A good dog is one of life's greatest rewards. When I was 6, we got a little mixed breed dog with a lot of spaniel in her. I grew up with Sparkle as she lived till I was 18. I loved that dog. She was a true hunter. She loved chasing squirrels all her life. Of course, most of that time all I had was a BB gun. I'm 71 now, and I still think back sweetly about that little dog. She loved EVERYBODY. We were living on military bases most of that time, and she belonged to every kid in the neighborhood. Hundreds of times I've seen kids lick on their lollipops and then let Sparkle lick on it too. I totally understand how you guys feel about your 4 legged family members.