I've had my dog since I was eight years old. We have been through all of the hard times and stages of life together and I love her with all that I have. She is my best buddy and I am hers.

I've worked in a kennel since I was 17 years old. I love my job and I consider myself privileged to be able to take care of such loving creatures.

Throughout the years, I've learned many things from these furry friends.

1. It's okay to stop and smell the roses.

Life isn't always this fast paced game we all make it out to be. It's not just a race to the finish. It's okay to take a second on a beautiful day to slow down and admire the things around you.

2. Some things are worth waiting for.

I have never seen anyone more persistent than my dog when food is around. She stares and she drools as the smell consumes her. I respect her willingness to wait. I'm also just a sucker for the puppy face. We could all learn to be a bit more patient for things that are important to us.

3. Some things are worth fighting for.

When I take my dog's favorite toy, no one is safe. She will pull until my fingers or her gums bleed, but she will never give it up. She recognizes the difference between what requires patience and what requires action. Her toy is important to her and she will do whatever it takes to keep it. Our relationships with each other need to be a little more like that.

4. Love fiercely.

I walk through the door and my dog shoots up from where she's laying and greets me with a big sloppy kiss. When I have to leave she acts as if she will never see me again. She has taught me what real love is. There are no conditions. Her love doesn't cease whenever I make a mistake. It is always there. We would do well, as people, to remember that.

5. Protect the ones you love.

My dog sleeps outside of my door every night. She waits for me to come downstairs so she knows that everything is okay. She growls at whoever touches me and whines when I'm in a place that she cannot be. If humans were to protect each other like that, we'd live in a much better world.

6. Never take a meal for granted.

I've seen dogs chow down their food as if they had to finish in 10 seconds or someone would take it away. I've seen the happy dance performed on four legs with a wagging tail and it fills my heart with joy. I've seen dogs stare into your soul when they beg for just one bite of your chicken. It teaches us to remember all of those less fortunate humans, and animals, who don't have a meal tonight. It makes us grateful that we do.

7. Appreciate the little things.

Appreciate the tennis ball being thrown thirty feet away. Appreciate laying in the grass on a breezy day. Appreciate the people that surround you. Appreciate this world and all the good it has to offer, despite the media telling us how dark it is.

8. Life is short. Live it.

As my best buddy approaches her 12th year of life, I've had to take a few minutes (or months) thinking about how unfair it is that dogs are here for such a short time. Then I remember that they teach us so much in that short amount of time. The love they give us transcends from this life into the next. They aren't concerned with the minute amount of time they are given, they just live. Without fear, without hate, without boundaries. They just live.