A guest post by Ken

I am thankful for dogs; more to the point for being a dog owner.

It’s not that dogs do much other than eat, poop, sleep, bark and dig holes.

The main reason that I am thankful for our dogs, Buddy and Holly, is that it causes us to live a life that is conducive to having dogs. Everyday we take a walk with our dogs. Robin and I use this time to talk about our day and get rid of stress. They cause us to slow down and take stock of our day. And by being good pet owners, we are actually being good to ourselves.

Our dogs don’t care about so many of the things that cause us anxiety. They bring great perspective. Quite honestly most of the stuff that we fret over really isn’t worth the trouble.Give a dog a place to sleep, a plate of food and a few scratches behind the ears and they are content. They don’t worry where their next belly rub will come from or if there’s enough raw hides for tomorrow.

Their love is unconditional. We get licks and tail wags regardless of how our day has gone. And if you can’t find a pillow, there’s always a soft, furry, warm canine who will volunteer for the job.