Somewhere along the Man vs. Nature pathway, human and canine made an indescribable agreement to walk paw-in-hand forever. Good old Canis lupis created a forever home for himself in the heart of humanity with a single wag of his tail, and the rest was history. The most loyal of all companions, dogs stick to their duty no matter the cost: a canine serving in the military would take a bullet for his soldier.

But don’t confuse loyalty with obedience. That same dog would be loyal to his stomach at the slightest temptation of food. Our hairy, barking quadruped must decide between instinctual and learned behavior: food or owner? Pee now or wait to be outside? Bark at the squirrel an eighteenth time or stay silent? Here we find Fido’s lovable idiosyncrasy: despite the siren of nature calling loud and insistent in his simple mind, our furry friend follows his master’s wishes. By no means is Fido the victim of a cruel dictator; rather, he is one half of a companionship crafted by a higher power. An owner belongs to his dog just as much as the dog belongs to him.

Here we have our very own bundle of joy wrapped in wet nose, furry paws, wagging tail that we feed, house, keep healthy, and keep clean. He’s not one for conversation, but Fido will offer up commentary: a lick of approval, a bark of warning, even an occasional whine of annoyance to let you know you’re not petting him enough. “Best friend” has never been a more descriptive phrase than when it comes to a dog. How many of your human friends can say they know your scent, anyway?

Consider the retriever with his snout out the window. The wind throws his hair to and fro. His nose searches the air for a hint of anything recognizable. He does not complain about bugs flying into his eyes or the inescapable windblown look he will acquire. Dogs harbor no judgments; they forgive. They sleep when tired, eat when hungry, and wag when happy. Their joy, their strength, and even all their damn hair blesses humanity with an honest and relentless source of love. We’re never left wondering what’s going on in a canine’s brain because it is so clear on his face. Unchanging is Fido’s lackadaisical and downright elated expression of bright eyes and floppy tongue. He’s got four eager legs, two listening ears, and one rub-able belly. The most important thing he can do is just be.

Man’s best friend is the manifestation of unadulterated joy. No purer emotion could be conjured than that of a dog with a ball in his mouth, the wind in his face, or his owner at his side. Like our own personal cheerleaders, dogs give an enthusiastic greeting no matter where we have been or how long we have been gone. Dogs don’t mention work or ask if we remembered to buy milk or interrogate us about our plans for the weekend. Fido doesn’t carehow your day was; he wants your day to be great right now. He will never be any less excited to see you walk through the door even if you do it one hundred times in a row. You will always be his favorite hello. The comforting constant of a dog reminds you every day, every hour that you are loved incomparably. Your pup might have his eyes on your dinner plate, but it’s you he’s thinking about. Honest.

Fido will bark at you until you feed him, but he’ll love you ‘til your heart’s full. He’ll slobber on everything you own, but will never fail to kiss you hello and goodbye and good night and just because. From the moment you called him yours, Fido has been in it for the long haul through and through. Call it puppy love if you must, but know that this bond is anything but.