MYTURN: Granddog visits are grand; Having pet of your own more hassle than child's dog

Having a granddog is better than having a dog of your own.

My granddog, Hagrid, lives in Pittsburgh with my daughter. Thatmeans I don't have to feed him, pay his vet bills, brush him, or walkhim on a daily basis.

When he visits, I can spoil him and then send him home. From whatI am told, that is what you do with grandchildren, but I don't haveany of those.

So I call Hagrid my granddog. Some people find that strange.Others understand.

Hagrid, a Great Pyrenees, is more than 100 pounds of shaggy whitefur. He looks like a cross between an afghan rug and a polar bear.

Just the sight of him is enough to frighten any potentialintruder.

But the thing is, Hagrid is afraid of EVERYTHING.

On a recent walk with me, he cowered at a fake cat cut out ofwood. A few steps later, a tiny neighborhood dog barked and a wide-eyed Hagrid huddled against me.

When Jennifer and her friend, Deanna, first picked him up, it wasa game of tug and pull to get the timid dog in the car. He is doingbetter because he now loves car rides. But his size still makes ithard to squeeze him in our smaller car and he loves to sit on laps,another difficult feat.

Named after the gentle giant from the Harry Potter movie, Hagridis sweet but shy with strangers.

It just goes to show you can't judge a canine by his appearance.That includes temperament as well as cost.

On a walk through my neighborhood, I was once bitten by a harmless-looking beagle.

I do not know the going rate, but I am sure a Great Pyrenees isexpensive. Jennifer got him for a nominal amount through the GreatPyrenees Rescue Association.

I once looked at a small Pekingese with a price tag of $600. Anappalled friend who was with me remarked, "Six hundred dollars! Thisdog has no nose." While joking about the breed's short wrinkledmuzzle, she got them to knock off fifty bucks.

However, I remain dogless.

My granddog is fun, free and funny.

Charlotte Ferrell Smith is a reporter for the Daily Mail.