I love my dog

I've heard people say this before. I love my dog. I've read it. Read about it. Seen it on tv and in movies. I've had friends who've uterred those exact words to me. I never understood it before. Before I had a dog of my own that is.
Don't get me wrong. Intellectually I got it. Dog is mans best friend and all that. And I also got how kind and obedient And loyal dogs are and how that might appeal to a certain kind of person. Besides that I also just always felt this intuitive knowing that dog people were warmer and somehow more down to earth than cat people; even though I myself was a cat person for most of my life.
Until five years ago when we picked a copper colored little fox like looking puppy out of a cage at the animal shelter. She was so scared from being abused in the first few months of her short life that she wouldn't even walk. We had to carry her everywhere. She also wouldn't look any of us in the eyes.
But all that changed eventually. Over time Penny, as she was simply called due to her color, slowly became more and more like a normal well adjusted family dog. Love is what did it. Just a lot of love. From all of us.
She's been with us now for over six years. And there isn't a day that goes by that I don't get down on the floor and wrap both my arms around her and give her a big hug. All 65 pounds of her.
Lately Penny has been sick. Not acting like herself. Turns out she has something called Pancreatitis. High blood levels of lipase. The vet says she will recover fully and heal on her own. Though each day she acts more like herself, we can tell that Penny doesn't quite feel like herself yet. So we worry a bit still. It's 3:00am in the morning here on the West Coast; which means that many east coast friends fans and family are just starting to rise and shine to get ready for their work day.
Penny isn't allowed on rhe couches or on our bed. It's just the way it is. But she spends all day following us around from room to room and at night all I have to do is say "penny c'mon and slap my hands against my hip or even just snap and up she comes to fall asleep wrapped up in a small circle that belies her large frame in her own bed down on the floor at the foot of our bed. She's been sleeping in our bedroom every night since we got her.
I've noticed that all night tonight I keep listening to her or for her just to make sure she is breathing. If she's too quiet I get up out of bed and walk over to her here in the dark and kneel down to pet her and check up on her. Past 3:00 am now and I still feel a bit concerned for her. A few minutes ago I got up out of bed to face the freezing cold of our room just to make sure she's still breathing. She made a kind of groaning or grunting sound and it was enough to assure me she's ok. But it also prompted me to attempt to make this note, despite how exhausted I feel right now, just to say "i Iove my dog." Because I do so much. More later. There are plenty of Penny stories to be shared. And those will come soon enough. But right now all I can muster the energy for is to report how wonderful it is to have her in our lives. I need to take a clue from Penny and go to sleep myself now. So sleep well Penny. We'll see you in the morning.