In order to qualify as a "dog," it has to be bigger than a football. That means this is a dog (shut up, Jasmine is too bigger than a football).

This one was smaller than a football at the time, but was still definately a dog.

After all, she grew up, got ugly, and now eats footballs as a snack. Definately a dog.

I don't care if you added them all together into one body, these would still not be dogs.

Alexis was born with that knowledge. I have seen the evidence with my own eyes. Alexis has no fear of dogs whatsover. It doesn't matter how many times she gets knocked over, barked at, licked, trampled, nipped, whatever, she still loves dogs. I get her to go in the house every day by saying, "Let's go play with the dogs." If she sees a dog at the park, she gets excited. Heck, the kid gets all excited if she even sees a picture of a dog.

So she and I are wandering around Pet Supplies Plus (not buying a turtle, that acquisition has been nixed). Lo and behold two of those little Not-dogs appeared at the end of the aisle. Alexis froze. Then started to whimper. Then the Not-dogs started towards her. She turned around as fast as she could to high-tail it out of there. But it was a dead end; she was trapped. I took a shaking in her boots Alexis by the hand and started to slowly walk down the aisle, past the Not-dogs. Alexis whimpered louder and cowered up against me. One of the Not-dogs suddenly jumped up. Alexis screamed, climbed up into my arms as if a ladder had magically appeared before her, and then sobbed. And hid her face. And sobbed some more. Until we were past the Not-dogs, then she lunged back to the ground and proceeded to see if there were any dog treats that tasted good.

Alexis is not scared of dogs. But she is scared of rat-like Not-dogs. I can't say that I blame her.