Man's best friend!

 

“Dogs and angels are not very far apart.” (Charles Bukowski)

Since my childhood, we've almost always had a dog. I grew up with beloved Pepper, the most faithful border collie ever. My wife's family always had poodles, so almost immediately after we married, some of our wedding gift money went to buy Snickers, a purebred pedigreed poodle, who brought much joy to us and our young children. The one sad thing about dogs is that they don't live as long as we do, so other companions followed: Pebbles (poodle), Lily (mini schnauzer), Molly (cockapoo). Each was loved.

“The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.” (Andy Rooney)

And now Inca! Most of the dogs since we've been married have really been my wife's dog. They were intended to keep her company when I was at work or church, and to sit in her lap and keep her warm in the evenings. When we started looking for our current dog, it was the first time we considered something a little larger than a lap poodle, a dog who could actually be a hiking companion for me!

Inca is a borderdoodle (border collie mixed with poodle). We had hoped the poodle part would make her non-shedding, but alas. Her coat and temperment are definitely collie - she loves to run and chase, and has boundless energy in the mountains. She has, indeed, been a wonderful hiking companion to me, more faithful than any human friend, always ready and eager at a moment's notice. We've wandered many miles of trails and been atop many peaks together.

“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.” (Roger Caras)

I #GiveThanks for the blessing of pets. When your furry companion greets your return home with incredible excitement, or looks up at you with those big warm eyes, filled with complete trust and faith - you know there's a part of your heart that belongs to them.

“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” (Charles de Gaulle)

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