How childhood experiences led to your grown-up dog-love

Photo by Darshan Kadu on Unsplash

At holiday picnics in the late 60’s, I’d hang out with whatever dog happened to call the place home. I ignored the rowdy kids playing tag in the back yard in favor of getting to know…oh let’s see now; there was Thumper, a lemon and white beagle, Stella, a cuddly St. Bernard, and Rex, a Wirehaired Fox Terrier that liked to fetch.

I can’t remember the names of the kids. I bet they grew up to be adults. The dogs, though, remain in my mind, as if it was yesterday.

I developed my love for dogs through books, movies, and the example of my mom and dad, who also showed empathy towards all animals, even the lowly spider. They raised my sister and I on a steady diet of sappy Disney movies and Lassie reruns. They filled our shelves with books like The Wind in the Willows and My Friend Flicka.

The Sleepy Puppy, by Mary Jo Chamberlin, was the very first book I read without help. It still holds a special place here in my writing room. The story tells the tale of a …