept secrets. He is an enthusiastic friend to everyone who stops by to visit, and he’s shown that he can be a serious student despite his playful nature.

Joey has a lot of interesting stories for such a young dog. Woodles, Paul Newman, and the positives of having a case of mange - you name it, and Joey covers it in this wide-ranging interview.



BACS BLOG: Joey, let’s get the obvious question out of the way first. Where did you get those fabulous blue eyes?



Joey: I have no idea. But I have to admit, they are my best feature. Real moneymakers. Did you know that all humans with blue eyes come from one single ancestor? Look it up. What that says about me I can’t tell you. And I’m not sure I want to know.

BB: Maybe you’ve got some Husky or Australian Shepherd in you?

J: Yeah, I really look like a Husky (rolls eyes). But I guess anything’s possible. One of my cousins has a wolf's head and a poodle's body. A woodle! No joke.

BB: Do you have any blue-eyed role models?

J: Well it’s such a cliché to mention Frank Sinatra, but I do enjoy his music. He was a smooth one. And Paul Newman of course. He makes pretty good dog chow too. I like “Cool Hand Luke”, right up until the part where the police dogs chase Luke. When the policeman carries the dog back to the jail, I have to go to the next room and howl. I’m a rebel myself, but I stick up for my species first – even if they’re with Johnny Law.



BB: Come on now, rebel? You? You’re a happy-go-lucky kind of dog.

J: You obviously haven’t tried to put a gentle leader on me. Attica! Attica!



BB: “DOG Day Afternoon”. We get it. We didn’t know you were such a movie buff.

J: Lots of down time in the kennel. I’ve got a Blu-ray player under my kuranda bed. Don’t tell. “Turner and Hooch” is on tap tonight. Tom Hanks’ best role, if you ask me.

BB: Any other favorite shelter activities?

J: Oh I’ve found lots of ways to have fun. I enjoy spending time with my favorite walkers. I’ve learned how to fetch in the play area. And I really love being the Director's Assistant. I overheard Tim and Thomas saying that Kate was looking for a dog who could nap in her office and give her an occasional lick on the face. I don’t think I have to tell you that I was born for that job. I made sure to submit my application pronto.



I really have been pleasantly surprised during my stay. When you hear other dogs bark about shelters, the tails tend to go limp. But the Berkeley shelter is not too bad at all. The food is good and I get walked every day.

BB: Sounds like you’ve really made yourself at home.

J: Well let’s not take it that far. I’m still anxious to wake up in my own home and run around in my own yard. I’m even willing to help pay for the Netflix subscription.

BB: You were kind of mangy when you arrived. The skin is healing?

J: It's much better, thanks for asking. The nice thing about being a dog is that I can take an extremely close look at almost any body part. I’ve noticed that the hair is still a little thin in a few spots, but now that summer is here I don’t mind. Sparse hair means less panting. I’m aiming for full coverage by the time fall rolls around.



BB: How are you doing in BAD RAP class?

J: Barking of panting, that class is some seriously hard work. With all of those other dogs hanging around, at first I thought I was at the dog park. I was certainly in for a rude awakening when I realized that I was expected to do stuff. But now I get what’s going on, and I love earning the praise and treats. My handler is incredibly good-looking, but he’s also very demanding. I’ve been up to the challenge though. I’ve about got him figured out.



BB: We heard that on breezy days, your ears sometimes get blown upwards and resemble giant pig ears. True?



J: No.

BB: Uh, OK. Well Joey, thanks for spending some time with us. Hope you're able to find a home soon!

J: My pleasure. And keep up the good work, I enjoy reading the blog!