Man's Best Friend

"Daddy's home!" As soon as we hear the garage door opening, we get ready to greet Chuck. The puppies are learning to sit until he comes into the kitchen. Sami gets so excited, she can barely contain herself. I release the puppies once he kneels down for his kisses and hugs.

Chuck is the rock star in Sami's world. I'm "old news," since the puppies and I spend every single day together. Don't get me wrong; Sam and Bristol act happy that I feed them, and walk them, and take them out for potty breaks, but I'm pretty much their maid; Chuck is the lord of the manor. 

When I come in from running errands to let the pups out of their crates, I don't make a big deal out of it, mainly because they can get pretty wound up, and then I get to deal with the consequences. So, I nonchalantly unlock their kennels, and they wag their tails a bit, and head for their water dish. Old news, that's what I am. 

I work very hard at not showing favoritism when it's just the dogs and me. Consequently, it's just as common for Sami to be leaning into me on the couch as Bristol, while the other puppy plays on the other end of the couch or on the floor. But when Chuck gets home, Sami knows her human has returned, and she does her happy dance, leaping and frolicking as he makes his way through the maze of furniture and large cardboard boxes that separate the family room from the kitchen. 

Their first weekend together; instant bonding took place.

Chuck calls Sami the "WGP." When I asked him about it, he responded, "World's Greatest Puppy," like duh, that should have been so obvious to me. How could it have been? We have two of those in our house. Oh, well, I'll let him use that title for Sam. Just like any working parent, he wants to reassure his little one of his love and devotion. 

Chuck gives Bristol his obligatory scritches and scratches when he comes home, and he is nice to Bristol, but his affection for Sam is obvious. She worships him with her looks of adoration, and her snuggles and kisses.

Now if you ask Chuck, he will tell you that I am his best friend. Let me say this about that. Chuck treats me like a queen. I know my place in his heart. He loves me like I have never been loved. 

Chuck might agree with this quote by Edward Jesse:

"With the exception of women, there is nothing on earth so agreeable or necessary to the comfort of man as the dog." ~Edward Jesse

Since we got the puppies, I know when Chuck walks through the door, his eyes are searching for that adorable, little black bundle of puppy. Sam gets the first hug; she gets the first greeting. I can wait my turn; Sami cannot. She is going to beat me to the kitchen; she is a mutt on a mission. 

Sami knows her place; right beside her best friend. 

With time, Chuck may find that he doesn't just have one best friend, and not just two, but three. Yes, I think eventually, Bristol is going to work his way into Chuck's heart, too, just like Sami and I have. 

Best friends; we're all so lucky.

Three best friends to share life with; how could we want for more?