We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Dear God, please make me the person my dog believes I am!
Then I remind myself that Hitler's German Shepherd loved his master.
Then I tell myself that the unconditional love of a dog is the closest most of us humanoids ever come to a glimpse of God's love, showered on the deserving and undeserving alike. Dogs and God love us when we are dirty, smelly, bad-tempered, despondent, boring, poor, unemployed, sick, etc. Humans only love under strict and limited conditions.