i love animals, ever since i was a child, i used to go to the local library and read all the books

i could find about the lives and habits of animals - all kind s - reptiles, mammals, small, large. i had wanted to be a veterinarian but i dr eaded the thought of more schooling! plus i hated the sight of blood, the idea o f operations, and giving needles. so that was out! my affection for animals was never as touchy feely as i thought it would be, not warm and fuzzy, exactly. but i have been known to cry over them, to feel deepl y for them, and to worry excessively over their well being. also i engage in som e version of baby talk as i feed my birds, due to the sweet expectant look on th eir faces and in their eyes. like little children. yet there is something i have noticed more and more, in my own life and on TV re ality shows. the love for dogs, especially, has become obsessive. very often, i will hear remarks like, well they give me unconditonal love. or, they are so cute, how can i get mad? or, i spend all my time with my dog, i dont like to le ave him or her. i can understand all these remarks and why people make them yet i cant help thinking, yes, they are adorable,. yes they are innocent and won derful companions. but why cant you extend some of that seemingly boundless tol erance and affection on people? i have lately been thinking of the children in our world, as regards this partic ular issue. many times people will treat their dogs with far more understanding than even their kids. now i understand very well how annoying, selfish and hig h maintenance children can be. but there is something a little wrong with this picture i have heard couples blissfully sigh, well, our dog has cost us thousands of dol lars in damage (destroying furniture, walls, etc) but we dont mind. we love our dog! of course, dont get the dog put to sleep over this! i can understand why you wo uldnt want the dog gone. but ask these same people to help out a relative with s ome money, or put themselves out a little over a human being who is in need. a re you kidding? i wonder if they would express this same unbelievable totally accepting attitude when a person needs that kind of tolerance sometimes i doubt it. i was never a people person, always by myself a lot, yet i try to be fair, to be honest and to express myself very clearly. people are the ones who may need un derstanding. people, even children, have more of an awareness of life and what i t involves, they may go through more, have more stress, more accompanying pain o r despair. and people are the ones we actually go to and need in our lives for practical concerns. so we owe more of this love and acceptance to our human friends and loved ones, dont you agree? i would recommend channeling some of the good feelings into relationships with o ur children, our families, our associates, people around us. we can still love our cutie pooches, we just dont lavish it all on them and then leave it there, with little left for others.

not everyone does this, of course, but maybe it is too much at times. i always figured, if you have that patience for the dog, then you surely do have it for people. so why arent you using it in your relationships - say, in work? people may not be as cute, with sweet faces, they know how to talk and think mor e. but it may be vital that you learn to get along more with them in your day t o day lives, and bringing some of that affection and tolerance into your lives w ith human beings may help do this so next time you are tempted to lavish your doggie or any animal - but mostly it seems to be the canine varieties that get the most attention - with enormous af fection and endless attention - just remember to save some for your kids, you re latives, your co workers. and stop touting the empty phrase "unconditional love ". that becomes meaningless after a while if you feel a dog gives you that, but people dont, maybe it's because you havent tried to give that kind of love to others. you just want it for yourself. so t hink about it. dogs are easy, people are not. oh, boy, i know that better than a nybody at times. still, try it. see if it doesnt make sense to do this. ease up on the doggie b lissed out talk, and try actually treating people the way you feel about your pe t it might be one of the best things you have ever done. not the easiest, but the best and the smartest. Thanks for reading!