Everyone should have a dog. There’s a reason that dogs are called man’s best friend. Unlike people, dogs give much more than they take. A dog only wants your love, attention, a pat on the head and something to eat.

A dog will love you no matter what.

If you don’t believe that, lock your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car, come back in 30 minutes and see which one is happy to see you.

A man once said to me that he liked his dog better than he liked most people.

It sounded like something a recluse would say, but this man was anything but a recluse. However, he was about the age that I am now when he said it to me.

Now that I’m there, I’m beginning to understand what he meant.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we have very few best friends in our lives. But a dog will love you no matter what.

A dog brings joy during your worst day. A dog will defend you, even give his life for you.

Not many people like that.

About now, the cat lovers are chiming in.

For the record, I also have a cat, which I love very much. But cats own people. People don’t own cats. That’s a different discussion.

It’s my opinion that every kid deserves a dog. Some places don’t allow pets, and that’s too bad.

But for the kids who live in a home where they can have a dog, I encourage the parents to let them have one. Some of my fondest memories as a child are with my dogs Sox and Ranger.
That was ages ago, and they’re both long gone.

But they’re really not, because for the relatively short lifespan that a dog is given, they make the most of it. I still remember both of them just as if they’re still here.

Our dog Bert is now getting up in years. He showed up on a 102 degree June day in 2006 and never left. We know nothing of where he’d been or how he got there, but he showed up not long after we lost our dog Buddy.

We said, “No more dogs,” after Buddy died. But I think Bert was meant to find us. He needed a home, and our home needed him.

I’ve had dogs that were bought and dogs that were adopted. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I believe that adopted dogs know that someone took that extra step to take them in when they had no home.

I’m dreading the day when we have to say goodbye.

I know it’s coming. But I also know that no matter how hard that day, and the weeks and months after will be, Bert will have given us so much more than we’ve given him.

©2014 John Moore