Enalapril, digoxin, proin, lasix, Vetmedin, Rimadyl, spironolact, Viagra.

That list above isn’t a random list. It’s a list of all of the meds our 14 year old Lhasa Apso takes on a daily basis. We saw her cardiologist last week and his parting words to us were, “Go ahead and spoil her.” It took awhile for the meaning of those words to sink in.

I’ve had dogs for nearly 20 years, yet I’ve never really written about any of my dogs—or my relationship with them. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, or you’ve read either of my books, you’ll know that there is very little I haven’t written about; my head is an open book. Yet the dogs—my dogs, or rather my relationship with my dogs—is the one thing I haven’t written about. I’m not sure why—perhaps I fear I’m not a good enough writer to do justice to the experience of sharing your life with a canine companion. Or perhaps I don’t have the words to express an inexpressible attachment. Yet, having dogs has made me a better person; they have taught me so much. In honor of them—of all dogs, everywhere—I have compiled a list of what my dogs have taught me:

1. Always be yourself. Toby, our 8 year old Silky Terrier, isn’t a perfect dog. But he is the best dog he knows how to be.

2. Never bite when a bark will do. ‘Nuf said.

3. When life knocks you down, get back up. Coco started fainting as a result of her heart condition. She would suddenly fall over on her side or her back legs would buckle under her. She would fall to the floor, rest a moment then get up and go back to what she was doing.

4. Never give up. When our current dog, Toby, suffered a ruptured disk in his neck, he became paralyzed from the neck down. Not only could he not walk, he had no control of his bowels or his bladder. It took six months, a brilliant surgeon and thousands of dollars but he recovered. He never gave up be a part of the family, though. Until he could walk, he crawled.

5. Don’t waste your time and energy on anyone not interested in knowing you. Coco greets every person she sees. If they put out a hand for her to sniff, or reach down and pet her, she will charm them; if they don’t, she moves on.

6. Demand equal treatment. Nothing sets off a dog riot more quickly in our house than giving one dog a treat and not the other, or petting one more than the other.

7. Be open to love and it will find you, even if you’re not looking. When my roommate brought home a 10-month old Yorkie. I was mad; I didn’t want a dog. We named him Channing, after Carol, but I made it clear he wasn’t my dog. One night he nosed open my bedroom door and jumped onto my bed. For the next ten years he slept tucked in against my stomach. For weeks after he died, I’d get up during the night and realizing he was not in his regular spot beside me, I’d go look for him. Then I’d remember.

8. Love who you want, as hard as you want, for as long as you can. The last thing Channing did before he died was turn his head to look for me. “Oh good,” his eyes seemed to say, “You’re here. I knelt in front of him and held his gaze until the light in his eyes went out.

9. That dog you think you rescued may, in fact, rescue you.

www.larrybenjamin.com