I realized recently that even though I've written many articles for this platform, I have never once written about my dog... so here it goes.

My dog is named Gabriel Elias Hill. His first name is Gabriel, because that was always my mom's boy name when she was pregnant, and she had three girls. His middle name is Elias, because that is the name his original mommy gave him, and we didn't want to do away with it completely. It's a part of who he is. He is a black shih-tzu, but he doesn't look or sound like his brothers and sisters, because he's missing teeth and has an oddly-shaped mouth, so he lacks that signature shih-tzu underbite. He sounds more like a seal than a dog when he barks, and it's part of what makes him so unique.

His favorite foods, aside from the usual peblets (what we call his dry food), are chicken, carrots, apple, and yogurt. As soon as you start mixing up a yogurt, he will hear it and not leave your side until you've finished. Then he takes the cup away to wherever he chooses to eat, and you'll see him minutes later with white flecks all over his beard.

None of you reading this probably care as much about him as I do, but I realized I could not go another week without dedicating a piece to him. My sister made me an entire Gabriel photo album for me to bring to college, but regardless, he is the one I miss the most when I am away. I get jealous when he gets a haircut and I am not there to soak in all the cuteness. Same thing with baths. I get jealous when my sisters tell me of something funny that he did, and I was not there to witness it myself.

He has so many crazy quirks. He doesn't go down stairs due to a trauma he suffered years ago that resulted in his toenail breaking off. Before he goes up the stairs, it takes him minutes to adjust himself to the right angle, and only then will he mount. When we play with him and he gets frustrated, he makes the strangest noises, like he is searching for sounds that he can't get out.

I love Gabe beyond words. My sisters and I have our own language that revolves around him and his cuteness. He is so lazy and so comforting and everything that man's (and woman's) best friend should be. I can't wait to see him in a week and rub him all over his little, soft body. If he's lucky, maybe he can sleep with me, though not for lack of beds (he has multiple).

Gabe, if you're reading this, I wuv you! Kisses from sissy Livie!