When we think of a perfect childhood we think of the stereotypical building blocks: loving parents, great education, single family home, Friday night lights. But one of the most important traits we forget, is one of the most simple. They are the epitome of eat, sleep, and poop, but also the perfect definition of companion. This freeloader I speak of, is a dog.

Most of us can relate to this. Whether it’s the five-pound Yorkie rat your mom insisted on getting or the giant Golden Retriever, we all had our dog. They were a bitch to walk and weren’t always our friend when we were trying stealthily sneak out of the house, but for one thing they were definitely our best friends. They were the warmest welcome when you walked into the house after school, and the best body pillow the market could offer. Yet the most underrated and probably most unseen variable our dogs offered us, was being the best teacher. Our parents instilled the ideas and lessons one needs as child, but our dogs finished the job.

It all started with the Beta Fish. Our test to see if we were responsible enough for a dog. They were the easiest pets of all time. You fed them three little pellets of the nastiest smelling food, and changed their water every few weeks. Five year old me wanted to just hold my Beta Fish. Sorry Larry for constantly “holding you,” you were a tough cookie for three years.

Once we passed this test, our little fur balls came into our lives. Nothing will ever compare to holding him in your arms for the first time. It is the only time us as kids can relate to how our parents feel about us. We call them our child, our brother, our sister, whatever the name they were our family now. We looked out for them, but little did we know they were looking out for us too. "Buddy" was about to not only be our best friend, but our best teacher. Each lessons came furtively, but when we look back we not only can thank Mom and Dad, but Buddy too.

Responsibility: Buddy taught us this with every walk we took them on. We weren’t just responsible for ourselves but had something so innocent to care for. To the kids whose parents installed doggie doors, I hate you, but you also missed out on this lesson from Buddy. We were not the only kid that needed to be fed. We woke up every morning and had our bowl of cereal along side the bowl of food we just poured Buddy.

Love: With every kiss and attack of affection when we walked into the door we were taught how to love and what love was. Nothing will beat snuggling with Buddy, paired with gentle kisses on your hands, on a Saturday morning before facing the real world. If you didn’t let your dog lick you, you suck.

Trust: Buddy was your confidant. You told him all your secrets. He always let you open up about everything and anything, and would lick your cheeks if a tear decided to fall. The big floppy ears came in handy for your secrets.

Loyalty: Buddy never left your side. He followed you around the house. He showed you the true meaning of having someone’s back. He growled in order to protect you from the foxes on your late night walks and never bailed on your car ride plans those afternoons.

Body language: Although buddy only spoke bark, a language we have yet to translate, he taught us what he wanted over the years. We picked up on his mannerisms and actions. We knew the pee pee dance, when he wanted to be fed, and when it was playtime.

How to tap into our inner child: no matter what age we were we could always be caught talking in a high pitch voice to Buddy, paired with different renditions of his name. And when we were bored we could be found chasing Buddy around the house like we were five again playing tag with our siblings.

Well only a few of the many our dog is clearly more than a pet and definetely deserves that over due belly rub.

"A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water logged stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his" - John Grogan.