I have never understood my husband's obsession with Nascar. He is a very quiet, almost reclusive person, but you'll never see him so animated as when he's watching those racecars go round in circles. It just amazes me to see his personality come out when he's rooting for his favorite driver. I love my husband, but I get very little emotional response from him; he's actually pretty stoic most of the time--not that it's a bad thing. That's who he is, and I've gotten used to it, but I do love to try to get a rise out of him from time to time. My latest attempt at getting some enthusiasm out of my husband started with me going online to this website that sells things like MLB dog jerseys and NFL dog collars. I was really hoping I would find a Nascar dog collar on there, and sure enough, I did. I had a feeling it would be the perfect surprise for my husband, and it might even put a smile on his face.

The day the collar arrived, I put it on our English bulldog before my husband got home from work. When he walked in the door, Jack greeted him like he always does, and as usual, my husband bent down to pet him. When he noticed that Nascar dog collar around his neck, he lit up from head to toe! He was thrilled to see that I had thought to get him something that I knew he would love. What made it even better was that there was a race on TV that night, which I didn't even know about until he told me--he thought I had factored that into the equation, which made him even more pleased. Not only was he excited about having the dog sit next to him all night wearing that collar, but his favorite driver won that night! I don't think I've ever seen my husband so enthused...it really made my night too.

My husband may come off as quiet and emotionally detached, but he actually has a big personality and lot of great qualities that are simmering just below the surface. If this sounds like your man, why not try to surprise him occasionally with things like NFL dog collars to bring him out of his shell? The best time to gift your guy with items like MLB dog jerseys is when they least suspect it, that way you can both surprise and thrill them. And who knows, maybe one day they might return the favor and surprise you by doing something special for you or giving you something you love. In these situations, it's not the object that matters, obviously--it is the thought that you put into wanting to make someone else happy, even if just for a little while.