All Good News

This Is What Happened When A Blind Man Asked A Facebook Group For Descriptions Of Their Dogs

December 13, 2019

A blind man asked members of the The Dogspotting Society Facebook group to describe their dogs so that he can get a better idea of what they are like.

Stephen Shkuratoff / Facebook

Stephen Shkuratoff used a voice-to-text app to post the humble request.

For the past few weeks, people are continuing to post very detailed descriptions of their furry best friends. The responses will not only brighten your day, but also inspire you to think about how you would describe your own pet.

The Responses

"My dog, Kelly, is a cocker spaniel puppy. She will be one year old next month, so she is still very lively and extremely excitable. She is always wanting to be fussed and as she is so sweet in her nature, it's very hard to resist fussing her. She gets so excited when her family come through the door after school or work, and she completely loses her sanity when we have visitors! She wants to say hello to everyone, people, dogs, and cats too! She adores our cats and although she can sometimes be a bit too playful with them, she is always gentle and happy to be around them. Her fur is incredibly silky and she of course has that signature dog smell. She is obedient (when she wants to be) and will do anything for a treat! She loves spending time outside and would quite happily be in the garden all day, playing with her toys and rolling around in the mud. She doesn't like the rain though, and is always sad when it's raining. She senses when we are sad or unwell too, and gives us extra kisses. She especially loves to lick your face when you laugh. She's just a lovely girl. I hope you enjoyed this description, I really enjoyed writing it!"

"We have seven dogs in total, all have been rescued from various situations. Our oldest dog, Ed is a very soft thick coated black and tan rottweiler, with a beautiful roundish square face and very, very expressive eyebrows, He thinks he has a poker face, but his eyebrows always give him away! Now fourteen, Ed walks with a bit of a limp after hip surgery. He's still the happiest dog ever. His eyes are large and soft, amber in color, and show every once in a great while, what he went through before he became my baby. Ed's mouth is always turned up ever so slightly in a smile, ready to give you a quick, well placed kiss, he knows he's not supposed to give kisses, but sometimes he just can't resist. His favorite toy is a monkey that he takes everywhere, he sleeps with him, shows him off when visitors come, and hides him when he goes for walks so the other dogs can't find him, he's not stingy with any other toy, but monkey is his security blanket. Monkey was Ed's first ever toy, I think that's why he is so special. Even at fourteen Ed still loves to play, his favorite game is hide and seek, he doesn't play very well though, his favorite place to hide is behind the trees in the wood behind the house, he thinks because he can't see us, we can't see him, I have yet to tell him that although we may not be able to see his head, the rest of him is quite apparent sticking out from behind the tree he thinks hides him! Ed is a mommie's dog, sadly still a bit frightened of men. Ed seldom leaves my side, I haven't been for a shower for years without him sticking his head in to see if I'm still there. A water lover, in the summer it's difficult to get him out of the pond, he once came home covered head to toe in thick mud,dashing into see me, he happily shook all over the mud room leaving me hours of cleaning,this may have been his very happiest day ever! He's quite good with the kids, allowing them to use him as a pillow or going downhill on a sled with them in winter. Ed is a very big affectionate softie, with a larger than life goofy personality, I know were he able, he'd give you one of his very special kisses."

"My two dogs, Frank and Tipsy are Pitbulls from the local shelter. Both are pretty small, Frank being short and squat, Tipsy being slender and muscular. Frank is a huge baby, he's cuddly and whines a lot. Tipsy is joyful and loves everyone and everything. They act as parents to my three kittens and every other animal I bring home to foster. They love to cuddle!"

"I have a 12 year old beagle named Bassie. She has soft short and silky fur but is a bit of a stinky girl. It's a beagle thing. She has a Mohawk on the back of her head and from behind looks similar to a goat. She is very excitable. She will jump and bark when she sees her food even though she eats it all the time. She loves walks and running through long grass. She is very vocal and after our walks she will do a semi howl/bark to let me know she wants a treat. I love her."

"B short for Bailey. Is a medium size dog about 50 pounds. She has a longer nose and little to no slobber. Floppy ears. Really she only slobbers when she's playing and really into it. She LOVES fetch, when I adopted her at 2.5 the lady I got her from told me B was too stupid to learn. Not at all the case. She's so smart and because things weren't always the best she's nervous. A lot. When she meets new people she barks loud or at least whines. Once she realizes you are a safe person it's all belly scratches and kisses. Yes she will go for the face lol. Her hair is long and kind of thick and course on her back, but her tummy and feet are soft. I love her feet in the winter because the hair between her toes is so long! So other than being nervous she is the sweetest caring girl ever. When I have sad days she will nap right next to me all day. She's also the biggest goofball ever when playing and being silly. She curls up next to me as I fall asleep and comes back and lays with me around when I'm waking up. She 5 now, my partner in crime and the best decision I ever made."

