If you know anything about me, you know I love my dog.
I love my dog more than anything to ever exist on this planet and if it came down to it, I would choose my Rottweiler over any other person with no hesitation. Anyone who owns a dog completely understands my thought process, as they would make the same decision as I. It is appalling to me to have people ask: why do you put your dog before everything else when he isn't able to comprehend what you do for him? It's a simple decision really. Owning an animal has added a joy to my life that I could not imagine living without.
Dogs understand a lot more than we believe and offer qualities that, truthfully, most people I have met do not have.
They are pure. How a dog act reflects upon how we raise them. If you provide them with your undying love and affection, then they will give you that in return. The coolest thing about dogs is that they don't have any problems; they help remind us to appreciate the simple things, as they do, and to enjoy life.
They are loyal. My dog is a sweetheart, always kissing and jumping on people, especially when we have guests. We always joke about how he would never hurt a fly, but ever since our mailman sprayed our other dog with pepper spray- I'm sure if we let my dog outside the mailman wouldn't get away without a few scratches. He might be the baby of the household, but he definitely believes he's our protector.
They admire you. To your dog, you are the greatest entity to walk the earth. You are their best friend, their everything. When I look down at my puppy's face and see him smiling back at me, tongue hanging out of his mouth and all, I cannot express the love I feel in my heart for him. He makes me feel like the coolest mom in the whole world.
They make you laugh. Dogs are goofy and their need for adventure gets them into some tricky situations. My Rottweiler loves to bring in sticks into the house, however, the bigger he gets, the bigger the sticks get. One day, he tried to bring a small tree branch in while running through the dog door and the branch ended up barricading him outside because he refused to give it up.
They love you. My Rottweiler is definitely not the small little pup he used to be, but that doesn't mean he won't climb in my lap or lay down and nap with me. Even if no one loves me, at least I know he does.
Because of these things, it's difficult to say, "I own a dog."
Yes, I own a dog, but I don't view it in that way. He is a part of my family; I call him my child, my baby. Raising an animal is no different. You clean up their messes, teach them right from wrong, feed them, play with them, take them for check-ups and provide them with constant attention and affection, as they do to you. Why would you not hold them to the same level of importance?
I have chosen to make my dog's life the best life it could possibly be because I am all he knows; our family is all he knows. This is his entire life, what he will remember. Dogs remember everything you do, how you treat them and how you speak to them. They may not comprehend what you are saying, but they can differentiate between anger and happiness in your voice.
What I've always kept in mind is this: you can own a dozen and one dogs in your lifetime, they come and go as nature intended. However, for dogs, we are their entire life; they will spend all of their years with us, and for most, only us. What we show them during their time here is what they will leave with, and this is why my sweet baby will always be more important to me than you.
