I was a mother to two Chihuahuas. The female lived to be 17 yrs old. She passed away a month after I gave birth to her little human sister. I guess she really wanted to meet her. I cremated her and tell my little one stories about her. I rescued a boxer in March that is selectively mute and extremely chill. He gets bossed around by my mom's chihuahuas when we visit. I have a big enclosed patio with a tree to be "watered" and a dog park just steps away. I think its important to play with ad talk with our pets and feel the warmth that they give with their unconditional love. I taught early childhood for 11 years so I'm very patient