Throughout your life, you'll go through many friends. You'll have your work friends, your school friends, your college friends, your childhood friends, etc. As you change and grow into a new person, people will come and go from your life. You'll laugh with them, cry with them, and most likely learn a few lessons from some of them. Some friendships will be brief and others will last a lifetime. Out of all the different friendships you can have, there truly is no friendship quite like the friendship you share with your dog.

When I adopted my dog, I wasn't quite sure of how it would work out. Those who know me well know that I'm not the most assertive person in the world, so training a dog could've gone completely and utterly wrong for me. I'm not even sure what possessed to want one in the first place. Sometimes when I get excited about something it's all I can think about, and then I rush into whatever I'm obsessed with at the moment without really thinking about if I need it or not. I justified getting one by saying I didn't want to be alone when I moved out on my own, but I think he was just sort of an impulse buy. Looking back, he's the best impulse buy I've ever had.

I've put off writing this particular article so much because it's so difficult to put into words how grateful I am for my dog. I love coming home at the end of everyday to his excited jumps and his wagging tail. I love watching movies with him cuddled up in my lap. I love going to bed with him curled up next me. The best part is, he adores me as much as I adore him. Even if I'm just walking from the living room to the kitchen to get a drink, he's walking right beside me. Just last week I had a scary encounter with a much larger dog, and immediately after he was by my side trying to comfort me, despite the fact that he was the target of the attack. It just amazes me that this small animal thinks so highly of me. On days where I feel like everything I do is wrong, he reminds me that I'm not so bad after all. If you're ever looking for a perfect example of unconditional love, look no further than a dog.

To me, Rocky isn't just a pet. I never would have dreamed that my dog would mean as much to me as he does. As I'm sure many dog owners already know, there are very few people who will stick by your side like your dog will. When I'm feeling down on myself, he thinks I'm the greatest thing in the universe. We should all strive to be the person our dogs see us as.