Bow wow wow

Ereck and I have developed a case of puppy love from watching the Westminster dog show and, last weekend, the American Kennel Club show. Of course, the puppy love is unrequited at this point, since our rental lease doesn't let us keep a dog. But it's fun to talk about.

We agreed a while back that a medium-sized dog would be best. It was a logical compromise: I like bigger dogs--setters, retrievers--and Ereck likes small ones. My pickup truck, Red Boy, is named for an Irish setter I loved a lot when I was a kid.

So we meditated for a while on the Brittany. Then I met one, and she was heartbreakingly gorgeous, but she also was the most hyperactive pooch I've ever encountered. Her owner told me this was par for the course. Seems like a lot to deal with.

We've now turned to the Welsh Springer spaniel, similar to the Brittany but, my sources tell me, calmer. I also could be convinced to get a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, just like Charlotte's on "Sex and the City."