Puppy cuddles.

Sometimes my dog annoys the ever loving crap out of me. He can be so selfish and inconsiderate. He takes up all the empty space on the couch. He puts his slimy wet toys all over me. He tries to eat my food when I'm not looking. He will pretend he's chewing a toy but he'll chew through a wire to the keyboard instead.



But I love him. I think I love him for all of those reasons that I listed above, and for all the reasons why I think he's so cute.



He snores louder than my husband. He cuddles so good. He can do any trick you want to teach him. He will chase you around like you're cattle. He will wait for you outside the bathroom door on his back so you have to pet his belly when you come out.



I was reading a post on a friend's blog today about her late puppy. And it's that kind of love for a pet that makes my heart melt.



We pick out our little guys, sometimes when they're tiny and new, and sometimes when they're old and scraggly. Some of them pick us. We promise that we will love them and take care of them for their whole lives. We promise to shell out thousands of dollars when they swallow safety pins and we also promise to give in and pay someone to clip their toenails when they refuse to let us do it. We promise to clean up their puke and poop and eleventy bajillion pounds of shedded hair all over the house.



And they promise nothing in return. But when they lay their fuzzy little eye-boogered faces on our chests and trust us with their lives, they've repaid us a thousand times over.



Our pets cannot say the words "I love you" but they tell us in their own way. They jump up and down and run in circles when you walk through the door. They snuggle you when you're sad. They wag that tail so fast that it could injure a small child when you pet them. That's how they say it.



I love you Kosmo. I'm so glad you were the most annoying yappy dog in the whole shelter.



Now enjoy taking up three quarters of my half of the bed. Because your crate is still going to be there tomorrow.