Many years ago Rosie The Wonder Dog with the occasional assistance of Cosmo The Other Dog would post here. They are both gone now, a few years apart, the former at age 14 by a twisted stomach (she suffered for a few hours before a vet could put her out of her misery), the latter was riddled with fast growing tumours but didn't suffer long. We now have Otis, a 90lb Lab/Golden cross who got the goofy of both breeds but is sweet and fun and obedient most of the time.

We like to have our dogs overlap in age so that we're never without. Having said that, Otis was terribly distraught when Cosmo died, moping about, wimpering, off his food, and constantly searching for him. In time he got over it, but we have to be careful still even mentioning Cosmo in Otis's presence.

I find dogs to be better company than most humans and I hope I never have to live without one. We're looking for a second dog now, probably a female, to be a friend for Otis.

Yup, when I don't sleep with the dog he's beside my bed. He licks out bowls and plates, isn't caged, and I let him bark at people who he doesn't trust. He sounds huge and mean but he's actually gentle and submissive most of the time. He loves to greet my music students as they come and go.