Kyra is a six and a half year old Belgian shepherd/chow chow mix. My husband and I adopted her from the shelter when she was three years old. We wanted a dog that was old enough to be housebroken, but not too old that it couldn’t adapt well to a new household. I wanted a larger dog that I could go running with.

We met her at the shelter, and immediately bonded. There was no background on her as she was picked up off the street. We figured she wasn’t a stray for long as she knew basic commands – come, sit, stay, etc.

She settled into our home well and has been a very devoted companion. She follows us around everywhere and sleeps at the foot of the bed every night. As soon as someone gets up in the morning she wants to be petted and get belly rubs. She loves nothing more than to play with her toys at night.

Her favorite toy is a squeaky plush octopus. When she gets tired she will climb up on the couch and lounge with us. She goes jogging with me, and I have tried to take her swimming but with no success. She won’t go in the water past her knees.

She is skittish around loud noises. If there is a thunderstorm she will run into the bedroom and hide under the bed (which is quite funny for a 90 pound dog!).

I sprained my ankle one year and was on crutches for a month. Kyra’s jogging time went from several times a week to non-existent for that time period. I was laid up on the couch a lot, and during this time Kyra tried to look after me how she could. Every day she would try to share her food and treats with me, and she would make sure that I had one of her toys with me at all times. If I was on the couch, and the toy fell off, she would run back to pick it up and put it on my lap. It was very sweet.

Dogs are a lot of work, but well worth the reward. Kyra has been a wonderful part of my life and will continue to be so for many more years to come.

Liz lives in McCauley.