Spring is a great time to be in Western Pennsylvania — particularly after having 4-plus feet of snow a month ago. Making the spring more fun this year, though, is the addition of our puppy, Malkin (yes, named after our favorite Pittsburgh Penguin).

Having a puppy in the spring is kind of like adding cheese or bacon to your favorite food. It makes something good even better.

The recent weather has only accentuated the fun factor at our house as the puppy gets to walk the kids to the bus stop and meet our favorite yellow bus, No. 17, and then chase the cats back to the house. After running laps around our yard and chasing a squirrel or two, Malkin does his business and goes inside for a much deserved nap.

Seven and a half hours later, puppy gets to meet No. 17 again and chase the kids up the driveway, eager to eat some homework, bite some pant legs and basically drive the kids crazy until dinner time.

But what made this week really special was on Sunday, when Malkin got to participate in his first official Easter egg hunt.

The dog is a natural, and one would think he actually followed Peter Cottontail around the yard when the bunny was placing eggs there. Our kids were busy trudging around the yard looking for eggs the same color as the pants of most of Florida's residents, but the truth is, they are 6 and 8. How much "looking" was really going on? Probably less than the driver in the passing lane who texts while shaving his goatee on the way to work each morning.

But not with old Malkin. That dog can hunt!

Of 25 eggs, the dog easily uncovered a dozen "loose pucks," as we called them that day, while the kids evenly split the other baker's dozen.

But it was the other stuff the dog uncovered that was more impressive, such as an old chew toy we named Ovechkin, a plastic bone and a couple of half-eaten Frisbees.

Additionally, he brought back a few feathers from an unlucky bird who decided to tangle with one of our cats and a nose full of sand from digging in the area where the plastic pool used to be.

The grin on his chin rivaled that of my daughter when she realized the Easter Bunny left her basket in Malkin's crate or when my son learned that the old bunny was smart enough to leave Mario Brothers for the Wii instead of candy. (Alex is not a fan of candy. Obviously he's someone else's child. Please come forward to claim him.)

Malkin was rewarded for his hunting skills by taking a ride to grammy and grampy's house for dinner, where he was treated to an enclosed back yard with plenty of room to run. Oh, and they had squirrels, too.

But maybe it's not just spring that makes puppies more fun. Maybe it's the puppies themselves, or maybe we're just lucky.

After all, this dog has already taught everyone in this house what loyalty means, as he waits patiently each day for the kids to arrive home safely and he worries when something goes awry, such as a snow day or someone picking the kids up instead of the bus dropping them off.

Or maybe it's his zest for life. Have you ever gotten excited about going outside, raising your nose in the air and simply breathing the spring air?

If not, I highly recommend doing so. The neighbors might look at you a little differently, but you will view your surroundings a little differently as well.

Maybe it's just his unconditional love. Who else is lucky enough to have a friend just as excited to see you whether you've been gone an hour, a day or a year? It wasn't just spring that was made for dogs, it was every season. Enjoy this spring for all it holds.

Christian Ola, a community columnist for the Butler Eagle, resides in Mars with his wife, son and daughter and can be reached through his Web site, christianola.com.