When I was 5 years old, my mother decided to get a dog. It wasn’t a planned decision, more of a spur of the moment thing that we would be grateful for years to come. I remember walking in front of Petco looking at all the dogs trapped in small cages as we passed a beautiful multi-colored dog with a sad expression. I watched as my mother's heart melted for her and a couple of days later a new family member named Lula was living in our house.

I was too young at the time to think about if I would enjoy having a dog around and how it would change things. It was a dog, something new for little me to look forward to when waking up every day. Ever since then I've almost constantly had a dog present in my life. I enjoyed the time I shared with my four-legged creatures and many fond childhood memories were made. Unknown to me at the time, this constant exposure has had a life-long effect on me and how I perceived dogs. Although when I admit it out loud, having only one or two dogs in my life that have gone and passed through may not seem like a lot, but the effects of those few dogs on me and my heart are permanent. 

During the times that we didn’t have a dog, life felt like a void I couldn’t fill. Sure, having a dog could be a hassle, but to me, it was worth it. I would long for the days that my friend was beside me and hope that one day, I would have another like it. Since I was still too young to take on a serious responsibility I could only beg my parents to keep looking and see if there was one we could take but with everything going on in our lives it was difficult.

There had been a few conversations over dinner about whether we should get a cat instead of a dog but I refused. How was I supposed to get used to a strange feline creature in my house when all I knew were dogs? I wanted someone I could take walks with, cuddle with when I'm feeling sad, and play with when I'm in a good mood, not some pet that just lays around all day. So every time they tried to bring up the subject I stopped them short, I already had decided that I would let dogs into my heart and dogs only. 

Eventually, I had become a certain age where I could be more mature and start to carry my own responsibilities. This was around the time we were looking for a puppy after our previous one had died. It was a tragedy that I had not expected nor did I want to deal with but I didn’t have another choice. After almost a year of recovering from the loss, I was ready to get another dog and hold a responsibility that I wasn’t able to before. I wanted to have something I could look forward to when coming home every day. Even if it would be difficult in the first few years, I believed that it would forever be worth it. So when the day came that we got not one puppy, but two, I was prepared to go through another 10 years of my life with a close friend by my side. 

Dogs were already starting to change my life and affect me in ways I had never thought possible. Every day when I came home from school and ran outside to see my lovely pet, I was filled with so much happiness. I think that without those little moments I wouldn’t have been able to go through life as well as I did. They gave me a break when I had stress in my life that no one else could have helped with. When I saw them, interacted with them, or even just thought about them, my mood would be instantly improved and sometimes that was all I needed to give me a fresh new outlook. 

Due to this long exposure of dogs I had for many years of my life, I’ve felt that my heart has been opened and allowed me to see the greater things in life beyond the daily routine and everyday experiences. Accepting the role of a caretaker and a friend of dogs has helped me see that I am capable of many feelings. Because of this, I have let many dogs squirm their way into my heart and I don’t regret a moment of it. Even if it was hard, emotional, or heartbreaking, these creatures have brought my life and my heart to a better place.