When I was growing up we had a dog, a little chocolate brown poodle named “Coco”. The dog was really my sister’s. Truth is, I didn’t really like him. He just wasn’t all that nice. He growled a lot and wouldn’t hesitate to take a bite every so often.

Maybe Coco developed a complex because we gave him away when he was young. Here’s how that story went. Coco was pretty nasty and my sister and I apparently weren’t really taking care of him. Our gardener always liked Coco and so my parents decided he would have a better home there. My parents also made the gardener promise that if he was ever going to give Coco away, he would call us first. Clearly, my parents were fortune tellers. Years later the gardener passed away. His wife called and Coco returned. Oddly, the moment he was back in the house he headed straight to his favorite spot by the kitchen table.

Coco was like a cat. He had nine lives. One day, he ran out of the house (which he did with some frequency.) I grew up on a busy street in Brooklyn. The Command Bus ran up and down my street. Coco stopped a bus and lived to tell about it. A few years later, we were traveling back from Florida by car. It was New Year’s Eve and we stopped at hotel in Virginia. This time, Coco jumped out of the car and got caught in a closing door. We proceeded to wake the local veterinarian from a sound sleep. He told us the best place for him was New York’s Animal Medical Center so we drove through the night. After about a week in the hospital, Coco came home.

When my sister got married, they were a package deal. My brother-in-law married both of them. But, Coco didn’t like my brother-in-law all that much. He would perch at the edge of the bed every night barking and growling.

Now, how am I ending this blog? This might just surprise you. Even after my experience growing up, I really like dogs. They are all over my family and I enjoy spending time around them. My son has wanted a dog for a very long time.

What are your thoughts on pets? (We know how Fred will answer this question!) Did you have one growing up? Do you have one now? Should I give in to my son and buy him a dog sometime before he leaves for college?