Man's Best Friend

Last night I heard our neighbor's hound dog howling in the cool darkness of spring. As I heard his aging whine, I smiled. We haven't heard as much of him through the winter because the poor old dog has spent most of it inside. Now he can spend more time outside again.

I've wondered about the high strung sort of people who get upset at other people's pets if they even sniff in the wrong direction. To me the sound of barking dogs is part of the urban human experience. It tells me that all of us, human and dog (and I suppose cats too even though they don't make as much noise), are all part of the same large pack. We depend on each other for survival, friendship, and happiness.

The dog has been one of the earliest animals our ancestors domesticated. After thousands of years, its clear that they are worth keeping, drooling, barking, and shedding included. Rather than get upset by the noisy four legged creatures, enjoy their presence. They love us unconditionally, despite all of our own faults and things we do that annoy them. Let's cut the dogs around us some slack too. Lets be best friends.