As longtime readers of the Corner will recall, I
am no fan of dogs. Who needs all that slobbery groveling, that predictable
unconditional love, the mess? However, I am also the father of a
small boy, which makes my position untenable, especially as he approaches
his fourth birthday in September. Matthew is already showing signs of a dare
I say feline instinct for manipulating his pop into getting him a
puppy. The other day he said to his mother and me: “I wonder what it’s like
for people who have dogs?” I see what’s coming, which is why I ask: if I
wanted to get a good dog for a small boy, a hound that’s not as dumb as a
stump, but also not high-strung and yappy, what breed should I go for?
Nobody suggest poodles or Pekinese.