Local dog owners, allegedly, love to dish about their dogs. If you ask someone walking their pup across campus if you can pat their pet’s furry little head, you often get treated to a story or interesting biographical dog fact. This is according to the first-year student who keeps up the popular Instagram account, @bowdoindogspotter. (She prefers to remain anonymous.) “As soon as you start petting and talking about the dog, they’ll start talking. People love talking about their dogs,” she said, adding, “and I also hearing love hearing about them.”
The Bowdoin dogspotter account is similar to a site kept up by a dog lover in New York City, The Dogist, which in turn is somewhat similar to the Humans of New York project. Both sites profile strangers encountered on the streets with a photo and personal anecdote.
The most difficult part of the bowdoindogspotter operation is photographing squiggly, wiggly puppies, but bowdoindogspotter can’t resist them. “Puppies have the best expressions,” she said.
So bowdoindogspotter often takes as many as twenty shots to get a keeper, even when she’s profiling an older, more sedate dog. The ultimate prize — a sweet smile. “Everyone loves a smiling dog!” she said.
(Bowdoindogspotter also welcomes tips. So if a local Brunswick resident, professor, or student is out and about walking their adorable dog, message her and let her know where they are!)
