Whoever coined the term "man's best friend" was missing out on my relationship with my dogs. You see, I've always been a dog person. Ever since I was born I've been surrounded by at least one in my house. By this point, I've had four dogs total. I'm now the proud mother/best friend of the two cutest dogs on the face of the Earth: Oreo and Bruno. Both are male Shih Tzus, which is Chinese for "lion dog." Oreo is eleven years old and is (secretly) my favorite. For some odd, unknown reason, he has to poop on the railroad rocks beside our house. Nobody knows why. He's not very bright, but he makes up for that in his personality. He's seen my ups, downs, and everything in between. Wherever you find me, he'll always be trailing right at my heels. Bruno is almost three years old and acts just like a toddler who was simultaneously half cat. He cannot sleep without touching at least one limb of a human and requires potty breaks every two hours. Children love him, and he loves them even more. My mother named him after Bruno Mars, which is fitting considering Bruno loves to dance. You shouldn't need any convincing as to why these dogs are my best friends, but here's ten reasons why anyway.
1. My dogs never fail to make me smile.
Seriously, how can you not smile when you see these faces? These boys were almost as excited for me to leave home for school as I was. This particular photo reminds me of the cover of a hot mix tape between two famous rappers; serious, yet understanding. No matter how horrific my day may be, these dogs will always be the first to make me feel a little better. After all, humans had to do something right to be worthy of having dogs.
2. They make these faces when they get a bath.
There's very few things in this world as challenging as giving your dogs a bath. While they may refute the offer at first by running laps around your dining room table, they usually end up pretty complacent as you massage in Dove Shampoo. Yes, okay, I use nice shampoo on my dogs. I may even be guilty of using my own conditioner. But the very best deserve just that. In the end, they both enjoy the hair dryer. It's warm, makes them dry, and forces me to pet them for the entire duration. Afterwards, you could accurately compare the opening of the bathroom door to unleashing championship race horses. My dogs will sprint out the door and run continuous laps around the house. They'll tackle each other, and then turn on me. I really can't complain when they smell like spring and feel like clouds.
3. They love snow as much as I do.
This photo was taken the first time Bruno experienced snow. Both of my dogs are fascinated by snow. They'll leap right into it, roll around on their backs, and try to run straight through snow drifts. Some of my favorite days have been when I can spend a snow day running through my backyard with them. Despite their admiration for winter weather, these boys were not meant to be outside dogs. By the end, I'm pulling them into blanket cocoons and warming them up with cuddles. It's also a great way to exhaust Bruno, who is a seemingly infinite source of energy.
4. My dogs must sleep either on top of me, or right next to me.
Like me, dogs tend to fall asleep at any given place at any given time. Most of these instances include on top or next to me. Bruno in particular requires a body to latch on to. He has an odd fixation with sleeping on the back of my neck. He usually curls up and places his cute, snoring head right next to my ear. Oreo on the other hand is content with sleeping right below my bed. He's old and not a big fan of how high up my bed post is. regardless, he'll whine and cry when he is out of my room when I am inside. His favorite sleeping spot is on top of my clothes. Whether they're in a laundry basket, neatly folded, or spread out across my floor, he will find a way to situate himself with anything that carries my smell.
5. Dogs are the best at making silly faces.
As previously photographed, both of my dogs tend to have an under-bite. While there's nothing to criticize about that, it tends to make my boys look like they're smiling. They also tend to let their tongues droop out of their mouths. There is nothing as adorable as this feature. It is physically impossible not to love a dog who does these things. When is the last time a human looked at you, dead serious, with their tongue falling out of their mouth? I've yet to experience this, but if anyone specializes in funny faces, just know I'm ready to be your best friend for life.
6. Bruno loves laundry baskets.
Do any other dog owners experience this? Every time I pull laundry from the dryer, Bruno hops right in the basket of warm clothes. He remains there even as you lift up the basket, bring it upstairs, and start pulling out clothes to fold. He's not bothered by the tugging of clothes from under him, in fact, he digs himself deeper in the mound. Maybe he loves the warmth, or the smell, or just the ride. It still claims my heart every single time.
7. Puppies remain the purest essence in the world.
No matter how old my dogs may get, I'm always reminded of how cute my dogs were as puppies. They still are adorable, but the teacup size that Shih Tzus tend to be makes them break the charts of adorable. Oreo was selected as a puppy by me. As soon as I saw him, I was determined to convince my parents he was meant to be my dog. All it took was one look at him from my parents for me to end up taking him home. He was as ornery as could be. He picked on my older dog at the time, Dally, constantly. He ran out an entire roll of toilet paper by dragging it all throughout the house, destroyed my Polly Pockets, claimed my toy sink and Polly Pocket helicopter for his own, and tore every towel we owned to pieces. As for Bruno, he was picked as my mother's Christmas present. He came as a cuddly, innocent puppy. Bruno had us thoroughly convinced he would be a well-mannered dog. He had us tricked. Within the next few months he had destroyed and overturned a garbage can, ripped ornaments off the Christmas tree, pulled a full vase of flowers off the dining table and thrown them across the living room, and broke a metal cage. All events considered, they are quite worth the trouble.
8. Dogs don't judge.
While the human race may struggle to find basic equality, dogs see everyone as a friend. Gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, sexual orientation, abilities - none of these things matter as long as you have a treat. Dogs never discriminate or treat anyone poorly as long as they have been treated well by their owners. No matter what city or country I may find myself in, I know dogs from across the globe are all friends to me. After all, to a dog, you are their life source, their god. They see you in the absolute highest regard. Their loyalty is unfailing. Try to find those qualities in a human, you can't.
9. They're easy to please.
Dogs are thrilled by the most trivial things. A cardboard box, a Christmas ornament, a string, these are all things dogs see as treasure. My mother once gave Bruno a retired Easter decoration: a small duck. It's been three years and this duck has barely left his side. Nicknamed "Ducky," this now-ratty toy is a staple of our household. Bruno knows the toy by his name, will cry when he loses him momentarily, and "hides" him within the cracks of our couch for safety. For the record, this is also true for his Chewbacca toy, but when both toys are thrown down the hall, Bruno always goes for Ducky first.
10. Dogs give unconditional love.
I have experienced numerous instances where my dogs have shown they care about me, regardless of my physical or mental state. If at any given time I am crying, Oreo will find me, situate himself between my legs, and press his head into my chest. I can't make these things up. Usually, he isn't content unless he's being rubbed in some form, but when I am truly distraught he will let me hug and cry right into his shoulder. Bruno will also loom nearby, and lay himself down across my legs or chest. I firmly believe dogs understand when their human is upset. They are know exactly how to comfort them. Without any words at all, my dogs have become the most supportive figures in my life simply by loving me without any rules, conditions, or expectations.
