Shorty was my first dog. He was a Pekingese mix and walked very low to the ground. When I was about 12, Shorty was injured in a dogfight and required several weeks of TLC before he was back to his usual health. I remember taking him for a walk in nearby woods. The sun set too fast and we were in darkness. The fastest way home was through a patch of recently cut brush. On most days Shorty would have …