# An Amazing Insight As To Why Dogs Love People



## fmdog44 (Feb 14, 2020)

I saw a piece a few days ago about a young woman in her teens that had nothing but affection for everything and everyone, literally. She was examined by the medical field for this "condition". Eventually and don't ask me how, they tied in three genes existing in dogs to the unusual genes in this young woman. Their conclusion was those genes in the dogs are connected to their love of people. I'm sure there is more to this story but that is what I recall. We all as animal lovers sometimes lose sight of the affection goes both ways. Lucky dogs...and lucky people.


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## Keesha (Feb 14, 2020)

I never lose sight of the ability in dogs to love.
They live in the moment and offer unconditional love. Maybe that’s why we credited them as mans/woman’s  best friend. Their loyalty is certainly worthy of it.


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## Gary O' (Feb 14, 2020)

My dog taught me everything about undying love, loyalty, selflessness
That was from very early on
I have no idea whether or not I have that gene, but those lessons have stayed with me....forever

Best friend?

Much more than that, oh yeah...….much much more


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## Lakeland living (Feb 14, 2020)

I have had dogs in my life since very young. Once I left the city I always had two, they become my family and I don't need to train them.
  We are family.  This is Zues, 9 years old and the smartest dog I have ever had and what a character.


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## jujube (Feb 14, 2020)

fmdog44 said:


> I saw a piece a few days ago about a young woman in her teens that had nothing but affection for everything and everyone, literally. She was examined by the medical field for this "condition". Eventually and don't ask me how, they tied in three genes existing in dogs to the unusual genes in this young woman. Their conclusion was those genes in the dogs are connected to their love of people. I'm sure there is more to this story but that is what I recall. We all as animal lovers sometimes lose sight of the affection goes both ways. Lucky dogs...and lucky people.



Could be she had "Williams Syndrome".  Williams Syndrome children are exceptionally friendly and outgoing.


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## Pappy (Feb 15, 2020)




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## MickaC (Jun 26, 2020)




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## MickaC (Jul 29, 2020)




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## MickaC (Aug 3, 2020)




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## fmdog44 (Aug 4, 2020)

Dogs show love by licking faces.
My dog loves to lick my face.
So my dog loves me.
Why then do I have to clean up his poop?


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## OldEnough (Aug 4, 2020)

MickaC said:


> View attachment 115612


This looks so much like my perfect dog that had to be put down last summer.  My heart is still broken.


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## MickaC (Aug 4, 2020)

OldEnough said:


> This looks so much like my perfect dog that had to be put down last summer.  My heart is still broken.


So sorry that you had to say goodbye. I know, there's parts of our hearts that will never heal, due to our losses of our most true companions. 
Are you referring to the one on your avatar......is gorgeous.


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## Lewkat (Aug 4, 2020)




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## Lewkat (Aug 4, 2020)

MickaC said:


> View attachment 116327


And, I kiss her good morning as well.


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## jujube (Aug 4, 2020)

Dog haiku:

I lick my butt and
Then I show my affection
By licking your face!


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## Gary O' (Aug 4, 2020)

OldEnough said:


> This looks so much like my perfect dog that had to be put down last summer. My heart is still broken.





Keesha said:


> I never lose sight of the ability in dogs to love.
> They live in the moment and offer unconditional love. Maybe that’s why we credited them as mans/woman’s best friend. Their loyalty is certainly worthy of it.





MickaC said:


> So sorry that you had to say goodbye. I know, there's parts of our hearts that will never heal, due to our losses of our most true companions.



I'm sorry....I've posted this story too many times
Those that have read this too many times, please forgive me, and scroll on

But, the comments in this thread brings back too many fond memories

My First Friend is still with me....after many decades;

*I’ll Never Forget My First Friend*

I was three.
He was a few months.
Neither of us had much to play with….but each other.




We never lacked.


