A dog is a great way to meet people. I had a pit bull when I was in highschool, and I really started to rely on her as a helpful social tool. I was the girl who took her dog everywhere she went, so she became part of my identity, in a way.
Don't take it personally if people greet your dog and not you. It's a way of being friendly to you indirectly. If they say hi to Odie, you can say hi back to them without sounding weird at all. Dog lovers enjoy asking questions about your dog, and talking about their own dogs. They tend to be nice folks.
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Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.