How A Little Boy Got His Dog by Paul Eilers

When I was a kid growing up, our house was situated on a corner lot, with the backyard consisting of a concrete driveway, a basketball goal and a garage. There was a deck on the side of the house and a nice front lawn - but no backyard. Consequently, my brother and I never had a dog.

After Laura and I were married, I was determined to eventually get a dog for our son, Dylan. A few years later, we bought our current home, with a large fenced-in backyard. My wife and I soon began to talk about getting a dog.

I had always known that Labrador Retrievers made good pets. When I was growing up, several of my neighborhood friends had Labs. Labradors are people-oriented and great with children.

In June of 2005, Laura and I were driving around a subdivision in town when we spotted an SUV in a driveway with a magnetic sign on the door. It was an advertisement for a Labrador Retriever breeder and trainer. We decided to stop and talk to the two men who were standing outside.

The owner of the dog training business said that he only trained Labs for hunting and dog shows. However, he had a six-month-old registered black Lab, who because of his temperament, would not make a good hunting or show dog, but would make a great pet. Well, that's what we were looking for! We told him that we would like to see the puppy.

So three days later, the trainer brought the puppy to our house. He told us that his name was Clarence. He told us if for any reason we didn't want to keep him, he would gladly take him back. Naturally, we fell in love with Clarence. And we've had him ever since!

We take Clarence for walks in our neighborhood. He also likes to run beside us when we ride bikes. Dylan and Clarence like to play tug-of-war in the living room. Clarence also likes chewing on his squeaky toys. But the number one thing he loves to do is to go bye-bye with the family! His ears perk up when he hears the car keys jingle, and he trots to the front door as if to say, "Come on guys, I'm ready to go!" Because a trained dog is a free dog, Clarence is allowed to go with us just about wherever we go.

I've always believed that a boy should grow up with a dog. They can run off and explore the world together. A boy can tell his secrets to his dog and never fear he will be betrayed. In regards to Dylan, getting Clarence was one of the best things we have ever done.

And that little boy, whose house never had a backyard, finally got his dog too.