In the many years I’ve been alive, I have never gone a day without owning a dog. Whether they were at my mom's house or my dad’s house, I always had a furry friend. Throughout the years, I never noticed how much dogs impact our lives until last June, when we had to put our golden retriever down. They put smiles on our faces, they add personal touches to every outfit you wear, they are always there to greet you and cheer up a bad day and they are great helpers when you are stressed. As Roger Caras once said, “Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole.”

Every dog has a extremely special personality, but one thing many have in common is that they somehow know how to put a smile on our faces. Some people would argue that dogs can not smile, but when taking my golden retriever on a car ride to a local park with all the windows down it looks like he was smiling from ear to ear.

Each dog owner has memories of their dog as a puppy, being the curious and innocent creatures they are. Whether they are jumping to give you a hug, running around the house with energy that came out of nowhere, or just snuggling up close, they always know how to make us happy.

Owning dogs that shed only means one thing: the owner can rarely leave the house without being covered in dog hair. With owning a husky, my family always makes the joke that we don't go anywhere without Kina, even traveling states away on vacations we always happen to find at least a few pieces of dog hair. Although having dog hair everywhere could seem annoying, it’s a constant reminder of your furry friend.

A few nights ago my husky decided that she was lonely and a human bed was much more comfortable than a dog bed. At about 3:00 a.m. I felt a large jump and a furry friend climb right into bed as if it were her own. One thing I learned that night, you can’t turn down cuddles with your dog, even when you know dog hair will invade your bed forever.

When coming home, we can always count on dogs to give a warm welcome, few things can top the feeling of coming home knowing that that is the highlight of your dog's day. If you’ve ever come home from vacation and felt the love and excitement your dog had for you, you know the feeling of the warm welcome. My dog, Scarlett, is the best at warm welcomes, she’ll hold your hand, give you hugs and make sure not to jump although she is too excited not to.

At about 12 weeks old my puppy Cooper suffered from a broken leg after playing with my yorkie, Ellie. For the next eight weeks, he hobbled around with a cast, we were all worried that he would not be able get around well, within a few days he was still jumping around and not letting his injury slow him down. Going down stairs worried him a little bit, as a flight of stairs might look like a mountain to a four-pound dog.

Dogs may not be around for our whole lives, but to them, we are there for their whole lives. Each dog has a unique personality and special memories that last a lifetime. From the difficult times that dogs can sometimes place in our lives to the laughs, memories and cuddles, dogs are the missing puzzle piece in our lives. They are friends who never judge us, who are always there to love us, and who impact our lives with paw prints on our hearts.