Dog might be man's best friend...

But, kids are a dog's best friend

"No man is complete until he has owned a dog. And a dog is complete only when it has had a boy." ~ Mark Twain

Ella

Mark Twain was right with one addition – a dog is complete when he or she has had a boy or girl! My love for kids started with our neighbor’s little girl. When Mom had to go out of town, the neighbors would bring me to their house to hang out with them and their two dogs. I didn’t always get along that great with the older dog, but I enjoyed hanging out with that little human. After the first time they had me over, the little girl told mom that I was her dog, because I chewed up one of her Barbie dolls. Mom was horrified that I ruined her toy, but the little girl didn’t mind at all – I was pure joy to her.

I liked most kids. Once when we were out snowshoeing, we came across a family who was pulling their toddler in a sled. I saw my chance! I immediately got into the sled and started licking that kid’s face and hands hoping for sticky fingers from breakfast. Mom was worried that the parents would be mad, but they thought it was funny, and the kid loved the attention I gave her.

Another day at the dog park, I saw a little kid running around the fenced-in area and got excited since I love to run. I started running after her. It was so much fun that I got a little too excited and ended up knocking the girl down. She was fine, and her parents accepted that when you bring your kid to a dog park something like that is bound to happen, so I didn’t get into trouble. Mom just told me that I had to be more careful.

During our walks in the neighborhood, we’d often come across kids who wanted to pet me, and I happily accepted. On one particular day, there was a group of about eight kids. Mala was with us at the time, and she gave the group a wide berth because she felt the exact opposite as I do about kids. I gladly stood right in the middle of that group and let them fawn over me for as long as they wanted. It also allowed me to see if any of them had some food I could easily remove from their little hands. As the saying goes, “as easy as taking candy from a baby.”

Mom and Dad never had kids, which was a bit of a disappointment for me, but at least I didn’t have to share their attention with a human baby. After all, I was their child, and I loved it. I had plenty of interactions with children, so it was ok that I didn’t live with one.

People always say that a dog is man’s best friend, and that’s true, but kids are definitely a dog’s best friend. They’re at our level, and in their innocence, they love more like we do - completely and unconditionally. Most children are kind and compassionate towards animals, which isn’t always the case for adults. Kids also tend to be generous with doling out treats. What’s not to love?