Scout, now five, came to us when she was three years old. Her past is a mystery, but she's a happy, scrappy gal, who's willing to break the rules if the payoff is large enough. Both dogs make my husband and me laugh every day. And they've been known to make me cry when they're sick. I realize that not all dog owners see their dogs as child equivalents.
Some people think the very notion is heresy.
Even some dog people might shake their head in disgust at my public admission of my feelings toward my dogs, believing I'm doing the dogs no favors by treating them like humans. I do recognize they're dogs. I make sure they know that my husband, Barry, and I are their leaders. They've been to school. But if theirs is a dog's life, I wouldn't mind living it.