[She is learning the grand lesson of companionship, specifically with the wonderful animals that are dogs. Also the grand lesson of relaxing. ...Not that he actually has such grand schemes, not in the beginning, anyway. It really is quite as simple as just having the dogs bother her and seeing how she takes to them. All that other stuff is just a happy bonus.]

It might be hard to believe now, but no, I didn't. When I was a child my family had a small farm and I secretly helped raise a wolf cub, but for much of my adult life dogs were afraid of me. I was always fond of them, but given my...demeanor at the time they were understandably wary. It's only recently I've been able to interact with them without them being afraid of me.