"Maze is a little muscle-packed turbo charged tank. She's endlessly excited and ridiculously stubborn. Her ears are like velvet and her belly is smoother than a marble. I love the spot above her lip and under her nose where they meet. That spot is so soft and has such a unique feel. Her tail knocks over anything in its path. She is the destroyer of worlds."

"My dog is an Akita named Kaminari which is Japanese for Thunder. We call her Kami for short. She is our fourth Akita and they have all had different personalities. She is a complete family dog and unlike our other three, she does not have a favorite, she loves us all equally. She is a big girl, 123 pounds, but she thinks she is a lap dog. She LOVES to have her neck scratched and she will bend her head so far back when you do it that I don't know how she does not hurt herself. When we come home, she "talks" to us like many Akitas do. She follows behind us talking, I guess she is either telling us about her day or yelling at us for leaving her. She has ears like velvet and the deepest black eyes that when she looks at you, it is just the purest love ever. All she wants is to be with her family. She loves Jelly Beans, she gets one as a treat each night, and she will chew on it for like 5 minutes, it is so funny. One strange comment, all of our Akitas, their feet smell like popcorn."

"I have one dog. She is a Boston terrier named Mae West. Her fur feels prickly, wiry, and bristly. She is 9 years old and is so loving. She's about 22 pounds which is on the bigger side of a Boston Terrier size. Ever since she was a puppy she would take a bit of blanket in her mouth and suck on it while kneading her paws till she'd fall asleep. She's terrified of thunderstorms and will hide in the bathroom. She loves to cuddle. Every single night she will hop into bed and if you are already sleeping, she'll gently tap your shoulder for you to lift the covers and let her under. She has never figured out how to get under the blankets on her own. She snores. She loves to climb into your lap and snooze even if she's a little too big. She knows that everyone in our home has a favorite toy to play fetch with- my favorite is her fuzzy donut toy. She will bring that person their own favorite toy to play. If you don't play with her, she will keep bringing other toys till you throw something. She is the most happy go lucky dog ever."

"My Thai is German Shepherd mixed with...well...we don't know, but he is the sweetest soul. Although he's almost 14 years old, he still runs like the wind, & jumps on/off the deck without the steps. His' ears feel like velvet, & his golden eyes still sparkle. When the noon whistle blows, he bends his head back & howls. Maybe he even has a little wolf in him. :-) He is my best friend, my boy, my heart."

"Stephen, I know this will be just another response to your query, but having loved and owned pure blood and mutts most of my life, I don't know if I can give you an answer as good as all the others. So I will tell you NOT what a dog looks like, but who they are. A dog is, usually, four legs, with a warm fuzzy body, a perpetually wagging tail, or rump, with floppy or pointed ears, warm nose, and giver of the most wonderful sloppy kisses one could ever hope for. Each is as an individual as humans with their own individual personalities They know us far more than we will ever know them, or ourselves. They are givers of love, hope, laughter and humility.. They see into our souls knowing when we are happy, sad, angry, or in need of that quiet moment so we can pause and reflect upon the things that matter. They do not judge us as other humans can, and so often do, be it good or ill. Be their lives be long or short we cannot forget them for they are forever part of us forever. There is a poem entitled 'The Rainbow Bridge' that tells where are beloved pets go in passing, and wait for us, where we, in time, will all join again to go on to that place reserved for us."

"Today is my Grace's seventh birthday. Half Bischon, half Shih Tzu, and all love and sass. She's as soft as my favorite broken in sweatshirt with paws that smell like Fritos from elementary school lunch. Her tail, looking like a palm frond, has its own operating system and battery pack because its always wagging out of happiness. It's great in the summer because it works like a cooling fan. A pleasant contribution. She inherently susses our who needs love and uses them to meet her daily kiss quota. She's my natural born therapy dog. Still freelancing - although on the prowl for new opportunities. Her auntie is hard of hearing and figured out how to serve as a hearing dog. Her first Poodle love taught her how when we were't paying close attention. She has better portion control (who eats half their kibble and saves the rest for later?) and boundaries than I will ever have. She's got eyelashes for days and eyes that demand a yes or instant forgiveness. She's nine pounds of grit and grace, heart and strength, and I get to call her mine."

You can visit the public post yourself to read through the 2,000+ comments -- they are all worth a read.

Stephen enjoyed them, too.

"All these descriptions are so lovely and I am very thankful," he said.