Bear Bear

"I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source." - Doris Day

Snows on his nose.

I especially love when in the middle of a steady paced walk, Bear suddenly turns back to me for no apparent reason, and presses himself against my legs, stopping me in my tracks.  It's his way of giving a hug.  Sometime he does it several times during a walk, so often that it can (almost) get irritating. Other times, there are no hugs.  I have not been able to pick out a pattern, but I savour these moments with him.  My absolute favourite is when he lifts a front paw and wraps it around my shin.  That's a really intense hug, and then I give him a good scratch on his sides, causing one of his back legs to thump. I love how we understand each other now.  It was worth working with him through those few crazy puppy years.