I didn't like dogs when I was a child.

I always thought of dogs as being fierce, aggressive, and noisy. The fact that I was once "chased" by a dog until I fell into an open sewage trench didn't help with my general opinion towards dogs.

Now I love dogs.

Something happened later in my childhood that helped me look at dogs from a different perspective. Here is the story:

A dog was roaming around the neighborhood one day (I believe it was a beagle) -- without an owner. This little dog was friendly, so when he approached me on the street, I just petted him once and walked away. I wasn't interested in the dog. I was even wishing that the dog would go away. However, the dog started to follow me around. I ignored the dog and played with other kids on the street. The kids paid a lot of attention to the dog and played with him for a while, but in the end the little creature somehow ended up following me all the way to my house.

I closed the door behind the poor beagle, hoping he would leave. I slowly peeked outside the window, and there he was, waiting for me to open the door. 15 minutes passed...30 minutes passed, and the little dog was still there, sitting and looking anxiously at the door. Eventually, the sun went down, but there was still no sign of the little beagle leaving his spot.

My parents must have contacted the owner eventually, because the owner showed up that night, picked up the dog and drove away. I never saw the dog again.

I had never seen a dog behave like this. For some strange reason, the dog chose me of all the people on the street and decided to follow me. I found myself being a little sad not seeing the dog any more. "Dogs aren't bad", I realized. It felt as if the dog was sent to show me that dogs can also be friendly, affectionate, loyal and faithful.

This childhood episode must have touched my heart more deeply than I thought. More than 30 years have passed since then, and I still remember it vividly. Every time I hear stories about how dogs (and other pets) reveal wonderful characteristics to humans, I remember this little beagle. It changed my view of dogs overnight.

If you have a personal story of your dog, cat or horse that has changed your life, please e-mail us with a photo of your pet. We're happy to add your story to our page.