[11] 10 Easy Rules Of Corgi Puppies For Sale At Dedham Corgi Puppies For Sale At Dedham

CASTINE — It wouldn’t be a giant leap to say that the Internet is the new Wild West.

The prairies and sagebrush of yesteryear are now billions of lines of code, onto which anyone with a computer and Internet access can load images, video, credit card info, personal details and more.

If the outlaws of yore wore masks and held up trains, today’s bandits sit behind keyboards and use a special skill set to hack all that fresh online data.

Their motives range from nefarious (the theft and publication of nude celebrity photos) to noble (the unmasking of Ku Klux Klan leaders) to simply mischievous.

In 2013, for example, an online trickster hacked an account on the photo sharing network Instagram. The hacker then flooded that Instagram feed with images of a Pembroke Welsh corgi balancing objects on her head: an apple, an empty box of butter, a house made of Legos.

A reporter at the online news site Buzzfeed spotted the seemingly harmless — if not so easily explained — act of online piracy.

In his resulting story, the reporter didn’t explore the hacker’s motives for spamming the Instagram user. Instead, he shared some of the same images and directed readers to their source: an account on the blogging service Tumblr.

Called “Things on Hazel’s Head,” that blog is created right here in Castine. It’s as simple as it sounds: well over 50 images of a docile, plump and vaguely wolfish pooch balancing stuff on her noodle.

And it’s a viral sensation. Boasting almost 35,000 followers, Hazel’s portraits are regularly reshared not just by like-minded Tumblr users — see: Media —

but actual news outlets (now including this one).

The clearing house for all things cute, funny and shareable, Buzzfeed ranked Hazel the 33rd most important corgi of 2014.

So why are hackers, news outlets, worldwide corgi fanatics and others sharing images of what is (almost) assuredly Maine’s most famous corgi?

Hazel’s owner is Georgia Zildjian, a 23-year-old Castine native who attended several schools in the area while growing up, including the Adams School and Ellsworth High School.

She now lives in Portland, but was interviewed during a recent weekend stay with her parents, Bill Zildjian and Deborah Corey, in Castine.

“She’s the queen,” Georgia said, comparing Hazel to two other dogs stampeding around their living room that morning. “She’s the more sedate one.”

Georgia chose Hazel as a puppy, she recalled with a glow, “because she looked like a pancake… I knew I wanted a fat, little corgi.”

Growing up, Hazel slept on Georgia’s bed every night. Then several years ago, when Georgia left to study at Boston University, her father started sending her pictures of the corgi.

“I would get sort of a daily Hazel,” Georgia said. “It used to be her. Then it was her wrapped in blankets.”

Through that exchange, Bill discovered Hazel’s ability to balance objects on her head. Two years ago, with Georgia’s encouragement, he set up the Tumblr account.

Now, Bill refers to himself as the dog’s “photographic assistant.” He’s captured her balancing everything from a miniature Red Sox batting helmet, to a conch shell, to an ice cube, to one of their other dogs, a Pomeranian mix named Florian.

It helps, of course, that he rewards her with a piece of cheese for each success. But sometimes she shakes stuff off.

The enthusiasm of Hazel’s fan base is clear. In notes to the blog, they request things for Hazel to balance and express their adulation.

“This is the best blog on Tumblr. Anyone who disagrees should not be allowed to use the Internet,” wrote one. Another named it, “Best dog blog, best things on head blog.”

Neither in person nor in his responses to other Tumblr users does Bill sound weirded out by the attention.

In one typical response, he wrote, “Arf, growrf aroof, roof woof. Rubroo roo aworf!” Then came a translation: “(Thanks for telling me I am cute. All the mirrors around here are too high for me to see for myself…).”

Hazel’s followers have come in waves, Bill explained, with certain balancing acts seeming to draw more of an audience than others. Two of the greatest hits, he said, were an espresso mug-and-dish and a random sprinkling of pink flower petals over Hazel’s head.

People discover the images because they follow Hazel on Tumblr, follow other blogs that repost her or read news sites that have jumped on the bandwagon. Possibly inspired by Hazel, a Chinese web user has even started posting images of a more runtish corgi with objects on its head.

“It hit this tipping point, where people reposting can take care of itself,” Bill said. “There have been these strands of virality.”

With the followers, Hazel has arguably joined the ranks of other famous animals like “Grumpy Cat,” a mixed breed feline who always appears to be scowling. After the Internet showered its approval on her, Grumpy Cat became the face of Friskies cat food.

The Zildjians don’t have any immediate plans to sell out Hazel, who is nearly 13-years-old, in part because she’s old. She’s also shy about her balancing trick, usually only doing it one-on-one with Bill, and wouldn’t like being in front of a large crowd.

What they have considered is creating merchandise featuring Hazel’s likeness, then selling it as part of a corgi rescue operation, according to Georgia. Along those lines, a Tumblr called “Stuff on Scout’s Head” seeks donations to rescue pit bulls.

After all, Georgia said, Hazel “just wants to sleep and put stuff on her head for cheese.”

BioLatest PostsCharles EichackerReporter at The Ellsworth AmericanCharles Eichacker covers the towns of Bucksport, Orland, Castine, Verona Island, Penobscot, Brooksville and Dedham. When not working on stories, he likes books, beer and the outdoors. [email protected]Latest posts by Charles Eichacker (see all)Larry Wahl keeps maps, globes, ice cream scoops for posterity - April 28, 2016GSA chef serves up Chinese and other cuisines - March 31, 2016Energy savings reaped through integrated plan - March 26, 2016
[11] 10 Easy Rules Of Corgi Puppies For Sale At Dedham Corgi Puppies For Sale At Dedham | corgi puppies for sale at dedham