From one pet lover to another

I was reading a pet store retailer magazine looking at all the ads for the latest pet products. I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with emotion, looking at the different dogs (sorry cat lovers, here I go again) and all of the cute faces they make. Every dog I have encountered has a unique personality, and the way they react to situations and the facial expressions they make tend to be as equally unique.

Lately I have found myself more attached to my dog. Sebastian brings so much happiness and joy to my life and I find myself missing him, even when I'm just at work or have to run the store to get something. So instead of focusing on selling products today, I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about my dog. Sebastian is a border collie mix (with maybe a pointer, not really sure); he is thinner than a typical border collie and has a longer snout. He has floppy ears, dark brown eyes and a tongue that seems to be larger than his head, even though that's not possible.

Sebastian has a ton of different facial expressions. When he is annoyed with me, he rolls his eyes or cocks them to the side. When he is happy, his eyes get really big and his tail wags a mile a minute. When he's sad, he looks up and down and tucks his tail between his legs. When he's mad, he shoots me the evilest looks, like he is staring into my soul – fuming with rage. But most of the time he is pretty calm and complacent. His favorite place to be is either nooked in front of me with his back along my stomach or at my feet with his head facing me. Occasionally, he'll let me cradle him like a baby – which I try to do at every chance, even though he is almost forty pounds!

I went to the beach for a weekend, and left him with friends. When I returned to pick him up, at first, he was very excited to see me. He wouldn't stop jumping up on me and licking me – running around in circles. But on the way home, he turned his back to me and stared at the window, refusing to look at me. When I called his name, he would roll his eyes and look out the window. When I tried to scratch his neck, he would pull away. He was mad that I left him and wanted me to know it. When we got home, it took him nearly an hour to finally come around.

So there is a small peek at my baby boy. We all love our pets, to differing degrees I am sure, but nonetheless, they are part of our families. They bring so much happiness and joy into our lives, even doctors and researchers recognize the positive impact they have on our lives and our health. I am sure you all have your own stories to tell and I invite you to take a minute or two to gush over your pet, tell me a funny story, tug on my heartstrings and brag a little.