Lili Chin is an LA-based animation artist and producer who also draws doggies on the site on doggiedrawings.net. I don’t remember how I first spotted her drawings, but I love her cartoonish style that seems to capture the essence of each dog. A while back we posted an informative drawing by Lili: How Not To Greet A Dog and it was one of the most popular posts on the site. After being a foster mom for some time, Lili finally adopted a faithful companion of her own who has become the inspiration for many of her drawings, and I asked her to share some more about this little guy who has taught her (and so many others) so much about dog behavior.
Name? Boogie
Nicknames? Pumpkinhead, Boogs, Boogaloo, Boogie Monster
Age? About 6, 7, or 8 years old. I am not sure because his adoption papers had conflicting dates. To me, he will always be a kid.
Breed? Boston Terrier
What?s ?The Scoop?? I adopted Boogie 3 years ago. He was living in a shelter for several weeks before Boston Buddies rescued him. I had been fostering Boston terriers for Boston Buddies and I was ready to commit to my own forever buddy. I remember the day I met “Willy” at the kennel. When he gave me a kiss, I signed the donation check and the rest is history.
Favorite toy? Tennis balls! Also his plush blue octopus, corn cob and rubber monkey.
Favorite food? Hot dogs, bacon, food that humans eat, like steak and ice cream.
Favorite place to sleep? In his bed with his toys, or in my bed — under the covers.
Photo by Jim Cherry
Weirdest quirk? Boogie can stand on two legs for a long time and do yoga stretches in all directions. He also has the ability to unzip bags, unscrew jars and send IMs on my computer. My friend and I used to joke that we should train him to open safes.
Pet peeves? Mail delivery people, homeless people, German Shepherds.
Best trick? I haven’t taught him anything amazingly-impressive but Boogie can shake hands and jump very high.
Gear? Boogie usually wears a studded black leather collar until I decide which Paco collar I want to buy. On chilly evenings, he wears his favorite “Los Perros” t-shirt from Toru Dog or his cute custom-knitted “B for Boogie” sweater by Tomomi F. (check out the Boogie Etsy store! – http://boogiewonderland.etsy.com)
If your dog were another animal what animal would that be? A cross between a piglet, a cat and a wolverine.
Boogie has become quite the cartoon celeb. Has this affected his ego at all? Hmmm. I don’t know. He still has a huge head. I asked Boogie what he thinks of his new celebrity status and his reply was: “Please throw my ball.” I guess he hasn’t changed.
How has Boogie’s behavior changed since you began training him (and others!)? I am so glad I found a wonderful trainer for Boogie: BridgesDogTraining.com. I have learned so much these past two years and I am still always learning, as many of my illustration clients are also dog training professionals. Since I began training Boogie, I feel more confident about my ability to manage situations that could lead to unwanted drama. We have a stronger bond and better communication. I can ask Boogie to do things and he does them… which is still amazing to me! Boogie is much happier, more responsive, he can walk nicely on leash, and with help from me — turn away from people or dogs that he finds confrontational, instead of lunging at them. He is by no means a perfect dog… he still has issues and probably always will, but training has made a huge difference.
Please check out the new dog training book BEHAVIOR ADJUSTMENT TRAINING: BATting 1000 for Reactive, Fearful or Aggressive Dogs by Grisha Stewart; published by Dogwise. It is due out this Fall and there are my Boogie illustrations in it!
Boogie’s Etsy store is coming soon – can you tell us anything about it or give us a sneak peek?
Boogie’s Etsy store is HERE: http://boogiewonderland.etsy.com. Right now, there are some “Boogie On Scooters” magnets — proceeds from these sales are donated to Japanese Earthquake Animal Rescue, and custom doggie sweaters. I will be adding more Boogie art and crafts in the coming months. Also check out my Zazzle store — there are Boogie calendars and art prints for sale: www.zazzle.com/lilichin
Last but not least, I am collaborating with a writer on a book project starring Boogie and here is a sneak peek…
(Pssst – we are looking for a publisher!)
Here’s how to get your own Doggie Drawing. Read Boogie’s blog here.
