I hate dogs.I know that’s a statement likely to provoke outrage from dog lovers, but it’s the truth. My dislike didn’t arise from some trivial annoyance or bad experience with a neighbor’s pet. It’s something deeper, something born from loss. This thought was fresh in my mind when my wife made her latest suggestion. We were watching a movie, a modern retelling of the true story from Japan about a dog named Hachiko. I was only half-watching; I hate dogs, after all. But the story was hard to ignore. Every morning, Hachiko followed his master to the railway station, and every evening, he waited there for his return. One day, the master didn’t come back, but Hachiko kept waitingfor nine long years. The townsfolk were so moved by his loyalty that they erected a statue in his honor. The tale tugged at my wife’s heartstrings. “Let’s get a dog,” she… I hate dogs