18. Can Dogs Fall In Love?

Gracita Bonita Perrita and Javier Francisco Pierre

This is a story of two lifelong companions, a love story that just happens to involve dogs. My parents own a Havenese, a smoldering Latin lover from Cuba, and a Sheltie, a prim and proper British lass. Now, the moment Havvy (Javier Francisco Pierre as I call him) set eyes on Gracie (or as he affectionally refers to her, Gracita Bonita Perrita), he was in love. He'd met his match. He is a two-foot ball of joy and energy, completely carefree – as long as you don't take his woman away from him. If he's separated from her, he'll start heaving his explosively fluffy body against the door over and over again, mourning so woefully neighbors have called thinking there's a woman in distress. When they're together Gracie doesn't seem to pay him much attention but we think she secretly enjoys his company, too. Now we've had Gracie a few years longer than Havvy and she's reaching middle-age in doggy years. She's started to lose teeth in her old age – which is when we began to notice something most mysterious. Her dried food was suddenly being divvied into tiny bite-size bits in her bowl. My Mom asked if any of us were cutting it up but of course, none of us knew anything about it. Finally, one day we saw Havvy gently nibbling her food and depositing it back into her bowl so that she could eat it after him. Never needing to exchange a word, he recognized her pain and he d

id the best he could to help her. She really is his partner in life.

Although he may have kept a few bites for himself, no one's perfect.

And now for a few more photos of puppy love:

You and me is friends forever.

Honey, I promise not to sniff her again. Can you pleeeease loosen the leash now?

Let's get it on!

And finally, a word from our sponsor…

Canines in love? You guys are a bunch of wussies. Time for an extremely serious cat nap.