Fish are small and easy to care for. Dogs are relatively large, slobbering and fur-shedding creatures, which smell if not often washed and are shabby if not often groomed. They have to be walked, too. But one may have the pleasure of running his fingers through a dog's soft fur and feeling its velvet ears. Conversely, fish are slimy, slippery little devils. Being handled and fondled by its owner (if the owner can manage to catch hold of it) may prove a fatal experience for the fish.

Fish are quiet pets. The only noise they make is an occasional splash, which is quite pleasant. A dog, on the other hand, barks,

yelps, whines, and sometimes even howls. But it redeems itself by being lively, entertaining, and even fawning at times. A grinning, tail-wagging dog is irresistible. Dogs can sit, roll, jump, fetch, play dead, and stand up on two legs (well, some can). What can fish do? Swim around the fishbowl in tedious circles, staring dementedly at nothing in particular with unblinking goggle eyes. But then, a fish never breaks loose, except in a few unusual casesXmy friend's goldfish once leapt to its death when his dad filled the bowl too full with water. (What is it with dads and goldfish?) A dog, on the other hand, when let loose, may run about molesting neighbors, terrorizing neighborhood cats, impregnating easy canine bitches in or, if female, become pregnant itself. Innumerable serious consequences may arise.

As for similarities, dogs and fish both grow fat when overfed, eventually die, and die

Some common words found in the essay are:
, fish dog, dog hand, Student English, chance fish, fish fish, flushed toilet, chance fish dog,
Approximate Word count = 611
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)