A kid and their dog

I had a few dogs when I was very young, under 5 years old, and didn’t have another until I had children of my own. I had this very inexplicable feeling that growing up in a home without a dog felt less “American”. Or something. My husband grew up hunting in Northern Colorado and loves yellow labradors. (In all the dogs he’s hunted with, labs remain his favorite pick for hunting companions.) Now, watching my boys grow up with dogs, learning to love and care for them, think of someone else’s needs and welfare, and learning how to train and reward desired behavior, I am so glad we took the plunge. Puppies are a lot of work, to be sure, but there’s nothing quite like “man’s best friend”, is there?