Marley and Me

Marley is one of those dogs that one never forgets. He is the ultimate canine grump.
At first, I thought Marley hated me. He would stalk up to me, head lowered, eyes down, low pitched growl eminating from his throat.

Not knowing what to do, I petted him. The growling increased. I stopped scratching his chin thinking he didn't like it. I was rewarded by a series of demanding barks.

Then I realized that Marley's brain was wired in reverse order. He was growling to signal approval and contentment rather than aggression. His bark was to say, "Pet me more, Man!"

Now we are best buds. Sometimes, I even growl back.