Man's Best Friend

I used to think that dog lovers were kind of crazy. Well, maybe I still do a little, but maybe now I am more understanding of why people love their dogs so much. I just don't understand why dogs must be treated like people. THEY ARE NOT YOUR CHILDREN! Growing up, we always had pets. We mostly had cats, but we dabbled in birds and hamsters too. We only owned a dog once. I can't even remember what kind of dog it was, but I do remember that we all loved it with the exception of my parents. This may have been because the dog was impossible to potty train, chewed on everything and peed on everything. When we moved to Germany the first time and had to give him away, I don't remember my parents being too upset about it. Needless to say we didn't always live in a dog friendly world. We did, however, grow up in a cat friendly world. Don't worry, we weren't like the cat lady. We just always had cats because they are easier. They are so independent and they don't really require any work.

On my mission I hated dogs because people would use their dogs as an excuse to not talk to you. Almost every house had a dog and they all barked when you knocked on the door. For some reason barking dogs cause people to become stressed and get frazzled. I often wondered why they had dogs if they couldn't handle the barking. It was like they were saying to me oh I can't talk to you because my dog as barking I just don't know what to do. Don't use your dog as an excuse! Just man up and say no!

Now we have a new house of our own and a dog. It's a dog that Garret has had for a while, it's just been at his parents' house. I'll admit, in the beginning I never wanted a dog. They jump and shed and lick and they are dirty, but this dog isn't really like that. Her name is Precious, and she really is precious. She's a pomeranian and looks more like a huge fluff ball. She hardly ever barks and is already house broken and kennel trained. There is nothing better than coming home and having someone or really something be happy to see you. She doesn't judge you or act grumpy, she just wags her tail and runs around you in circles because she's just so happy that you are home. It really is a huge self esteem boost. She sits with you when you sit, walks with you when you walk and snuggles when you want to snuggle.

I now understand why people call dogs a Man's Best Friend. It's true! They really are! I mean cats are great, but they are kind of snobby and they only want to be nice when it's on their terms. Precious will never be viewed as one of my children. She will always be a dog and not a human, but at least now I don't hate dogs anymore.