Unconditional love in a furry package

My husband and I were lucky enough to be entrusted with our daughter and son-in-law's dogs while they were out of the country. We'd watched these two fluffy white little Maltese before so it was no problem to add them to the kennel.

They were finicky eaters and barked at the drop of a leaf but they never once piddled on the carpet or refused to cuddle in bed. After walks, napping seems to be what they enjoyed best and since I was feeling poorly they were my best friends.

Multi, on the left, is about three times Max's size and if he'd hold still, Max would fit in one hand. I've cooked bigger chickens. Max's problem is he doesn't know he's pint-sized, he thinks like a pitbull. I wish I had his confidence. He established himself as the alpha dog early on and no one has told him different. I love his bravado; he even walks with a swagger.

Our darling Buddy, a wire-haired terrorist in his own right, acquiesced to the little dog immediately. Not that he couldn't have grabbed him by the neck and shook him to death, Buddy was a patient host and only asserted his alpha-dogness on walks. Hey, one can only be so polite.

Poor Multi usually gets the brunt of Max's mischievousness but he does fight back when he's had enough but more than once Max would sneak up on Multi and pounce on him like the attack animal he is. Multi is content to let Max run amok while he finds a human to lay upon.

Sometimes, when I have to find someone to stay with Buddy while we vacation I think about not having the responsibility of a dog and then I think of all the doggy friends we've had over the years. I can't ever imagine not having an animal around; they ask so little and give so much.

The Bark Brothers were here an-all-to-quick twelve days and we miss them now they are back home. Dogs are a lot of work, worry, and responsibility but they are so worth it when they lick your nose. I mean that IS unconditional love, would you lick someone's nose?