...you have to read this book. It is short and sweet (more like a long essay than a book), but Anna Quindlen captures what it is like to have a dog as part of the family.
Our dog, Chuck, died a couple of years ago and we still tell stories about him. He was one of those dogs who loved being around people. If we were in the living room, he was snuggled at someone's feet, if I was in the kitchen, he was laying on the kitchen tile waiting for some food to fall. We haven't gotten a dog since, but this book has me wondering if it is time!
Here are some thoughts about the differences between dogs and cats:
"It would never occur to me to assume that the cat and I have two hearts that beat as one; with his narrowed amber eyes and scarred upper lip, his prevailing mode is either contempt or indifference. When he curls around my ankles, it suggests hunger, not affection. I like this about cats; they are the Clint Eastwoods of companion animals. A dog who sits by your side craves company; a cat is doing you a favor. This is why when you say "Sit!" a cat rises and stalks out of the room. Most dogs will fall back on their haunches, vibrating slightly, their liquid brown eyes locked on yours."
To get a dog, or not get a dog. That is the question!
The book is Good Dog. Stay. by Anna Quindlen.
