Dogs on the Internet

In 1993, cartoonist Peter Steiner created a cartoon on the subject of dogs on the Internet. The cartoon portrays a dog sitting in a chair behind a computer with his paws on the keyboard. The dog declares to another dog sitting on the floor, "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." This cartoon appeared in the July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker. Click here to see the cartoon.

Although the fictional, Internet savvy dog in the above cartoon seems to enjoy hiding his identity as a dog to his Internet friends, there are plenty of dogs on the Internet who openly publicize the fact that they are dogs. In fact many of these dogs have their own websites, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and Youtube videos.

One of the most famous dogs on the Internet is George, a 7' 3" Great Dane who holds two Guinness Book of World Records titles as "Tallest Dog Ever" and "Tallest Living Dog". On his website, you can read about the exciting events in George's life such his appearance on the Oprah show. You can be his friend on Facebook and read all the comments on his wall. For up to the minute news, follow this Internet savvy dog on Twitter and become one of his over 1400 followers. He also has posted videos of himself on Youtube.

Another one of the famous dogs on the Internet is Abbie Girl, an Australian Kelpie living in San Diego. On her website, Abbie Girl reveals that her owner, Michael Uy, rescued and adopted her at six months of age and taught her to surf. She now competes and medals in dog surfing competitions around the state of California, and has also appeared in the movie "Marmaduke". Abbie Girl also has her own Facebook page and Twitter account. You can also watch her incredible surfing videos posted on Youtube.

Twinkie, a Chihuahua, was a rescue dog living on the streets of Los Angeles. After being adopted, she created her own blog which includes a dog advice column and other dog related entries. Questions or comments for Twinkie may be posted on the blog as well as her Facebook page. The life of this Internet savvy dog, both on and off the Internet, is the subject of a children's book by owner Isabelle Thompson entitled "Twinkie: The Tiniest Dog in the World."

What about your dog? Although your dog is probably not of anxiously waiting for you to log off your computer so that he can use it to create his own internet presence, he too can become one of the dogs on the Internet. All he needs is a little help from you!