Loyalty is among the finest renowned canine traits

Whether they are acting heroically when you’re in need

Or being present when you’re sad, that is their chosen fates.

Dogs set a very high standard for loyalty indeed.

When out on the hunt, your dog is a constant companion

When sounds outside give you a terrible scare in the night

Your dog is there through it all, a most constant champion

A silent friend during your most difficult, painful plight.

As they get older, dogs only grow more attached to you,

When you get comfortable at home, they lie at your feet,

When they are older it seems they always know what to do,

In turn you now feel that your dog is what makes life complete.

Your dog is probably unaware of how you now feel,

With such strong loyalty it wasn’t hard your heart to steal.

Perhaps the great charm about dogs is that they know what’s important

They love unconditionally, dance when they are happy,

Forgive so easily, and enjoy every day

But that is also what makes letting them in so very sad

Because once they are gone you miss what you had.

They age so much faster, becoming so old in just a few years.

Their fleeting time on this planet is far too short

One day you and a pup bound cross the lawn

You go for a jog and get in better shape

Focused and driven as you and the dog take in the landscape.

In no time your pup learns to dance for her food

To the point when you go in the kitchen it’s understood

The only reason your there is to get her a treat

Despite the number of times you come out empty handed

Hope springs eternal, about this sentiment she is so candid.

The leash is another sign of your undying love

And your dogs will bouncer over to see your smile from above

Knowing this is the time for you to spend together.

So much excitement, each tail wagging to a frantic beat

If you tell them to sit, they can’t manage to stay too long on their seat.

Within a few years the excitement and joy is still there

But you’ll notice the dogs find rising to be a little more work

They no longer bound to the jingle of the leash

But saunter over with a steady pad in their step

Older now they move with considerably less pep.

Those loving eyes have lost some of their shine

Changed to cloudier pools with the passage of time.

And each doggy face has matured and aged

As they look up you can’t help but notice how their faces are now white

And the first time you realize it, it is a stronger reminder, a very sad sight.

While time has aged you a bit, perhaps you’ve less hair

And your movements are a little more pained as you go up the stairs,

One look at your friend and you know they have it worse.

Yet they don’t complain, they show nothing but adoration,

Reminding us what’s important and how to love by their unwavering determination.

For some of us there comes a time when we think “What’s the point?”

Our lives so full of routine we want to stay in our beds,

And throughout the day that thought dances around in our heads

It can seem sometimes we live each day only to fail and disappoint.

Once you get home you face a different reality

Those excited eyes welcome you home with sincerity

Inviting you to a world of lively uncertainty

A place set free from tiresome, daily banality.

Because everything you do is exciting and pleasant

With such a joyous perspective for all the little things

You stop to think of how much cheer this simple action brings

And you know life is good, work and chores are irrelevant.

Dogs remind us to take pleasure in life every day

Teaching us what is important is what we do today.

There is a dog type for everyone,

They are more different than the moon and the sun.

If you have a small but want a canine friend

There are numerous breeds to meet that end.

Perhaps you live a mellow life

And want a dog who won’t create strife.

You can find a dog who will help you get fit

Or if you prefer one who beside you on the patio will sit.

You could want a dog for home protection

Or a dog who won’t shed to keep you from yet another sinus infection

You could want a dog to join you on hikes for some self-reflection

Or a dog for a long trip to give you support for missteps in navigation.

A dog can lend aid to those with a crippling debilitation

Or someone who wants to find their dog another canine companion.

They is a personality and type for every need

And life is better when you find the perfect breed.

You can attribute much to animals and their behavior

But it is so rare that you can ever say that a dog holds a grudge

No matter how horrible your day, how mean you are

A dog will forgive and forget, to them it’s all about love.

When it comes to vengeance dogs rise too far above.

When you have a terrible day and get home in a huff

And your dog comes to greet you when you walk through the door

Perhaps you are so angry instead if petting him you shout “enough!”

You know all that he wants is a friendly acknowledgement

Instead to his bed the poor dog is sent.

Or maybe one weekend you are too sick to go walking

The best you can manage is some garbled, drowsy talking.

You can barely get up to let the dog out the door

And most of the day the most common sound is your sickly snore.

The dog surely thinks you are a terrible bore.

Occasionally you will find your dog has done something wrong

Something you’ve been trying to train her not to do for far too long.

And this time your temper comes out because at the moment you aren’t strong,

You go overboard with the consequences for the act

And your guilt makes it worse, so you overreact.

A dog will never hold any of this against you

It really doesn’t matter what you do

It’s simply not in their nature to marinate in a grudge holding stew.

When you come to your senses and heal from what made you ill

A dog is honestly pleased and shows you only his good will.

Dogs have a knack for pulling at the heart.

No matter how old they know just how to start.

You talk to a dog in passing, just to stay hello

In response you get a tilt of the head, be it black, brown, spotted or yellow.

