Since I teach 9th grade English, my students often know and hear a lot about my animals. (And they even know that Winkie is my favorite dog at the shelter... I talk to them often about my love for animals! ha.) With "The Odyssey," there is a section when Odysseus has finally returned home from Ithaca after being away for 20 years (10 at the Trojan War and 10 with "random" adventures on the sea). As he is approaching his kingdom, disguised as a beggar, he sees his old faithful dog, Argos (who was just a puppy when he first left). The dog is a great metaphor for the loyalty of animals vs. the disloyalty of humans. Argos had been keeping watch (his job) for 20 years while Odysseus was away. It was when the Master was finally home that he was able to close his eyes to sleep knowing that he protected the kingdom. In contrast, the servants are not faithful to Odysseus and do not keep up the Kingdom. I use this excerpt for my students to have one of their only "show and tell" moments in high school. ;) I let them bring me a picture of their "Argos" (any animal... it doesn't have to be a dog. And if they don't have a dog, I let them draw a picture of one) for extra credit on the test. I find this to be a great bonding experience as I get to see a piece of their lives aside from English class and we can bond over the love of animals! :) A great lesson about the faithful companionship of animals!