Now I know that the vast majority of the dogs in the world cannot read, so I’m going to have to leave it up to you dogs as to how you are going to get your favorite pet human to read this to you. Perhaps it will be the sad, but loving eyes, or the swiftly wagging tail and lolling tongue that will get his or her attention. Maybe some cute trick during play time or getting up on your hind legs spinning and dancing playfully that will reach your human’s heart. What ever it is, and you know far better than me, you will have to do one of those silly, giddy, playful things that only you can do so well.

As to your favorite chew toy; the family cat, well, I’ll leave that for another day. Perhaps s/he will have a similar paper devoted to their favorite, but often ignored humans as well. In the meantime…

Have you ever noticed what it takes sometimes to get your pet human out the door? It is not that they are not loving or caring, not really. It is just that humans often have a lot going on. Sometimes it is the daily chores; getting up, going to work and earning a living so that s/he can pay the next month’s rent or continue to buy that special blend of dog food or the treats that you prefer. Sometimes s/he is busy with house chores or watching the game on television and just forgets that you are there, but it is rare for your favorite human to forget you entirely. So you might wish to cut them some slack.

The little ones are not so easily excused. After all, there are so many of them that are much closer to your size than the adults are. And boy do they love to play. They like playing dress up, and fetch and running around the house or the yard. True, it is sometimes difficult to get them to understand what you really want to do and you frequently have to endure all those silly costumes or getting roughed up a lot, but all in all, you usually end up having a good time. Then when mealtime comes, for some, it is table scraps and for others canned or bagged fare. Either way, it is all good.

Then you get to nuzzle your human’s chin or curl up on his or her lap for a little quality attention. At least this is true on some nights. On others? Well, we cannot have everything. Humans have a lot going on too.

Still, if it were not for dogs, who else would keep the family safe, hunt those pesky spooks that lurk throughout the yard and house, chase varmints and comfort the humans when they are down? It is almost always man’s best friend that does these things. That’s who.

So perhaps it is only right that both you and your pet human remember these things and the special bond you share then next time you sit piteously with your leash by the door. Maybe s/he will forgive the minor annoyance when you go to sniff a tree or another dog or wind your leash around their legs. If you are lucky and you bring a smile to the worried lips of your human, s/he may even be more forgiving the next time they find themselves bouncing down the sidewalk when your leisurely walk turns into a run with your human flailing excitedly behind. Until then, mind the fleas and forgive the children’s teasing if you please.