More: Echo is canine perfection incarnate. He is wonderful big brother to two cats and a parrot - all four are adopted, and a big softy for our regular mail carrier, but he lives up to his breed's reputation for guarding his "flock". From strange cars on the road to strange wildlife in the yard, nothing gets past his attention. At night, he waits for his mandatory cookies, and then he plops his 120-pound bulk on my chest for a good 15 to 30 minutes of cuddles that often end with him asleep in my arms.