The Value of Friendship
The best friend of some dogs happens to be a canine they’ve grown up with since puppyhood. For others, it’s a dog they found in a social setting, like doggie day care. For others — like Teddy — friendships are struck with people they become highly bonded to in a manner that far exceeds normal canine affection. Companions who are chosen time and time again as friends — the ones who bring out the best qualities of the authentic self of the person or animal — are those I feel are best friends. Though not every dog has a companion who would seem to qualify for best friend status, those who do make their choice evident.

Life for me has changed numerous times, but what has stayed constant is the reminder from my own human best friend and from my Pugs and their relationship with one another that real love lasts. Even tonight as I write this article, the Pugs are snuggled up together, with Willy lying partially splayed atop Bruce, breathing in-synch snores from the couch. The touching line from adventurer Christopher McCandless in the book Into the Wild comes to mind: “Happiness [is] only real when shared.” When we share life with others in intimate relationships, life abounds. And with a best friend who sees beyond the exterior and reaches deep into the heart and soul, the happiness and connection shared are beyond description. But they can be felt or seen through the joyful expressions on the faces of companions who happened to find one another.