I walked the dogs while my brothers washed the dishes. It was my dedicated task growing up in Central Ohio. Even in the winter, I liked to take out Indie, Wylie and Scout down the street as snow rolled in through the misty, early morning. The ritual was important and the time was precious. We made the loop in ten minutes one day and took an hour long detour the next. Afterwards, I towel dried their fur and paws on the step in the garage. They carried their excitement through the door, and trotted to the kitchen and back, before dozing by the warm furnace vent. Since those days, I've cared for my roommates' pets, friends' dogs and office hounds. They've been affable, stoic, expressive, elderly, deaf, the opposite of deaf, and more. Through it all, a calm and confident demeanor has given us both some comfort.