Squawk Radio

I have always adored cats. I love their beauty and grace, their mercurial natures, their sometimes hard-won affection, the way they arch when you pet them, and most of all their purring. Nothing beats a cat’s purr.

I’ve never gotten why people are so insane about dogs, these panting slobbery creatures with bad breath, who chew things and need to be walked in all kinds of weather, and whose affection seems rather cheapened by the ease with which it is won.

But after much begging from my children and husband, I have finally relented. There is now a dog in our house. She’s an English Cocker Spaniel named Pepper, she’s eleven weeks old, and she pants, chews, slobbers, and does all the doggy things you would expect.

I am in love. I finally get dogs.

Pepper doesn’t argue. Pepper is always happy to see me. Pepper is grateful for anything I do, and her feelings burst forth so lavishly, she makes me laugh on my worst days. I am fascinated by the different relationships she has with each member of the family, by the fact that she is quiet and more cuddly with me, rougher with my son and husband, a shameless begger of treats with my daughter. She is a furry dynamo of joy, a tail-wagging, kiss-dispensing, adorable sycophant.

My heart belongs to this floppy-eared angel, who lauds me with appreciatively heavy breathing even when I haven’t brushed my hair or put on makeup, who thinks my way of opening a can is just great. We appreciate each other, Pepper and I. And I’ve learned something from the way she greets every morning with unbounded joy.

These are some of the reasons I love my dog. Anyone who would like to share their dog’s name and what is special about him or her, I would love to know!