Introduction: In life we all have something that has changed the way we perceive things. Most things that change a person’s perception happens to be an experience that they have gone thru and learned from. In my case it wasn’t necessarily an experience, it was a dog that changed my perception on life. My mind and heart was opened in a whole new way. I never thought I could love an animal just as much as I loved the people in my life. I always thought it was strange that pet owners loved and treated their pets the same way they treated their children. My perception on dogs or pets in general definitely changed.

Throughout this paper you will see why I am a totally different person because of a dog that entered my life. People say a man’s best friend is his dog, and a women’s best friend is her jewelry. I agreed with this statement until 1996- well into my adulthood. In 1996, I became married and soon found myself a dog owner, (my husband’s best friend was his dog). At first I was really skeptical about letting a dog into my life, being that I had never owned a dog and never cared to. My mind was soon changed, when I met Tacha (that was her name). Tacha was an Akita bread dog.

Akitas are dogs who are native to the country of Japan. They are usually vicious by nature and used as hunting dogs. All of the above details made my skepticism grow even larger; I was a new dog owner, soon to be sharing living quarters with this 4 legged animal. I must say that when I first saw Tacha, my heart melted. She had small triangle shape eyes, a tail that curled high over her back and a coat that was more beautiful than any other dog I’d ever seen. The first few weeks were interesting having Tacha as a live in family member, but before I knew it, having her there was second nature.

I found myself treating her just like part of the family. Akita was my families’ first dog, but all of us welcomed her with open arms. There are a few memories that stick out about Tacha. Everyday when I would return from work, Tacha would greet me at the door and playfully jump up and down and around in circles. The funniest thing is; she never turned to the left. She would always make circular movements to the left in a quick fashion. Seeing this made my so happy. I would find myself looking forward to it when I was parking the car in the driveway. Tacha was one greedy dog too, she knew that she was not allowed in he kitchen, but the second she thought someone wasn’t looking she would run in the kitchen and snatch whatever was left out on the counter. One time I remember ordering Pizza and the family was all in the dining room eating, and when my son went to grab another piece he noticed that the entire box was on the floor, and the pizza was gone. To our surprise Tacha ate all the pizza. My family would always find this funny, but there were plenty of nights when we couldn’t get seconds on dinner because it was in Tachas belly. Tacha was a smart dog, she was also aware that she was not allowed to get on any of the beds in the house.

This didn’t stop her though. On several occasions one of us would walk in the house, and within 1 second we would hear a loud thump and Tacha running down the stairs. The loud thump was Tacha jumping off the bed. Times were not always so funny with Tacha, but I never loved her any less. One day Tacha was in the back yard getting some fresh air. I recall attaching her to the chain and going back in the house. About 1 hour later, the neighbor was banging on my front door screaming, “Come get your dog, come get your dog, she’s chasing my dog around and ripping my screen door down. I ran to the neighbors rescue to find that Tacha was no longer at the door. I went into the back yard and found Tacha calmly sitting in the same place I left her. I went to check her chain and sure enough it was broken. She really broke loose from her chain and found her way back once she knew she did something wrong. Tacha would also take advantage of people, especially when someone new was walking her. If a new person took Tacha out for her walks, she would literally drag them down the street- more so walking them. She would break away from her leash and freely run around, but she would always find her way home.

Having a dog changed my life; I understand firsthand how and why people treat their pets like family. I see why being without them makes you sad and when they pass away you actually bereave their loss. Losing Tacha hurt so bad, I found myself crying when I saw other dogs and reminiscing about all of the above memories. I even contemplating buying another dog, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. Her presence in my life was so pure I can’t imagine attempting to replace her. Tacha brought joy and happiness everyday to my life, and she will always be my first animal love. Conclusion:

Pets bring a different type of love to your life. They can’t talk, drive, work or do chores, but they can cuddle, laugh and cry just like we do. They know when you are said and in need of some extra attention; they even know when they have done something wrong. I am so blessed to have been introduced to the love that an animal can bring to your life. My perception on every animal has changed, whether it is a dog, cat, bird or fish. I finally understand the void that an animal can feel in your life. I loved my dog Tacha and always will, there will never be another one like her.