Yes, I have to admit to being "one of THOSE people" -- my dog certainly owns me every bit as much as I own her. My wife sometimes has to offer me a pointed reminder on who is supposed to be in charge -- "Greg, YOU are the person, not Carmie."

I'll readily concede that I dote on Carmie (as does my wife), in large part because, with no children in our home, she is truly a pet-child. That is why I spoil her. And with our sweet girl having reached her eleventh birthday recently, we are all too aware that she is aging and starting to slow down just a little bit. One of these days it will be more than just being gray around the muzzle -- she may lack the spring in her step to jump up on our bed, and may need a bed of her own (though I honestly believe that she thinks that she is generously sharing HER bed with us).

As I've started looking at dog beds, I have seen a number that seem like good possibilities for Carmie. No, not her own chaise lounge (my wife would kill me if the dog got a chaise before she did), but something that would fit in with our decor. Or maybe we should get her something orthopedic that would help to soothe those old bones and joints and make Carmie comfortable when we can't lift her up to join us in our bed. After all, she has been a wonderful companion for all these years, and she deserves to be treated with all the love that she has shown us over the years.