There are few things that spark such pure joy as meeting a brand-new dog. From the moment that you think "OMG look, a dog!" to the moment that the dog actually lets you pet him, it's 100% pure excitement and happiness.
That's why Gideon, a 10-year-old boy, has turned meeting dogs into an entire hobby. He's darn good at it, too. Gideon has now pet 734 dogs and counting. He documents each encounter with a photo or two on his social media pages, I've Pet That Dog, along with a brief description of the dog's story.
Gideon's Twitter page has reached 176,000 followers — because it turns out that watching someone meet a dog is almost as satisfying as actually meeting the dog yourself. Meanwhile, Gideon is basically living the dream life.
Yesterday, for example, Gideon pet Kelos, a 1-year-old pit bull mix. He also pet Batman, a 2-year-old pit bull mix with an adorable smile who needs a home. Last week, Gideon pet a dog named Mr. Deeds. Mr. Deeds!!!
Honestly, you won't be able to get enough of this stuff.
This is Gideon, a 10-year-old boy, and Waverly, a 2-year-old goldendoodle.
Gideon runs the page I've Pet That Dog, where he posts about all the dogs that he meets and pets.
As for Waverly? She "is a ham who loves attention. When she is not getting it, she will bring you socks from all over the house."
All of Gideon's posts include a similarly charming tidbit about the dog he's just petted.
Like this pit bull, Kelos. He "barks at himself in the mirror, thinking another dog is there."
I bet he does!!!
Though Gideon's mom helps him run his page, the idea was entirely his own.
"When I was eight, every time I saw a dog, I needed to pet it," Gideon told Outside.
"So I asked my mom, ‘Can I post pictures of dogs online?’ and she said, ‘What do you mean?’ And I said, ‘I want to post pictures of dogs online.’ I love dogs so much, I want them to have a little bit of fame.”
Gideon has only one dog of his own at his home in Cedar Falls, Iowa — a dog named Walter who loves belly rubs and ham. He also has two gerbils and two cats.
His delightfully short FAQs page also explains that his favorite type of dog is the Chihuahua.
"My friend started a Chihuahua fan club and I am in it," the website says.
But Gideon likes plenty of other types of dogs, too. In fact, he sometimes keeps a running list of all the types of dogs that he'd like to meet.
And Gideon being Gideon, he'll probably get to check off every dog on every list eventually.
Several times a week, he goes on dog-scouting missions with his mom and little brother. Now that he's already met hundreds upon hundreds of dogs, the crew sometimes has to drive for 30 or 40 minutes to find a new dog to pet.
This kid is, no joke, an inspiration to us all.
He was even able to go to the American Kennel Club National Championship in December.
"I met so many different dogs and learned so much," he wrote of the experience.
There, he met another very popular dog lover: the inimitable WeRateDogs of Twitter fame.
"Thank you, @weratedogs for making sure I pet every dog on my list and for being my friend. I had the best weekend ever!"
Aside from the fact that Gideon has cracked the life code at just 10 years old, he's also doing a lot of good in the world. With so many social media followers, he's able to help out some of these dogs that he loves petting so much.
Gideon posts about the dogs that he pets at Cedar Bend Humane Society, an animal shelter in Waterloo, Iowa. Those dogs are much more likely to meet potential adopters when there are thousands of new eyes on their cute little faces.
Also important: Gideon's page brings a ton of joy to his followers.
His photos and stories have a lesson to teach: Every dog is a totally unique little being, with its own set of quirks and habits.
"I’ve learned that all the people I’ve met love their dog," Gideon said.
Like Winnie, a 15-week-old golden retriever who is known as the "Trash Monster" in her household.
Or Lexie, a 6-year-old smooth fox terrier who's a "high strung" rescue pup.
"To get her energy out, her caregiver used to play fetch from the 2nd floor deck so Lexie would run downstairs, grab the toy and come up again," Gideon wrote.
One Twitter fan put it best in a recent reply to I've Pet That Dog:
"Have we thanked you lately for this amazing account? Thank you! Humanity will forever be in your debt."
Forever, indeed. Now it's time to go find a dog to pet.
