My dad went to visit an old friend of his. He had a huge Doberman Pincher. I was only 14 years old at the time and was very allergic to dogs so I tended to avoid them. i sat on the floor while my dad visited with his friend.

This dog, out of nowhere, comes and sits down next to me and lays its head in my lap. I petted its head and rubbed its belly. You DO understand that dogs can't scratch each others ears and rub their belly's, right? This is an extremely intimate interaction between a huge carnivorous canine beast and a human being. This is something that defies human and animal norms and pretty much defines the definition of "man's best friend". Words do not do it justice. Ever.

The dog was dying of cancer in its front paw. To this day I will always remember this huge beast just laying in my lap wanting to be loved.

How can anyone ever do something harmful/hateful/damaging to a creature like that?

My dog has lost the functionality of its back legs. I have to hold him up to do his business. Yet, he will still scoot himself to the front door to protect me from the Amazon delivery guy all the time, barking all the way, to alert us of an intruder. I'm sure that's an instinctive pack animal protection mechanism but as a human being I can only see the love he has for me and my family,

I'm sorry for burdening you with mushy episodes of human dog interactions but that's how it works and is supposed to work. You love them and they love you back tenfold. Sorry, I'm crying so I need to stop typing.