Dogs 2

     I have always had a dog, sometimes two, three even at one point. One of my favourite photos is me, as a toddler standing beside my very first dog, Trudy. I have been in love with dogs of every size, shape, breed and colour ever since. To me, they are the perfect companion: loyal, lively and loving. They are happy to be a part of almost anything that's going on except fireworks and thunderstorms but otherwise they are pretty low maintenance. Dogs can find fun in the simplest of things, even a stinky sock or an old tennis ball. If there are snacks involved, they are in, and they have a very loose definition of what constitutes snacks to my mind. They are not connoisseurs of what is edible but dogs know what they like and they like us, and other dogs, and sometimes cats and even squirrels if they can catch them. But they almost never do, thank goodness!

     I think that every occasion is improved by the presence of a dog, from a casual walk on the beach to a big family wedding (they can be awesome ring-bearers).
Dogs give us reasons to walk, to walk longer and more often, in all kinds of weather. They help us make new friends all the time just by making friends with one another, which usually happens quite quickly with just a bit of sniffing involved. They are great listeners and usually don't mind if your nose is wet or your breath is bad. I am not sure how a wild wolf evolved into the cute, fluffy dog that is our daughter's doodle Stella but I endorse the process one hundred percent. Most nights she is crowding me out of our king size bed but I don't mind. What can I say? I love dogs!