He’d look up at me with complete unwavering trust.
Trying to read my face.
Ears perked up when I spoke.
Wherever I went, he followed.
He rapidly grew, and soon we were face high to each other.
We’d roam the patch of woods up the hill from our place, him guarding my every step, sometimes blocking my way when I got too close to the cliff edge. I didn’t know it at the time.
I’d take my naps nestled into his chest.
He’d lie there, never moving a muscle.

As I grew to boyhood, he remained a part of me, my shadow.
We’d wrestle….he’d let me win.

We’d hunt.

We’d fish.

Not that he took part.
He was no hunting dog.
Just my companion.
We’d share lunch.
He’d listen to my every word, as we sat on the creek bank.

Years passed.
I got very busy, but not so busy that we wouldn’t still roam the woods every so often, even though he had a bit of a time keeping up.

The day came when he just didn’t get up.
I was sixteen.
Mom told me to take him in to the vet.
‘He’ll be able to fix him up.’

I gathered him up and laid him in the passenger’s seat of the pickup, right beside me, and we had one of our conversations while I drove the twenty miles.
It had been awhile.
Too long actually.


I sat on the stool beside the exam table, while the vet did his thing.
Once again my best friend and I were face high to each other.
The vet was talking with my mom.
He handed me the phone.
It was time.
He had to be put to sleep.

OK, I brought him in to get fixed up, and now he’s going to be put down….just like that.



I was told I had to leave the room.

Like hell.





The vet did…..something. I don’t recall.





I held my best friend’s face with both hands.


His ears perked up as we had what would be our last conversation, telling him the reality.
Then I just cradled his head, holding it to my chest, not moving a muscle until, feeling his last breath against my heart, he went to sleep.

Even though the wipers were going, I had a hard time seeing through the rain drops on the way back home.







……..I’ll never forget my first friend



A bit of a poem I cobbled together (I'm no poet) goes with my little story;


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## MickaC (Aug 5, 2020)

Gary O' said:


> I'm sorry....I've posted this story too many times
> Those that have read this too many times, please forgive me, and scroll on
> 
> But, the comments in this thread brings back too many fond memories
> ...


I would never get tired of reading this post.......Heartful of LOVE and MEMORIES.


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## LindaB (Aug 5, 2020)

OldEnough said:


> This looks so much like my perfect dog that had to be put down last summer.  My heart is still broken.


I know your pain. I try every day to make my good memories find a deeper place in my heart.


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## Camper6 (Aug 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> I never lose sight of the ability in dogs to love.
> They live in the moment and offer unconditional love. Maybe that’s why we credited them as mans/woman’s  best friend. Their loyalty is certainly worthy of it.


Not all dogs are friendly.  Security dogs are not friendly at all.  That's their job. 
Dogs are attracted to me.  I talk to them in a different voice than I talk to humans.  They seem to like that.


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## Ceege (Aug 5, 2020)

Just remember, 'dog' spelled backwards is 'God'.


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## Keesha (Aug 5, 2020)

Camper6 said:


> Not all dogs are friendly.  Security dogs are not friendly at all.  That's their job.
> Dogs are attracted to me.  I talk to them in a different voice than I talk to humans.  They seem to like that.


Their job and their ability to love are two entirely different things. Some humans train their dogs to be vicious. Most dogs aren’t. Animals are attracted to me also. They instinctively know I wouldn’t hurt them.


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## Pinky (Aug 5, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Their job and their ability to love are two entirely different things. Some humans train their dogs to be vicious. Most dogs aren’t. Animals are attracted to me also. They instinctively know I wouldn’t hurt them.


Dogs seem to gravitate to me as well, Keesha. There was a period where every lost dog seemed to find me. We reunited all of them with their owners.


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## Keesha (Aug 5, 2020)

Pinky said:


> Dogs seem to gravitate to me as well, Keesha. There was a period where every lost dog seemed to find me. We reunited all of them with their owners.


Isn’t it beautiful?
We do have a meaningful purpose.


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## Camper6 (Aug 6, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Their job and their ability to love are two entirely different things. Some humans train their dogs to be vicious. Most dogs aren’t. Animals are attracted to me also. They instinctively know I wouldn’t hurt them.


