One of my earliest childhood memories is of sitting with a litter of puppies in a cardboard box filled with shredded newspaper; the mother walking about and licking them clean. I was three.

Growing up with dogs, where these fuzzy creatures are part of your every waking thought, affects the way you look at the animal world and the way you understand its relationship with ours.

You begin to see animals on terms that are, at least, almost equal to your view of and respect for human life. It may even begin to positively affect the way you treat people. I can't tell you the number of times I've looked at someone I love (who's behaving like a jerk) only to realize they're desperately in need of a gentle scratch behind the ear … metaphorically speaking of course …usually. LOL

But even just to sit with a dog on a quiet evening - watching TV, sharing a bowl of popcorn and wrestling for space on the sofa - can be very enlightening. Besides, the beer is all mine.

Posted by Chris.