Yesterday, I had the good fun of speaking with a terrific group of kids who were spending their week at Mahogany Ridge KidsCamp. It’s a camp where kids and their dogs get to play and learn together. Theresa Richmond, the camp director and trainer, (whom some of you may remember from Dogs of Dreamtime) invited me to give a talk on what it’s like to write about dogs.
As with training dogs, writing about dogs is best learned by doing. So the kids worked on an article together entitled “10 Great Reasons to Have a Dog.” First, each child wrote down their reasons, and then we added up how many of those sentiments were shared by others.
What follows is the tally of great reasons and the number of thumbs-up votes each one received.
10 Great Reasons to Have a Dog
#1. Dogs are great companions and your best friends forever. 15 
#2. Dogs are lovable and nice / cute and cuddly. 10
#3. Tied. Dogs love to play. You can play with them, and you both get exercise. 9
Dogs teach you patience and responsibility. They’re someone to love and care for. 9
#4. Dogs are lots of fun, and they’re entertaining. 8
#5. Dogs love you as much as you love them. 7
#6. Tied. Dogs are very trusting and loyal, they help you learn how to trust. 5
Dogs are good protection. Some would give their lives for you. 5
#7. Dogs are fun to train for activities like agility & you can teach them lots of tricks. 4
#8. Tied. Dogs need a home. You get to give them one, which makes you both happy. 3
There are lots of different breeds and sizes to choose from. 3
#9. Tied. Dogs make great alarm clocks; they like to wake you up in the morning. 2
Dogs are great with children and some are nice with babies. 2