Gatsby, the Great, Recommends Bubba, the French Bulldog's, New Children's Book

NEWPORT, RI — Gatsby, the 5-year-old French Bulldog, collected an entourage quickly today when he sat outside the store at Bellevue Shopping Center.

"Oh, he's so beautiful," women squealed. Gatsby gave each one a high-five. They squealed more.

He has, as they say in the French Bulldog world, that je ne sais quoi. And admiration hasn't turned his little head.

Gatsby and his pal, Bubba, became Internet sensations this summer when a video of them on paddle boards at Second Beach went viral.

He loves paddling, his owner says. She puts a board down. He leaps aboard.

The two dogs had been Facebook friends, but they played together for the first time in Middletown. Gatsby explained the whole story in an exclusive interview with The Patch.

Q. Were you named after Jay Gatsby, as in The Great Gatsby or some lesser Gatsby.

A. I was named after the Great Gatsby. My Mama and GranMa loved the movie with Robert Redford. Also, Gisou, my GranMa, had a dog named Gatsby named after the book. When GranMa passed away, I was given the name Gatsby in memory of her. I feel right at home here in Newport with the mansions where the movie was filmed.

Q. How did you and Bubba meet?

A. I met Bubba four years ago online when I started my Facebook page. We became really good friends over the years via Facebook and finally met in pawson last month in Newport during Bubba's East Coast Tour while he and his parents were promoting his new book "Bubba Heard a Mouse" available on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1537316443/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

I highly recommend the book "Bubba Heard a Mouse (Calling for Help)," written by my friend Bubba and his dad, Mr. Jerry Stueber. Its is beautiful sweet story that teaches children from one to 93 a wonderful lesson about caring, friendship and kindness. The illustrations by Miss Faryn Hughes are absolutely Frenchtastic!

Q. Did any of your adventures with Bubba inspire episodes or scenes in the book?

A. Chapter Four in "Bubba Heard a Mouse" talks about my girlfriend Bella, who's also a French bulldog, and me. I met Bella, who lives in Long Beach, Calif., on Facebook as well, and all our Facebook friends know us as the "loving, kind and considerate couple." Naturally, Chapter Four is all about how the kind couple help the little helpless mouse out of trouble.

With my Mama being a graphic artist, we enjoy lots of virtual trips to Paris and other exotic countries all illustrated on our Facebook pages. I have traveled the world with Bella.

Q. What do you do for fun? Just hangout or play or go to sidewalk cafes?

A. I love to relax and take naps with my brother Atticus, but I also love to go out and visit sidewalk cafes in Newport and mingle with human beings. I like to play with my brothers. We like hide and seek. We also like to play with toys and chew on my nylabones. During the summer, I enjoy paddleboarding here in Newport and in the winters, I love to sled down some hills and have fun.

Q. Do you have any favorite Newport (and nearby) spots, like parks or dog runs?

A. My favorite hangout especially for my Frenchie meetups is Second Beach. We just recently had a big meetup there during Bubba's East Coast Tour. Furfriends from near and far came travelling and we all enjoyed a wonderful day at the beach. I practice my paddleboarding on Ocean Drive and I love to exercise at Rovensky Park in Newport. One of my favorite spots is The Point, and I hike on the Cliff Walk for the beautiful scenery.

Q. Your breed is popular, but do you think you're sometimes misunderstood?

A. Frenchies are super popular now. We are known for our clown personalities. There is a saying that Frenchies are like potato chips. You can't just have one. However, we require a great deal of attention due to some common health issues being a brachycephalic (short-nosed) breed. We get confused a lot with Boston Terriers and Pugs. Those are our cousins and I don't mind being called a pug or Boston by some of the humans here in Newport because I love them.

Q. Anything else you might want to add. (These might be silly hooman questions, and a dog might want to discuss something different.)

A. I just would like to add that I feel very fortunate to have such a strong support network with all my friends on Facebook. Human and Furfriends! I have gained so many wonderful relationships that will last a lifetime. Our Facebook family is always eager to help out and support one another.

Courtesy Photos by Angela Montegari Ponte