Dogs have played a huge role in many people's lives throughout history, and continue to do so today. It's true that not every single person likes dogs, but many people do, and they can often be so much more than just a companion. Some may ask how, and that's what I'm here to talk about. They can be used for helping people who may be disabled in one way or another, emotional support, motivation, and work, along with many other uses that prove to be extremely helpful in multiple different situations, and through it all, they stay loyal, proving how much we need them in our lives.

First is the most obvious reason dogs play such an important part in some of our lives. They are viewed as a companion by most people, if not everyone, but many of those who own dogs will view them as much more than that. They are as much a part of the family as your siblings may be. It's true that they can't necessarily verbally communicate like the humans in your family, but they definitely have their own ways of getting their point across. Some dogs are extremely sassy at points, some are very smart, and some are just complete goofballs, but nearly all of them are extremely loyal to their family. Depending on the dog breed, one dog may be in your life for around 12 years, and losing them often is one of the most emotionally painful things someone can go through. I personally remember that when my first dog died when I was still generally young, who had been a part of my family before I was born, I was completely heartbroken, but I believed that he could still watch me from heaven much like family members can. Because of this, I would get dog-related books from the library, go outside with them, and read them out loud for him, hoping he was watching over me.

Another common use often related to dogs is therapy/service. I'm sure most of you have seen a service dog before, especially if you attend a college/university. Dogs are known to be loving, supportive, loyal animals with a need to serve their owners, which makes them a perfect candidate for service animals. It's true that many of them aren't extremely easy to train, but they can still learn a large variety of commands and hand signals. There are even some dogs that have learned to understand sign language!

Another use for dogs that is similar to service dogs, but isn't the same is emotional support dogs. They don't get the vests saying not to touch them, and they often don't get to go in buildings that usually don't allow dogs, and they aren't trained like service dogs are, but their job is still incredibly important. If you sign a form to make your dog an emotional support animal and qualify to have one, you can bring them with you on airplanes, and can also usually have them in apartments that may not usually allow dogs. They often serve people with depression, anxiety, etc., and much like what I said about dogs in the service position, they are perfect candidates.

One thing that dogs tend to help me with along with many others it motivation. I know that a lot of people don't necessarily like exercising, working, or anything of that sort, but if you know that you'll be helping your dog, or if it relates to the dogs needs people will be much more willing to do such things. Examples are that dogs need to get a certain amount of exercise each day or else they will get restless and misbehave, and it's terrible for their health to not exercise, or if you're struggling with motivation to study in college, you can think of how you'll need a certain income to make sure you can take care of both yourself and your pet.

Finally, there is the use of work. Dogs are used for multiple different kinds of jobs, some of the more popular ones being the police force, the military, and farmwork. Their loyalty and need to please compel them to do their best to accomplish any task they are given no matter the danger or exhaustion that may come from it. Of course, they need to be trained for any job they participate in, but at the end of the training, and even during it gives them a purpose, and from what I realized is that dogs often are happier when they have a purpose.

In the end, there are still so many other reasons dogs are treasured that I didn't go into detail with or even mentioned. It's true that like with any animal, there are a few "bad eggs," but overall they are amazing animals that truly live up to their title of man's best friend, and will continue to do so for many years to come.