Move over, Lassie
When the Royal Park Hotel put out a call for “the goodest pup in town” on their Facebook page, I knew I had to enter Cowboy.
With 176 entries and only one photo allowed per dog, the stakes were high. The criteria was 50% Most Regal Pose and 50% Creativity. I submitted a photo of Cowboy wearing a bow tie and trademark corgi smile, the kind that could charm squirrels out of trees and humans out of bacon. And apparently, it worked.
After what the hotel called “days of belly rub debates, tail-wagging deliberations, and more ‘awwws’ than we can count,” they couldn’t pick just one winner. Stony Creek Downtown Cowboy and a beautiful Great Dane named Willow now share the prestigious title of Royal Park Dog of the Year 2025.
All that training was worth every penny
Cowboy wasn’t just born fabulous, he worked for it. Since he was a pup, we’ve been going to training classes. And not because he needed “fixing.” He loved the structure, the praise, the treats (especially the treats). He was like that kid in school who sat in the front row and lived for gold stars.
And while we’re at it: Cowboy has been posing for the camera since his ears were longer than his legs. I’ve been snapping photos of him since day one. He’s so used to it, I swear I pull out my iPhone and he strikes a pose. He even has his own Instagram page with more followers than me. (Yes, I’m a published author. No, I’m not bitter. Okay, maybe just a little.)
Royal perks for the Royal Pup
As part of his new duties (and rewards), Cowboy recently arrived at the hotel for his first official photo shoot. He strutted through the grand lobby like he’d just signed a Netflix deal. Off leash, no less.
He lounged on the chaise like a pro, chased a ball in the dog-friendly suite, and even sat at the room desk to write a postcard to the Havanese twins down the block.
When photographer Sarah asked if Cowboy would walk into a room alone, I sat him in the hallway and told him to stay. I left him there, propped the door open, went inside the room and called him. Without a pause, he trotted in like “Okay, I’ve arrived. Where’s my peanut butter treat?”
His only hesitation was walking onto the elevator. He took one look at that moving floor box and said, “Absolutely not.” Honestly, I don’t blame him.
What this means (besides bragging rights)
Cowboy gets:
- Seasonal photo shoots.
- All the glory and tail-wagging perks a pup could dream of.
- Lots of hotel exploring and people to meet. He shakes hands like no one’s business.
I get:
- An overnight stay at the hotel for two. Question for you: Should I take Cowboy or the husband?
- The joy of seeing my little buddy celebrated.
- An excuse to tell everyone I know (and strangers, sorry not sorry).
- Some truly frame-worthy photos
Stay tuned—his next royal shoot is coming soon. Cowboy’s ready and I got a drawer full of bowties!!
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You also might enjoy reading Are You Sure You Want a Corgi?
Thank you for visiting.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a wrangler of words and big messy feelings in fiction and poetry.
In the Context of Love | Gordy and the Ghost Crab | Sleepwalker
Love and Other Incurable Ailments, coming 10/27/2026 from Regal House Publishing
Connect with Linda on social media: LinkTree