So I'm walking my dog this morning past a storefront office when this comely young woman standing at the window, smiles and winks at me. Never saw her before, but I sure liked the attention. Must be my swag, my je ne sais quois, I delude myself into thinking. I throw her a goofy grin, dip an eyebrow and flash my pearly whites.

She laughs perhaps too hard, points to my dog, DJ, who is jauntily frolicking away in the snow. Then the lovely lady focuses her iPhone, snaps a pic of DJ and gives me a thumbs-up. Not exactly what I hoped for, but nonetheless a pleasant encounter of the canine kind. This kind of stuff happens all the time when you have a cute dog.

Good, good, good, dog vibrations.

It's really true - when you have a friendly lively dog, the streets are your oyster. Strangers greet you, smile at you, embrace you metaphorically. I've often thought that the best way to get votes for a hopeful municipal councilor is to walk a lovable dog through the neighborhood. 

Odd as it may sound, an endearing dog humanizes the owner. It brings on the love like no other creature on earth. We may live in a world mired in hardship and tragedy, but a dog is a guarantee for intermittent rays of sunshine. And if you're lucky, maybe you'll get that wink from a secret admirer the second time around.