Each dog has its own personality and will touch your heart in its own way, but as we grow older, we learn to appreciate dogs and how much they truly are there for us. They're always down to sleep, cuddle and play and are always so full of energy no matter what time of day.

1. Your first dog as a child

Anna Dean

This dog was your first best friend. This dog was your playmate, teacher and partner in crime all in one. Children and dogs are so great for each other. Dogs are the perfect companions for kids, they help them learn responsibility and teach valuable lessons about life. They also make wonderful playmates with their bouncy energetic attitudes. The generic first dog might be a lab, a golden retriever or a doodle. No matter what breed, big or small, that first dog leaves a huge imprint on their owner's hearts.

2. Your first dog as an adult

Anna Dean

This dog will change your perspective on adulting. Whether you grew up with dogs, or finally got your first when you moved away from home, it is a whole different experience when you get your first dog as an adult on your own. The responsibility is quadrupled when the dog is actually your own and you are the only person there to clean up the messes and train the dog properly. As a child, it is hard to see all the hard work and responsibility that goes into owning and raising a dog on your own.

3. Your first puppy

Anna Dean

Puppies are hard work. Dogs need to be trained correctly in order to grow up and blossom into their full potential. A dog that isn't trained properly can be dangerous to itself and the dogs or people around it. Your first puppy will be a commitment and getting ones needs to be a though out action.

4. Your soulmate in dog form

Anna Dean

This dog is your literal soulmate. This dog is your everything. You're best friends and you do everything together. You get each other. This is YOUR dog. This dog helps you live your best life and makes you happier than ever before. You love this dog with your whole existence and the dog feels the same way.

5. Your first heartbreak

Anna Dean

This dog broke your heart, either intentional or not. This dog might have run away or passed on, but it broke your soul to let them go. This dog might have been your first loss as your childhood dog aged and passed away. It could have been your energetic puppy that got too excited and ran away or a skittish dog that got scared and ran for cover but didn't come back. No matter what happened your dog left your life and you miss them more than anything.

6. Your first dog of a different size

Anna Dean

This dog will change the way you think of dogs as a whole. If you were used to small dogs like terriers, dachshunds, or chihuahuas and you decide to get a big ole labrador retriever, it will change your whole perspective. On the flip side, if you've always had big dogs and decide to get a Yorkie, it's going to be very different.

7. The dog that helps you heal

Anna Dean

This is the dog that helps you recover from a traumatic health or life situation. It might be a major injury that leads to a long recovery, it could be a bad breakup that utterly destroyed your very being, or it could have been a fight with a mental illness. Life is rough and bad things happen. A dog can help you find yourself again and make you feel loved.

8. Your first challenge

Anna Dean

This dog was hard work. This dog made you question adopting it. This dog, no matter what challenge it presented you with, was worth it 100 percent. You love this dog despite how demanding it was. It might be a puppy that doesn't take to training, a dog that's stubborn or a dog that just has to chew on everything in the house. It can be so frustrating that you want to give up, but just like humans, every dog is worth it if you just keep at it. Everything good comes at a price.

No matter the breed, every dog has the power to shape a person's life. Whether you realize it or not, a dog has probably affected your life in some way, hopefully for the better.