I recently cracked the code to inviting more encounters with cute dogs in the wild, short of adopting my own: wear them on my clothes.
There’s something disarming about a dog printed on a sweatshirt: It reads friendly without trying too hard, turning a basic weekend outfit–jeans, sneakers, a crewneck–into an open invitation to say hello.
Usually, dog owners will shorten the leash when they pass someone, trying to keep their pup from “bothering” strangers. But the dog on my sweatshirt seemed to beam a signal to every dog walker I passed to say: It’s okay! I like dogs!! I actually want your dog to jump on me.
If I had known that wearing a dog print was the secret to unlocking unlimited puppy interactions, I would have stocked my wardrobe with them sooner.
