My BFF

The afternoon sun had already faded when I took these pictures but let's just pretend I was going for a grainy look.

On our walk today, my dog, Ranger, and I encountered - as we always do - a handful of other pooches walking with their people.

Ranger - as he always does - perked up his ears, wagged his tail, and expressed an interest in saying hello to his fellow canine. He trotted right over for a friendly howdy-do.

And sadly, the other dogs - as about nine out of ten dogs usually do - reacted with bad energy.

Some dogs snap.

Some dogs snarl.

Others lunge on their leashes, barking madly and making dramatic physical overtures. 

Their owners smile apologetically and quickly haul the dogs off.

This makes for quite an unruly scene and since we have been jumped by angry dogs in the past, I usually focus my attention on the rabble-rouser, watching for any sign of imminent danger to me or my pup.

But during such an encounter today, for some reason, I happened to pay full attention to Ranger's reaction. And this is what I saw:

As soon as the other dog started to freak out, Ranger took a step back. Obviously reading the need for caution yet ever the optimist, Ranger waited expectantly. His tail continued to wag, his eyes still sparkled with Irish charm, and he almost wriggled with delighted anticipation.  

When he realized that this doggy rendezvous was not going to happen, Ranger simply turned back to face our path, still wagging and cheerful, and continued on with his own journey.

 I think my dog is a wise and wonderful soul. And I'm lucky to have him for my BFF.