People (cat lovers) don’t take other people (dog lovers) seriously when they say their dog is their best friend. It sounds silly because your pup can’t text you to talk about it when you’re having a ruff week. As an animal lover in general it’s hard to explain to someone who doesn’t get why animals are so therapeutic to mental, emotional, and physical health. I could write an entire essay on why animals have the effect on us that they do. In fact, I have before. But for now, let’s look on the lighter side of why my dog is considered to be a best friend to me.
- Unconditional love. It doesn’t matter if I get mad, raise my voice, or ignore him all day. There’s nothing I could do that could take his love for me away.
2. He’s always there for me. Literally. I can’t even walk into the next room without him checking on me.
3. He benefits my health by encouraging me to get outside several times a day.
4. When I want to get active he’s down to play, and when I’m down to cuddle he’s down for that too (who needs men).
5. He has my back and I feel safe having him at home with me when I’m alone.
6. He may not have known me my whole life, but I’ve known him since I picked him up at the SPCA when he was 2 months old. I trained him to sit, lay down, shake. I’ve been there for every birthday. I’ve watched him grow from a fluff ball of a puppy, to the big dog he is now. And he’s been there for me when I’ve needed a friend the most. Dat’s meh best friend.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Weaver