The Sayer and the Namer

1. The Cat Fans- They're a pretty unified group. They love all cats. Perhaps this is because cats are all so unique that you don't know what you're gonna get with a cat, so you'd better be prepared for anything, thus loving them all. 

Dog lovers are separated into two distinct camps:

2. The Large Dog Fans- They want dogs to hike with them, to go on runs, to wrestle on the ground with them. They want their dogs to have a scary bark, but to be gentle giants. They think that little dogs are yappy, snappy, and too big for their britches. 

3. The Small Dog Fans - They want dogs to cuddle with, to dress up, and to take everywhere. They want a dog to sleep with them, to be their little companion. They think that big dogs are dirty, hairy, and obnoxious.

Of course, there are variations of the three types of people. I'm a card-carrying member of the Large Dog Fan Club, but I generally like all dogs, and even some cats. (I'm one of those cat owners who loves MY cat, and that's about it.) I'm basically just a sucker for animals; anything on 4 legs works for me. I really haven't been around too many small dogs for an extended period of time, so when my friend asked me to babysit her Maltese puppy, I was really excited! I'll be honest, Sophie makes a  good argument for the Small Dog Fans. She is cute and a half, and is so sweet and easy to take care of. She's 12 weeks old, so she has a lot of puppy energy, but she is so small that her destructive capabilities are minimal. Buckley, on the other hand, destroyed pretty much everything. Clothes, towels, baseboards, remote controls, the boy's jaws knew no limits. Sophie's potty accidents take 1 paper towel and 1 sanitizing wipe to clean, as opposed to Buckley's 5 or 6 towel gifts.  

Don't get me wrong, Buckley is honestly the best animal in existence, but I think one of the reasons that he's nearly perfect is because he's rewarding us for not killing him during his two years of total insubordination. He was always sweet and mild mannered, he just didn't listen to a single thing we told him! Now, however, he is the best dog around Sophie. He lets her jump all over him. He plays with her outside (100 lb hunkering dog running around the yard with 2 lbs of cotton fluff! What a funny sight!) He lets her play with his beloved Hedgehog. He checks on her in the chair in the morning. Sweet, sweet, sweet. 

Basically, my point is that all dogs can be good dogs. (Sadly, all dogs can be bad dogs too, but that's another story) Big, little, purebred, mutt, it doesn't matter. I'm an equal opportunity pup lover :) And what's an animal post without some pictures?

Sophie: Huh? I'm not doing anything wrong! Just play, play, play! 
This is the common scene in the Sophie/Buckley saga. 
She's almost completely on his chest! Poor boy! Sophie is having such fun, though!
A good size comparison shot...she comes up to half of his leg! FUNNY!