It's a shame that dogs are with us for such a short time. What is the saying? Something about dogs being so pure of heart that they learn all of the life lessons they need to in 10 years. We humans need a little longer, I guess. I remember my childhood dog Alicia. What a wonderful companion she was. How she would come up and wrap her paws around me when I was sad. How she would stay by my side all the time. How she learned every dog trick in the book, including how to sneeze. She was so special and instilled in me a deep love and respect for dogs. Losing her was one of the toughest things I have ever went through. But it taught me that loving and losing was better than the alternative.