Dear Sage,

I love you, you love me. We’re one happy family!

I have found my humanmate. Our relationship keeps me healthy: I sense your love and affection, which helps me stay relaxed and feel safe. Your stroking and caressing makes my body release endorphins, which makes me feel happy. You feed me, keep me clean, and play with me. I am one lucky dog.

When it was just the two of us, I helped alleviate your feelings of loneliness and isolation. Was there ever a boring moment with me around? Nope! And I kept you socializing: together we met all kinds of new humans and their pets, in training school, prowling the ‘hood, and of course at the dog park. In fact, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have met your hubbin’ that day at the beach, when I grabbed his burger on the sly and took off under the boardwalk!

For a while there, you weren’t sure if you would have children. Because of me, your new relationship incorporated another being (me) and you both began to co-parent. Together I helped you reconnect to your own childhoods, and experience the world with wonder once again. This brought you closer than ever, and helped set the stage for baby!

After you had baby Jake, you needed a fitness partner. Fortunately for you, I have never been a procrastinator when it comes to taking a walk! Actually, forget the walk: I had you running around our block thrice, 2 times daily. Remember the time I lost all rationale, and practically re-sowed farmer Matt’s flower garden looking for that garden snake? That was a great lower body work-out day, right? 1200 calories later, I was helping you get your bitchin’ body back.

I have always had a knack for reducing stress in your life. Somehow, I just know what to do when you’re ailing. Remember the time you had a slipped disk, and you were in so much pain? Knowing this I did what anyone who loved you would do: I distracted you! How? By knawing the heel off your new Louboutin. Pain in back, forgotten! Ok fine, you were still stressed. But after a time-out (me, again), we nuzzled and rubbed, and in a few licks you were successfully in touch with a master shoe-repairman. Up and at ’em!

Finally, I am a great influence on little boy Jake. Because I am so unconditional, I help teach him about being unconditional, too. In taking care of me, he is learning how to take care of others (including himself), and growing up to be such a compassionate young man. I am so ruffing proud.

Love is all you need, right Sage? And me love you long time.

XO, Buster

Photo Credit: bdwaydiva1