A Girl and Her Dog

MacGuyver is "my" dog. He's been very loyal to me ever since we adopted him when he was 11 months old, to the point where he sniffs me good morning every day and waits outside the bathroom for me. When James was a baby, he was pretty indifferent. He didn't want hugs or kisses from the baby, and would just walk away when James came too close for comfort (though he was a big fan of the high chair and its associated leavings). When Delilah showed up, though, everything changed. "My" dog suddenly had a new girl in his life. He sits patiently waiting for her to finish eating every meal (which, considering he's a hound, is only notable for the fact that he's patient about it) and he has never gotten snippy when she got close to him while he cleans up after meals. He waits outside the kids' room while she is napping or while we are putting her to bed , and if he can he'll sneak in to sniff her and make sure everything is okay (regardless of which of us is in there, so it's not just about him checking on me). He lets her crawl on him and pet him and kiss him, and it is absolutely adorable. In her turn, she loves her "gog" and frequently wants to go "liggle" (tickle/pet) him.

Today, Chris called me to tell me that MacGuyver had snuck into the room while Delilah was napping, laid down next to her crib, and took a nap with her the whole time she was in there.