Every best friend I have ever had has had four paws, a wet nose, and a loving heart that no human could ever compare to. From the time I was born, we have always had at least two dogs, which my mom preferred to call her “fuzzy children.” Having dogs as what I considered to be my siblings made me realize that dogs love their owners in a way that no one else ever could. This made it easy for me to connect more to those who bark than those who actually speak my own language.

All of my baby pictures consisted of a bald-headed baby grinning with a Cocker Spaniel mix, wrapped around me. This dog, Precious, was my first friend and closest family member. Before I could even walk, my parents would take us on bike rides, where Precious and I would sit in the pull along buggy attached to the bike while our other dog, D.O.G. would run alongside. When I began to walk, Precious would walk closely beside me and eventually I began to push her in a baby buggy down the street we lived on.

In fourth grade, my next best friend came along, Harley, a cinnamon colored Labrador mix with a black-tipped tail and black rings around her eyes that looked like eyeliner. Harley is, to this day, the best dog we have ever owned. She would ride on the back of my four-wheeler when my dad and I went mudding off-road. There was never a command she wouldn't obey. She was also the least timid dog I’ve ever met; she would stand by my side as I learned to properly shoot a rifle and even would try to play with the fireworks when we lit them off for our fourth of July celebrations. She was the dog I knew I could come home to and she would always offer a big slobbery kiss when I had had a hard day at school or a tail wag that could lighten anyone’s day.

After Precious passed away, we decided to adopt a dog we fell in love with at the pound. Roxy was an 8-year-old dog that had landed in the pound because her owner had passed away from old age. When we picked her up, we also ended up taking home Maddie, a Border Collie with a speckled face and a tender heart. Roxy filled our house with lots of love in the five years we had her. She always had a way of comforting you when you needed it the most. Roxy taught me to always be there for the ones you love.

Lilly, my miniature Australian Shepherd, came when we visited a pet store in Fort Lauderdale and my mom and I fell in love with her tiny pink nose and sky blue eyes. She brought a happiness that our house needed at that time. She was the pick me up we all needed after my grandmother, aka my human best friend, past away three months earlier. She grew to be a best friend to Maddie, and we couldn’t imagine not coming home to a dog that cries every time we walk in the door because she’s so happy to see us.

The most recent addition to the family is Sawyer, our deaf miniature Australian Shepherd. He is the most loving puppy you will ever meet. He was born without any sense of hearing and lives life like nothing is wrong at all. He is a challenge to train, but he is one of the best challenges we have brought into our household. Through Sawyer, I have learned patience that I never had before we adopted him. He exemplifies pure love in everything he does and we are blessed to have him in our family.

I have learned more about life through my dogs than I have anyone else in this world. My life would not be the same without each and every one of them. They are more than a pet; they truly are my family and best friends.