A favorite personal dog story

I grew up with our family terrier, Taffy, in a part of Connecticut where dogs were not leashed or fenced. Taffy roamed free and followed myself and my sisters to the school bus stop or to the homes of friends. Often, the journey involved going past the house where a shepherd mix named Archie lived. I remember Archie as a tough customer, aggressive and territorial. He would chase us, snarling, as we rode by on our bikes. Sometimes he and Taffy would mix it up, and we would shout and wave our arms trying to break up the fights, which ended with Archie standing his ground, growling at us, while we slunk away with hearts racing. We hated Archie. But his owners loved him, and I remember being shocked to see him with them, wagging his tail and giving wet kisses. The Archie who frightened us was a pussycat with his people. Archie taught me to treat dogs with respect, and to bear in mind that every dog has love to give.