After such a cute display you have to stop to pat their head

And of course how can you do that with nothing else being said.

As you move toward the pup, he either crawls or stands and bounds forward

The cuteness going up if they are making their way across hardwood.

Just about anything a puppy does will get instant adoration

But older dogs have a special talent for cuteness, their own contribution.

They have learned skills and talents that they put to good use

And it is your entertainment they seek, no other excuse.

As they reach their senior years, they still know how to be cute

Wagging their tail where they lie or trying to cuddle, their cuteness is absolute.

It is really the memories of all these stages that make a dog so captivating

It is a gift to know what buttons to push our love to start activating.

When it comes to always being by your side,

There is no one better in whom to confide

That the dog in your home because they are discreet

When it comes to personal secrets a dog can’t be beat.

Whenever you have a weight pressing on your chest

That is when you want the ears of the best

Someone you can trust and who will never tell

Any of your secrets, and complaints as well.

You want to know that the person is listening

Their eyes shouldn’t show a fake interest glistening.

Waiting for you to stop talking so they can respond

Not actually caring about what is wrong.

All of the faults you find in a human

Are entirely gone with a fine furry companion.

They have skills that we humans usually lack,

They are smart enough to know just how to act.

When you confide in a dog there are so many pluses.

To start there is no mentality of they, them, or us

It is always you and the dog, a comfortable station

No need to worry about causing a later confrontation.

Although the dog may not understand what you say

There are no interruptions and no blabbing at a later day.

And they dog will listen with his full on attention

Hearing you out with an unrivaled dedication.

With listening skills and no ulterior motive,

All a dog wants it to get and to give.

You won’t get an argument or unwelcome advice

Dogs make great listeners and no matter what you say, they are nice.

Even the medical field has acknowledged the healing power of dogs

And how their very presence can help those in need

To pull through tough times when all hope seems dead

And happiness seems like a ill-omened dream

Something the depressed will never again see.

When all the world seems off, out of sorts

This is when dogs give the most needed love.

They let you know that someone still cares

Hope is not lost you are simply unaware,

Fight through today and see what tomorrow brings.

A dog lets you know that you are not alone

Your feeling of misery is gently diverted

In those loving eyes that remain by your side.

No matter how badly you have been hurt

Your dog will be there to see your heart through.

Dogs can help you remember to live outside of your head

Because they need food, love, and a bed.

Without you how would the dog get by?

You are not only loved you are needed too.

For those with depression this is a reason to keep doing what you do.

When it feels like the weight of the world is grinding you down

When things feel bleak and you don’t know how to continue

A dog gives you purpose, love, and companion

And they are almost always the best form of champion.

Depression recedes when you sit and give them some gentle affection.

After being trapped all day in the office or school

You probably feel so much like a fool.

People are difficult, complex, and unreasonable

Leaving you feeling happiness is unachievable.

There is too much going on, too many unknown plans

Too much is left in scheming hands.

This is where it is easy to see the beauty of dogs.

Their plans are quite simply, not like scheming bogs.

The extent of their wants is most certainly known

And it is narrowed down to the little they own.

You give them attention and play with them and a toy,

Pat them on the head and tell them “Good boy.”

No matter how rough a day you have had

The dogs loving face makes it hard to stay mad.

The innocence that comes form uncomplicated thoughts

Is not the type of thing that is easily bought.

Their daily demands are in your best interest

Exercise, eating right, relaxing, forget all the rest.

With such minimalist thinking its easy to see

Just why people prefer to let a dog always be

An intricate part of their daily lives

Even have numerous, two, three, four, or five.

Dogs keep things easy and remind us of what’s matters

Everything is irrelevant and to the winds should be scattered.

Dogs make some of the best exercise motivation

They get you outside and moving about

Unlike most pets, a dog makes it hard to go without

Exercising at least a few times a week

Especially when they are young and energy at its peak.

Dogs require some time out and about to feel good,

Which is exactly the way nature intended they should

Because being outside means fresh air

Moving around to keep the body healthy

A better feeling than being wealthy.

If a dog is required to go without walking

Inside the house you might soon find her stalking

With energy pent up and no given outlet

Dogs, like children, start to bounce off the walls

But that is the worst, not at all.

A dog’s boundless energy can be contagious,

A thought at first that you may think is outrageous.

Take a moment to think about the last time you saw

A dog in public waggling and wiggling

And remember how it started you giggling.

As a dog pulls the leash, you are pressed to go faster

The dog is the lead even though you’re the master.

Before you know it you are jogging along

Trying to tire the dog before you get back.

This is the exercise that can help prevent a heart attack.

So you see how dogs are really the best type of trainer

If you won’t workout for yourself, if you need a real motivator,

The health of your dog is also on the line.

The feedback is always positive if you make it part of the plan

Before long you will find it easier tall to stand.