Maple and I walk a lot. Often children cling to their parents as we cross them on the street. (Not that Maple is so scary but not all kids have had much exposure to dogs.) On one particular day, Maple and I spied a mother, father and a little girl who could not have been more than two years old. Her parents were holding her hand as they approached. The little girl then let go of her parents and came running with her arms wide open as if Maple was her long lost pet. She wanted to hug her. As she drew closer I thought to myself, "perhaps I should move Maple out of the way….what if my dog does not react appropriately?" They say you can never predict the behaviour of an animal. Still, I decided to wait it out and see. The little girl wrapped her arms around Maple and gave her a giant hug. In return Maple sat down and licked her all over. It was so pure, innocent and beautiful. It was my proudest moment as her owner. Maple had risen to the occasion.
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