When it comes to the Doods, Gus has the cuteness factor going for him. Stanley is like a big cuddly bear. With Henry it’s something different.
ELBEE He has a certain je ne sais quoi. Yes, I speak French.
When people see a large, tall dog like Henry, they will often shy away. Then, from a distance, they’ll ask if he’s friendly. Once I assure them he is, it’s a love fest.
Henry is always ready to go out and about with me. As soon as I reach for the car keys, he heads for the door. Actually, I like to take him because it’s so good for his socialization.
ELBEE And hers too
He seems to make people open up. This week, I took him with me when I was having my car serviced. A woman who had also dropped off her car, came over to meet Henry. Hugging him, she told me how much she wanted a dog. She had recently lost two in a divorce and confided that she missed them more than she missed her ex.
ELBEE I think that’s oversharing.
A saleswoman’s face lit up when she saw Henry. She invited us to walk around the lot with her while she checked inventory.
My next stop was to buy hiking boots at a very dog friendly store in a dog friendly outdoor mall. Not only was the girl who was helping us delighted to see him, but when we were leaving, people were calling out his name.
A few days ago, a man pulled his car over while we were out walking. With a big smile he said, “You win the award for cutest dog in the neighborhood.”
ELBEE I hope Gus and Stanley don’t hear about that.
On a more serious note, Stanley had a special encounter of his own. Out for a walk, we passed a street that was lined with news vehicles. I realized it was where a man had allegedly murdered his wife and in-laws.
Suddenly, the window of a Channel 7 news van rolled down and the driver called out to ask if it was okay to come see the dog. When I assured him it was, he and a young woman got out of the truck.
As they petted Stanley, I shared that he was a therapy dog. They agreed that’s 
just what they needed. As if on cue, Stanley started leaning against the man. I said that’s what he does when he senses stress. Laughing, the man said, “He’s got that right.”
That evening, I was at the gym talking to a fellow dog enthusiast about how much comfort and love the dogs provide in all sorts of circumstances. He whole heartedly agreed and put it in a way that I hadn’t thought of before. He said, “they offer a safe zone.”
