Man's Best Friend

Taken soon after she first
moved in.

I never had a dog when I was a child. In fact, the closest thing I ever had to a pet was a stray cat who hung around our house for a couple of months one summer. I used to hold a slight grudge against my parents for not letting me have a real pet. But now that I'm older I understand the whole "Our house, our rules" slogan. In college, my desire to have a dog of my own grew tremendously. But living in the residence halls for four years meant that I could only dream.

Caught in the act! At least it's a
stuffed toy and not the sofa.

Then less than a year after graduating, I had a dog pretty much fall right into my lap.

On Tuesday, Adalei turned 3 years old -- at least that's what her vet papers say. She's been my dog for nearly two of those years, and the experience has been everything I hoped it would be.

Nothing like the cold kitchen floor &
a fan after a nice, long run.

I remember being afraid that Adalei wouldn't love me. Those fears were silenced quickly because, well, Adalei loves everybody. My friend, Damian, told me, "Rye, your dog is going to love you no matter what. It's her respect that you really want."  I wasn't quite sure what he meant at the time, but now I do.

Plays hard. Sleeps hard.

She's a great dog. I've got her pretty well trained (though there's always room for improvement.) But she acts differently around most people than she does around me. She knows I'm her master, and she gives me the respect that goes along with that. I think that's what I had been wanting all those petless years -- to have that special bond with a dog that no one else has.

I never fully understood the phrase, "Man's Best Friend", until Adalei came along. But now it all makes perfect sense.

Adalei's trademark move: burrowing into your arms when
you sit on the ground.

Adalei and the Great Pumpkin posing for their Halloween photo.