No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as much as the dog. Christopher Morley

If you live with a dog, you understand the quote above to a depth that cat owners never will. While I enjoy cats and appreciate their independent ways, hunting skills, and deep purrs that calm the spirit, dogs move my heart.

While working on a book I read it aloud. Frequently, my dog listens. She will lay or sit by my side as I read with an adoring look on her face. She watches me, tilts her head to hear my words better, and never – never – tells me how awful something is.

I can read the same passage to my husband, and he will roll his eyes, fall asleep, or tell me to start over. Did I really want him to do those things? No. But I’m not writing for the dogs of the world, so maybe I did want him to do those things. Sigh…

What if the readers were like my dog? They would hang on my written words, waiting for the next profound statement to leap from the page, and then fall asleep comforted that I had shared a part of my soul with them.

Yeah – that ain’t going to happen.

My dog loves me – everything about me. And what do I do for her? Well, I feed and water her. Make sure she gets exercise and watch over her health. I spend lots of time rubbing and talking with her. She is smart and learns quickly. When given the opportunity, she curls up with me and takes a nap, always alert to any strange sound.

I find that almost any breed of dog will respond to our voice. The dog’s sense of hearing is superior to ours by leaps and bounds. They can hear if we are tired, angry, lonely, happy, or worried. Without understanding our words, those ears know when we need an extra tail wag or some space to ourselves.

Talk to your dog. Tell them about your day, the misfortunes, and the joys. They like jokes, so practice your jokes on them before sharing them with humans. Talk with your dog about nature’s wonders, and don’t worry about what others think. After all, you have the dog to listen and affirm you are right.