A boy and his dog

Is there anything cuter than a boy and his dog. (A girl and her dog of course but this particular blog is about a boy and his dog; girls later.) Watching a little boy play with his dog or just sit and enjoy the company of a dog is pretty amazing. Witnessing a dog and his kid reap the exact same benefits of an interaction is as natural as is it gets, it is awe inspiring. Often as a boy grows they lose interest in their canine companion; the dog of course never does but this is a natural human evolution. There are some that do not loose interest but most do through the teen years. It is after these fleeting teenage absent years that many return; back to the days of a boy and his dog, some never return.

Where do those men who don't make it back go? A sterile apartment; a corporate executive job with no room for the likes of a dog? Perhaps in that short span of teenagerdom they just get lost and have difficulty finding their way back. They may not realize what they are missing out on until one day they take inventory of their life. Often the addition of a wife and children of their own helps them to rediscover "a boy and his dog." We know that almost every child wants a dog; sometimes this is the catalyst.

But then there are the ones who made it back quickly after those missing years. As soon as they are up and on their feet again they add a dog to their life. They spend their time when not at work with their dog; they are frequent dog park visitors and look for exciting things to do with their dog on the weekend. If you happen upon one of these guys; chances are, the prerequisite to a relationship is that you too must encompass the boy.............and his dog.

In all honesty ladies; is there anything hotter than a guy who loves dogs? I mean really loves dogs; takes part or complete care of their canine companion? Not the guys that walk around with a big dog on the end of the leash trying to look very much like the macho man. I'm talking about the guys who love their dog unconditionally; the ones who have truly come back to the "boy and his dog." When I see a guy out enjoying his dogs and his dog enjoying him it makes me smile; it makes me really happy.

As a long time private dog trainer I typically work with the Mom of the family. Dad is off at work; and I completely understand that coming home for training can be difficult to fit in. But; on a rare occasion a couple of Dads take time from work and make it home for the training session. For these guys; there was simply no way they were missing out on the training with their dog, nice.

Recently I was at a huge pet adoption day; there was literally wall to wall dogs and people. As I wandered around I noticed a lot of men; one in particular had a puppy in his arms, he was obviously comforting the young dog. **That's it** It is compassion; it comes down to that, we woman are impressed by a man with compassion. A man who puts an animal before themselves, now that is a keeper. Compassion is at the root of greatness.

If you are married to a man like this; congratulations. I am; and when I see my husband tucking the dogs in on a chilly night, giving them his last bite of shortbread or trying to get comfortable on a sliver of space left in the bed because the dogs are hogging the prime space? Bonus points for sure. If you know a guy who takes a genuine interest in your dog and their well being; congratulations. Many men have it in them; it has just not been tapped into yet. But there is hope, once tapped into compassion for animals has a tendency to flourish.

If you are single and looking for a man; find a guy with a dog. It makes no difference what type of dog a man has; it is the compassion towards that dog that is appealing. And ladies; if you find one, hold on tight.

And for all you guys out there; you go up the hot scale tenfold when you love your dogs unconditionally.