Babies, Puppies, and Therapy Pets

​Recently, I acquired a little Yorkshire terrier puppy for my 15-year-old daughter who had been requesting a puppy for many months. On the way home, she silently wept with joy over the puppy sleeping in her lap. The two girls immediately fell in love, and it has been fascinating watching my daughter's maternal instincts unfold. She now gushes over babies in strollers, every dog or puppy she sees, and every other small animal that runs across the road. It has also brought out the mama bear protective instincts in her. I mean, if I turn in front of a car a quarter mile away, she admonishes me for putting the "the baby" in danger.​We have laughed so much over the past few months watching this puppy's shenanigans. She brightens up a room just with her presence. Even our older and grumpier dog, Buckeye, seems to be undergoing a transformation because of Missy. The puppy seems to love this older dog passionately, like a big brother or a surrogate parent. When they are out together, she can't keep her paws off him and she repeatedly attempts to stand bracing her paws on his chest to lick his face. Like a grumpy old man, Buckeye, acts unappreciative of the puppy's attention, yet his growing affection toward his new little sister is obvious by his increasing willingness to play with her.Watch a video of Dr. Mellick's daughter Dakota with her new puppy video Missy.​I have to confess that my iPhone is packed with pictures and videos of the new pooch. This puppy has broug...
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