My Doggie and I

My Doggie and I
by R.M. Ballantyne
I possess a doggie -- not a dog, observe, but a doggie. If he had been a dog I would not have presumed to intrude him on your notice. A dog is all very well in his way -- one of the noblest of animals, I admit, and pre-eminently fitted to be the companion of man, for he has an affectionate nature, which man demands, and a forgiving disposition, which man needs -- but a dog, with all his noble qualities, is not to be compared to a doggie.