A Puppy Provokes the Unexpected
Canine conversations
I’ve always been the chatty one in the marriage.
In line at the checkout, queuing for a sandwich, waiting for a table at a restaurant.
I’m frequently making friends with random people, while my husband looks on, quietly bemused and possibly slightly embarrassed by his garrulous wife.
But since Charlie came into our lives, things have changed.
Overnight my husband started exchanging training tips with neighbors he’s never spoken to before, pondering Charlie’s heritage with strangers over a beer, or giggling with kiddos enjoying a puppy face wash.
A service dog breeder told me dogs are amazing “social lubricants.” Whether you are an injured veteran adjusting to civilian life or a man who prefers to focus on his shopping list (or his sandwich), barriers to conversation disappear when there’s a sturdy labrador by your side or a cute puppy under your arm!
