There you are. The photo that I lovingly put at the top of the page is my baby boy when he was but a puppy. He is now a moose, and is one of the truly great pets that the Good Lord has allowed to grace the planet.

The girls absolutely adore him, and he loves them, I think, more than he does me. He follows them around the house; he goes completely ape when they come home from school; he stays with them in their room while they are playing; he sleeps in their room... he ignores me unless they are not around. He is now over a year old, eats damned near everything that he can get in his mouth: dog food, cookies, candy, chips, pizza, treats, anything on the periodic table of elements. He has learned not to go into the dining room during dinner, and to stay out of the kitchen all the time. He goes outside and plays with them, loves to go for walks, loves to ride in the car, and hates to be away from the action.

Here is the part that is going to cause most of you to call social services on me (by the way, I live in Carbon County, Pa... they know me from my work as a foster parent... call them, they will find my house):
I leave him alone with the 5 year old and 6 year old while I run out to check the mail, or to head upstairs to the bedroom (on the 3rd floor). I do not keep him away from the kids. I take him to the bus stop where there are other 4-12 year olds running around. I do NOT stop them from coming up to them and putting their hands an him, hug him, or try to pet him. And not one single parent has ever expressed a concern. They see him with the kids, and they know that I have complete control over him at all times.

He has, in the past 14 months that he has been a member of the family, only ever gone after one of the kids. He was about 4 or 5 months old, and tried to exert his non-existant dominance over the (then) 12 year old. After I showed the dog the error of his ways, and suggested none to politely that he was not in charge, thank you very much, he never again even attempted it with anyone in or out of the family.

Another reason for you to call Child Protective Services:
I let my 2 year old run loose in a house where a pit bull was allowed to run free. Admittedly, I was a bit concerned at first... until I saw him steal a cookie out of my daughter's hand, and I saw her slap him with all of the strength a 2 year old can muster. When the dog ran to the other room cryiing and hid from her, I knew I had nothing to fear.

One last story, and then we'll get off my pride and joy:
I just got back from the bus stop, picking up my 6 year old step-daughter. Gunny, that viscious pit bull of mine that should be euthanized, and kept away from proper society unless he was muzzled with steel  straps, was the absolute hit of the bus stop. All the kids came over to pet him, and play with him, and he absolutely loved it. He was wagging his tail, and licking the kids into submission. And they never once wavered in their love and devotion to him.