Always remember. Dogs came from wolves through breeding. Some dog species are bred not to be friendly. It's not in the training. It's in the breeding. Wild dogs of Africa would not make a good house pet. Some dog species are even banned from the country.


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## peramangkelder (Aug 6, 2020)




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## peramangkelder (Aug 7, 2020)

Our little 12 year old furkid Millie is not well today
I hate it when she is unwell because she has given us nothing but love her whole life


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## MickaC (Aug 7, 2020)

peramangkelder said:


> View attachment 116897
> Our little 12 year old furkid Millie is not well today
> I hate it when she is unwell because she has given us nothing but love her whole life


Hope it's nothing serious.......Millie......you're gorgeous......Get well soon, Millie.


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## peramangkelder (Aug 7, 2020)

Thank you Millie is a little better today....animals have amazing recuperative powers


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## MickaC (Aug 10, 2020)




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## peramangkelder (Aug 10, 2020)

Millie took a real turn for the worse 2 days ago
My huz and I thought we were going to lose her....and I did NOT want to think about that....too hard....way too hard
She could keep nothing down and was vomiting and had constant diarrhoea
We had tried all our home remedies....Millie has had digestive problems most of her life so we can usually 'fix' it....not this time
She was just standing so still unable to move and obviously in lots of pain
Eventually huz scooped her up and went to her Vet....they were gone a long time....a very long time....Covid precautions
However the Vet gave Millie an injection for acute vomiting and she just went to sleep when she got back home
We gave Millie a small amount for her evening meal with some of our canned ham on it which she enjoys....and she ate it all
Millie has been recuperating slowly but surely and huz and I are ecstatic about that
We do realise we will 'lose' her one day....but today was not that day....thankfully


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## MickaC (Aug 10, 2020)

@peramangkelder     Oh, how scared you probably were......I hope things subside.
Hate to see your little girl, as i'm sure you are not feeling well.
 Losing her will be heartbreaking.
Love her to the skies and stars,and moon.
It's sad that they can't tell you how she feels.
Hold her close and tight.........Millie, sweet little girl, keep living for as long as you can.

Big hug for you. loving hug, for your Millie.


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## peramangkelder (Aug 11, 2020)

Thank you @MickaC you are obviously a dog lover too


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## Lara (Aug 11, 2020)

The PBS documentary referred to in the OP is from the NOVA tv channel. I remember watching it too. The studies they did on both the human girl who loved everyone and dogs showed that the level of pleasure the dog experiences (and the human) was determined by the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine the brain releases; revealed on the scan by increased blood flow to specific regions.

Also showing more activity on the scan was the expectation of Praise....but not much activity on the scan with food. So food is not as important to them as some may think.

The documentary also studied what makes dogs so special when forming very strong loving connections to members of any other species, never mind other members of their own species, any other species. Dogs appear to be, not just loving, but almost, indiscriminately affectionate. New research suggests that this could be partly because dogs get flooded with the “love hormone,” oxytocin. And the reason for that may lie partly with some very special genes.

Callie Truelove is the teenager with Williams Syndrome which is similar to the oxytocin and dopamine that the dogs have. Callie radiates an incredible warmth toward everyone around her. She has a service dog named Doodle Dandy.

New research suggests that Callie and Doodle Dandy share more than just a friendship. Geneticists have recently discovered the same rare mutations that cause Callie’s hyper-sociability are present in the dog genome. But they are not found in wolves, suggesting these rare mutations were acquired by dogs during domestication.

Here is the transcript of the show if you want to learn more.
Don't worry about "Becoming a Member". You can ignore that and just scroll down and click on "Transcript"
Read the transcript or you can watch the show if you choose to become a member I think.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/dog-tales/


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## Lewkat (Aug 11, 2020)




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## MickaC (Aug 16, 2020)




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## Camper6 (Aug 16, 2020)

When it comes to dogs, I can just tell by looking at them if they are friendly or not.

And then I talk to them in a different voice which they seem to react to.  It's a higher pitch like when you talk to a baby.

