For most of my life I have had a dog. When I was born my first best friend was my family's Siberian Huskie named Shadow. I don't remember much of Shadow, but there are plenty of pictures my parents took of the two of us hanging out. One of my favorite pictures of us is when I was around 2 years old with a diaper on, using Shadow to balance and standing as tall as her. Shadow was already old when I was born, so she passed away before I turned 3. After that I constantly asked my parents for a dog. My wish was not granted until I was a little less than seven years old. One of my aunts needed someone to temporarily take care of her dog. I convinced my dad and soon a Border Collie named Cinder came under our care. As much as I love my aunt, she did not love Cinder as much. Cinder's fur was matted in poop and she was not used to mover around too much as she was nearly constantly chained up outside. We cleaned Cinder up and took her under our wings. A month turned into 2, 2 into 5, and soon enough Cinder was ours. Cinder was 10 years old when we got her. I remember the joy of getting off the bus every day and coming home to see her. I would carefully open the door because Cinder had a habit of laying in front of the door. Middle school scared me, but Cinder made the first semester or so of middle school barrable. When she was around 15 she developed a tumor in her foot. For 2 years we did all we could to help ease her pain, but on February 14, 2017 she was put down. After that I needed time to recover before getting a new dog. By the time the pandemic stated I was ready for a new dog, and my dad and I began the search. In June of 2020 the newest member of my family was added. Her name is Coco. We aren't sure what breed she is, but we suspect she is a lab mix. Like most people, the pandemic was really rough for me. Luckily I had Coco to keep me motivated. We got Coco when she was just 8 weeks old. This is the first time I've gotten to raise a puppy. Every day I would wake up ready to train her. She gave me purpose in a really uncertain time. Remote learning was extremally isolating, but the loneliness was lessened because of Coco's presence. Whenever I got stressed out I would take a "Coco break" and just pet and cuddle her until I was ready to continue my homework. I spend a lot of time inside, but Coco has forced me to go out more and be more active. Just earlier today I was throwing her a frisbee and ball. I have always liked dogs, likely due to the fact that I have had dogs most of my life. I think the main reason I like dogs is because they are so expressive with their love. There is no doubt in my mind that my life would be lacking substantial happiness had it not been for my dogs. I am someone who can become engrossed in my school work to a concerning degree. My dogs have helped me get out of my head and learn to enjoy life more. I feel more confident in who I am knowing Coco is there to support me.