Dogs in New Yorkby Philip Greenspun. |
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Alex has met more friends in Manhattan in two days than in two months in Melrose. Don't ever feel sorry for a New York dog in a small apartment. They have a richer social life than any dogs you know. Every park is a dogfest before and after work and on weekends. Beautiful well-bred dogs, Rottweilers, and mutts. All the rolling around on the ground and biting is kind of tough of a white dog's appearance but Alex is having the time of his life.More: The New York Dog Owner's Guide or The New Yorker Book of Dog Cartoons .Alex had his second swim ever, in the Central Park sailboat pond. A pair of attractive sisters had rescued an 80-lb Golden from a pound and they were throwing a rubber ball into the pond for him to retrieve. Alex would put his front legs in the water and then bark at the returning Golden. It was pathetic so I picked him up and hurled him into the water. He looks small, but a 40 lb puppy makes quite a splash. I threw him in a few more times but he never got interested in retrieving.
The subway is out but cabs are easy if you are a bit stealthy. My favorite trick is lurking on the sidewalk while a friend hails the cab and then jumping in at the last minute. Definitely everything is easier if you have a friend to hold the dog for forays into food shops, etc.
Here are a bunch of snapshots from a Gay Pride rally in Union Square back in June 1995. I focussed on the dogs and played around with my Canon EOS 14mm lens.