Seeing my name tacked on as the author of this article probably does not surprise most of my close friends and family. They know I'm essentially a dog-loving, puppy fanatic. My friends tag me in endless puppy videos on Facebook (thank goodness) and my mom is constantly sending me pictures of my dogs when I'm away at school. I just cannot deal with life without seeing their adorable furry faces from time to time (they're in the cover photo).

However, my love and appreciation for them go deeper than their infinite cuteness. Over the past eight years, they have taught me more about life and how I should view my place within it. But the nice thing about this idea is I know a lot of people share my level of appreciation for what their canine companions have taught them over the years. So let me just highlight some of my favorites.

Unconditional love should be your foundation for life. Regardless of how many times they misbehave and must face the wrath of their punishment--no treats?--they will always come prancing back wanting to cuddle and give you lots of kisses. The only time they are maybe semi-annoyed with you is when you leave them in the house for too long and don't walk them. They have needs too, you know. Other than this, you will always have someone who just loves you so much. If people could demonstrate the same philosophy, maybe we wouldn't have to face a lot of conflict--personal and global. Grudges would be nonexistent and we could just get on with our lives.

What my dogs did as soon as I got home from my two hour long absence. Have to love that welcoming.

This isn't even my dog. This is my friend's grandmother'sdog. But look, she still loves me.

Love the little things in life like they were the best moments of your life. Ever notice how dogs are equally as happy to be going on a walk as they are when you come home? A walk. If I could have the level of enthusiasm about something so generic in my life as my dogs do for walking, my life would be flippin' fantastic always. Or when you give them their bowl of food in the morning and they scurry frantically across the wood floor with their tails wagging. Imagine if you were that pumped about every meal you ate. Fun right? And they eat the same thing every day, so we really are in no position to complain.

Their faces when you ask if they want to go for a walk. Obviously, mom. Duh.

Experiencing the outdoors should always be the highlight of your day.

Living in West Michigan has its perks for dog walking possibilities. You can take them to the beach or deep into the forest. My dogs love both of them and seeing their infinite excitement just before their paws touch the sand or the leaf-covered forest floor always brings a smile to my face. They have made me appreciate the outdoors more and more and now I'm to the point where I would rather spend my time outside than indoors any day. People need to always appreciate the natural beauty around them and find the same joy in its possibilities as dogs do.

Look how majestic he is.

Stay curious and adventurous about life and the world. My dogs are often fascinated by things I would say that are rather simplistic or common. Their noses are pressed to the windows when it's raining/thunder-storming and they bound excitedly through snow after not seeing it for months. These natural patterns never lose that initial spark everyone typically has to them. People should learn to be this curious and excited about life and everything the world has to offer.

Golly watching a thunderstorm



Golly watching the river in Petoskey, Michigan. He likes to watch things.


To put it simply, dogs have the most pure and adventurous soul. They don't let small obstacles get in their way, they do what they want and they love the people in their life with a fierceness few people understand. I have a lot of life lessons to thank my dogs for.