Get a Dog

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself."

-- Josh Billings

I do no think it is humanly possible for me to love anything as much as I love my dog Koa. She is a 2-year-old hyper energetic black and white border collie.

I spontaneously went out and just bought her.  I found an ad in the paper for border collie puppies for only $75. She was a bargain! First her original name was Pepper, then Minnie, and then officially Koa.

My dad was furious when I walked through the front door with a puppy in my arms. On the other hand, my mother was actually, somewhat excited. She is a huge animal lover so she could not be that upset.

From that day on Koa has not brought anything but joy to our family. Okay, maybe she killed one of my mother’s favorite chickens… but that’s a whole different story. Nonetheless, she is the apple of my eye. I take her on walks, she listens, snuggles (even steals the covers) at night and is just fun to have around. She gets me out of the house and a purpose to do things. My mom even takes her to “Dog agility class,” every Saturday mornings at 7AM. My dad has warmed up to her, I see them snuggling on the couch ever so often.

Having a pet can really help out in life. I have even heard of studies where cats help the elder live even longer. It is your companion, almost like a child but less expensive. You form a bond with your dog/cat and they become part of your family. Koa was even on our last Christmas card.

You should probably get a dog and see what you're missing.