My father was not going to get a dog for nostalgic or practical reasons. He did not grow up with cocker spaniels, for example, and care about giving his children a love like he had with Bubbles or what have you. He did not hunt. There would be no bird dogs or retrievers for that purpose. My father did have excellent style, though—stick with me here—and appreciated well-designed clothes, jewelry, and kitchen gadgets. He prized cleverness—in kids, dogs, and anything else sentient that crossed his path. I just had to find a breed that was known to be smart and handsome, according to his
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