Q&A with Harley the Dog

Above:  Harley checks Instagram to see which dogs to follow and which hashtags are hot.

Harley the Dog came from out of nowhere, seemingly, and he’s taken the world by storm. He’s regularly recognized at the local coffee house and people from around the planet send him hand knitted sweaters. Who is this wunderpup? Where did he come from and how is he adjusting to his new life in Seattle? We sat down with the four legged phenom to learn more.

Nerd’s Eye View: We understand you’re from LA. What were you doing there?

Harley the Dog: Moreno Valley, actually, that was the last place I lived. I couldn’t afford LA any longer. Since my ambitions for Hollywood weren’t panning out, I shifted to the burbs. I don’t love the burbs, but you can kind of disappear there and it’s safer than the major urban areas if you’re going to live on the streets. You can find a nice quiet backyard to sleep in during the day and at night, there’s not as much crime. The traffic is stupid though, all these big cars coming and going in great fleets during commuter hours. I still get jumpy when I see an SUV, but that’s street life for you.

NEV: So you were on the streets?

HtD: I have to be honest with you, I don’t like talking about it much. It wasn’t a good time and I’d rather just move on. I can tell you that I spent some time locked up. Rehab behind bars isn’t ideal, though you have to make a real effort to fall off the wagon. It was too hard to get a fix; it was easier to just get clean. And when they told me that there were opportunities for a guy like me up north I figured, well, why not? Why not start over?

NEV: How was the trip up?

HtD: It was weird; most of us hadn’t traveled before and there was this one guy, he just cried the whole time… I hope he’s doing better. Big guy, looked tough, but just fell apart on the journey. (Parker, if you’re reading this, I hope you landed on your feet.) So, we got to the Pacific Northwest and we all ended up in this clinic and (sigh)… yeah. Transitions are hard. After the clinic I was assigned to a halfway house south of Seattle. It was a big rambling property, but it wasn’t ideal. It’s counter-intuitive, but a fleabag motel isn’t necessarily better than the streets. Plus, there were all these characters trying to find their new lives and it was exhausting to hear their stories over and over. I realize that makes me sound unsympathetic, but I was trying to get a new life too and some of the stories were just so demoralizing, you know? I think if you’re trying to get happy, it helps to have happy beings around you.

NEV: Would you say you’re happy now?

HtD: I have good days and bad days, but it’s absolutely a net positive. My diet is just so much better, I get regular exercise without having to worry about getting run over or chased by unsavory elements. I still get the blues — shaking off the time on the street and in lockup is hard. But I try to focus on the positive things in my life and there’s so much of that. Cheese. Blankets. Peanut butter. God, I love cheese.

NEV: Looking forward… what’s next for Harley the Dog?

HtD: I’m working on my Instagram feed; I’ve been reading that Instagram stars can make decent money and I know it sounds vain but I think I’m pretty photogenic in a Daniel Craig kind of way. I like wearing sweaters (affiliate link, I’m a small, not an XS, if you’re shopping for me) and going for walks; I think you’ll see a lot more of that from me, though I’m curious about exploring t-shirts come warmer weather. I’m working with a life coach on some issues — down, stay, that kind of thing — in hopes it will provide new opportunities. At the risk of sounding like a 12 stepper, I’m really a one day at a time kind of guy right now. Maybe one hour at a time. Maybe one minute at a time. Wait. What was the question again? (Laughs.)

NEV: Any advice for the other strays out there?

HtD: You know, if we were talking in that damp, cold yard in Auburn, I’d probably be pretty down on the system, I wouldn’t have believed it possible to end up where I am today. But just this morning I got belly scratches followed by cheese with my breakfast and a walk to the park. I know there’s a better life out there. Follow your nose, my four legged brothers and sisters. And it doesn’t hurt to turn on the charm. Roll over and show them your belly. All the popular wisdom says that move is about submission, but dogs know better. It’s bait. Use it to get your scratchies and a better life.