Cause Essay Complete

I’m sure all of you have a few really close friends.  They’ve been there for you through thick and thin.  By your side in a fight, offering a ride when you’re in need, or just there at home when it seems like the rest of the world is coming crashing down.  Friends are good, but sometimes I believe a different kind of companion would be better, a companion that would always be by your side, ready and willing.  The kind of companion I’m thinking of could be any of a wide variety of animals, but I’ve got my eye on one specifically.  She pants when the sun stares down at her dark, oily hair.  She may be patiently waiting at home for my return right now, just to greet me at the door with such excitement you’d think I had been gone for years.  Above all else she is a loyal and dedicated beast.  And those are just the details that everyone lists to you in every run-of-the-mill dog book, but I’m here to tell you the real reasons they coined the term “Man’s best friend”. 

Bella works with other people.  I never have to worry about what she’s going to do if she’s meeting a new person.  She’s never been accused of biting, only the occasional territorial growl. But what do you expect from the protector of my home?  She’s great with kids and adults alike, always playful and happy to lean up against your leg and be pet, for hours on end if it were up to her.  She gets along well with most other dogs and is never outwardly aggressive, just shy.  That’s not a bad combination when she’s hiking on public trails, not nosey but also makes friends easily.  While sociable, she is still happy to sit at (or on) your feet, to curl up and relax.  To hop on the couch beside you and watch TV.  Or to hop in the passenger seat and cruise down for a coastal tour.  She may have been quite the hellfire when she was a pup, but like everyone predicted, with time she grew up some and settled down her demeanor.  While she’s content to sit and enjoy company, her ability to still have plenty of get up and go is just another reason why I cherish my best friend. 

She listens, and she does it well.  But have you ever seen one that doesn’t, someone that yells orders at their dog time and time again, but to no avail?  They grow hoarse and angered, and the dog, unfazed continues on indifferently.  Sometimes I think that’s the standard for most dog training, but that’s not what I wanted.  I wanted a dog that would snap to attention on my command a dog that stops and focuses, no matter what’s going on around her.  Now I haven’t gotten there quite yet, but Bella is much farther on her way than most of her canine friends.  And she’s always ready to please.  Even out of a deep sleep she’ll pop up, and within a matter of seconds plant down in front of me sitting uniformly, await her next command.  It could have been the months of one on one time I got with her, or possibly just that Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are bred to be eager to impress, but no matter the cause, I believe I’m on the right track to a dog that is quite disciplined and attentive. 

Now although my business law professor isn’t much of a proponent of guard dogs as a security detail, I still tend to believe in what’s worked over the test of time.  Without having a diamond vault in the basement, I don’t see much reason in purchasing something like a security system; I’d rather just have my dog on the lookout, it seems sufficient to me. With Bella I get a heads up when something is astir nearby, and that’s valuable to me.  That’s where the territorial nature of my dog comes into play.  A knock on the door, a rustling of leaves outside, or any noise that she doesn’t believe is commonplace will get her attention.  She perks up and may go to investigate, but sometimes she tightens up the distance between us.  Either way, I know just when something new is going on.  And all I had to do is look down at good ol’ reliable to notice it.  Now you go out try and find that kind of mobile security system for the price of just dog food each week, and see what you come up with. 

She may be expensive some times, mostly when I go to the vet, but I don’t mind.  She may get in the trash when I don’t remember to put it away, but you can’t blame a dog for being a dog.  She may think the coffee table is her personal dining table, but I haven’t had the heart to tell her otherwise.  All in all she’s an incredible companion, and devoted to stay at my side whenever and where-ever.  She means a lot of things to me, some of which words don’t suffice, and I’m sure if you have a dog you know just what I mean.  She’s there, and she will be there for as long as I can possibly keep her around.  She’s my friend, she’s my companion, and she’s my family.  Her name, is Bella.  And I wouldn’t trade her for anything.