My neighbors dogs are especially friendly.  Except for one who is extremely shy of everyone except their immediate family.  Eventually she will become friendly.  I don't push it.


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## Butterfly (Aug 20, 2020)

peramangkelder said:


> Millie took a real turn for the worse 2 days ago
> My huz and I thought we were going to lose her....and I did NOT want to think about that....too hard....way too hard
> She could keep nothing down and was vomiting and had constant diarrhoea
> We had tried all our home remedies....Millie has had digestive problems most of her life so we can usually 'fix' it....not this time
> ...



How is Millie doing today?  My Labrador retriever Jezebel (RIP) had digestive issues most of her life, too.  I gather it was the doggie equivalent of irritable bowel syndrome and my vet was able to keep in pretty much in control once she figured out what it was.  She's (the dog) been gone about 30 years now and vets have much better medicines available now than they did then. Bonnie (RIP), pit bull mix, had gastric issues and one of the new veterinary medicines cleared it up quickly and then she went on a small maintenance dose and had no further problems.   The vet said that Bonnie's problems may have originated because she had been neglected and abused and fed a very poor and inadequate diet before I adopted her at age about 7-3/4.  She went on to have a much-loved, happy and pampered retirement before she passed at age about 13.   She was the sweetest dog, and I SO loved her.


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## deesierra (Aug 20, 2020)

Gary O' said:


> I'm sorry....I've posted this story too many times
> Those that have read this too many times, please forgive me, and scroll on
> 
> But, the comments in this thread brings back too many fond memories
> ...


There needs to be a "bawling my eyes out" emoticon.


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## deesierra (Aug 20, 2020)

peramangkelder said:


> Thank you Millie is a little better today....animals have amazing recuperative powers


Animals are so much stronger than we humans. If only they could talk and tell us where it hurts.


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## Pappy (Aug 20, 2020)




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## peramangkelder (Aug 20, 2020)

Butterfly said:


> How is Millie doing today?  My Labrador retriever Jezebel (RIP) had digestive issues most of her life, too.  I gather it was the doggie equivalent of irritable bowel syndrome and my vet was able to keep in pretty much in control once she figured out what it was.  She's (the dog) been gone about 30 years now and vets have much better medicines available now than they did then. Bonnie (RIP), pit bull mix, had gastric issues and one of the new veterinary medicines cleared it up quickly and then she went on a small maintenance dose and had no further problems.   The vet said that Bonnie's problems may have originated because she had been neglected and abused and fed a very poor and inadequate diet before I adopted her at age about 7-3/4.  She went on to have a much-loved, happy and pampered retirement before she passed at age about 13.   She was the sweetest dog, and I SO loved her.


@Butterfly it has been a week now since we honestly thought we would 'lose' Millie
She is so much better and almost back to her old self again
Millie has always had digestive problems since she first came to us at 8 weeks of age
We always have to choose her food carefully and she has her favourites which we tend to stick to
We give her OTC medication should the need arise but this last bout of illness was the worst one
A few weeks prior she had a nasty bladder infection and was passing blood and the Vet thought the 2 illnesses were connected
I hate to see her ill and or in pain because she has never given us anything but Love her whole life
I hope Millie is with us many more years yet


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## RadishRose (Aug 20, 2020)

peramangkelder said:


> @Butterfly it has been a week now since we honestly thought we would 'lose' Millie
> She is so much better and almost back to her old self again
> Millie has always had digestive problems since she first came to us at 8 weeks of age
> We always have to choose her food carefully and she has her favourites which we tend to stick too
> ...


I hope Millie will stay well for a long, long time.


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## MickaC (Aug 20, 2020)




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## Lewkat (Aug 20, 2020)




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## MickaC (Aug 23, 2020)




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## deesierra (Aug 23, 2020)

MickaC said:


> View attachment 119430


❣


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## Lewkat (Aug 24, 2020)

Me with our former dog, Mikey.


