HANNAH'S LIFE WITH A DOG
My best friend, Hannah Schuss, is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin. She got her first dog, a poosh (a cross between a shih tzu and a poodle), during her freshman year of high school. I interviewed her via facetime to discuss her dog, Rocco.
Rachel: I know that you got Rocco pretty late in your life. How would you say your personality and interests changed by adding a puppy to your family?
Hannah: After getting Rocco, I became more of a dog lover. I was never too fond of dogs before I got him, but I was never opposed to getting one. My family really wanted one, and I was relatively indifferent. After seeing pictures of him online and noticing how cute and tiny he was, I got excited! Having a dog definitely brightens my mood and makes me more nurturing towards animals in general. Now when I see dogs, I have a specific “dog voice” that I talk to them in.
R: How does Rocco compare to other dogs?
H: That’s a tough one. Well as starters, he is obviously better than other dogs. He kind of just sits there and lets you pet him for hours on end. But, he’s also very energetic and loves to play fetch when I am sitting on the couch. I love when he runs to greet me at the door.
R: Your social media accounts definitely show how much you love Rocco. Can you talk a little about Rocco’s claim to fame?
H: Well, Rocco is very photogenic, if that’s what you mean. He always sits in the cutest positions and I love dressing him up in sweaters and bandanas. He’s so cute! It’s hard not to take pictures of him and share it on snapchat, twitter, instagram, and Facebook.
R: It seems like within the dog lover community, there are a wide variety of photos that are shared on social media. I follow multiple dog accounts on instagram. Do you do the same?
H: Yes, I follow a lot of dogs on instagram. They just make me so happy. I look forward to seeing the pictures and even save the ones that I think are exceptionally adorable.
R: Now that you consider yourself a dog lover, do you think you are always going to have a dog?
H: Absolutely, I cannot even imagine my life without one. I think I want to get another small dog eventually, but maybe when I am older I will get a bigger one. Once you get a dog, you can never not have one.
Rachel: I know that you got Rocco pretty late in your life. How would you say your personality and interests changed by adding a puppy to your family?
Hannah: After getting Rocco, I became more of a dog lover. I was never too fond of dogs before I got him, but I was never opposed to getting one. My family really wanted one, and I was relatively indifferent. After seeing pictures of him online and noticing how cute and tiny he was, I got excited! Having a dog definitely brightens my mood and makes me more nurturing towards animals in general. Now when I see dogs, I have a specific “dog voice” that I talk to them in.
R: How does Rocco compare to other dogs?
H: That’s a tough one. Well as starters, he is obviously better than other dogs. He kind of just sits there and lets you pet him for hours on end. But, he’s also very energetic and loves to play fetch when I am sitting on the couch. I love when he runs to greet me at the door.
R: Your social media accounts definitely show how much you love Rocco. Can you talk a little about Rocco’s claim to fame?
H: Well, Rocco is very photogenic, if that’s what you mean. He always sits in the cutest positions and I love dressing him up in sweaters and bandanas. He’s so cute! It’s hard not to take pictures of him and share it on snapchat, twitter, instagram, and Facebook.
R: It seems like within the dog lover community, there are a wide variety of photos that are shared on social media. I follow multiple dog accounts on instagram. Do you do the same?
H: Yes, I follow a lot of dogs on instagram. They just make me so happy. I look forward to seeing the pictures and even save the ones that I think are exceptionally adorable.
R: Now that you consider yourself a dog lover, do you think you are always going to have a dog?
H: Absolutely, I cannot even imagine my life without one. I think I want to get another small dog eventually, but maybe when I am older I will get a bigger one. Once you get a dog, you can never not have one.