F is for Friends and Family

He can make human, or canine friends

The thing about dogs and small children is that they fall in love easily. I remember being at the playground when a little girl, small and blond, just like me, came up. I asked, "Hey, do you want to be friends?" and she said yes. And for that entire day we played on the jungle gym together.

Baxter is kind of the same way. If you pet him the right way, he'll love you for life. I'm pretty sure that by now he's used to moving around a lot and getting his heart broken as we leave, but he still makes friends.

He met Laura as a puppy. He pooed in her yard, probably peed in her apartment, got attacked by her cats. Back then he was small and adorable so the peeing and pooing was (somewhat) excusable. A few years later, we all lived together on and off for about two years. She hated how much he drooled, but when I went to Seattle for PNWA, she took care of him for me.

And then she left North Carolina.

And then we left North Carolina.

Though Baxter and I travelled to Michigan, he didn't get to see Laura (her apartment didn't allow extra pets, plus we were afraid of how the cats would take a 120 lb dog). It's been just about two years since Baxter has seen my sister.

And though it's been awhile, it turns out, he hasn't forgotten her at all:

Think he missed her?

When she got into the car at the airport, he all but mauled her. It was probably one of the cutest and yet most heartbreaking things I'd ever seen. Cute, because it was so very evident that he remembered her, and that he missed her. Heartbreaking, because he truly missed her.

Here's why dogs are better than people:
~They don't get angry when you leave. They're just happy when you return.
~They don't ask for more than you're willing to give. If you don't want them on your lap, you say "Go lay down" and typically it's done.
~They can love you, even if you're not the owner.

So to friends and family near and far, know that Baxter loves and misses you.

And he's patiently awaiting your return.