My boy

      Apparently today is National Dog Day. It's not that I don't care, or am uninvested in such matters (Side note: The latter isn't entirely true. There are so many National ______ Days that I don't bother keeping up). But I'll be honest. For me, every day is National Dog Day. How could it not be, with a dog like Charley?
       There's never been a dog as loyal, protective, comforting, or charismatic as Charley. While I read on the back patio, he bears the heat to sit with me and keep me company. When I leave for work, he escorts me to the door and watches while I drive away. When it's time for bed, there he is, lying in the doorway to my room. He senses my feelings. When I'm having a rough night, he sits by me on the floor, his paw on my leg. When the anxiety is strong, he comes from another room and presses himself to me, literally offering support when I feel like I can't even stand.
       He wears his heart on his sleeve (Side note: not an actual sleeve. I idolized Elle Woods as much as the next gal, but not enough to dress my dog). You can read this dog's mind, I swear. His nature is serious, alert, assertive. But he has fun, too. This dog loves walks. He hears the jingle of the leash from the other side of the house. He gets mega hyped up, to the point of skidding on the tile and crashing into *insert object that probably shouldn't be crashed into here*. (Side note: Now is as good a time as any to mention he weighs 100lbs).
      Is he perfect? No.  God help me if this dog gets out accidentally and I'm sent out on a 3 hour trek to retrieve him while also racing to save the lives of the unassuming ducks at the neighborhood pond. God help the neighbors when he barks at the invisible Pegasus in the sky or whatever it is at 7am and has to make sure the rest of the world is aware. God help visitors when he takes it upon himself to perform thorough physical examinations at the door.
      I truly believe that animals and humans are meant to connect. Charley serves as a reminder to live with purpose, whatever that may be. He's a reminder of what matters and what doesn't. He inspires joy and vigor, love and courage. To know him is to adore him. Is he perfect? No. But neither am I (I've given my stance on perfection and its relativity). But Charley is the perfect dog for me. And while he has no certification, he's a support dog if there ever was one.

Oh yeah, the other dog, Sam, is...well...Sam <3