I have never been a morning person. It has never been exciting or thrilling to wake up. My family always awoke with a smile and with hope for the day, I awoke hours later with a scowl and a dour need for coffee.

But since about a year ago, something has changed. Quiet, frustrating mornings have turned into a time of laughter and joy. This is really due to one factor: Dani.

Dani is a fifteen-pound Boston Terrier and mutt mix. 

She has brown eyes that look black until she sits in the sun and the true beauty of her eyes is revealed, she doesn’t like her hard food, and she snores louder than I have ever heard anyone snore. 

How could Dani possibly change the outcome of my mornings?

She wakes me up with kisses and playful nudges, and when I do finally wake up, I am greeted with requests for belly rubs and playful bites.

Seeing how happy Dani is when she is around me makes it impossible for me to have a bad morning. She is truly one of my greatest sources of happiness. 

This is true in all aspects of my life. As I sit writing this, she is lounging on my legs, sleeping and snoring comfortably. She has been the greatest gift to me. When I sit crying in my bed on days where I’ve had enough, she finds me and sits patiently reminding me that she loves me and is there, ready for play-time, when I need her. 

It breaks my heart to know that she is still so pure after everything that has happened to her in the past. After spending years as a puppy mill momma, the only thing that has changed about her playful nature is her fear of brooms. 

Dogs truly are a man’s—or woman’s—best friend. 

They bring a source of happiness that cannot be found anywhere else and have a dependency that nothing else can replicate. 

As college looms closer and closer, I find myself fearful for how I’ll manage without her, but for now, I plan on taking any chance I have to play with my seven-year-old puppy. 

Those who do not have a dog will never know the joy of coming home and knowing at least one person is excited you are home, you are greeted with body wiggles and pawed at as you set your bag down. Your dog’s eyes scream ‘I’ve missed you, mom,’ ‘I’ve missed you, sister,’ ‘Welcome home, brother.’

If you are at home right now and have the option, go find your Rufus, Toto, Spot, or Oreo. Hug them close and thank them for always making you feel like you are loved and belong, and for being able to turn around your witchy attitude in the morning and make you laugh with their yearning for belly rubs. 

The power of dogs is strange, but it’s truly strong. I may never know what makes the mannerisms of a dog so exuberating, but I’ll continue to keep my friends close, but my Dani closer.