An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar (though no tags) and well-fed belly and how clean he was that he had a home.

He followed me into the house, down the hall, and promptly fell asleep on the couch.

My dogs didn’t seem to mind him. He seemed like a good dog and I was OK with him, so I let him nap. An hour later he ambled to the door and I let him out.

The next day he was back, resumed his position on the couch, and slept for an hour.

This continued for days. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: “Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap. I don’t mind but want to be sure it’s OK with you.”

The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar.

“He lives in a home with six children — all boys. I’m sure he’s just trying to catch up on his sleep. May I come with him tomorrow?”