I know what dogs like… “Let’s have a cookie and/or go have fun!”
Every morning my big old golden retriever senses I am about to wake up, for when I open my eyes there he is standing at the side of the bed staring at me. Or perhaps he has been standing there for the last 7 hours. Or maybe he woke me up. No matter, for as I follow him down the dark hallway we both stop and stretch, I fart he burps, we both take a pee, have a drink and then take a dump and are glad we did.
There is something about that connection that is hard to explain to non dog people. It makes me smile, it makes me feel good, it makes me understand we are not so different.
And then of course there is the love, knowing they would give their life for you, all that excitement when you come home, the reciprocal calming nature of petting, always there in sad or lonely times, how they intuitively know that new baby is part of their family – or the new kitty. But most of all it’s what little effort it takes for them to have fun and so enjoy life. And how silly they can be. Warms the heart and hones our faces into lasting smiles rather than frowns.