The generation that began their lives when horses were the chief means of transportation accepted dogs in their lives as a matter of course.  The barn was designed and built at the same time as the house and was trafficked as much by animals as by people.  Animals were a necessity, not an indulgence.  Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Franklin grew up knowing dogs to be their companions, a sentiment they felt all their lives.  My mother felt the same way.  In fact, both Aunt Eleanor and Mother had a penchant for German Shepards, the canine most famous for one man loyalty.  Mother had to give up her German Shepard when I was an infant because he became so fierce in his protection of the baby carriage that no one could get near me.  Aunt Eleanor went on enjoying Price until soon after Uncle Franklin became president, and then the dog became a problem for her in the White House.  Uncle Franklin had the famous Fala, a Scottie, who went on presidential campaigns and was even mentioned in his speeches.
    Aunt Eleanors's daily schedule was predictable: she was up at dawn to work at her desk until breakfast time, and after breakfast she took the dogs for a walk, an exercise that was repeated after tea in the afternoon.  At the White House, Fala hardly needed to be walked.  He sped across the grounds in full pursuit of squirrels.  Prince, on the other hand, stayed beside his fast moving mistress as she strode along for a mile or two.  Prince was, however, distressed by the constant human activity at the White House.  In a quieter environment he could keep track of his human friends.  Here, he was introduced to a never-ending stream of strangers who all seemed to want him to be their friend.  He obviously didn't like it.  He growled.  He even snapped.  And when he tore a piece of pant leg off its wearer, Auntie Eleanor was approached by one of the White House guards.  But she could hardly take it seriously.  Her prince was a quiet, devoted pet who would never hurt anyone.  It was difficult to argue with the first lady, so the matter rested until she witnessed the behavior herself.
    That day, Prince growled at a stranger, snapped, and tore a fragment of his pant leg, then looked up at his mistress with the cloth in his mouth.  There was no way to deny his behavior, even though she couldn't blame him.  There were always so many people around.  Prince was sent back up to the country in Hyde Park.
    Still, my aunt would protest when telling the story, "He really only took little nips."