January 10, 2026
Saturdays are meant for sleeping, even if just a little bit. Today was no exception— of course that’s just my opinion. That said, my boxer bunch boys don’t share my opinion, especially our oldest, Arlo.
Arlo is my boy. He was the first puppy we ever adopted from practically the day he was born. No kidding, we adopted Arlo when he was just three days old. We saw his little picture, and our girls said he’s the one. We put down our deposit, and from that day he became a part the Bonnicksen bunch clan.
I have a special bond with each of my boys, Arlo especially. I affectionately call him my Bookie boy. (watch Star Wars, maybe you’ll understand). Anyway….
I have a special bond with each of my boys, Arlo especially. I affectionately call him my Bookie boy. (watch Star Wars, maybe you’ll understand). Anyway….
When Arlo was eight weeks old, he came home to be a part of our family. Every day, he’d go into the office with me; we practically spent 24 hours together. No kidding, I spent more time with the dog than I did with my own wife.
When he was tiny, he’d sleep on my desk and ride in the back of my backpack, all zipped up inside. Where dad went, Arlo went too. To this day, he doesn’t like being separated from his dad. I guess that’s the bond between a man and his dog.
This morning, as he does every Saturday, Arlo made sure that I’d get up on his timetable. He’s always up first, goes potty, eats breakfast, then comes upstairs to get me out of the bed. But if I don’t comply, he stands on my chest, stares me in the face and gives me a little smooch to remind me that he’s my boy and that I am his dad. And if I don’t comply by getting up, he just moves over and snuggles beside me until I decide it’s time to get out of bed.
Now we’re on the flipside of the day, and it’s soon time to go to bed. And as he does most nights, he snuggled up right now beside me to remind me that he’s my boy. While I love both my boys equally the same, the bond I have with Arlo is quite big. He might not be so little anymore, he’s still acts like that little guy who rode in my backpack and napped on my desk.
I think thank God for bringing both our boys into our lives. Every day they make us laugh, and remind us of the preciousness of altruistic love, loyalty, and friendship. Goodnight and God bless— it’s time to go snuggle with our pups in the bed.