Peanut's Guide on How to Win Friends and Influence People

After a trip to Walgreens last night where Peanut made several friends, and a trip to the tennis courts today where the same thing happened, I've decided that it's much easier to make friends if you're cute, furry, and weigh less than 15 pounds. But for those of us that don't meet those requirements, I've put together some tips from Peanut on how to make friends.

1) Be outgoing. Reach out to people, don't wait for them to make the first move.

2) Be enthusiastic. You may not have a tail to wag (which definitely is cuter than anything humans have to offer), but show enthusiasm for meeting people. Smile. Get excited.

3) Assume the best in everyone. Until they prove otherwise, everyone is a potential friend. I'm sure if someone started hitting Peanut or pulling her tail, she'd lose interest in being friends with them. But when she meets someone, she assumes the best of them. She assumes they are a nice person (or fly) and a potential friend.

4) Show an interest in people. That doesn't mean sniffing their crotch like it does for Peanut. But she sniffs them to get to know them...and we can show an interest in people and get to know them too. They say dogs can tell a person's age, gender, and other information from sniffing them. Get to know people's life stories.

5) Be yourself. Peanut never ceases to be her energetic, crazy self. Some people appreciate it, some don't. But the best friends are people who like you for who you are. So be yourself!

That's what Peanut has taught me about making friends!