Dogs are fans of social networking, too

The Dude Dog, on a break from Twitter

Make no mistake about it - social networking is going to the dogs. There are sites like Dogster and PetPop, which allow you to create profiles for your dogs and meet other dogs online. There's a Dogbook application that lets you connect with other dog owners and their pups right on Facebook. People magazine has even gotten in on the action with an online community called PeoplePets.

But there's also a new trend among social media-savvy pets. Many are joining Twitter to stay connected to their pals. Of course, whether or not these pets are actually setting the accounts up themselves - or their owners are - is up for discussion.

(Scratching your belly - er, head? Twitter is a social networking service that allows users to instantly message each other through updates, called "tweets", of up to 140 characters in length. Users can then easily stay connected to their network of friends, which consists of people whose updates they choose to follow. See Wikipedia for more information.)

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Rhode Island's own tweeting dog, The Dude, an 11-year-old Boxer/Shepherd mix who was rescued from the Providence Animal Rescue League when he was approximately 6 months old. His Twitter profile - he goes by TheDudeDog - indicates that he "loves meat, baked goods & cheese." Also? That he "hates cats." Meow!

With a little help from his mom, Heather Allard of The Mogul Mom (TheMogulMom on Twitter), TheDudeDog chatted with me about life, love and, of course, social media. Read on for the full interview.

Jane: First things first. Take us way back before you started tweeting and tell us your adoption story.

TheDudeDog: Well, I was wandering around the mean streets of Providence when some kind person picked me up and brought me to the Providence Animal Rescue League. A nice lady and man came to visit one Sunday in April 1998, not really to adopt a dog - just looking around a bit. The nice lady stopped when she saw me and read my chart. She saw that my given name was Simba and I heard her say that she was meant to adopt me. Apparently, she and the man loved "The Lion King" and even played the song “The Circle of Life” at their wedding. The man told her to walk around a bit and that they would think about it. When they got outside, all of us dogs were lined up. Most of the other dogs were barking, but I really wanted to impress the nice lady so I sat as still as I could and wagged my tail at her. She fell in love with me and convinced the nice man to adopt me that day. That was 11 years ago.

Jane: What a great story. What's your family life like?

TheDudeDog: I have two human sisters and one human brother. I have seen many things in my life - babies being born, loved ones dying, happiness, sadness and everything in between. When my mommy’s father died, I snuggled with her and licked her tears away. When she’s had a long day with my human sisters and brother, I cuddle up with her and offer her my paw. I am so lucky to have my family - I am really a family member and everyone shows me so much love.

Jane: It sounds like you have a wonderful family! Now tell us, when and why did you decide to join Twitter?

TheDudeDog: My Mommy joined Twitter in September 2008 and befriended a lovely guinea pig named Lil Pecan. I became smitten with her and Mommy created a Twitter account for me so I could talk to Lil Pecan. She’s my girlfriend and I love her very much. I have 142 followers now - mostly animals - and I’m having so much fun tweeting.

Jane: What do you tweet about?

TheDudeDog: Well, I mostly tweet about what I’m doing (lately, I’ve been throwing up a lot because I keep eating weird things out of the trash, like dental floss, macramé string, dirty tissues and dryer lint), what I’m eating and what I hear out the window.

Jane: Humans use Twitter to connect and network with like-minded folks. How do you use Twitter?

TheDudeDog: I use Twitter to connect with other animals, to woo my girlfriend and to stay abreast of late-breaking news in the human world. There are a lot of pet companies on Twitter now - my pet food company, Wellness Pet Food, and my brush, FURminator.

Jane: Have you connected with anyone you love - dogs, cats or humans - in particular?

TheDudeDog: I connect with Mommy on Twitter (though she’s usually just in the room next to me) and I love tweeting with Lil Pecan. I’ve also made some great dog friends, like Gus the Boxer and Mugsy Malone, as well as other critters like Mugsy Chipmunk (I guess Mugsy is a popular pet name) and CaplinROUS. I don’t like cats at all, but a few have tried to connect with me and convince me that they are not pure evil. It will take a lot more evidence. I’ve seen them out my window and they’re not nice.

Jane: When you're not online, what are some of your favorite things to do?

TheDudeDog: I fashion myself a neighborhood vigilante and I protect all the smaller folk (squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, birds) from cats by barking like nuts when I see them out the window. I also like to bark at any “man” (FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS, gas, cable, water, trash, recycling, etc.) who happens to come near my house. For the past 11 years, I have determinedly chewed a hole in our door and I’m happy to say that I’m almost through to the outside - I can see daylight through the hole! I thoroughly enjoy chewing toilet paper and paper towel rolls, begging for food and writing catchy tunes about my life and times.

Jane: Ah, the life of a loved dog. Where are some of your favorite places to go in Rhode Island?

TheDudeDog: I love going to Narragansett where my Nana lives and digging like crazy at the beach. I love taking walks with my people and sniffing all the smells around me. I love riding in the van and hanging my head out the window. I love going to McDonald’s and eating fries with my Mommy. But mostly, I love spending time with my human sisters and brother in my big, woodland yard. It beats the heck out of a kennel.