One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there were seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
While He carried me along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
So I asked, "What were these prints for?
These prints are neither yours nor mine,
And Lord, they are in sets of four."
"My child", he said in sober tones,
"At one time you were so close to giving up,
That I called on a little dog to walk along.
And for awhile this was just what you needed.
Your pup filled your time with love and blessings,
He kept you so busy there was no time for fussing.
But then one day I had to call him home.
And you were heartbroken and all alone,
But the time you had together was never forgotten,
And even though it hurt to lose your little dog,
I knew you'd be better, for the love you had known.

~Author Unknown~