PUG PEOPLE TALES headed down to North Palm Beach, Florida, to interview Humphrey and Amanda. It was a sunny morning and Humphrey was more interested in getting a tan and having his belly rubbed than spilling his guts to the fake media, so we talked to his Person. And Amanda had a lot to say, as most Pug People do; all a-gush with puggish wonders and brutally honest about her own meteoric descent into Pug Peopleness.
Amanda, how did Humphrey come to live with you?
Before we got married, my husband Chris (the original Proud Pug Person) found him on a Yahoo group and arranged to meet the owner to buy Humphrey. It was like a drug deal—the two cars drove up alongside each other and exchanged pug and money through the driver’s side windows.
Did you have pugs before or is Humphrey your first?
My first! And for me, it was love at first sight. For Humphrey… uh, not so much. It wasn’t until our third or fourth date that he gave in to my considerable charms. See, I was dating Chris and Humphrey at the same time and when they decided to ask me to marry them, Humphrey had the engagement ring attached to his collar.
What does Humphrey’s “voice” sound like?
I imagine him sounding like he has a perpetual cold. “Mama, I do nod udderstand. Tell me mo.”
Does he have any nicknames?
Puggy Pie. Handsome. Humpty Hump. And our neighbor calls him “Quick”… ‘cause he ain’t.
Does he have any pug quirks? Or specifically Humphrey quirks?
He ‘farmer blows’ on my food in order to make me not want to eat it so he can have it. Is that a pug quirk or just Humphrey? I don’t know, I guess you can ask other Pug People. And he’s so sweet, except at mealtime when he’s downright rude. He used to just gently tap me with his paw to alert me that it was time to eat, now he shrieks like a sleestak from “Land of the Lost”.
Amanda, when did you realize you were Pug People?
Chris and I were out walking Humphrey; I was wearing a Pugkin Spiced Latte t-shirt and Chris was wearing a shirt that said Pugs, Not Drugs, and we were having a full-on conversation with Humphrey. I distinctly remember thinking, “Oh my God, we’re those people”. Then we came back to the apartment and I saw the giant family photo and I thought, “Yep. It's official. We’re Pug People.”
