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I have a mug with the following words on it that pretty much sums up what my canine companion means to me:

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him for such devotion."

Even with the impact those words hold on me, or anyone else, Morton, my eleven year old Yorkshire Terrier, means so much more than that to me. He is my world.

In the beginning of his puppy life, Morton was actually my son's dog. But some young men have no time for a dog, let alone a puppy, when their hormones are in overdrive. A puppy requires a lot of attention, and this tiny, black ball of fluff interfered with my son's social life. So, on weekends Morton was palmed off on me. Not that I minded, I couldn't turn away from a puppy so tiny that a single stair step was a mighty obstacle. The weekends got to the point where Morton would wiggle out of my son's arms and make a mad dash for my apartment door after tackling the four steps leading up to it. He would be that excited about seeing me.

Morton proved from this start that he would always be close to me. Preferring to sleep in my lap or at my feet, using one of my feet to pillow his little black head. Then the day came when I was leaving the West Coast to move back to the East Coast to get married. My son consented to let the little guy go with me. Now, not only had Morton become my responsibility, but he became my traveling companion for the three thousand plus mile trip.

Over the years, he became so much more. He was the source of my strength when my marriage came to an end with my husband's suicide. This little canine was my endurance to keep plugging when I lost my job. He kept me from giving up all hope when we inevitably became homeless. When I was dumped by my boyfriend, Morton was there to give me his unconditional love. He continued to love me when I became depressed and over-weight. What I looked like didn't matter to him; so long as he could love me and I loved him in return.

Things have gotten a little better for us. I'm working and we have a place to live. I've lost weight by taking my little four-footed friend out on long walking excursions several times a week. At night, he sleeps next to me while I try to make extra money at Helium. After that, we snuggle up close to sleep and wake up to face our day, together.

You can't ask for more from your dog.

Learn more about this author, Dorothy Baum.
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