</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
fayerody said:
i believe that we all have one or two dogs that are the dogs.......and no amount of thinking will convince me otherwise. after

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Pat, Radioflyer and all you dog lovers out there -- I so believe this theory that there is always "the dog."

L'Ombre was an amazing obedience dog. He was allowed to come to church with me, he was invited to parties. My minister invited him to come to Christmas dinner with me. Everyone loved this big old ferocious looking Doberman.

I was in my 20s-30s with him. One day, a neighbor was training his obedience Dobe; we were in the same club. He was in his 50s, and he said this dog -- Gretchen -- was "the dog" and that he had many dogs trying to find "the one." He said in some ways it was a shame that my first obedience dog was "the dog" because I might spend the rest of my life searching and never have another.

In some ways, that was an enlightening conversation, though, because I always knew he was special and irreplaceable.

He has been dead for decades, I have three dogs since. Each has been special in his or her own way. But none has been "the dog."