Dogs are one of the most wonderful things on Earth.

That is common knowledge and I won't go too in depth about how it came to be. I will, however, dedicate this article to exploring the top 12 dog body parts as evidenced by various dog breeds and, most importantly, my own dog, Balkan.

Balkan is a rescue who was attacked viciously by his own pack and who I took the hospital. My friend and I were able to pay for the bills with the help of donations we collected from students at our high school. Balkan had to undergo two surgeries and was in recovery for a month. Here is in all his beauty:

Majestic.

Moving on to the list of top 12 dog body parts, in no particular order.

1. Ears

Floppy or pointy, all are soft and wonderful.

2. Fluffy Hind Legs

And butts.

3. Tummy

For the best of scratches and tickles. Make sure the dog whose tummy you want to scratch is OK with it first, though!

4. Eyes

Fascinating or irresistible, every dog's eyes are capable of the "puppy dog eyes" look.

5. Exquisite Paws

And they usually have four of them! Remarkable!

6. Cheeks

7. Posture

Though technically not a body part, posture is so important in dogs. Makes for some of the most majestic specimens out there.

8. Whiskers

Facial hair that is never to be trimmed! (Find out more about whiskers here!)

9. Fur

To keep them warm and give us a chance to bury our fingers in a heaven of softness and warmth.

10. Or no fur

To show off muscles.

11. Smile

12. Tail!

Probably my favorite part of any animal, especially if it's fluffy. How cool are tails? I often wish humans had long fluffy tails we could just swish around gracefully or maybe use to smack annoying people.