Wag Wednesday: Angela Caraway-Carlton and Colby Mack Carlton

wag-wednesday

Since starting the blog, we’ve interviewed many members of the hospitality industry, and one constant among the interviewees has been a profound love for their pets. We thought it would be great to share this love with our readers.

That’s why we launched an ongoing feature called “Wag Wednesday” to showcase industry peeps and their pets. Know someone who wants to be featured? Email us at bark@miamifoodpug.com.

This week, we’re featuring Angela Caraway-Carlton, Freelance Writer and TV Producer, and her beagle, Colby Mack Carlton.

Your Name: Angela Caraway-Carlton

Your Pet’s Name: Colby Mack Carlton

Sex: Male

Age: 1

Breed: Beagle

How did you come to own your dog? What drew you to him?

Colby was a rescue of sorts — someone put down a deposit with the dog breeder, but never picked him up. Colby was five months old and still waiting on adoption (many people passed him up because they wanted a younger puppy), when my husband found him through an online ad. He knew instantly that Colby was ready for a good home. I was begging for a dog, so he surprised me with Colby on our five-year wedding anniversary. A five-month-old puppy for five years together — I always say he was waiting on us.

What’s the story behind your dog’s name?

We started with the name Toby, but it just didn’t fit his look or personality. After spending a week with him, and after dressing him up in a “newsboy-type” cap, he looked like a jazz/blues singer, so I landed on Colby. His middle name, Mack, is to honor my father who’s currently battling Stage IV Cancer. He makes my parents so happy, so it felt right to give him a second name. Like a child, when he’s in trouble, I yell out “Colby Mack!” in a stern voice.

How would you describe your dog’s personality?

BIG! Beagles are very vocal and emotional, and Colby lets you know exactly what he’s thinking or wants. I swear he’s really a human. He “talks” to us when he’s not happy with something, cries when we leave him, and rejoices when he gets a new toy or when we return home. He also loves bow ties and posing for the camera —he’s already been featured in a trend piece for Modern Luxury Weddings magazine. OK, maybe it’s that he really loves treats and will do anything, include posing and wearing bow ties, for a treat.

How has owning a pet made your life richer?

We got Colby during a very difficult year — my father was diagnosed with late-stage cancer and I made a big career move — and Colby has made every day better. He’s been my co-pilot during long drives home to Alabama to see my dad and has cheered-up my entire family during dad’s treatment.

It’s like he knows when I’m sad, and anyone with a beagle knows, they can give the best hugs (they literally put their arms around you). I can’t imagine our lives without him.

It’s said that dogs reflect their owners and vice versa. How does this apply to you and yours?

I think he reflects our fun-loving and playful spirits. As an only child, I’ve always loved to constantly be around people and I want everyone to be my friend. Colby wants to play with every dog he sees and I actually got a call from the new doggie day camp that he refuses nap time and that “he doesn’t understand cues from other dogs who don’t want to play with him.”

I also like to burrow under the covers when I sleep (you literally can’t see me), and Colby does the same thing. My husband worries that we will one day suffocate together under the covers.

Tell us a funny story about you and your dog.

Dinner time is always comical at our house. My husband is Southern so he calls dinner “supper” and every evening we ask Colby if he’s ready for “supper.” It’s an entire production. He definitely knows that word, and goes crazy, jumping, barking his demands and grabbing at our hands until we get up. If we delay (which is part of the game), it only gets funnier as he “talks” to us, grumbling and whining. You have to see it!

Are you involved in any pet organizations or philanthropies?

I am not involved with anything yet, but that is a priority now that I have a dog and see all they can do for people!

We follow a lot of dog social media accounts like Doug the Pug, Rocco’s Contemporary Life, and Menswear Dog. Do you? Which are your favorites?

I follow a “puppynamedcharlie” on Instagram, which are two rescued doodles, Charlie and Sawyer, in Manhattan who have major hair goals. I also follow my friend’s English bulldog, “Meet Lincoln,” who’s now sharing all the attention with his new (human) baby brother.

 

See past editions of Wag Wednesdays here.