‘A Special Kind of Strange': One Mainer’s Tribute to Lovable Boston Terriers

I know, I know, I'm late to the party with this one. Earlier this week it seems like everyone who has a dog posted a little tribute to their pooch online, in honor of National Dog Day.

Well, not to be left behind, here's a tribute to my dog, Harley.

I grew up with Boston Terriers. They're kind of my jam when it comes to dogs.

I know there are some folks out there who prefer bigger, sportier dogs who can complete tasks like hunt and fetch, or who look intimidating and would make would-be criminals think twice about committing crimes against their owners. But to me, what these little guys and gals lack in size or natural athletic ability, they make up for in personality and heart.

I guess I can kind of relate to them in that way. I'll likely never run a marathon or even scale my stairs without being winded, but I always have a pot of coffee on and would give you the shirt off my back if you needed it. I feel like if Boston Terriers wore shirts, they would give you theirs, too.

These dogs can't help but be entertaining. If you took a fruit bat, a pig and a gremlin and put them in a blender (I would never put an animal in a blender, but you get where I'm going with this) and then dressed that up into a tuxedo, that's what Boston Terriers look like. And all of the Bostons I've ever owned are super quirky.

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Our first dog, Smidge, LOVED spaghetti.

Our second one, Tid-Bit, liked to dress up with the kids on Halloween and was heartbroken if she didn't get a costume. She was always right in the middle of a play date. I think she thought she was a kid.

And one of my favorites, Remmy, loved to look at you, fart, then run away into the other room like she was completely innocent of any wrongdoing. Rem, like many Bostons, was very protective of my kids ... in the most loving of ways.

Our latest pooch pal, Harley, is no exception. He's a special kind of strange.

He hates the vacuum -- literally attacking it when I try to get housework done. He hates balloons. My poor kids know that if they have a birthday party, or go to a special event where someone offers them a balloon, they have to decline because our dog will freak out if we bring them into the house. He's never far from his favorite stuffed animal, his squirrel. He even sleeps with the thing.

He hates when people hug, dance or wrestle together. Whenever I try to hug my son (who has pretty much taken over ownership of this guy; they're inseparable) Harley will get in the middle of the hug and bark till I back off. He's very protective of the kids, especially my eldest. They have a special bond.

He's patient, even when the girls make him dress up in silly headbands or crowns.

His sweetness knows no bounds...

Unless he feels as though he has to protect his pack (my kids). Then, all bets are off.

An example of this: I was outside with my kids and a bunch of their friends one summer, and we learned about another thing Harley hates: the swing.

I had just put this little swing up for my youngest two. I hung it from a tree branch in the front yard. When I let the dog out to do his business, he took one look at that thing, looked back at my girls as if to say, "I'll protect you," and then went nuts.

I had been taking pictures of the kids in the yard, so I had my phone nearby and started recording. As you'll see, he's kind of ridiculous in his lack of awareness of just how small he is. But that doesn't stop our hilarious hero from trying. And the kids got such a kick out of it!

Dynamite really does come in small packages, as far as this guy is concerned!

So, Happy National Dog Day to all those perfect pooches who bring so much love, and in this case, so much weird into our lives!