Could a man be dog's best friend?

If a dog is man’s best friend, then why can’t a man be a dog’s best friend?

I lost my little dog over a year ago. She had been with me for about 15 years.

Now I don’t want to pick a fight with people who feel differently about pets.

I bought my little dog when she was just a small puppy. A woman was selling her dog’s puppies out of the trunk of her car on Bureau property near The Star newspaper corner. I paid $50 for the puppy.

Upon the advice of my wife, I eventually picked a female puppy, while I liked the color of the male puppy better.

My intent was to give the puppy to my great granddaughter Kaylee. I did so thinking that I made a good match. Kaylee was about 5 at the time. As it worked out, the puppy arrived at my house. Kaylee was too young to take on the responsibilities of a new dog.

Fate has a way of making all things right.

The dog and I bonded almost immediately. I think the dog understood that I wasn’t going to try and take away the things that made her a dog.

That’s where the understanding was made. If she would be my best friend, then I would be her best friend.

I named her Abby.

I had a friend who spent $800 on his dog. And as time passed his dog was less of a dog and mine had increased in value. I wouldn’t have taken a $1,000 for mine.

He bought all the boxed food for his, while mine ate what I ate.

I let my dog sleep on our bed and put a little stool next to the bed so she could get up and down. I was told that this was a no-no. Don’t let your dog on the bed. But I had made a pact that I wasn’t going to take the traits of a dog away from mine. I had seen people walk by the house with their dogs on a leash keeping pace with them. I vowed never to force my dog to do human-type things. I grew to understand that this created a “friendly” atmosphere between us. So I tolerated jokes about my $50 dog while knowing that my investment on my dog was actually growing.

So that’s the way it has been. Abbey, my little dog, and I were truly friends. It worked both ways.

As time went by, my dog became a little heavy. I was told it was because I was feeding her table scraps. At 18 pounds the vet tried to get me to buy boxed food. I even got samples to try. I put them down for my dog, but she hurriedly passed by the dish. In keeping with our agreement, I wasn’t going to take her dog instinct away from her.

So, this special friendship went on. My $50 dog was a friend for life. What an investment. No regrets.

Then one day I was asleep in my chair, and when I woke up my dog had curled up on my feet and passed on.

So, I believe that a dog can be man’s best friend and man can become a dog’s best friend.