I sometimes wonder if we’d found Gigi sooner, if Lilly’s fear issues might be smaller, but I suspect not. If I’d recognized where we were headed sooner (at 9 months instead of 2 1/2 years), maybe …

Then, again, some dogs are just born this way.

Our girls are here to teach us something. I just wish I could learn it sooner rather than later.

Still, I’ve never had a dog this tuned into me. Did I teach her that through training? Or did she come out of the box that way?

For awhile, I had a “Good Dog” and a “Bad Dog.” The Good Dog died suddenly and the Bad Dog had to be promoted. That was almost seven years ago.

There came a time when I looked back and realized that I loved my Good Dog because he was perfect. He was everything I ever wanted in a dog. I mean everything — right down to the resemblance to a big furry stray dog I used to coax around the neighborhood as a child.

Add to that the fact that I found him as a stray and managed to hold onto him by his fur while we waited for the police to come (not much for the police to do in that particular town). Then, he growled at the police officer and would only let me put him in the car. Wow, that’s like all the childhood stories of the wolf/horse/bear that loved a girl, isn’t it?

We were newly married then and living in a place that didn’t allow dogs so I told my husband about the dreamy dog and let it go. A couple of weeks later, we had plans to move to a little house and lo and behold, that very same dog was the “Pet of the Week” in the paper. I guess no one came to claim him.

My husband saw his picture and thought that looked just like a dog I’d like and sweet-talked the landlord into letting us have the dog until we moved to our new place. A dream come true in every way!

However, I have to say this next part with my hands over his furry little angel ears so he doesn’t really hear me, but I came to realize that maybe I ended up loving my “Bad Dog” even more than my perfect dog.

I love her because she tries. So many things are hard for her and there’s been so much more to put up with since we’ve added a couple of kids. She is the dog that has become my true companion, the dog who witnesses to my life as I live it in all its ups and downs and changes.

Reinforcement-based training is what allows me to see and celebrate every bit she does that’s good. I think of people with almost perfect dogs who are taught to look for what’s wrong and “correct” it. I wish I could help them understand that that path does not lead to joy.

I have found joy in my “Bad” Dog.

And it’s a journey. Do I sometimes wish Frankie was braver? Sure, I’d love to have a “social” dog. Could I love any dog better? I seriously doubt it.