I want my boy to have a dog.
Or maybe two or three ...
He'll learn from them much easier
Than he would learn from me.

A dog will show him how to love
And bear no grudge or hate;
I'm not so good at that myself
But dogs will do it straight.

I want my boy to have a dog
To be his pal and friend.
So he may learn that friendship
Is faithful to the end.

There never yet has been a dog
Who learned to double-cross.
Nor catered to you when you won
Then dropped you when you lost.

A faithful dog will play with you
And laugh with you and cry...
He'll gladly starve to stay with you
Nor ever reason why...

And when you're feeling out of sorts
Somehow he'll understand
He'll watch you with his shining eyes
And try to lick your hand.

His blind implicit faith in you
Is matched by your great love
The kind that all of us should have
In the Master up above.

When everything is said and done,
I guess this isn't odd,
For when you spell dog backwards,
You will get the name of God.

What would I do without you
My precious, furry friend? ...
Part mischief, but all blessing,
And faithful to the end!

You look at me with eyes of love:
You never hold a grudge ...
You think I'm far too wonderful
To criticize or judge.

It seems your greatest joy in life
Is being close to me ...
I think God knew how comforting
Your warm, soft fur would be.

I know you think your human,
But I'm glad it isn't true ...
The world would be a nicer place
If folks we're more like you!

A few short years is all we have.
One day we'll have to part ...
But you my pet, we'll always have
A place within my heart.

Hear our humble prayer, O God,
for our friends, the animals,
especially for those who are suffering;
for any that are lost or deserted,
or frightened or hungry.

We entreat for them all
Thy mercy and pity,
and for those who deal with them,
we ask a heart of compassion
and gentle hands and kindly words.

Make us, ourselves,
to be true friends to animals
and so to share
the blessings
of the merciful.

Bless the beasts and the children.
For in this world, they have no voice.
They have no choice.

Bless the beasts and the children.
For the world can never be,
the world they see.
Light their way.

When the darkness surrounds them,
give them love.
Let it shine all around them.

Bless the beasts and the children.
Give them shelter from a storm.
Keep them safe.
Keep them warm.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
The king-size bed is soft and deep.
I sleep right in the center groove
My human being can hardly move!
I've trapped her legs, she's tucked in tight
And here is where I pass the night
No one disturbs me or dares intrude
Till morning comes and "I want food!"
I sneak up slowly to begin
my nibbles on my human's chin.
She wakes up quickly,
I have sharp teeth-
I'm a puppy, don't you see?
For the morning's here
and it's time to play
I always seem to get my way.
So thank you Lord for giving me
This human person that I see.
The one who hugs and holds me tight
And shares her bed with me at night!

~is the way he will come over to see me, for no reason, just to let me know I'm important to him~

~is the way he is always ready to lick the jelly off my nose~

~is the way he looks into my eyes and finds contentment in simply being near me~

~is the way he will run all over the yard, fetch a soggy tennis ball and bring it back to me as if to say "look mom, it's all I have, but it's yours"~

~is the way he wakes me up in the morning by pushing his cold wet nose in my ear and snuffling loudly~

~is the way he shreds toilet paper all over the house, because it's fun even though he knows he shouldn't~

~is the way he's sure he can catch the ducks in the lake~

~is the way he comes over to me when he is sad~

~is the way he wedges himself near me when I am sad and pushes all others away, to console me with his love~

~is the way he pounces on crickets in the backyard~

~is the way he looks perplexed when they escape~

~is the way he is terrified of the evil pink hula hoop~

~is the way he doesn't mind how much of that horrid perfume I'm wearing just because it was a gift from my relative who's visiting~

~is the way he doesn't care about bad hair day or overdue bills~

~is the way he loves me, even when I am impatient with him and have no time this morning for a game of tug-a-war~

~is the way his coat feels like liquid silk under my fingers~

~is the way he finds wisdom beyond words~
"The Best Part"

When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey -- a journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet also test your strength and courage.

If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark.

Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears.

If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace may be slower -- except when heading home to the food dish -- but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field.

Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details -- the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.

Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching summer insects collecting on a screen. (How bizarre they are! How many kinds there are!), or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by.

You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie -- with a cat in hot pursuit -- all in the name of love.

Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound.

You will learn the true measure of love -- the steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together." Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race.

And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.

If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be -- the one they were proud to call beloved friend.

I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down.

And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go. A pet's time on earth is far too short -- especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for awhile, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left.

The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle now gray. Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken.

I asked for strength that I might rear her perfectly;
I was given weakness that I might feed her more treats.

I asked for good health that I might rest easy;
I was given a "special needs" dog that I might know nurturing.

I asked for an obedient dog that I might feel proud;
I was given stubbornness that I might feel humble.

I asked for compliance that I might feel masterful;
I was given a clown that I might laugh.

I asked for a companion that I might not feel lonely;
I was given a best friend that I would feel loved.

I got nothing I asked for,
But everything that I needed.