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## Pinky (Aug 24, 2020)




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## MickaC (Aug 25, 2020)




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## MickaC (Aug 26, 2020)




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## Phoenix (Aug 26, 2020)

fmdog44 said:


> Dogs show love by licking faces.
> My dog loves to lick my face.
> So my dog loves me.
> Why then do I have to clean up his poop?


He's leaving you a present...and you throw it out?


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## Phoenix (Aug 26, 2020)

Oops


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## MickaC (Aug 27, 2020)




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## Pappy (Aug 29, 2020)




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## MickaC (Aug 30, 2020)




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## OldEnough (Sep 1, 2020)

I have been trying to find a companion for DH's (our) dog but I just can't find the right one.
I think that I might not be able to do it since I just can't get past having to give up my sweet girl a year ago.


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## Phoenix (Sep 1, 2020)

OldEnough said:


> I have been trying to find a companion for DH's (our) dog but I just can't find the right one.
> I think that I might not be able to do it since I just can't get past having to give up my sweet girl a year ago.


I'm so sorry for your loss.  Losing an animal friend can feel like one's heart has been cut out.  I feel that way about my dear Lucy who passed in March.  To say that when the right one appears, you will know brings little comfort - but I'm sure it is true.


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## MickaC (Oct 6, 2020)




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## Lewkat (Oct 6, 2020)




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## peramangkelder (Oct 6, 2020)




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## Kadee (Oct 6, 2020)




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## tbeltrans (Oct 6, 2020)

fmdog44 said:


> I saw a piece a few days ago about a young woman in her teens that had nothing but affection for everything and everyone, literally. She was examined by the medical field for this "condition". Eventually and don't ask me how, they tied in three genes existing in dogs to the unusual genes in this young woman. Their conclusion was those genes in the dogs are connected to their love of people. I'm sure there is more to this story but that is what I recall. We all as animal lovers sometimes lose sight of the affection goes both ways. Lucky dogs...and lucky people.



Imagine if that gene could somehow be reproduced as a pill or shot everybody could take, best if a one-time event for life.  The world would be a much different place. 

Tony


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## MickaC (Oct 7, 2020)




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## MickaC (Oct 8, 2020)




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## Tish (Oct 9, 2020)

My beautiful girl Miss Chicka is the love of my life. She knows me like no other and is always beside me.
.


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## RadishRose (Oct 9, 2020)

Tish said:


> My beautiful girl Miss Chicka is the love of my life. She knows me like no other and is always beside me.
> .View attachment 127225


she's a beauty


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## Tish (Oct 9, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> she's a beauty


I
Thank you on her behalf. She certainly is.


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## MickaC (Oct 12, 2020)




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## Tish (Oct 12, 2020)

I am one of those peoplethat always say hello to a dog.
You get to meet some pretty awesome people.


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## MickaC (Oct 16, 2020)




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## MickaC (Oct 21, 2020)




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## MickaC (Oct 29, 2020)




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## Keesha (Oct 29, 2020)

MickaC said:


> View attachment 126871


Best feeling ever. I’d rather have the dogs attention than a whole room full of people. You bet.


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## OldEnough (Nov 5, 2020)

LindaB said:


> I know your pain. I try every day to make my good memories find a deeper place in my heart.


I'm not sure how long it takes to stop crying but that time isn't here yet.


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## MickaC (Nov 9, 2020)

OldEnough said:


> I'm not sure how long it takes to stop crying but that time isn't here yet.


There is no set time.........take as long as you want and need to.......MEMORIES will be in your HEART and SOUL FOREVER.


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## MickaC (Nov 9, 2020)




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## MickaC (Nov 10, 2020)




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## MickaC (Nov 16, 2020)




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## OldEnough (Nov 16, 2020)

Dogs are the most special animals.


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## Pinky (Nov 16, 2020)

OldEnough said:


> Dogs are the most special animals.


I find dogs to be very communicative, and that's very endearing. Due to allergies, I couldn't have cats, though have known some really lovely ones.


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## MickaC (Nov 23, 2020)




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## MickaC (Dec 13, 2020)




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