In which I shamelessly brag about my angel of a dog

Indulge me, will you, while I take a moment to express how thankful I am that this little girl came into my life. She may just be the best-behaved dog ever. I can leave my $200 shoes lying around without any fear that she will chew them up. She never touches them. (Yes, I have two pair of shoes that cost $200. Don't judge me, they're fabulous and worth every penny.)

I can leave my knitting projects on the coffee table and she won't touch them. I can take her outside in my un-fenced yard without a leash and never worry about her running off. I can take her for a weekend to my friends' house and know she will play gently with their 9 month-old son.

Everyone loves her. No one can resist petting her. I can't take her for a walk without getting comments on how adorable she is. (Once a 20 year-old sorority girl loudly said to her friends, "I want that." Sorry, hon, but you can't have her.)

Of course, she's not perfect. She's kind of a beggar when there's food around. (Not my fault. Someone else created that monster.) And when she wants to play, she can be quite demanding.

But, really, she's the best dog ever. Rough as the last year and a half have been, it would have been a whole lot worse without her.